New bass day - help ID it

[Briansol]

A local free/swap marketplace listing popped up and I snagged this bass for all of $0.

No idea what it is. The guy I got it from says it's an 80s Gran prix.

P bass knock off?

Has grover locking tuners.


The action is horrendous. I have strings on order and will be tweaking the truss rod and try to get this in better playing shape.

[Chris]

First we need to discuss that cardboard pedalboard, you savage.

[Briansol]

haha, yeah, card pedal board


I need to buy a real one and bulk cable/ends and learn how to solder at some point.

I'm just not happy with most of what i have on it, so i need to get the pedals in order before i go through that effort.

and then the FM9 came out and i'm on the wait list, so i may just be selling all this shit and going full digital (Stack included)

[Webdood]

Damn that headstock has some Lovecraftian, other dimensional, odd angles going on. But man those honkin' brass saddles more than make up for it. I would play the shit out of that.

[Josh]

That bridge is Japanese and similar to ones I've seen on Daions and similar instruments before. Can't really help beyond that.

[Drew]

Damn that headstock has some Lovecraftian, other dimensional, odd angles going on. But man those honkin' brass saddles more than make up for it. I would play the shit out of that.

I can't see what the headstock says, but because of the unconventional shaping my first thought here is a cleanly finished Warmoth with a customer-cut headstock from one of their paddle neck blanks. Which, well, wouldn't be a BAD outcome, by any means.

[jim777]

I think I would replace the neck if you can't get it dead straight.

[Mike]

I believe I vaguely remember that headstock, and "Gran Prix" rings a bell with it. I know for a fact "Gran Prix" was a phantom low-end brand for Japanese guitars/basses produced by several manufacturers for mom/pop music stores in the '80s, because I remember seeing them.

[Briansol]

So it's actually Grand Prix, (add the d). Saw a guy on talkbass with a similar headstock, the bridge was almost like a fixed bigsby meets a grestch thing without springs instead of the brass setup mine has.

he added a headstock string guide.

I wanted to ask about that.

when i picked it up, he had it wired up so the 4th string was on the bottom of the peg, and the top 3 were on the top of the peg.
i find this annoying (diferent directions to tune up).

but i also don't think it's logical to make the extreme angle from the nut to the peg any worse. is it ok if the string is taking a 40 degree bend from the nut to the peg on the G string?

[Briansol]

Also, i took the strings off yesterday and started to clean it up. layers and layers of dust and grime. lol

its been sitting for a bit now and it's still just about straight. So, the rod needs some pre-tension and the bridge needs to be lowered quite a bit, but otherwise i think the neck is straight and i'm looking forward to getting it up and running with basically the cost of a new set of strings. $16 investment and some time so far.

[Chris]

Also, i took the strings off yesterday and started to clean it up. layers and layers of dust and grime. lol

I've bought a couple of nasty guitars that needed some serious cleaning in my life. Don't be afraid to use something like isopropyl alcohol on that fretboard as long as you're smart about it. IPA to get the goop off then immediately wipe it w/clean water and then condition. I've done this on high end shit more than once with no issues.

Clean fretboards = clean hands =

[Dominic]

(add the d)

Every time I try to do this I get a new restraining order.

IPA to get the goop off then immediately wipe it w/clean water and then condition.

Then pour the other kind of IPA into yourself to reward yourself for a job well done (and take your mind off where that gunk might have been accumulated). :beer:

[Chris]

Then pour the other kind of IPA into yourself to reward yourself for a job well done (and take your mind off where that gunk might have been accumulated). :beer:

[desertdweller]

haha, yeah, card pedal board


I need to buy a real one and bulk cable/ends and learn how to solder at some point.

I'm just not happy with most of what i have on it, so i need to get the pedals in order before i go through that effort.

and then the FM9 came out and i'm on the wait list, so i may just be selling all this shit and going full digital (Stack included)

SP500s and Mogami - inexpensive and absolutely awesome.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/223558307016

[desertdweller]

Also - is your flooring just the carpet padding?

[Briansol]

Also - is your flooring just the carpet padding?

yeah, it's the basement. it's full of scraps of padding and carpet from the upstairs I haven't finished my lower level yet.

[Briansol]

So i was setting it up last night. I got the truss rod cranked full tilt and it's a little better.

The nut cracked. a piece of it n the E string snapped. there's still enough to hold the string in place but i think it's because i'm using slightly larger strings. (50-115 low) as i plan to keep this in drop C. It shouldn't have snapped but rather not fit in the slot. i didn't even get a chance to notice it as it cracked off while tuning it up to pitch for the first time.
it also looks a little crooked... might have been that way.

Still after the 12th fret, the hammer-on's actually sound a 1/2 pitch higher as it's hitting the next fret. Plucking doesn't cause it. I raised the saddles a bit, and while doing so, i popped the G string right at the bend in the saddle. doh. I didn't release tension, i probably should have. lesson learned. Another $16 set of strings ordered.

So, maybe a cheap ebay neck is in my future, but for now it's working ok.


Also, i hate these tuning pegs. My strat has the same 'vintage' style where it's open slot instead of a hole. So annoying. Hate it.

I plugged it into my drum amp line in that i had my keyboard in just to try it out and all the electronics work. The tone crackles a bit and doesn't seem to change much in way of tone but that may be due to the amp. there's a bit of more brightness at the top.

Also, the very first thing i played without thinking was LB - Rearranged

[Megametal7]

First we need to discuss that cardboard pedalboard, you savage.

I spat my tea out when I read that. lol

Thanks for that..

[Briansol]

Cracked off nut... Still seems to work

And I ran the G string reverse wind to reduce angle on nut to peg. I hate it but it works better.