(SOLD) Used Yamaha PB400 Pulser Bass Natural 1978
- Yamaha PB400 Pulser Bass, natural finish over ash body, made in Japan in 1978. This is a pretty simple precision-style bass, nothing fancy, but gets the basic elements right. The lightweight sen-ash body is truly stunning, the natural finish really shows off the complex grain, and the vintage maple board has that perfect played-in look and feel. The lacquer has a a bit of checking in a couple of spots, adding to the beat-up-P appeal. The body and neck are in pretty good shape, but there's some significant wear to note on the machine heads and logo area. The neck is on the slim side for a P, somewhere between normal P and Jazz style; it's a comfortable player. A Fender P from this era would set you back $3-5k, despite being famously inconsistently built over the same period... the smart money is with the vintage Jap copy. Great players grade vintage bass for a bargain price.
Manufacturer: Yamaha
Model: Pulser Bass PB400
Year: 1978 (serial 002942)
Made in: Japan
Finish: Natural gloss, 3-ply white guard
Body: Sen-ash, 3-piece construction
Neck: maple with maple board, dot inlays
Weight: 4.0kg
Mods: none
Pickup: original Yamaha P-style pickup, 9.59k ohms
Case: none
Cosmetic condition notes: Rough, but fine. The logo on the headstock is blistering somewhat as per pics. The chrome machine head pegs are in bad shape cosmetically, with significant corrosion, but they're heavy duty and work fine at this stage. The rest of the chrome parts have aged a lot, but look okay. There's a bunch of holes in the guard where one or two rests or covers must've been removed. The guard has aged with play, but still sits flush. There's some checking/cracks in the lacquer on the horn and neck joint area. There's a bunch of dings near the input jack. Overall condition: fair.
Playing condition notes: Action is very low, neck is straight, intonation is good. All electrics tested and working properly. Set up with fresh 45-105s. Very easy player that's super light, a handy gig-bass for sure.