Bassassin

Really delighted you appreciate it Brendon! I owned this bass for about 14 years & did a fair bit of head-scratching & research. It does help (if you can call it help) that I have a neurotic preoccupation with old Japanese basses & guitars. So - a bit of info for anyone who's interested - although be aware this will get really boring really quickly... This is an Ibanez 2366B - like all copy-era Ibanezes, these were built exclusively by Fujigen Gakki, the model first appearing in Ibanez catalogues in 1971 and remaining part of the brand's range until export of copy instruments ended, around 1978 or 9. Specifications changed over the years & this is part of how it's possible to put an approximate date on a pre-serial bass such as this. Here's the '71 catalogue - you'll notice that all the basses in the early literature are unbranded - that's because these were Fujigen factory shots - the same images (and often model numbers too) were used by other brands who sourced from Fujigen: The most obvious difference is the rosewood fretboard, although maple would also have been available at that time. Look a bit closer & there are other noticeable differences - the tuners & truss rod cover. Fujigen stopped using this style of hardware by'73 - the bass in this '73 brochure is the same as Breadbin's apart from the fretboard wood, and is the closest in the existing catalogue record that I can find: What I do know from the occasional very early 2366B that turns up is that the first ones didn't have accurate P-style pickups - like many 70s MIJ basses, they were fitted with chrome 8-pole single-coils, like this: Typically these have a date code on the back which makes age verification easy - unfortunately in my experience the accurate P & J style units introduced from '72/3 don't have these codes. So in order to date the bass we need to look at other details. A trait of many early 70s MIJ copies (not just basses or Fender copies) is that fretboard inlays often stopped at the 17th position - it's by no means general, but does apply to the Fujigen P copies. Over successive years the accuracy of all good quality MIJ copies got better, and by '74 the truncated position dots were broadly updated across the board. Here's were the catalogue record becomes unrepresentative - existing examples of '73 & '74 blurbs all re-use the '72-era pic, and it's not until 1976 that we get an updated Ibby 2366B image, complete with full set of position dots & headstock logo: What this bass will also have is a dateable serial number - these were introduced in late 1975. Anyway, in a rather longwinded way, that's how I'm sure the bass is '73 of possibly late '72 - it has no serial, proper P pickup, dots to the 17th position, a small white trc and open-gear tuners. Well - I know what I'm banging on about... I think. The only change I made to the bass while I had it was to re-wire it & replace pots & cap - the ones fitted when I got it weren't original, and were beyond salvage. I'm confident that the bass is otherwise all original - the ashtrays were fitted when I got it and are probably replacements - they are pretty much like new. However they do fit perfectly in the original screwholes and could have been removed & kept in the case from new. The bass was in great condition when I got it and gives an impression of being well looked-after rather than restored, so I'm unsure. I think one of the reasons I like the old 70s copies is the way they're not trying to be replicas - this one's a good example of how the higher-end MIJ instruments were made in the early 70s, the body is mahogany butcher-block, with front & back birch veneers, and the neck's 3-part quarter-sawn maple, with the centre section turned through 90 degrees to help resist warping. Use of poorly-seasoned timbers in cheap early guitars led to the bad reputation that "Japcrap" had during the 70s, and factories like Fujigen, Kasuga & Matsumoku were early adopters of this technique to ensure their instruments were more durable. Anyway - I'll shut up now, you've probably passed out trying to get through this. This is a ludicrously pretty bass and I'll post some pics in a bit - although they don't really do it justice.

Didn't really get the first track (although the video's great) but Evil In Your Eye is deliriously unhinged. Fantastic stuff!

Incomprehensible. This is is a low-end generic early 70s cheapo in not-very-good condition. What's odd is that the same seller has a lot of other vintage MIJ stuff for sale - largely more desireable stuff in my opinion/experience - for much more reasonable money, considering he's a trade seller. Almost convinced that it's a misprice, but for the fact a similar bass (same design but an Italian-made Shaftesbury) has been listed on one of the FB for sale groups for £675! World's gone mad, I tell ya.

Squier's an actual, proper name, from the Olden Days & everything: https://www.houseofnames.com/squier-family-crest The Squier brand originated in 1890 - string manufacturer V C Squier, which was acquired by Fender in 1965. Obviously what's happened is that The Internet has realised that a gross spelling mistake has been being perpetuated for several centuries, and using the power of popular usage of the correct spelling, predominantly through its Ebay instrument, is righting that wrong. This is, of course how all language evolves. In the future it'll be perfectly normal and acceptable to have a Squire base gitar with a frettles kneck and bone knut, fitted with upgraded turners. You'll need a chord to plug it in, too.

Lovely - never seen one of these before. And I think you stole that one, @bigdumby!

Also - can I request the poll be amended to include a "maybe" or "it depends" option? I'm probably not alone in being into the idea in principle but it really does depend on what - if anything - we can agreee on.

I've toyed with the idea of trying to build an Ibis-influenced bass myself - always felt the headstock proportion, rather than the shape was what looks "off" about it. Just needs to be smaller, I think. I'd probably slim down the top bout of the body a bit to make it look a little less bulbous, too. I quite like the ashtray on the original but wouldn't envisage a contemporary version having one in the first place!

There's a thought - a shortscale Nobbly Ned. Would have to be shortscale to counteract the stumpy top horn. Or headless, which is not a bad idea considering how little flair was displayed by Mr Cook's original headstock. Actually the more I think about that, the more I like it - the Basschat Headless Ned...

I don't think anyone's suggesting a "Serek copy". Simply the concept of an attractive, contemporary-looking shortscale (of which the Serek is an example) appears to be a popular one. However since Eastwood specialise in knocking off - sorry, deriving inspiration from - unusual, out-of-production designs, how about something like the Fenix SH from the 90s? I am getting the impression though that you already have a personal preconception of what you'd like the bass to be & perhaps a contemporary shortscale isn't it. Fair enough - anyone else here a fan of the Maton Ibis? Australian-made bass from the 60s, I first encountered these about 20 years ago when I met an ex-pat Aussie bassist in a rehearsal room, he had a gorgeous, immculate white Ibis, which I guess from his age he'd had from new. I was particularly taken by the aesthetic & he was keen to tell me all about it. Wouldn't let me play it though - and certainly wouldn't let me buy it! So if it has to be a re-hash of an oldie - I want one of these:

Cool idea in principle and it will certainly be interesting to see what - if anything - the Basschat Hive Mind will agree on. Fwiw I'd definitely be interested in that Serek-esque shortscale, and off the top of my head, will also propose a compact & lightweight headless double-neck (fretted/fretless), with neck(s) through construction. Don't want much, do I? One question though - why Eastwood? They're a brand I've observed with some little interest over the years, and broadly speaking they're purveyors of modern re-hashes of quirky retro tat, and do seem to ask some pretty eye-watering prices for what I'm sure are inexpensively-made Chinese / Indonesian etc instruments. Considering we have brands like Chowny & Retrovibe right here on BC, wouldn't approaching them with this suggestion be more sensible?

Nut looks to have been replaced - looks a bit too wide to me. Did wonder if the intonation might want a tweak, too!

Yep - these were made by Moridaira, probably mid-late 70s. Still has its serial sticker (this type was exclusively used by Moridaira) but unfortunately this can't be used to date the bass - or if it can, no-one knows how they work... Looks like the body's not solid timber - the big overspray on the contour is the giveaway - likely to be mahogany butcher-block with front & back veneers. Proper bargain for £50!

I'd dispute that the Brandoni could possibly have been a traditional classical guitar! No internal reinforcement, no truss rod, designed for near-zero tension nylon strings? Stick bass strings on a normally-constructed classical guitar & it would snap in half before you could tune the G to pitch.

This should work: I would think that's fairly straightforward to do - I'm assuming it's actual newspaper applied to the front & headstock of the bass, probably over a white, or other pale base coat. Not sure what you'd use as adhesive but would guess something water-based that would allow you to position the paper, smooth out any wrinkles etc. and shape it around contours when wet. Can't be entirely sure but I think it's only on the front of the body. Once it's applied, trimmed so it's tidy & allowed to dry, you'd lacquer over it & build up sufficient coats to be able to cut it back to a shine without going through to the paper. Looking forward to seeing a Daily Mail Brexit rant stuck all over someone's bass then...

Well, that's nice! This is an early 70s Matsumoku build (easy to ID from the offset dots & "Steel Adjustable" neckplate) and very closely related to the Aria 5120 & 5520 models: http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/hollow/sem/semi.html Eros & Eros Mk II were Rosetti's own import brands, as the catalogue suggests, and all of the Mk IIs I've encountered have been Matsumoku products. There *might* be date codes stamped on the backs of the pickups but from the black-button tuners I'd expect '72 or earlier, since those vanished around that time. The serial numbers on the neckplates seem to be random, certainly on pre-76 instruments. Anyway, that's a very nice, intact example of a pretty uncommon bass - as one of them there "purists" I think it's be a shame to mod it irreversibly because you'd struggle to find another one!

Mine was a horrid Jazz-ish shortscale, branded Grant, exactly like this: Bought brand-new for £59 in June 1978, from Unisound Music in Chatham High Street. It was borderline unplayable, and sounded vile through my stereo hooked up to a home-made 1x12 cab. Didn't help that I didn't even know how to tune it, never mind set it up! Anyway, it ended up painted several different colours, defretted & generally abused horribly. Never sold it and I think it went missing several decades & house-moves ago. It's probably still in a loft somewhere. Being an unplayable piece of sh!t meant that my first GAS attack was within 3 or 4 months of getting my first bass & I bought one of these off a mate for about £30: Unbranded shortscale LP thing, these were also sold badged as Jedson & I think might have been made by Sakai Mokko, if you're interested in such things. Was a bit of a beater, in fact my first project (needed new tuners & knobs), and looked ancient when I got it, although it couldn't have been more than 8 years old. It was, however, light-years beyond the Grant, and played well enough for me to able to start seriously learning - mostly by playing along to The Stranglers. Used this in my first proper gigging band for a couple of years until I could affords something more fancy - a Washburn B-20 Stage, which was very fancy indeed. Sold that in 1984 because you couldn't slap on it. Silly sod.

From what I understand about CITES, I think it would be best if you and your friend complete all the necessary export/import paperwork and pay the associated fees. Without doing so there's a very real risk the bass will be confiscated and subsequently destroyed by UK customs. I'm aware of this having happened to uncertified imports of vintage instruments in the last few months. Alternatively, couldn't your friend use a non-CITES wood for the fretboard?

Erm - that's the neck which belonged to this - compare the neck pocket pics: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/328045-damaged-mij-fender-p-body-apparently/ KInda wish he'd tried to sell it as a complete bass!

That's a cool old thing isn't it? Never seen that brand before, or the exact same bass. There are plenty similar though - around 1980 or so every Japanese & Korean factory (and there were literally dozens - not just Matsumoku!) made a range of through-neck, symmetrical double-cut basses - usually with a single P pickup. This one's unusual (and more interesting to me) being a P/J but while £200 is a fair price IMO, I don't want it enough to pay that! Edit: Did a bit of digging - Martinez is currently a Chinese based manufacturer of handcrafted acoustics, which claims to be a international company established in 1978. I'd guess originating - or sourcing from - Japan. I also found this - looks familiar, and a lot less likely to be neck-divey than the bass: https://best-vintage-guitars.de/martinez_neck_through.html Also looks familiar because it's a variation on a very common design made by Kawai & sold under a bewildering number of names.

Should be in the "things I don't understand" thread. So - how much unrecyclable global waste is a consequence of Hofner basses being non-compostable? This clearly demonstrates that they regard their instruments as short-term and disposable, so d'you think the price reflects this? And no plastic parts? Chinny reckon! Pickup bobbins, pot internals, wiring insulation? You can even see the nylon bushings on the tuners!

Like that a lot - really interesting take on a lightweight headless design. Do think it's a major oversight not having a contour to allow it to be played sitting down. Also if you're going to have cutouts (presumably to reduce weight rather than for the sake of it!) why would you not have them in upper & lower bouts, rather than compromise rigidity by sticking one right in the middle? Or am I just being too damn pragmatic about a piece of art?

Still think he should've called it Bignose's Bass Book - that's what it'll always be to me, anyway. Ordered mine when it was £18.59, happily.

Does indeed look like a scraggy nylon gig bag with "Fusion" printed on it!

Only found out myself yesterday. Hopefully it'll be back, best resource of ID info out there. Thread about it on RickResource, looks like it may get incorporated into the RR forum, which would be good. Not really clear why Joey took it down, but it's his site, so whatever! http://www.rickresource.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=415609