mazza7 Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Hi does anyone know anything about csl jazz basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el borracho Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 CSL = C Summerfield Ltd. They were the Ibanez importers at the time and had some instruments made with their own name on. You will find more info if you search the Japcrap Spotting thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Should be more than OK. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Bass Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I bought a CSL Jazz Bass slightly more than 30 years ago. Due to a financial pinch at the time I had to sell my Fender and downgrade. I was pleased with the general build, tone and quality of it. As the years have gone by it has grown to be a serious favourite in my collection. More expensive bass guitars have arrived to share time with it, but I frequently return to it for familiarity and its unique tone. I was recently able to buy a second one with a similar vintage on it... and didn't hesitate. Great Bass all round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Vintage one on da Bay as we speak. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-Japan-built-CSL-Jazz-Bass-Guitar-made-by-Ibanez-/221175574666?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item337f17708a Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 A guy in a band I used to see used one of these, great tone, worked much nicer in the band - heavy rock, very Metallica like - than his Epi TBird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Bass Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) I found a picture of myself playing my CSL in about 1983 .... [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92145742@N08/8368891714/in/photostream/lightbox/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/92145742@N08/8368891714/in/photostream/lightbox/[/url] Edited January 10, 2013 by Dr_Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Resurrecting an old thread: CSL were the brand of Charles Summerfield Ltd. The instruments were made at FujiGen but they're not merely rebranded Ibanez. Summerfield had his own ideas about construction and, especially electronics, and FujiGen built the guitars to his specs quite apart from the Ibanez lines. Naturally, Ibanez then nicked a fair number of his ideas. I owned both a sunburst CSL Telecaster guitar and an off-white CSL Jazz bass around 1974 / 75. They held their own with just about anything that Gibson and Fender were producing at the time. If I could find another (or a German Hoyer from the same era - which were astonishing, especially their Ric 4001 copy) I'd buy it in a flash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 (edited) I've used a CSL Jazz as my main bass since finding it for £60 in a local pawn shop, about 13 years ago. I'd intended to hose it down & flip it for a profit, but was seduced away from that idea by the fact it had the nicest neck of any bass I'd ever picked up. I'm usually quite an anorak about original spec on vintage MIJ instruments but admit this one's been modded, just a bit. [url="https://postimg.org/image/1937vv0s0b/"][/url] I'd be intereseted in seeing pics of your CSL Jazz & Tele, if you have any. The brand is of interest to me because I'm a bit of an MIJ nerd and always assumed that CSLs were ordered through Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez parent company) alongside Ibanez, as C. Summerfield Ltd was UK importer for Ibanez at the time. Interestingly, most (if not all) the CSLs I've seen - including my bass - are rebranded Cimars, the majority of which were absolutely not Fujigen builds. Cimar was another brand owned & distributed by Hoshino, and there is a bit of shared DNA between late 70s/80s Ibanez & Cimar, and as a consequence, CSL too. The little I can find about Charles Summerfield Ltd suggests that the company was a successor to Summerfield Brothers - whose own brand was Sumbro. I can't find any confirmed time periods for either of the companies, but Sumbro instruments (which appear to be budget Chushin Gakki builds) are typical early/mid 70s, while most of the CSLs I've seen appear to be "post lawsuit" - which is to say the copy instruments have re-styled headstocks, which is typical of instruments made after 1977. It may be that the CSL & Sumbro brands ran alongside each other as upper & lower quality tiers, much like Rose-Morris' Avon & Shaftesbury brands. Sadly there aren't enough examples around to be able to draw informed conclusions! My bass has no serial or dateable pickup/pot codes but it has the headstock shape of the Mk 1 Ibanez Blazer, which dates from 1980. Later versions of the same bass (both CSL and Cimar) have the subsequent, better known Blazer/Roadster-style headstock, so it's fair to assume these are 1980 or later. [url="https://postimg.org/image/1cyb9xglez/"][/url] Do you have any other info about Summerfield & their involvement with design? Edited October 11, 2017 by Bassassin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vunit Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 I've a CSL Jazz bass which I obtained for £30 in 1985. Neck is maple on maple with black block inlays and binding. Body is ply, solid black. Tortoiseshell pickguard Neckplate stamped 'Made in Japan'. CSL logo in mother of pearl on headstock. Like Bassassin's specimen, the neck on mine is the best I've ever played in 37 years. They were a common sight in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK when I was growing up. A friend of mine had one which had stacked pots like the original Jazz Bass. The headstock shape used to vary a little but the rest of the specs were a dead ringer for a '72 Jazz. It's stood the test of time and is a phenomenal bass. Short of lashing out circa £2,000+ on an original Fender '72 Jazz there really isn't a better option than a CSL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbobble Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Stolen out of the band van of course & will remain unplayed forever. But as you stated bassassasin the nicest maple I've ever played in my life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Metcalf Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 (edited) I have a CSL that has been with me for over 25 years, not pretty, extremely heavy mahogany body (I believe) but stunning to play with a full range from soft low blues to funky high end, this bass will be with me forever, hangs pride of place in my office alongside a 1959 Framus Star bass, all a bassist needs. Edited September 1, 2021 by Paul Metcalf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 12 hours ago, Paul Metcalf said: I have a CSL that has been with me for over 25 years, not pretty, extremely heavy mahogany body (I believe) but stunning to play with a full range from soft low blues to funky high end, this bass will be with me forever, hangs pride of place in my office alongside a 1959 Framus Star bass, all a bassist needs. Looks like that's had the original transparent brown stripped & the mahogany lacquered or oiled - looks great, really brings the grain out. Could be tempted to do that with mine... Since my old pics are long-gone, this is the beast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Metcalf Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 Yeah it was looking old and worn so I had it stripped and lacquered and I was really surprised how stunning the mahogany was underneath the old paint. You’re right they are beasts and a 2 hour gig really takes it out on my shoulder but the tone is amazing for an old cheapy bass. yours looks really nice like that, I love the chrome hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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