Just got this bass yesterday and I'm a bit puzzled by it. I purchased it because of it's similarity to the Bartells I'm so fond of ().
There are some things that are what I would expect from a Bartell (zero fret, metal string spacer, truss rod cover, etc) but some details like the neck mounting and the pickups are unlike any other Bartell bass I've seen. I'm forced to consider one of 4 scenarios:
1) early prototype for Bartell w/possibly some changed parts
2) custom unit
3) Japanese copy (nothing points to this that I can see)
4) homemade copy (looks a little too well done in some areas)
Has anyone ever seen pickups like these? What's your best guess on this?
Link to album: