Friday 8 October 2010

Hondo Professional. . . . . .

Hondo Professional Precision Bass.

I bought this purely on looks and out of curiosity and was
very surprised with the result.


Looking at it here, you could almost think it was a 70's Fender
but cast your eyes to the other end . . . . . . . . Not quite so!


This is one of those instruments that breaks the rules.
It says "Hondo" - You think budget instrument. Wrong!
It needed a bit of a clean up when I got it and after tidying
it up, fret polish, new set of strings and and a set up. . . WOW!

I have a '79 USA Fender P and three Fender Japan P's and
this stands shoulder to shoulder, pretty much, with the others.

How, I don't know. The electrics all seem original, the body
is perhaps made of some non descript timber, the neck is
maple and it all bolts together very nicely.

The first time I gigged it, a friend who I have known since
the late 70's, came up to me at the end of the gig and said
that he had had a little chuckle to himself, when he saw it but
the smile was wiped off his face when he heard it!

A lot of bass playing smiles for not a lot of $$$$ . . . Johnnie!!

Still trying to find the pic of the Status Shark!!!

Gig tonight, time to give the Blazers an outing!


Yes, I have now set up the intonation - pic was taken in a hurry,
before I had finished setting it up. :)

Back next week.

Cheers. :)



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3 comments:

Unknown said...

just bought one of these hondo professional basses today almost the exact same as yours although mine has a dimarzio clone pickup,and from what i have researched its a gotoh pickup all original wiring
these are nice basses mine is quite light
from what i have read these may have been built by tokai i think mine is a 1981 serial number on the neckplate

Flat Eric said...

Stuart, Hi.

I think I know the one you mean - I was looking at it as well. Brilliant bits of kit!!
If it is that one, you got a bargain. Love mine to bits - lot of players say it sounds like a P does on a recording - that typical sound. Nice weight, a joy to play.
If you want to email me some pics, I'll stick it on my blog - bit of a rare bird over here. Nice one!! :)

Unknown said...

I have one of these Hondo P basses. Bit battered but beautiful instrument. 70 quid ...was an absolute bargain.