Matsumoku basses

[Wilco]

Let's keep the legend alive!! Excellent basses & surely the best bang for your buck available today no matter what brand. I have two Aria SB's - a 1985 RSB Deluxe & a 1983 SB Special 2. Just got the RSB and the Special 2 has been a regular gigging bass for me despite it's 30 year age!

Edited April 18, 2013 by Wilco

[Bloodaxe]

My clutch:



L-R: 1981 TSB-400, 1983 RSB Special-I (sans pickup), 1984 RSB Deluxe-5, 1984 ZZB-Custom, 1980 SB-900, 1980 SB-1000 (heavily modded).

Pete.

[NancyJohnson]

I've got an Aria Primary Bass. I got it as part of a stupid cheap Gumtree deal ('Three guitars and a practice amp for £50'). On the downside, the pots were broken (those knobs were resting on there for the photo), and while it sounded OK, the pickup was quite low output. A previous owner had fitted a set of Schaller machines. I swapped out the pickup for a Wilkinson unit that I had about the house, put in new pots and chrome knobs, Dunlop Straploks. It's a very, very nice bass.
P

[stu_g]

my 1984 aria black n gold
[attachment=131279:aria pro.jpg]

[blablas]

Westone Thunder I.

I'm the first and only owner, I bought it new somewhere in 1982, it was my first serious bass and I've modified the crap out of it over the years.

[FlatEric]

What a great topic.

I was having a conversation with a fellow bass player, who plays Classic Aria and Ibanez (not Mat) and nothing else.
I have quite a few in my collection and we both agreed that £ for £ the stuff that came out of Matsumoko and Fujigen,
in the day, are some of the nicest instruments you could own and play.

I'll dig out some of my "Mats"

Cheers.

[paul_5]

I've got what I think is a Matsumoku neck on my 'bitsa' P/J/MM bass. It's from an '80s 'Yamato' P bass copy and is quite simply a joy to play. The profile is perfect for me. It's been on (I think) 4 of my bitsas, and it's going nowhere else.

[chaypup]

What a great thread! I play almost exclusively Matsumoku basses, here's mine:

SB-R60
[IMG]http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii616/chaylockyer/Aria4.jpg[/IMG]

Thunder II
[IMG]http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii616/chaylockyer/ThunderII9.jpg[/IMG]

Slightly butchered TSB-400
[IMG]http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii616/chaylockyer/IMG_0739.jpg[/IMG]

[Bass-Driver]

Ahhh, I had an old Aria Pro-II. It was a Rev-Sound Bass - I'm sure it had a symbol like RSB-something, but I can't remember... Nice bass, although a bit uncomfortable for me. I recorded one full album with it and several songs on two others. Bought it for peanuts (it had been in a horribly neglected state), sold it rather cheap too...



I've had some other Matsumoku basses in my hands - great stuff. As an 80s child (born in '79, started to develop some early taste in music around '83-'84) I'd love an SB-1000 but they cost an arm and a leg...

[SlapbassSteve]

My trusty Westone Quantum.


[attachment=132879:S1050287.JPG]

[attachment=132880:482838_10200590591837268_1666544918_n.jpg]

[Clarky72]

My SB700.

[url="http://instagram.com/p/Y8KNkUh9IT/"]http://instagram.com/p/Y8KNkUh9IT/[/url]

[Bass-Driver]

[quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1367782476' post='2069449']
My SB700.

[url="http://instagram.com/p/Y8KNkUh9IT/"]http://instagram.com/p/Y8KNkUh9IT/[/url]
[/quote]

I sooo would.

[Dougalbass]

[attachment=134467:R0011295.JPG][font=georgia,serif][size=5][color=#0000ff]Hi to all SB fans.... Took me over 30 years to get one. Now I'm hooked! My SB 900 Dec' 1981[/color][/size][/font][attachment=134468:R0011273.JPG][attachment=134469:R0011275.JPG][attachment=134471:R0011289.JPG][attachment=134472:R0011277.JPG][attachment=134473:R0011283.JPG][attachment=134474:R0011288.JPG]

Edited May 9, 2013 by Dougalbass

[Clarky72]

great basses.

[Leon Transaxle]

The Thunder I I got as my 18th birthday present (and therefore 30 years old next week)

Edited May 10, 2013 by Leon Transaxle

[PaulWarning]

I've got a battered Hondo 1981 is this a Matsumoku?

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1368201001' post='2074436']
I've got a battered Hondo 1981 is this a Matsumoku?
[/quote]

Might be. Shares a few common features with Vantage.

What does it say on the neckplate? A good shot of the back of the neck would help too.

Pete.

[Dougalbass]

[font=georgia,serif][size=4][color=#0000ff]Hey... Love that red Westone Thunder Leon. [/color][/size][/font]

[Dougalbass]

[quote name='Leon Transaxle' timestamp='1368200072' post='2074423']
The Thunder I I got as my 18th birthday present (and therefore 30 years old next week)



[/quote]Hey... Love that red Westone Thunder Leon

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' timestamp='1368221149' post='2074730']
Might be. Shares a few common features with Vantage.

What does it say on the neckplate? A good shot of the back of the neck would help too.

Pete.
[/quote]
there you go, don't know how to get full size picy's on here

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1368261883' post='2074966']
there you go, don't know how to get full size picy's on here[/quote]

AFAIK, the site software automatically resizes images to thumbnails. Only way round that is to host your piccies somewhere like Photobucket or Flickr & link them using [ IMG] [/ IMG] tags (without the spaces).

Anyway… I was hoping to see 'Steel Adjustable Neck' on the neckplate as that's a dead giveaway for a Mat, but yours doesn't. However the neck construction & tuners are identical to my 1981 TSB-400, so I'd say it probably is a Matsumoku product. The serial number fits with it being an 81.

I say 'probably' as I have heard that some early 80s Arias were built at other factories in Japan, (like Hoshino or Fujigen) but more than that I know not. Noelk27 is your man for this.

Pete.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' timestamp='1368303417' post='2075573']
AFAIK, the site software automatically resizes images to thumbnails. Only way round that is to host your piccies somewhere like Photobucket or Flickr & link them using [ IMG] [/ IMG] tags (without the spaces).

Anyway… I was hoping to see 'Steel Adjustable Neck' on the neckplate as that's a dead giveaway for a Mat, but yours doesn't. However the neck construction & tuners are identical to my 1981 TSB-400, so I'd say it probably is a Matsumoku product. The serial number fits with it being an 81.

I say 'probably' as I have heard that some early 80s Arias were built at other factories in Japan, (like Hoshino or Fujigen) but more than that I know not. Noelk27 is your man for this.

Pete.
[/quote]
cheers pete

[Leon Transaxle]

[quote name='Dougalbass' timestamp='1368222569' post='2074750']
Hey... Love that red Westone Thunder Leon
[/quote]
Thank you

[Fionn]

[quote name='Dougalbass' timestamp='1368127217' post='2073641']
[attachment=134467:R0011295.JPG][font=georgia, serif][size=5][color=#0000ff]Hi to all SB fans.... Took me over 30 years to get one. Now I'm hooked! My SB 900 Dec' 1981[/color][/size][/font][attachment=134468:R0011273.JPG][attachment=134469:R0011275.JPG][attachment=134471:R0011289.JPG][attachment=134472:R0011277.JPG][attachment=134473:R0011283.JPG][attachment=134474:R0011288.JPG]
[/quote]

I saw this bass on ebay a while ago! My SB900 is exactly the same as yours, but it's a factory fretless. Now, he amazing thing about this is that it's the fretless sister of your bass!!! The serial number is 1120517 ... the one before yours!!!

[Dougalbass]

[font=georgia,serif][size=4][color=#000080]Hey Fionn. Meant to ask. How do you find your SB through Gallien Kruger? I'm currently using an Ibanez promethean combo through an Ashdown cab. All very lightweight but can deliver up to 500w if needed. Not gigged bigger than a small pub with it though & reckon it would have to be put through a PA to cut a bigger venue. [/color][/size][/font]