While checking out the used store by me for parts for my 6 other projects
including this other Hondo http://vintaxe.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=12976#12976
I ran across a reeealy nice Hondo II Jazz bass copy. It's all ash, with interesting humbucker sized pickups and with a really fat neck with rosewood fretboard. I like jazz basses, but could never afford one unless it was the really low end plywood ones. THis one cost me all of $80, as well. It's kind of scratched up and the circuit is funky (bridge pup doesn't work) but it's all there, and the neck is nice and fat. The finish must have started out as natural ash but has mellowed/darkened really nicely, you can see the lighter area that was under the bridge cover. (Which was also missing, but I would have taken it off anyway) Another plus is that most of the natural ash ones I've seen had maple fretboard necks, and I just can't bond with those. I just like rosewood so much better, plus the black block ones just look painted on anyway.
Oh yeah, on to the pictures:
I futzed with the circuit, it's under a white plastic plate instead of the chrome one they usually have. Apparently one of the pup wires came off the switch (missing it's tip) Usually these have 2 volume pots and a master tone, this one is set up as vol/tone/3 way switch. Also the bridge looks funky (2 barrels instead of 4, plus all the screws are rusty and mismatched, so who knows if this is the original bridge or not.) There appears to be larger holes under the pickup ring and the bridge, so I don't know if any of this is original, or somebody replaced stuff in the last 30 years. Everything rattles (3 of the tuners are really loose, both the pups move a lot and there doesn't appear to be a bridge ground because touching the bridge pup and the bridge at the same time makes weird noises). I have a Squier Jazz control plate and bridge I can put on here, I actually like the way the neck (middle? It's not real close to the neck) pup sounds so I think those are staying but the crummy tuners have to go. Overall I really like it, it plays real nice and the neck is just about perfect shaped for my odd hands (big palms, stubby fingers) so I think I got a keeper!
Anybody wanna guess the (approximate) year this thing's from? Thanks for looking!