Tune Zi-III 6 String Bass Les Claypool Vintage Made in Japan 1991 Natural Walnut

Tune Zi-III 6 

Introduction and General Overview: 
I have owned and played a few Tune Zi-III 6 basses over the past few decades, and I have had a blast playing and creating with these amazing instruments.
This one is in very good condition for being 31 years old, I am only saying "Good" in the description because it has a few very minor scuffs / dings and mild buckle rash. Electronically, structurally, and setup wise, it is A+ and one of the best bases I have ever owned. (I have owned many high end instruments including multiple Alembic, Carl Thompson, Travis Bean, Custom builds, etc. In fact, I actually used to work with Carl building instruments in his Brooklyn shop for a while a few years ago, so I know what things to look for/listen for in a professional level instrument.)
This is hands down a phenomenal Professional level instrument, and an absolute joy to play. It is effortless and yet commands such a huge presence in sound.
The Later Tune Basses did not have the Heavy, angled, recessed Brass bridges, and I feel those do not come anywhere close to these earlier Zi-III instruments. A big part of this is the Pickups and Preamps, as well was the wood choices, attention to detail, and eventually the decision to make them in Korea and change the entire design. (Having played the later models a number of times, I would never own one of those, as they have nothing in common with these earlier models - which are some of my favorite instruments ever made.)

About this Bass (Detailed Description):

The Neck is rock solid, the truss rod has plenty of room in both directions and turns freely. 
The tuners hold tuning and turn easily and consistently.
The ebony board is clean, level, free of cracks, and glass smooth. 
The frets are perfectly plek'd and have plenty of life for years of effortless playing.
The electronics work perfectly and sound phenomenal. 
The body itself was even thoughtfully designed, utilizing Quarter Sawn Ash for the core (which both adds strength and an attractive edge wood grain) complimented with a beautiful Figured Walnut top and back which creates a very pleasing appearance accented by the brass components. Taking this one step further, the body is laid out and contoured in all the right places (highlighted in the pictures) to make the instrument fit the user like a glove.
The list of great qualities and features goes on. 
This bass while "Used" was very much so never "abused". You can tell that each person who owned it played it and did not just sit it in a case. It has play wear. But it was religiously maintained by everyone who possessed it.
This bass is all original except for a few screws and the knobs, which were recently replaced.
It was plek'd and fully serviced around 2020/2021, so it is in perfect playing condition. It sets up nice and low and is an absolute dream to play on!
Fun Fact: Les Claypool used this same Model bass in the early 90's before the famous "Rainbow Bass" Carl Thompson built for him was completed. (Pictures above for reference from 1991) In fact, all of the songs he recorded with a 6 string on the Primus album "Sailing the seas of Cheese" were recorded with a De-Fretted Tune Zi-III 6 just like this one! So next time you listen to Jerry was a race car driver, Tommy the Cat, Etc. You can hear that iconic Claypool tone of the 90's coming from *this* model of Bass.

Basic Specs:
Body- Walnut/Ash/Walnut
Neck- 4 Piece Quarter Sawn maple thru neck construction
Nut- Brass.
Fretboard- Ebony radius 500r
Scale- 34"
Neck Shape- Thin D.
Tuners- Gotoh GB7 OEM Tune branded
Bridge- Original Zi6 brass with 19mm pitch
Pickups- Original, active soap bars.
Preamp- Original Tune Zi-III Preamp. (Similar in some ways to Alembic Preamps. On the Preamp board are Trim Pots for adjusting Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, Treble and Gain.
Controls- Volume, Balance, Tone. (Balance has Detents for Neck, Neck and Bride, Bridge.)

Weight. 4.7kg
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If requested, more photos and information will be provided. No returns, so please be sure before you buy. Items are sold exactly as described in the listing (check our reviews). 


-ThorpeCollectCreate