Bassassin

£135 for an MIJ Tokai (even a recent one) is a steal. As far as the "Fender factory" idea's concerned - sort of. Tokai Gakki have their own manufacturing facility in Japan and along with Dyna Gakki, they manufacture CIJ (not MIJ) Fenders. According to what I've read, Tokai-built Fenders are home-market only so you won't find many over here if that's true. Like most big-ish brands, Tokai outsource production of their budget ranges to Korean, and probably Chinese & Indonesian factories, but the premium stuff has always been built in Japan. I'd say your bass is worth a good few bob more than you paid, so if you do change it, don't do anything you can't change back one day! Jon.

[quote name='markstuk' post='1223593' date='May 7 2011, 07:48 PM'][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l11BFb-ddU"]Die so fluid[/url] I'll get my coat :-)[/quote] That'll be Grog, aka Georgina Prebble, then. My band gigged with DSF a few years back so I've spent several hours in her company - she's a total pro and a thoroughly charming & delightful person into the bargain. Plus there are no pics or videos that do her justice. Jon.

[quote name='desmondpot' post='1219814' date='May 4 2011, 01:10 PM']Yup. That's right. The center screw uses the existing hole. The two that need drilling fall nicely between the existing holes. 3mm bit.[/quote] Sorry - that's not right unless the 3D design's been modified recently, which I doubt. I've fitted Schallers to 3 of my Fender-style basses, what they have is 3 main screwholes & 2 "pilot" holes about 6mm or so in front of the main ones. The pilot holes align with 2 of the originals and allow you to accurately mark & drill for the new ones. I suspect if you just used the original holes you wouldn't have the saddle travel to get the intonation right. That said, fitting a 3D is dead easy, and they're better-made, more versatile, more compact, better looking, lighter & cheaper than a FatAss II. No-brainer as far as I'm concerned! Jon.

Very good - not seen anyone attempt that classic fee-dodge for a while. Surprised it's not been pulled already. Jon.

Just got a nice MM-type pup from David, absolute gent & a pleasure to deal with! Jon.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1220800' date='May 5 2011, 11:13 AM']Looks like a less funky and more expensive version of my daisyrock [/quote] That's much more like it! Still on my GAS list. Jon.

It's essentially just a slightly differently shaped EB-3, surely? Incredibly loony pricetag for a simplistic & inevitably limited-sounding bass, which doesn't even have the distinction or interest value of being old. Jon.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1220476' date='May 5 2011, 12:15 AM']Where are these basses made?[/quote] FGN = Fujigen Gakki, probably best known for MIJ Fenders from the early 80s to late 90s, & pretty much all Japanese-made Ibanez & Greco from the 70s onwards. Fantastic quality instruments whatever the badge, personally I'm a little disappointed the FGN bass range is so conservative & anonymous - some of their guitars are jaw-dropping. Jon.

I think there are some articles out there about the whole Yamaki/Daion/Joodee/Yamada etc link-up & what the relationships between the brands & companies were. I'll have a dig around later on & see if I can find them. J.

Daions weren't made by Matsumoku - like Chaypup says, Yamaki appears to have been the factory. There's some confusion possibly based on the closely related early Washburns - these were originally sourced from Yamaki but it seems around 1982/3 production of the same models moved to Matsumoku. If you compare the two, the level of attention to detail on the early ones is almost anal - check out the brass ring board inlays (which you'll see on early Washburns & Daions, as well as identical hardware), grain-matched & lacquered wood control cavity covers etc. My first expensive bass was a 1981 Washburn B20 Stage Series, the thing was a work of art. I presently have a Matsumoku-made Washburn SB40 from a year or so later, and while it's a beautifully made & very playable bass, the level of detail & finish is a lot more standard than my old Stage. Anyway, vintage Daions are incredibly rare, particularly over here - in fact I don't know if they even had a UK importer - and when they do come up tend to be wildly expensive. Jon.

Very good link, but yes, predominantly acoustics. It's worth remembering that acoustic guitar manufacture was the background of most of the Japanese factories prior to the "copy era" in the 70s, and most guitar factories jumped on that bandwagon. There are a good few electric guitars & basses there but you do have to dig! Jon.

Total bitsa, and quite a curious one at that. As has been pointed out, the pups are (unmatched) 80s Aria units but oddly enough, the neck's off one of these: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/bass/a-100_200.html"]http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/bass/a-100_200.html[/url] Having seen 'round the back of one, they sometimes have a 6-screw plate like this bass too. These basses appeared with many different brand names so it ain't necessarily an Aria neck but it's fair to say there's a connection. They're roughly early/mid 70s. No idea what the bridge is from, it's a tad too wide for the string spacing the neck needs IMO, and isn't aligned spot-on. The body looks quite nicely made - perhaps a bit too nice for a garden shed job - and I'd say it's been part of a different bass, looks like there are holes for another bridge visible just in front of the existing one. Could be a nice little bass if the neck's a good one - even more so if it doesn't get many bids. Jon.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1218599' date='May 3 2011, 02:09 PM']Nice one Jon. Let's hope she can erase all that other stuff (incl. the bit about it being a real Fender) and just have your contribution up.[/quote] I imagine she'll use my contribution but if an Ebay item's had a bid, I don't think you can edit the listing beyond adding comments at the end. Also just because I do know what it is (and you lot probably think I know what I'm on about!) doesn't mean it holds much water in Ebay Fantasy Land, where everyone's an expert. Worth a go though. FWIW I said this: [quote]Hi - your bass is an early 70s Japanese copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. I'm a collector of these instruments and can tell you yours was made in approximately 1971 at the Matsumoku factory - the neck plate inscribed Steel Adjustable Neck was only used by Matsumoku. These instruments are actually quite rare & becoming collectable these days, Matsumoku was regarded as one of the best Japanese factories, and despite some of the comments you've had, this is a good-quality instrument, as were many of the Japanese copies from the 70s era. The Fender headstock logo has been added by a previous owner (this is very common with these old copies) and it would originally have had a brand name such as Aria, or a UK importer's name like Eros or Kimbara.[/quote] J.

Thought it would be a good idea if someone who had a clue contacted her and told her exactly what it is, rather than bickering about what it ain't. So I did. J.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1218055' date='May 2 2011, 09:00 PM']somekind of cheaper jap-crap?[/quote] Rather nice early (71-ish) Matsumoku J copy. I'm watching. Jon.

A red one of these is about the only thing I'm getting GAS pains for at the moment. Jon.

[quote name='Steve_nottm' post='1215275' date='Apr 29 2011, 08:05 PM']peavey t40[/quote] Looking for a new home for mine - lovely bass but just too heavy for me. If you're interested, there are some pics & stuff [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=88904&view=findpost&p=979260"]here[/url] - drop me a PM. On-topic, I think I'm finally all outta GAS right now, really comfortable with my Washburn SB40 as my main bass at the moment, and love my GK/Hartke rig. It's a good position to be in, but it never lasts... Jon.

[quote name='Ross' post='1212421' date='Apr 27 2011, 11:00 AM']Wrong, everyone knows you go to a graveyard miles away from your home in the dead of night, dig a predug grave slightly deeper. Then bury the body, cover with soil to bring to it's original height. They'll put a coffin on top, bury that, and no one will ever find it. Pity cremation is becoming so fashionable these days.[/quote] I suppose so, but one has to adapt to changing social circumstances. That's a sound method right enough, but what with the proliferation of CCTV these days you're really a lot better off sticking to somewhere less public - your back yard, or if you're lucky enough, your own basement. And the question of course was [i]rotting[/i] bodies - unfortunately with no embalming or other preparation, your stiff-under-a-coffin is going to whiff pretty bad after a few weeks and the visiting mourners of the 'host' are going to start asking awkward questions. I think your method has merit, but I'll stick with my 6 foot of impermeable concrete - well, until I run out of space downstairs. J.

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1212392' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:37 AM']"Kay did make some decent gear but IMO anything with the coat hanger wire string retainer is not worth the bother.All my opinion." These are not the same quality,by any stretch of the imagination as the early Kay models,which are collectable like the ones you posted links to,which are much better quality than any of the late sixties to seventies plywood models.[/quote] Quite so. Kay was originally an American manufacturer, after US production ended, the brand was sold & ended up slapped on any number of execrable plywood cheapos, mostly made in Taiwan. There were some OK-ish Precision, Strat & Les Paul copies in the mid-70s, also from Taiwan, and in the late 70s/early 80s production went to Cort in Korea. Some of the Cort Kays are pretty good - particularly the through-neck basses & guitars, which can be close to MIJ qiality if you get a good one. Unfortunately if it's SG-shaped & made in Taiwan, it's likely to be a bit rubbish & more of a novelty these days than any kind of serious musical instrument. Jon.

I'll be at Glasgow SECC - seen every tour since Moving Pictures & it would be a shame to miss out. Still wish they'd gone back into the studio & finished Clockwork Angels instead, though. Jon.

Does anyone else keep catching the title of this thread & seeing "[b]Rotting[/b] Bodies"? Just me, then. Anyway: polythene rubble bags, 2m depth hole, fill with concrete. Jon.

[quote name='cycrowave' post='1208839' date='Apr 23 2011, 01:12 AM']if this was left handed, it wouldnt still be for sale. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WESTONE-THUNDER-11-ACTIVE-FRETLESS-BASS-/220773790950?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item336724b4e6"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WESTONE-THUNDER-11-A...=item336724b4e6[/url][/quote] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-1982-Westone-Thunder-II-Fretless-Bass-Japanese-/320691055741"]Flip-tastic[/url]. J.