Duke bass

[linutisp]

Is this bass MIJ? What year it could be? On the back is sticker JB 25.

[daan]

I have 2 basses like yours. One was branded "Carlo Robelli" and was a fairly accurate Jazz copy (normal Jazz-sized pickups, a "real" Fender guardplate fit on it, the neck pocket was standard size) and the other is branded "Hondo" and had mini-humbucker pickups like the one you posted. THat one is not real close in shape, the guardplate is nowhere near the same size, and the neck pocket is totally square (llike, 90-degrees square) and not the same width as a "standard" Jazz. Both mine had the "Made In Japan" stamped neck plates. The Robelli one had the bridge and pup covers, the Hondo has holes from where they would be, but no covers. The bridge on both of them were really cheap 2-saddle ones (kind of like the 3-saddle Tele bridges) I replaced both of them because the screws and the saddles themselves were all corroded. Oh yeah, the both have headstock-adjusted truss rods with cover plates. I used to have a bass that was standard shape, but with the mini-hum pups, but no brand name on the headstock. I've seen lots of these, with several brands (or no brands). I'm fairly certain they're all MIJ, but I suppose the newest of them could be MIK. The Carlo Robelli bass was every bit as good as an MIJ Fender Jazz a freind had (I sold the Robelli to him) the Hondo has a really excellent neck, and the body wood is really pretty Ash. (All the hardware was terrible, though) I will post pics as soon as I can get at them, if you want to see them.

[daan]