"Menphis Vintage M1J" (sic) Does anybody know anything about this bass?

M

madmush

Member
Google is not my friend on this one, obviously an attempt at a copy of a Memphis bass of some sort. A real oddity. The pickguard has been cut awkwardly, possibly to fit a pickup upgrade.

Am curious, any info much appreciated!.... "Menphis". Seriously? :D




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Clearly it's a Fender P-Bass copy, but not a genuine Memphis branded copy. I would guess that it's just one of hundreds of Korean or Chinese knockoff basses sold under private labels. Usually the country of origin is on the headstock somewhere. Get a picture from the owner if you're thinking of a purchase. It might be a perfectly good guitar. As long as the neck is stable, the only issues are usually in the electronics and tuners, both of which can be replaced easily.
 
TalismanRich said:
Clearly it's a Fender P-Bass copy, but not a genuine Memphis branded copy. I would guess that it's just one of hundreds of Korean or Chinese knockoff basses sold under private labels. Usually the country of origin is on the headstock somewhere. Get a picture from the owner if you're thinking of a purchase. It might be a perfectly good guitar. As long as the neck is stable, the only issues are usually in the electronics and tuners, both of which can be replaced easily.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
 
Interesting truss rod, and the strings look like they might be laying on the frets at that end of the neck. Is it just a shim problem, or are the strings tuned down an octave for the pics?

The "relic" work looks pretty good, actually, but it may be something someone whipped up - searching for something actually spelled MENPHIS didn't turn up anything, and was M1J supposed to suggest Japanese (aka Made-in-Japan/MIJ) origin? Weird.

But, for a cheap bass for [home] recording, P-bass clones are a good place to start. Those long necks really need hands-on, IMO, i.e., before thowing down $, because if the neck is bad, they are rarely worth the repair cost.
 
The truss rod is not unlike the one on my Peavey Millennium IV bass. They are very quick and easy to adjust... just put the tool in the hole and give it a little tug. Much better than the socket wrench affairs on most guitars. I wish Leo had done that back in the 50s. Removing a neck to adjust the rod is just silly.

I haven't bought a guitar without playing it in over 10 years. The ones that I bought early on were all good brands (G&L, Heritage, Guild/Dearmond) so I knew that the odds were that all that would be required was a basic setup. This one looks more like something I might find in a pawn shop or Music-Go-Round for $120.

Maybe the OP can give us a bit of background.
 
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