Momose MJ2-PH Jazz Bass – Purpleheart Neck – Burner Ash MIJ

Momose MJ2/PH Custom – Burner Red Ash with Purpleheart Neck

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A custom-order Momose J-style bass with a burner ash body, purpleheart neck and fingerboard, excellent passive VJ-1 pickups, and a focused, mid-clear voice that feels immediately at home in a real track. 

Condition

This bass is in Excellent overall condition with minimal signs of use. Additional photos available upon request.

There is a very shallow dent on the front of the lower bout near the bridge, as pictured. There are also some shallow marks on the rear of the lower bout, as pictured. The pickguard and body show fine scratches and general minor surface signs of normal use.

There are no noticeable signs that the electronics have been modified. The frets show minimal signs of wear. The neck is healthy, with no signs of warping or waviness. The truss rod is smooth and in good working order, with plenty of adjustment left in both directions.

This bass has received a thorough multi-point inspection and has been professionally set up with DR Sunbeam 45–105 roundwound strings, medium action, optimally adjusted relief, accurate intonation up and down the neck, and properly adjusted pickup height.

A Momose semi-hard lined and padded gig bag/case with excellent neck support is included.

Specifications

Weight: 9.7 lbs
Accessories: Momose semi-hard gig bag/case - lined and padded with neck support
Nut Width: 1.48 in
12th Fret Width: 2.20 in
1st Fret Depth: 0.81 in
12th Fret Depth: 0.91 in
Neck Profile: C
Body: 2-piece ash
Neck: 2-piece purpleheart
Fingerboard: Purpleheart
Scale: 34 in / 864mm
Frets: 21
Nut: Oiled bone
Nut Width: 1.5 in / 38mm
Fingerboard Radius: 7.25 in
Bridge: Badass II
Tuners: GOTOH GB11WC
Controls: Neck volume, bridge volume, master tone
Pickups: Momose VJ-1 x2
Country of Manufacture: Japan
Serial Number: 11976

Professor’s Notes

This is the J-bass tone we keep wishing more J-basses had: familiar passive J-style articulation, but with stronger fundamentals, clearer mids, and less glass.

The neck pickup is especially good — warm and full, but with more center and authority than the overly round or hollow neck position found on many vintage-style J-basses.

Not bright, not sizzly, not “modern” for the sake of it — just a seriously good passive J-style bass that feels focused, musical, and easy to place in a real track.

Description

The MJ2/PH is a custom-order version of Momose’s already outstanding MJ2-STD J-style bass, built in Japan by Deviser’s Aska factory. Momose instruments are known for exceptionally clean woodworking, precise fretwork, and a level of build consistency that makes the instrument feel resolved rather than merely spec’d-out.

This example features a 2-piece ash body with a subtle burner finish under transparent red, highlighting the figure and movement of the grain. The matching transparent red pickguard gives the bass a striking look without pushing it into novelty territory. Unusual for Momose, this custom-order build uses a gloss polyurethane finish, which suits the transparent red aesthetic beautifully. The recessed Momose neck plate sits level with the back of the body for a clean, smooth feel.

The all-purpleheart neck and fingerboard are a major part of this bass’s identity, but not just visually. The feel is immediate, stable, and precise, with a focused attack and strong note center. The C-profile neck is comfortably slim without feeling insubstantial, with a 1.5-inch nut width, moderate taper, and a 7.25-inch radius fingerboard. The purpleheart binding is exceptionally clean and nearly seamless, hiding the fret and nut ends while keeping the look minimal and refined.

Hardware is high quality throughout, including GOTOH GB11WC lightweight tuners and a Badass II bridge. The result is a passive J-style bass that feels familiar under the hands, but more grounded and more present than many traditional examples.

Electronics and Tone

Electronics are simple and traditional: neck pickup volume, bridge pickup volume, and master tone. The Momose VJ-1 pickups pair well with the ash body, purpleheart neck, and Badass II bridge, producing a tone that is clear, focused, and musically mid-forward without becoming sharp or glassy.

With DR Sunbeams currently installed, the top end stays warm and musical rather than sizzly. The bass has plenty of Jazz Bass articulation, but the overall voice is more about midrange clarity and fundamental weight than scooped sparkle.

The neck pickup has a stronger center than many vintage-style J-basses, making it unusually useful on its own. The bridge pickup adds definition and growl without harshness, while the blended setting gives you the classic J-style balance with a more confident, track-ready feel.

This is an excellent bass for players who like the flexibility of a Jazz Bass but want more presence, more note shape, and less of the overly glassy or polite quality that can make some J-style basses harder to place in a mix. It is especially strong for rock, indie, post-punk, heavier pop, and any track where a passive bass needs to hold its place without feeling exaggerated or modern for the sake of it.

Why Buy From Professor Nigel’s

Curated, Working-Player Instruments
Every instrument here earns its place by offering something genuinely compelling musically, ergonomically, or creatively—not by filling catalog space.

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Instruments receive careful inspection, professional setup work, detailed measurements, and accurate listing photography so buyers can purchase with confidence.

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