(SOLD) Greco Brazen Picker Bass Black 1977
Greco Jazz Bass, 1977, black. This thing has a lot of attitude! It harks from the pre-CNC router era, so it's entirely hand made; the late 70s was a somewhat of a golden era for old-fashioned Japanese craftsmanship. Everything really feels right: the neck is dead straight and exceptionally sturdy and resonant, the body has a tasty weight to it without being impractically heavy, the thumb-rest is a handy addition... it all just works. Tone-wise, it's a monster: there's growl, bite, warmth and fullness on tap in spades. The aged finish treads a nice line between clean and beat-up, and the aged hardware looks amazing. Curiously, the fretboard has been very lightly scalloped above the 14th fret, perhaps a previous owner was a Billy Sheehan enthusiast. This is a top-notch player with all the tone you need.
Model: Greco JB450S (best estimate from catalog)
Made: Japan, 1977 (serial J774620)
Finish: gloss black, 3-ply white guard
Body: birch (best info available)
Neck: maple with rosewood board, block inlays
Mods: fretboard mildly scalloped from 14th fret, knobs replaced, re-wired with new CTS pots and Switchcraft input jack, thumb rest installed
Pickups: Original Greco JB singles
Case: none
Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. There's some extra holes from since-removed ashtray bridge and pickup covers. There's six or six little chips around the edge of the back, nothing nasty. There's a bit of buckle rash on the back and some minor dimples around the body. The chrome parts all have significant discolouration an.d pitting, but are all in great working order. Knobs are non-original. Overall: good condition (7/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. There's some wear on the frets, but heaps of life left (6/10). Electronics all tested and working properly, they've been given a full re-wire by our local luthier ninja Paul Minuer, who's also done the set up with fresh 45/105s. It's in very good shape!