Moon DBJ-5 280KH

Such is the amount of space taken up by my ever-growing stockpile of Moon basses that I've been forced to build a new guitar rack in the as-yet-unconfirmed-by-science fourth dimension, prompting concern among second-hand bass enthusiasts and white-coated boffins alike.

I got my grubby paws on this little fireball after a friend of a friend had to leave Tokyo in a hurry - so much so that he sold it to me (by proxy) for a tenth of its retail value! Needless to say I snapped it up like a ravenous, if somewhat confused, hen in a foxhouse.

This particular model is a 34-inch scale affair with a light Ash body; 21-fret maple-on-ebony neck; Kent ArmStrong KS-5 pickups; a Bartolini XTCT preamp and a Gotoh-made bridge and tuning pegs.

Though the manufacturer's site says the subtle sunburst effect is a "charcoal-grey, " I reckon a dark reddish-brown tinged with a hint of mauve and a tiny smattering of crimson-influenced lilac would be much nearer the mark.

I've already used it through a variety of amps (including Ampeg, Eden and Trace Elliot) and it hasn't disappointed. With a deft wiggle of the on-board controls this little fellah can sing, wail, growl, moan, scream, bark and coo - and that's just the intro to "So What." ;-)

The lack of fret markers certainly keeps you on your musical toes, but after sticking a set of La Bella Flatwounds on, it sounds, quite frankly, like a coterie of angels serenading your aural senses as you float on a virgin-white cloud while sipping a glass of nectar as heavenly maidens fan your brow with palm leaves and drop single grapes into your mouth. ;-)

Moon's site can be found at moon-guitar.co.jp and the manufacturer's site (Musicrown) is at musicrown.com