The Journey of Faded Gold Hardware

Hello!

My most recent trip overseas was fruitful, as I found two pretty slick basses that you just won’t see very often in the United States. They were both made in Japan, and I managed to pick up the pair and still come well under the customs allowance. Of course, it made packing for the trip home a little more challenging…

First is a 1986 Fender Jazz Bass Special, model PJM-65R/SWH, a medium scale instrument in a cool metallic green with a matching headstock. It is loaded up with a killer factory electronics package, and it is a model I have never seen before. I found this bass at Ishibashi in Sakae.

Second is a 1984 Aria Pro II bass, similar to the Wedge model but with the tuners on the headstock. This thing was dirt-cheap and even included the funky factory soft case. This one came from a Hard-off secondhand store.

Full reviews of both of these are in the works, but I thought I would share the good news!

Mahalo!