Moon JJ-4, natural walnut satin, made in Japan circa 1991. Moon Custom Guitars don't use the word 'custom' lightly: if you want one, you order one from their small Tokyo-based workshop, pay your ¥320000 (around $3500aud) and you wait. Their website says they will rush a build for no man, so you might be waiting a while. Moon basses rose to a certain prominence when a JJ model landed in the hands of Larry Graham, who's more or less credited with inventing the slap bass technique. Moon JJs have also been played by Victor Bailey (Weather Report) and Darryl Jones (Sting, Rolling Stones), among many other notable luminaries over the years. There's a reason they found favour: this is an absolute monster of a bass. The body is made of solid walnut, with a two-piece centre joined construction and finished in super thin satin nitro. The grain on the walnut is stunning: it's a bit like ash, but curlier and less predictable, and blessed with that alluring rich milk chocolate hue. The matching headstock, worn gold hardware and midnight ebony board complete an aesthetic that walks the line convincing between understatement and suavity. The neck is a tightly grained piece of quartersawn maple, arrow straight and slick to the touch, paired with an ebony slab board and a brass nut... it feels like a million bucks. The tone is remarkable. It's approximately in the Jazz Bass genre, but the walnut body lends it a huge, weighty low end. It's perfect for slap, as every note comes with this feeling of thickness and depth. There's a phase switch for the bridge pickup on a push/pull tone pot, so you can get some quacky out-of-phase sounds in the middle position if you need a bit of extra stank. This is a phenomenal bass, you'll be over the moon with it. Har.

Model: Moon JJ-4
Made: Japan, 1991 approx (serial 13769)
Finish: natural satin nitro
Body: solid walnut, 2-piece centre centre join
Neck: maple, ebony board, 34" scale, 12" radius, slim C shape, 38mm nut
Weight: 4.290kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Moon Oxlais passive single coil x2 (not 100% verified)
Case: basic non-original gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear.  The headstock has some scuffs on the end, as well as some rub wear around the edge of the front of the headstock near the neck joint. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, just some rub wear on the back from play. The back has some light scuffs near the neck joint, no major marks. The sides have no major marks, just some dimples in the elbow area and near the jack. The front is nice and clean too, just some minor dimples near the knobs and in the elbow area and some rub wear from play near the neck pickup. Overall condition: very good condition (8/10)

Playing condition notes: action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have minor wear only, 9/10 for life left. Set up with fresh 45/105 Moonshiners strings.