Renaissance Lucite from 1978 - makes hens teeth look common

[Happy Jack]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENAISSANCE-LUCITE-BASS-1978-SMOKED-EXTREMELY-RARE-THUNDER-BASS-TONES-GREAT-/112108826749?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

[dyerseve]

looks to be similarish to a Vantage VB-900A which can be had for much less money and have the advantage of neck-thru construction. they arent exactly common either though:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1981-Vantage-VA-900B-Neck-Through-Body-Bass-Guitar-Matsumoku-/222018882783?hash=item33b15b4cdf%3Ag%3AuWIAAOSwKtlWq8sR&nma=true&si=osIDaNUttx2%252Fu9rLEi8oYpg2C1A%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Bassassin]

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1473856245' post='3133587']
looks to be similarish to a Vantage VB-900A which can be had for much less money and have the advantage of neck-thru construction. they arent exactly common either though:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1981-Vantage-VA-900B-Neck-Through-Body-Bass-Guitar-Matsumoku-/222018882783?hash=item33b15b4cdf%3Ag%3AuWIAAOSwKtlWq8sR&nma=true&si=osIDaNUttx2%252Fu9rLEi8oYpg2C1A%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2047675.l2557[/url]
[/quote]

Erm - aside from having 2x P pickups (a fairly common configuration in 70s basses) in what way?

I'm a massive fan of Matsumoku basses but even I can see that these two instruments are from different planets.

[dyerseve]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1473870862' post='3133735']


Erm - aside from having 2x P pickups (a fairly common configuration in 70s basses) in what way?

I'm a massive fan of Matsumoku basses but even I can see that these two instruments are from different planets.
[/quote]

Erm that would be the high mass brass bridge, brass nut, high quality tuners, same or at least very similar controls, active, dimarzio pups, switching for series/parallel for each pup, maple neck, and high build quality.

You're right, not much really...

And I didn't realise double p pup was ever common.

[chaypup]

...and they both have strings - don't forget that!

[dyerseve]

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1474024825' post='3135034']
...and they both have strings - don't forget that!
[/quote]

not only that but both have 4 string nonetheless!
and they are both bass guitars!!!

seriously though, apart from the general shap, bolt on v neck thru and body material, they are pretty similar instruments in my book.
I know they arent the [u]same[/u] but I never said they were. i said they were "[u][b]similarish[/b][/u]"

[Bassassin]

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1473965060' post='3134617']
Erm that would be the high mass brass bridge, brass nut, high quality tuners, same or at least very similar controls, active, dimarzio pups, switching for series/parallel for each pup, maple neck, and high build quality.

You're right, not much really...

And I didn't realise double p pup was ever common.
[/quote]

Fair enough on that basis - although as far as I know Vantage pickups are not DiMarzios - probably Matsumoku's own MMKs. Again though the hardware is very typical of its era and heavy bridges, enclosed tuners, brass nuts etc are common on many late 70s/early 80s basses that don't follow the Fender template.

Not 100% sure but I think the 2x P layout was first popularised by BC Rich on their Eagles & Mockingbirds, and it does turn up on a lot of basses from that era. This Renaissance is interesting in that it follows the BC Rich format by reversing the pickups.

But really for me the significant difference between these two basses is that the Vantage is a mass-produced neck-through conventional build while the Renaissance is a short-run handbuilt bass with a bolt-on neck and an acrylic plastic body. I think this makes them very different, and tellingly, I don't imagine someone who would consider paying £2000+ for a Renaissance would look twice at a Vantage, never mind consider it as an alternative. Me, I'd take the Vantage (or other MIJ 2x P neckthrough) any day of the week. Or for the price of this Renaissance - about eight of them!