1980s Tokai JB-45 Jazz Sound Electric Bass Guitar

One of Ancel's friends brought him this Tokai-made Jazz Bass clone (which had been fretless-ized) to "do up right" and get it playing its best. To that end, Ancel planed the fingerboard and then dressed it up to a highly-polished, mirror-like finish. It looks perfect with the Candy Apple Red (all over) finish and feels slick as all get-out.

Other interesting things -- the owner machined a new 3-string string tree for the headstock and he or someone else must have replaced the knobs with retro radio-style knobs.

If you're into the old Japanese Tokais (like I am) you won't be surprised to know that this is an excellent instrument and easily on par with any old stateside Fenders from the '70s or the '80s. Fender had originally sought Tokai out to basically "become" Fender Japan, but at the time their output was not large enough to meet demand so Fender used FujiGen instead. Their loss!