Happy Jack Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-BOZO-THROUGH-NECK-BASS-GUITAR-/400997105541?hash=item5d5d4a3f85:g:IiYAAOSwsB9V-7-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Well - it's a Kawai-made MIJ bass from the late 70s/early 80s. These turn up with a plethora of different names, usually of no consequence, including Lincoln, Asama, and a bunch of others I can't think of offhand. More interestingly they're variations on a Fernandes Japan-only (I think) model called and FXB-1 "Custom Hand" (pics [url="http://www.fernandes.co.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1978_vol1.pdf"]here[/url], on p.28). What's interesting about the one for sale here is that the silly name, and the logo, are indeed that of a respected Serbian luthier, and therefore it's actually quite reasonable to assume that Mr Bozo Podunavac licensed his name & logo to be used on this instrument. Whether or not it's reasonable to expect to get £375 for this based on an amusing name, rather than the £120-odd these would normally go for, is entirely another matter. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 I think I once had the 6-string guitar version of that - it was labelled Hondo II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Wasn't there a nicer looking Lincoln neck through bass. I haven't seen one for years, but thought there was a nicer looking model. Searching online only revealed basses that look like the Bozo bass. E.g. What are some other UK bass brands that had neck through models? I may be confusing brands. But, the Lincoln logo looks like I remembered it to be. It reminds me of some of the early Corts. I presume that Cort was copying Kawai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 (edited) [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1445090595' post='2888740'] I think I once had the 6-string guitar version of that - it was labelled Hondo II. [/quote] There probably were similar Hondos, but I've certainly never seen one of these with that badge. Not impossible, though I suppose, but it's worth remembering most Hondos (even the nice ones) were made by Samick, in Korea. Cort might well have filched the body shape from Kawai - but there were an awful lot of these symmetrical-bodied double cut basses around at the time, so I'm more inclined to think it's a coincidental resemblance. Although Cort did nick the headstock shape for others in the same range from Kasuga: And the Kasugas in question do have a symmetrical-ish double-cut body shape. J. Edited October 17, 2015 by Bassassin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 It's 35 years ago so my memory is very possibly fallible. The Hondo II was at least similar if not the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswareham Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 That is one Bozo I'd like to make an acquaintance of. The body reminds me of a Gibson Ripper, which is a shape I've always liked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 (edited) Kay with similar body shape. Cort made? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-CUSTOM-HANDMADE-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-SOLID-OAK-NO-W0-20481-LOFT-FIND-/121787417517?hash=item1c5b1883ad:g:OnAAAOSwI-BWHjKm"]http://www.ebay.co.u...nAAAOSwI-BWHjKm[/url] Edited October 17, 2015 by Annoying Twit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1445112171' post='2888934'] Kay with similar body shape. Cort made? [/quote] Certainly is. Wouldn't mind another one of them - preferably without the twisted neck my old one had... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lo-E Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 These were marketed in the States as Vantage with a slightly different headstock shape. Excellent basses, as I recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 [quote name='Lo-E' timestamp='1445116224' post='2888976'] These were marketed in the States as Vantage with a slightly different headstock shape. Excellent basses, as I recall. [/quote] Vantages come into that category of "similar but not exactly the same"! Great basses & guitars from the Matsumoku factory, a few of them turn up in the UK too. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Despite starting this thread myself, I've only just twigged what that bass reminded me of all along: [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20SOLD/Ned%20Callan%201970s%20SOLD/CIMG0355.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20SOLD/Ned%20Callan%201970s%20SOLD/CIMG0355.jpg[/IMG][/URL] That's a much-buggered-about Ned Callan that I owned briefly a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Good old Ned - Razze06 still has my old CMI-branded one. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1445092942' post='2888759'] Wasn't there a nicer looking Lincoln neck through bass. I haven't seen one for years, but thought there was a nicer looking model. Searching online only revealed basses that look like the Bozo bass. E.g. What are some other UK bass brands that had neck through models? I may be confusing brands. But, the Lincoln logo looks like I remembered it to be. It reminds me of some of the early Corts. I presume that Cort was copying Kawai [/quote] For what it's worth. . . . I have one of these Lincoln Basses - it's been around a bit but have a really great, deep bass tone. All who have had a go have been very surprised. As Jon said, the one listed was perhaps a little over the top on price. If anyone sees one up for sale, for the right money and you fancy somehthing different, it's worth a punt. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister RLP Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 I have one of the Bozo guitars. Bought for me for my 13th birthday from Hessy’s in Liverpool. It wasn’t really what I was expecting but I’ve grown to like it. It’s fairly heavy for a guitar but is really well made. Electronics more complicated than a normal guitar as it features a distortion unit powered by at 9v battery - although this doesn’t work any more. Must get this looked at. Really interested to know there were bass versions. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 (edited) What's really odd is that I've just posted a pic of a bass version (branded Asama) on this thread - someone looking for a natural finish, through-neck & single pickup bass. These are interesting guitars & are something of a mystery within the online vintage Japanese guitar communities. So far they've been identified under nine different brand names around the world, and I'm confident there are others: Fernandes Bozo Lincoln Asama Condor Memphis Pro Martin Sakura Tempest Out of those, the only "name" brand is Fernandes, where they appear in a Japan-only catalogue as "Custom Hand". There was a bass version too. There seem to be small variations between versions & it's interesting that yours had a built-in effects circuit, I've not read about any of the other versions having that. It's still not clear who made these - as you may know, an instrument's brand name is seldom connected to the actual manufacturer - but speculation is that it was Kawai Gakki, who are known to have manufactured Fernandes at various points, or Kasuga Gakki, who seem to have been main manufacturer and possible owner of the Pro Martin brand that these guitars were also sold under. Both Kawai & Kasuga produced similarly constructed instruments under their own names. Edited August 9, 2020 by Bassassin Short & long-term memory loss. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister RLP Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 24 minutes ago, Bassassin said: What's really odd is that I've just posted a pic of a bass version (branded Asama) on this thread - someone looking for a natural finish, through-neck & single pickup bass. These are interesting guitars & are something of a mystery within the online vintage Japanese guitar communities. So far they've been identified under nine different brand names around the world, and I'm confident there are others: Fernandes Bozo Lincoln Asama Condor Memphis Pro Martin Sakura Tempest Out of those, the only "name" brand is Fernandes, where they appear in a Japan-only catalogue as "Custom Hand". There was a bass version too. There seem to be small variations between versions & it's interesting that yours had a built-in effects circuit, I've not read about any of the other versions having that. It's still not clear who made these - as you may know, an instrument's brand name is seldom connected to the actual manufacturer - but speculation is that it was Kawai Gakki, who are known to have manufactured Fernandes at various points, or Kasuga Gakki, who seem to have been main manufacturer and possible owner of the Pro Martin brand that these guitars were also sold under. Both Kawai & Kasuga produced similarly constructed instruments under their own names. This is brilliant as I always wondered where my guitar came from as it was used rather than new. I wonder if the distortion unit was added by a previous owner. The tuners had been changed as can been seen by the original tuner holes on the back of the headstock. The guitar coming from Japan makes more sense than what my dad told me - or what Hessy’s told my dad - that it was German made and there were a lot of German guitars being shipped through to Liverpool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister RLP Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 Hessy's before it closed down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liIusO4xMMU 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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