nmiller
Member
Well, deep greens, at least. Something clicked when I saw this one today, and I was able to make a quick and reasonable deal.
I love JS basses from the ‘70s. I know most players view them as decent if unremarkable instruments, but for me they just do something special. The feel of the neck, the way they hang on a strap, and the thump of that short scale is just more perfect than any other solidbody bass I’ve played. I never should have sold my ’70 JS-II with the Hagstrom humbucker in the bridge, but at least I've found another one. You may argue that the JS-I is less versatile without that second pickup. In practice, I’ve found that the Guild humbucker in the bridge position of the JS-II is surprisingly deep, to the point that it doesn’t sound terribly different from the neck pickup. Maybe it’s a wiring thing, but when I’ve had a later JS-II, I stayed mainly on the neck pickup.
This one isn't the cleanest example, it doesn’t have flamed mahogany like the fretless JS-II I used to have, and there are a couple of holes from a replacement bridge, but that finish is fantastic. It’s the only JS bass I’ve ever seen in emerald green, and it’s the best-looking one I’ve seen, too. I have a soft spot for van Ghent tuners, too, regardless of the guitar or the brand. Looks like the wiring has been re-done and the switch replaced, but the original is included; I don't mind re-modding it back to stock if I have to, since they didn't install any new controls. Maybe I'll change the mud switch to a bass roll-off for a little bridge pickup emulation.
I love JS basses from the ‘70s. I know most players view them as decent if unremarkable instruments, but for me they just do something special. The feel of the neck, the way they hang on a strap, and the thump of that short scale is just more perfect than any other solidbody bass I’ve played. I never should have sold my ’70 JS-II with the Hagstrom humbucker in the bridge, but at least I've found another one. You may argue that the JS-I is less versatile without that second pickup. In practice, I’ve found that the Guild humbucker in the bridge position of the JS-II is surprisingly deep, to the point that it doesn’t sound terribly different from the neck pickup. Maybe it’s a wiring thing, but when I’ve had a later JS-II, I stayed mainly on the neck pickup.
This one isn't the cleanest example, it doesn’t have flamed mahogany like the fretless JS-II I used to have, and there are a couple of holes from a replacement bridge, but that finish is fantastic. It’s the only JS bass I’ve ever seen in emerald green, and it’s the best-looking one I’ve seen, too. I have a soft spot for van Ghent tuners, too, regardless of the guitar or the brand. Looks like the wiring has been re-done and the switch replaced, but the original is included; I don't mind re-modding it back to stock if I have to, since they didn't install any new controls. Maybe I'll change the mud switch to a bass roll-off for a little bridge pickup emulation.
