old National electric bass

[jdogric12]

So I picked up an old-a** National electric bass at a local shop for super ultra mega cheeeeep!!!

I don't know nuttin' 'bout 'em. I done been too busy to even bother googling "National bass" yet... but before i do... anyone know anything about these? I'll post pics soon as I can. I might try and flip it here, dunno yet.

[ataritoobin]

Is that one of the Res-O-Glas bodied types? I played an old, short-scale model and it was kind of neat - still had the original flat-wound strings on it! I believe it had a Peizo-like pickup in the bridge.

It sounded quite a bit like Chris Hillman's tone on the Mr. Tambourine Man album.

[jdogric12]

Mine is wood, and an insect-looking double cutaway, kind of Mosrite-ish. Has two pickups I don't recognize, and is short scale.

[jdogric12]

looks kind of like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Silvertone-Bass-Nat ... 0343322639

[marc61]

Please post pics . Me likey old interesting basses

[jdogric12]

ok!

[antipodean]

Looks a bit "Burnsesque"...

[marc61]

Looks s'darn cool. How's the sound?

[jdogric12]

I'll see if I can record a sample.

[woodyng]

actually those pickups look like the Kay "speedbump" pickups-which supposedly are really nice sounding ones. this looks like the kind of bass that old-blues afficionados covet......

[jdogric12]

It does sound surprisingly nice plugged in. The dealer said some of the pole pieces were missing, but all 3 settings sound fine to me.

[jdogric12]

Ok... I used it this weekend, so you can finally hear it! It sounds great!!! It nailed the sound I was going for on this uber-Beatlesque song "New York Avenue Invasion." That's the bridge pickup you're hearing.

www.metrosongs.org

[jps]

That sounds great Jason. What strings?

[jdogric12]

Thanks Jeff! The cruddy ones that came on it. I've got some short scale flats on order with my favorite local shop.

[jps]

Doesn't sound like you need new strings on it, really.