1989 Greco PMB-1000 (Japan) Electric Bass Guitar

What we've got here is clearly a Rickenbacker 4001-ish copy made in Japan for the Greco brand. It's a very good copy, too, in that I actually prefer this to the majority of actual 4001s I've played that have come through the shop. It's a little lighter-weight, there's no finish slathered all over the fretboard, and the pickups are more girthy and balanced. It's built to a high spec and sounds killer, too. The "PMB" stands for the Paul McCartney model, as I recall, though the more-normal version of this same Greco bass is the RB-800 with its triangular fretboard inlay and cherry-burst finish.

Anyhow, this guy was just in here for a level/dress of the frets, restring, and setup. I figured I'd share to spread the word. There are precious few Rickenbacker copy (or even similarly-styled) instruments on the market and so something like this is a serious plank to consider if you don't want to lay-out an excruciating amount of cash. Unfortunately, Grecos are very popular in the player's market, though, and prices on these are not bargain-basement at all.

To summarize, the differences between this and an actual Rickenbacker -- satin finish, single truss rod (vs dual), mono-only jack, no finish on the fretboard, slightly wider nut width and neck heft. Otherwise it's pretty similar.