The Journey of Faded Gold Hardware

Hello!

My most recent trip overseas was fruitful, as I found two pretty slick basses that you just won’t see very often in the United States. They were both made in Japan, and I managed to pick up the pair and still come well under the customs allowance. Of course, it made packing for the trip home a little more challenging…

First is a 1986 Fender Jazz Bass Special, model PJM-65R/SWH, a medium scale instrument in a cool metallic green with a matching headstock. It is loaded up with a killer factory electronics package, and it is a model I have never seen before. I found this bass at Ishibashi in Sakae.

Second is a 1984 Aria Pro II bass, similar to the Wedge model but with the tuners on the headstock. This thing was dirt-cheap and even included the funky factory soft case. This one came from a Hard-off secondhand store.

Full reviews of both of these are in the works, but I thought I would share the good news!

Mahalo!

1989 Fender PB70-70R Precision Bass Review

Aloha!

My first Fender bass was a made in Japan E-series Fender Jazz Bass Special, and ever since then I have a soft spot in my heart for Japanese Fenders. They made incredible instruments in the 1980s, and unfortunately not very many of them made their way to our shores. Well, this late 1980s F-series Precision Bass finally arrived in the US as part of my carry-on luggage, and it is not going anywhere else.

This is a PB70-70R, so it is a reproduction of a 1970 Precision Bass with a rosewood fretboard, and as it was 70,000 Yen when it was new it is one of the higher-end models. It is a faithful copy with the correct logo on the headstock, and everything conspires to give it just the right look. This includes an authentic 3-tone bust finish, full-sized tuners, and a pickguard that looks just right. The cheaper models came with terrible looking smaller tuners that are out of proportional for the era.

The body is probably ash though it is kind of discern in the parts of the fade where the paint is thin enough to see through. It is sprayed with a fairly thick coat of poly, and the body has the correct contour and look. It appears to have never ben modified, and the whole thing weighs in at around 8 ¾ pounds.

Though it has been played quite a bit, the original frets are still in good shape and there is damage or unsightly wear to the maple neck or rosewood fretboard. This one has a 1 5/8-inch nut, in case you were wondering. The electronics also appear to be as they came from the factory, with just volume and tone controls.

I found this one at a Hard-off (secondhand store) in Nagoya, where there are usually a few cool instruments on the wall. It is certainly well used, and there are some pretty good chips and some finish problems, but it has an authentic vintage look, and you will never find a Japanese (let alone American) Fender Precision Bass for a better price. Also, if you really think about it, an old P Bass is really the most that any of us really need. There is almost nothing simpler than having a passive bass with a volume knob and a single tone control.

Despite the appearance issues, after a set-up with new flats it plays very well, with good frets and the classic Precision Bass sound. The late 1980s were the golden age for Japanese-built Fender instruments, and I am lucky to have picked this one up!

Mahalo!

Hard-Off Stores of Japan

Hard-Off. Heh. This is not the name of a Japanese girly bar or adult movie. It is a chain of some of the coolest stores in Japan.

In Japan, there is a constant push for consumers to have the newest and best products on the market. Hard-Off does not cater to people that are buying into that philosophy. These stores carry only secondhand items, in virtually every category imaginable.

These stores are crowded with merchandise. I usually go there to look for musical equipment, but they also have computers, toys, audio equipment, jewelry and sporting goods. I saw a set of Ping golf clubs for a hundred bucks there. What a deal!

The items in the stores may be used, but they are not abused. All of the items have been well-cared for, and all are in proper working order. Unless, that is, they are in the appropriately-labeled “Junk” section of the store. You get what you deserve if you pick something off of those shelves.

There are a number of offshoots of the “Off” stores. For example, you can head over to Book-Off to find some used tomes, or Garage-Off, Hobby-Off, Off-House or Mode-Off, for pretty much whatever else you are looking for.

As an aside, when I was trying to find a local Hard-Off store, I went to the concierge desk at an upscale hotel. They had never even heard of the store, and had to find it on the internet. As I said, there is a general perception that only the newest and best will do.