Information about VOX Bassmaster

[Jazzneck]

The options back then were iirc:

Rich Men - Fenders, Gibsons and top of the range Burns.....

Comfortably Off - Hofner, Framus, Eko, Kay, Burns, Hagstrom, Futurama....

Poor Boys - Vox, Egmond, Rosetti, Fenton Weill and no namer Jap and Eastern Bloc basses......

Guitar Porn 1960s http://www.guitarrepairsuk.com/bells_catalogue.htm

Other old duffers will add to / argue with the list, I'm sure.

And of course there was the "never, never" method of buying - another series of tales to tell.

Things started to change in the early seventies though I'd packed up playing by then so I can't tell you much until I started again in the mid 1990s when I was amazed to find the not only the broader choice, out how relatively cheap it was to buy a good gigging bass and rig.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Jazzneck

[Nick Riffed]

It seems to be generally held that there are more and more perfectly usable budget basses about and the quality keeps getting better.
I have never been influenced by the name on something. I drive a Hyundai!!

No names that I hadn't heard of and I suppose their ranges where probably a bit smaller too.
I wonder how many of those names are still independent, if they all still exist?

I love some of the old Burns basses, they are another 'revived' brand that is making a comeback.
I don't know if it's just me but I really like the look of a lot of the old British and European basses and guitars.
I seem to have recently developed a liking for the old WEM/Watkins jobs.
I have an uncle that used to play semi pro and knew the guys at Grimshaw guitars back in the 50's and 60's.
Some of those look really nice and are meant to play well.

I also like my basses and guitars to look vaguely guitar shaped.
As you may have read somewhere above, the earlier Vox's seem to be ignored and may as well have never existed until the Phantom and the Teardrop came along. Innovative as they may have been, they just don't do it for me. Much like Explorers, I just don't understand the design.
All this coming from the owner of a Hohner cricket bat.
In it's defence, it makes a great travel bass plus you can lean it against a wall and it will stay there forever.

I understand that some of the 70's and 80's farmed out Japanese copies, and originals come to that, can be a much better item than the things they were copying.

I have a 1972 ish Shaftesbury Les Paul that I have always said I will actually learn to play one day.
Friends and relatives that have played it have always commented on how good it is to the extent that someone once offered to swap a 76's American strat for it!! I think the poor demented lad went on to become a drummer.
Knowing what I know now, I should have snapped his arm off.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Nick Riffed

[Jrola]

On 21/10/2013 at 14:15, BetaFunk said:

[quote name='Nick Riffed' timestamp='1382387354' post='2251657']
The guy I got it from had advertised it as a Custom Vox.
I am certain that it is a bog standard Bassmaster that someone has taken a tin of paint stripper to and painted "Vox" on the headstock.
[/quote]Originally the headstock would have had VOX written large in light green with 'BASSMASTER' in smaller script and even smaller the JMI logo followed by DARTFORD, KENT all black and in upper case.
[quote name='Nick Riffed' timestamp='1382387354' post='2251657']
The knobs, tuners and the nut all seem to have been replaced at some point and there is a crack in the scratch plate.
The hardest fix will be to get proper knobs. I'm sure someone on Basschat will be able to sort a replacement scratch plate.
[/quote]
I'm sure that the Bass Doc on this very forum can make you a new scratchplate as he's made me one for a Bassmaster before. Just out of interest i've seen two Bassmasters with the scratchplate cracked in the same place as they seem to get so brittle with age.

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Jrola
I think I posted a picture on somebody's else's post, Sorry I do not know how to take it off.

[Jrola]

Hello

 

My name is John and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I am glad I found this site. Here is my 62 Bassmaster that I bought brand new as a kid. My Dad almost kicked my donkey because I spent so much money on a guitar LOL. I sold this to a friend when I went to Viet Nam and was able to buy it back from him about 20 years ago, minus the Case. The Decals were pretty much gone also which is part of the reason I am on here right now. I anybody has a set or a connection to a set of Decals I would greatly appreciate it. I hope I am understanding this site, I think I already messed up post a picture of my Guitar, if I did please accept my apology. Thanks everybody!!