Well this is even more interesting. So somewhere or another, there is #75AE40, a 1975 Series bass that's been converted to a 5-string. In a funny turn of circumstances, that would make it technically older than Jimmy J's original 5-string which was the first! And that invoice is hilarious... I wonder what the cost for a wave of the magic wand is these days?! 🤣

So I found another thread for a Series II 6-string with I think this same body. It was referred to in the build card as a "Bulger" whatever that meant. (remember that sapphire blue 6'r in Indonesia a while back Gary? Pickups were upside-down in it...) If you look at the Series II Custom that's pictured in the literature with the bass being sold here it appears to be the same. There was another body called Rogue II, but this doesn't look quite like it. And at some point Europa was modified to accept Series electronics because there are quite a few of them, but this isn't an Europa either.

So that's all I got. I think it's just what it looks like... a custom 5-string with Series electronics. I think realistically they could sell it around $8-10k. It's in nice shape. $25k is unrealistic. I bet it's a tone monster.

I was just thinking......that script on the headstock is the equivalent of affixing a DYMO label.......just to clarify that's it's NOT an "Olympic" bass! 

Oh and that 1990 invoice......$1k for a refin / added string and magic wand?  What A Deal!

Bulger was the name of the person the shape was designed for.

The nickel finish switches look  a little funny to me. We do get them on request (early ones were all nickel). CVQ and Q-switches fit in the same hole.

I don't think this is a fake, but the logo is wrong. It's smooth, and the proportions and shape are wonky. At first I thought it was maybe distorted after taking it off, but it really doesn't look like it came out of the same mold.
See what I mean?

The logo in your photos appears to be the hand carved version. Could they have special ordered that and so looks a little wonky? 

I also thought that, but the more I look at it, maybe it is a molded logo that was removed and damaged, and this reshaping is the best they could do to average the harm. I'm not saying it couldn't leave the shop like this, but it would be a bit surprising. If we damaged the original logo modding the headstock for a 5-string, I'm sure we would have replaced the logo. 

Quote from: mica on May 03, 2026, 09:09:44 AMI also thought that, but the more I look at it, maybe it is a molded logo that was removed and damaged, and this reshaping is the best they could do to average the harm. I'm not saying it couldn't leave the shop like this, but it would be a bit surprising. If we damaged the original logo modding the headstock for a 5-string, I'm sure we would have replaced the logo.

Well, this is a possibility I hadn't considered. Are you thinking this bass (subject of the thread) is the converted 1975 bass? I was wondering if possibly this logo may have been the old one that was mentioned in the shop receipt, that somehow made it onto this 1996 bass. Like the same person owned both. Mysterious!

it'll only costya $25k USD to find out!

¡good luck to all!
🗿🐕

No it's not a 1975 bass for sure. But 90% of this body shape is 6-strings. We'll have to investigate the serial number and see what we can see.