Old Washburn Bass

[BassmanPauly]

I would like some info a this bass. I searched the web and there is not a lot of info on it. Serial # is 812527. All I could gather is it was made in 1981.

Edited December 23, 2014 by BassmanPauly

[jezzaboy]

A photo might just help [size=4] [/size]

[BassmanPauly]

Im trying to figure out how to post photos.

[BassmanPauly]

Hope these photos help

[White Cloud]

Dont have any info on those old Washburns..but I remember them well as being quite desirable back in the day. Rudy Sarzo played one amongst others!

[BassmanPauly]

This bass plays very well. One of my top picks so far and ive been playing since 1988.

[Bassassin]

Washburn SB40 Vulture II, made by Yamaki in 1981. I have a Matsumoku-built SB40 which, while broadly he same bass, has a few differences in build, hardware & dimensions:



The most obvious difference with the Yamaki-made Washburns is the use of matched timber veneers for the control covers & trc, but bridge, tuners & pickup positioning is different too. I think Washburns were made by Yamaki up until '81, after which, production went to Matsumoku for the remaider of MIJ manufacture. There's no real history of these, or many other Japanese-made basses from the 70s & 80s, but the quality of these is on a par with the best of any MIJ brand of the era.

Jon.

[BassmanPauly]

Awesome. Thx for the info. So basically its like a pre sb-40?

[AndyTravis]

Are you selling it?!

[BassmanPauly]

Im not sure yet if I am going to sell it or how much I could get for it. It plays so nice. What do you think its worth?

[AndyTravis]

Clueless, it's a rarity within a niche.

Bassasin's for example, I'd pay silly amounts for, but he's keeping it (I have asked)

The association is the Bakithi Kumalo Graceland album.

I'd probably say £200-£400 given the right buyer.

It's close but no cigar for me personally as it has frets and it's red (also, I don't think the machineheads are original)

It all depends on what you paid/how you got it, and what you think it's worth.

If you're not going to use it, it's a saleable item.

Edited December 24, 2014 by AndyTravis

[Bassassin]

[quote name='BassmanPauly' timestamp='1419378485' post='2639468']
Awesome. Thx for the info. So basically its like a pre sb-40?
[/quote]
I think it's an SB-40, just an earlier version.

Hard to put a value on it as these are rare basses - and unfortunately that doesn't seem to make 'em worth more. The "Vulture II" models with tihe 2-a-side headstock was superceded by the Force 40 series - essentially the same bass with a 4-inline headstock & various permutations of electronics. One of these sold on Ebay just a few days ago:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Washburn-Force-40-bass-guitar-/321612815116"]www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Washburn-Force-40-bass-guitar-/321612815116[/url]

IMO £124 is a derisory amount of money for a bass of comparable specification & quality (and made on the same production line) as the Aria Pro SB series, which can sometimes command prices approaching 4 figures.

That said, it's worth what someone will pay, and I'd say yours, being a Yamaki-built example, is more desireable than mine, having an associaton with Yamaki's highly collectable & often very expensive Daion range.

J.

[BassmanPauly]

I bought it for $250.00 from my uncle. The machineheads are not original. One got broken and he replaced them with fender machineheads, I think. It does have a couple of nicks on it. I think I paid a good price for it and I am going to keep it. It plays too nice to get rid of plus its a desirable bass.