ESP Navigator Espionage Bass Natural Ash/Maple Japan

A very cool early Navigator Espionage Bass from ESP Japan. The Espionage series dates back to Navigator's early years and represents some of the vintage Fender-inspired instruments ESP was producing for the Japanese market before the company became internationally known for its more modern designs.

This example has the classic late-'70s look with a natural-finish ash body, maple neck and maple fingerboard, black dot inlays, white pickguard and traditional P-style split-coil pickup. Comparable natural-finish Navigator Espionage basses are documented from 1977, although without pulling the neck on this particular bass I would not assign it an exact year.

The headstock carries the early Navigator Espionage Bass logo along with the "Produced by ESP" marking, making its connection to ESP especially apparent.

Features include:

• Made in Japan
• Natural-finish ash body
• Maple neck
• Maple fingerboard
• Black dot inlays
• Split-coil P-style pickup
• Volume and tone controls
• Vintage-style 4-saddle bridge
• Vintage-style open-gear tuners
• White pickguard
• 4-string configuration

The bass has just been cleaned, restrung and set up and is playing well.

Overall it is in good condition. There is a considerable amount of cosmetic wear from age and use, including numerous dents, dings, scratches, finish wear and oxidation/corrosion on some of the hardware and screws. The maple fingerboard also shows visible play wear. None of this is particularly out of character for a roughly 45-50 year old working bass, and the natural ash body has developed a great aged appearance.

Fret wear is rated approximately 8/10, leaving plenty of usable fret life.

These early Navigator instruments have developed a following among collectors of vintage Japanese guitars, and the Espionage models don't turn up nearly as often as comparable Fender Japan instruments.

Case: Padded Gig Bag

Scale Length: 34“

Nut Width: 1.58“

Fret Wear: 8/10

Action at 12F (4th): .1“

Action at 12F (1st): .09“

Weight: 9lbs 1oz

Overall Condition: 7/10

Cool Factor: 11 out of 10

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Internal Use (Bin) - PA-14-2