The J(unk)
After spending years prototyping the MDM and Infinis into rock solid production instruments with perfect balance and totally even dead-spot free playability the harsh reality of the bass world came knocking at my door. Everyone wants a J bass. So here it is.
There are two models, a four and a five string. Each one comes in either a "60's" pickup spacing, a "70's" pickup spacing, or the “two seven” spacing designed specifically under the direction of Maurice Fitzgerald. The Two-Seven is a 70's pickup spacing with the neck pickup moved further towards the neck, (carefully situated in a position where harmonic interference will not occur) allowing for a thicker compliment to the 70's positioned bridge pickup. The bodies are all 1-5/8” thick. 1-13/16 nut width is standard on five strings, 1-1/2 is standard on the 4's. Alder or Ash bodies, Maple, Rosewood, or Ebony fingerboards are standard options included in the price. 34" scale only. Any color you want is doable usually at no upcharge. Like all CallowHills, the J's feature a 1/4" thick vintage bone nut due to the fact it won't split under pressure like it's 1/8” factory counterparts. Hipshot hardware and clover keys are standard but other styles of Hipshot can be substituted. (ie ultralites)
The logo is huge and unapologetic, inlaid in Wenge. The headstock is engineered to be as small as possible but the added thickness (11/16”) helps to eliminate dead spots.
Birdseye maple fingerboard add $50.00
Birdseye neck add $200.00
Preamp a la carte, any change from passive adds a minimum $150 depending on the preamp.
Bass players like to screw around, so stock basses with a passive configuration will often include a battery box just incase a preamp is desired at a later date.
Why are they called J(unk)s given the fact that they are well made and feature top-notch lumber, components, and construction? It's a long story, and average consumers tend to get offended by its contents. I stopped doing repairs on mass production instruments because I grew tired of spending my valuable time “fixing” brand new instruments. If you go to your local store and buy a brand new unit for sale by a large company and then need to waste a couple hours of my time (or any other repair tech for that matter) doing shielding, setup, and fretwork, maybe you shouldn't have bought it in the first place. I'll just leave it at that!
Current versions are in the gallery below.
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