(x) Series 2 fretless 79 1444

[garth4664]

Hello Mica and team,

Rescued 79 1444 from an Canberra pawn shop in Australia. It’s a series 2 long scale fretless with red side leds and what looks like a vermillion top and back. Keen to get any history you may have. Kind regards, Garth

[pauldo]

Nice score Garth!  She is beautiful.

[garth4664]

Thanks Paul

[garth4664]

My good friend and local luthier extraordinaire Tom Konig thinks the top and back are likely to be Sapele.

[garth4664]

Bass back plates polished 👍

[germansal]

From a pawn shop!!!wowww and what about price???

[edwardofhuncote]

A-Ha! At last, the magic of Series II electronics is revealed... there is a tiny little upright bass inside them!   

That is a beautiful instrument Garth. Congratulations & Compliments to you sir. 

[garth4664]

Thanks Ed and German,

Despite coming from cash converters (pawn shop) it was not too cheap...but I still think it was a nice deal 😁

I believe the top and back are from the same tree as this one:

http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=14993.msg153809#msg153809

Thus likely that the build card will say top and back mahogany. Sapele is a type of mahogany, or a close relation as far as I understand so it all makes sense

Still interested in any history on this bass. The original anvil case has a “Jazz FM 88/KLON” sticker on it. No other clues so far... anyone seen this bass in the past?

[mica]

Hi Garth,

You're absolutely right - this IS a Mahogany top and back.

top: Mahogany
back: Mahogany
body: Mahogany
neck: Maple and Purpleheart
scale: 34" long
fingerboard: Ebony
peghead veneers: Mahogany
originally made for: Studio 42
birthday: October 10, 1979

We had this bass in the shop in 1980 and refinished it for the original owner in Pennsylvania. It got a new owner in Pennsylvania in 1998 and that's the last we heard from it until you stumbled across it. The bass is really quite stunning!

[garth4664]

Thanks Mica, it’s getting a lot of playing now. What a great fretless! Another one that the mothership should be very proud of.

[serialnumber12]

kool ass Bass!!!.