Low cost bass or cheapy cheap upgardes?

[namefail]

Hi I'm mostly new here and was hoping you guys could offer some help.

I've not been playing much for about 15 years and over the last few weeks I have, due mostly to jumping on a second hand Ashdown EB 15-180 and getting a loaner. Now the Ibanez GSR200 is okay but it'll have to go back at some point, soooooooo.

I've a circa 1982 Tokia Jazz copy that need work, pickups installed and it would be good to go, the other option is getting a cheap second hand beater and making do for a few months till I can get a better bass or upgrade the Tokia with new pickups and other things perhaps. However...... and that's as far as I've got. Got any thought anyone?

edit cause I miss named me amp.

Edited January 8, 2014 by namefail

[OldG]

I have a Tokai Jazz that has been 'the one' for over 20 years now.... I'd say fix your Tokai and enjoy - why settle for less?

[Dave Vader]

I will happily swap you an old beater for your 1982 Tokai. I have a few.

[namefail]

Thanks for your input guys.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1389183597' post='2330952']
I will happily swap you an old beater for your 1982 Tokai. I have a few.
[/quote] And what in your opinion is an old beater, does it have a blk truss and spoons on the headstock?

I've been thinking about this to rid myself of gas http://basschat.co.uk/topic/226461-chase-guvnor-4-string-l45-sale-only/ and working on the Tokai over a few months.

Edited January 8, 2014 by namefail

[Immo]

Fix the Tokai, most definitely. Those are great basses and they deserve to be in good working order.

[Conan]

Some of those old Tokai "jazz sound"s are great basses - easily as good as many Fenders of the time!

Get some cheap pickups on[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/226205-fender-jazz-custom-shop-60s-pickups-set/"] here [/url]or from somewhere like [url="http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-JB-Pro-Jazz-Bass-Style-Alnico-Pickups_p_318.html"]GFS[/url] or [url="http://www.jhs.co.uk/wilkinson.html"]Wilkinson[/url] and you will have a great bass that might even be worth a few bob!

[namefail]

I shall fix the Tokai (I promise), just not sure what route I want to take right now, i.e. do I go vintage or modern and today at least I'm inclined toward the latter. Cheers for the lead on the pickups Conan.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='namefail' timestamp='1389184491' post='2330977']
Thanks for your input guys.

And what in your opinion is an old beater, does it have a blk truss and spoons on the headstock?

I've been thinking about this to rid myself of gas [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/226461-chase-guvnor-4-string-l45-sale-only/"]http://basschat.co.u...-l45-sale-only/[/url] and working on the Tokai over a few months.
[/quote]

It's a Hondo P-bass, with a fretless no-name neck on it. Happily swap it for a Tokai (don't do it, really, those Tokai's are brilliant)

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Paul S]

... or even a screw terminal on the ends of the wires. Even quicker.

[HowieBass]

If you can afford it you could drop one of these bad boys in http://www.east-uk.com/index.php/bass/j-retro.html

[namefail]

Paul and Howie, cheers.

re your suggestion Howie I'll need to research that one.

[Lozz196]

As others have said, keep and fix the Tokai. Great quality basses.

[Conan]

For "modern sounding" J pickups, I would recommend EMGs... they come up second-hand fairly often too, as they are a bit pricey when bought new...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFSPXbyA8go"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFSPXbyA8go[/url]

[namefail]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1389199845' post='2331265']
For "modern sounding" J pickups, I would recommend EMGs... they come up second-hand fairly often too, as they are a bit pricey when bought new...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFSPXbyA8go[/media]
[/quote]WOW, they sound perfect!! Now I just need his fingers. They're on the list.

[namefail]

Now I'm thinking about a bridge, oh and I just got Pete's. Noodles for me till pay day. )

[bassmachine2112]

[i]You might find a good set up including pick up heights will do the trick.[/i]
[i]Or you could swap it for a beater I,ve got hanging around.[/i]
[i]Pick ups ,you can go seymour duncan,Kent Armstrong ,Wizard only available second hand now or any of the others.[/i]
[i]I would give it a good service like a car.[/i]

[namefail]

[quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1389201310' post='2331301']
[i]You might find a good set up including pick up heights will do the trick.[/i]
[i]Or you could swap it for a beater I,ve got hanging around.[/i]
[i]Pick ups ,you can go seymour duncan,Kent Armstrong ,Wizard only available second hand now or any of the others.[/i]
[i]I would give it a good service like a car.[/i]
[/quote] Done all that bar having some working pickups, nice low setup at least acoustically.

Next month, hopefully, some pickups.

[LukeFRC]

sounds exciting - those tokai are good basses - if it's just pickups it needs then wait a week or two - buy some off here secondhand - cheap ones will prob be £10 or so, you don't need to spend much (to begin with) and just play!
have you got photos of the bass in question?

[namefail]

Photos, not at the mo. It's an aged cream/ivory finish with a rosewood neck and tort gaurd, the hardware's all old looking.

[Qlank]

Good luck with the Tokai, I had one-early 80's- and was dumb enough to sell it. Candy Apple Red, put a chrome scratchplate on it. Lovely bass. Sounded great as well. Still got some demos with me playing it.

[Conan]

[quote name='namefail' timestamp='1389201078' post='2331292']
WOW, they sound perfect!! Now I just need his fingers. They're on the list.
[/quote]

There's a few of us would give our right arms to have Bobby Vega's fingers!

Although then we would have nowhere to put them....

Edited January 9, 2014 by Conan

[Conan]

[quote name='namefail' timestamp='1389202869' post='2331325']
Done all that bar having some working pickups,

Next month, hopefully, some pickups.
[/quote]

No need to spend too much. I recently bought a set of MIM J pickups on here - twenty quid! They sound good too