MIJ DB?

[ChunkyMunky]

I was playing a festival up t'north a while ago and the bassist from one of the other bands had a beautiful upright. It was a Japanese one and I simply loved the quality of it. I've always had a fixation for Japanese made musical instruments. Does anyone have first hand experience with the MIJ DB stuff at all?

[stingrayPete1977]

No never seen one, the principals behind everything else they have managed to do like motorbikes, cars, white goods etc would be welcome in the lower priced bracket IMO.

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Are you sure it wasn't good quality chinese, manufacturers like Shen make some really nice instruments at the top of their range. I'm sure there are strings luthiers in Japan, but never come across any info or discussion about them.

[neilp]

Lots of very good quality instruments come from China these days. Jay Haide labelled basses and cellos are pretty much as good as you can get for less than about £6k, and the Shen instruments are up there too. Don't know of anything of that quality from Japan though

[stingrayPete1977]

I didn't know the Jay Haide ones were Chinese? They are very nice.

[TheG]

Yeah Ive got a Jay Haide. Designed in California and made in China. Excellent bass!
When I bought a new bass I fully intended to buy an old bass but this was one of the few basses I tried that spoke out to me.

[JazzCat13!]

Gollihur Music lists a man named A. Hashimoto in their luthier directory. It mentions he builds basses. Maybe that's the luthier in question?

[ivansc]

The Japanese have been making modern style concert instruments for almost as long as their european counterparts.
Bloody excelent quality. Wish I coudl afford a good Japanese DB