Columbus conundrum

[AndyTravis]

My drummer has been banging on (pun intended) about a bass he has in the loft.

He's just sold his house and brought it for me to look at/fix...

It's a Columbus 'Series 3' serial number 881393 and looks a bit like a yamaha had a baby with a bass collection...

https://instagram.com/p/BKTT9_BAvYP/

Stinks of being mid/late 80's Korean bass...

23 frets P/J set up.

Before I start working my backside off on it, are these worth much or worth at least the effort?

[Bassassin]

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1473781946' post='3133074']
Stinks of being mid/late 80's Korean bass...

[/quote]

...Because that's exactly what it is.

Nothing wrong with these, it'll be a perfectly good "entry level" bass. Columbus was always a low/mid range brand, positioned between Kimbara & Satellite in FCN Music's own-brand range hierarchy, and unfortunately the Korean Series 2 & 3 even lack the MIJ appeal of the copy-era stuff. I've never had an MIK Columbus bass but I did have a Series 3 Gibson 335 copy, which was actually a very nice and well-finished guitar.

Hard to say what it's worth, not much, I'd guess if I was flogging a bass like this I'd consider myself lucky to get £80 or so.

Just had a quick look on Fleabay:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Columbus-vintage-series-3-bass-guitar-GC-/231992665775"]http://www.ebay.co.u...C-/231992665775[/url]

[AndyTravis]

Cheers Jon, wondered when you'd reply. Should've sent info as a PM 😂

I'll just get it working for him; I won't try to flog it...

I was gutted when the "old Columbus bass" he had spoke of wasn't one of the cool jazz copies...

[fleabag]

Columbus jazz copies were pretty awful, build wise, but they played well enough . I owned one and made the mistake of stripping the finish to reveal wood. I say the word wood quite loosely

It kind of resembled balsa mixed with papier mache

[Shaggy]

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1474487302' post='3138392']
Columbus jazz copies were pretty awful, build wise, but they played well enough . I owned one and made the mistake of stripping the finish to reveal wood. I say the word wood quite loosely

It kind of resembled balsa mixed with papier mache
[/quote]

Also the pickups were only just about barely magnetic, and had the approximate output strength of a gnat's fart
I put an old Gibson mudbucker on mine, and it made it into a half-decent bass

[FinnDave]

I remember when Columbus Jazz basses were something to lust after, but they cost around £70 new so were way out of reach. Times and pockets have changed.

[KevB]

Taught myself the first rudiments of bass on a Columbus jazz copy...

[URL=http://s30.photobucket.com/user/KevB64/media/columbusjazzbodysmall.jpg.html][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/KevB64/columbusjazzbodysmall.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[FinnDave]

I played on a few Columbus JBs back in the 70s don't remember seeing a split pick up there before!

I don't think I ever owned a Columbus, but had the use of one or two from time to time. As a result, I bought a Framus Jazz, classy natural finish. Another bass that has vanished into the mists of time. Served me well for a few years, though.

[skankdelvar]

Guy at school had a Columbus which he ran through an HH Combo the size of a washing machine. My, how we envied him. It was the mid-70's and a rig like that was a wonder to behold.

[FinnDave]

I remember lusting after an HH rig, funny how back then were all keen to dump our valve gear (I was using a Selmer T&B 50 at the time) and go solid state. I think it was all that glowing greenness that did it.

[KingBollock]

That Columbus bass is a generic one. You can find loads of them, all identical but with different names on them. My one is a Westfield one. I have seen others labelled as Rogue and others that I can't remember off the top of my head.

They went for £200 when new. Mine has Chromes flats on it, which probably doubles what it's worth now.

They are a very good entry bass, though.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1474560411' post='3138841']
I remember lusting after an HH rig
[/quote]

Funnily enough, I bought one of those HH rigs in the late 80's. It definitely had glowing greenishness, but an absolute monster to get into a hatchback and not actually [i]that [/i]loud.

Sold it to a guy named Ricky who later informed me that his girlfriend of the time had flown into a rage and pushed it out of an upstairs window along with all his instruments.

[Happy Jack]

Presumably she got a hernia in the process?

[discreet]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1474564664' post='3138877']
Presumably she got a hernia in the process?
[/quote]

She obviously already had a thyroid problem.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1474560142' post='3138839']
....an HH Combo the size of a washing machine...
[/quote]
That'll be an HH VS Bassamp 1x15 combo, or I'll be very surprised. My first "serious" amp in the early 80s, certainly looked awesome and the light-up green control panel more than made up for any limitations it might have had.

What's interesting is that I now have a washing machine that resembles an HH VS Bassamp. It even has a light-up green front panel. Well, sort of.

[FinnDave]

I suspect we may have tumbled ( ) onto an untapped market for bass combos that can do a quick wash rinse and spin during a gig. Go home with the warm afterglow of a gig well played, and a enough clean clothes to see you through the coming week.

[KevB]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1474559882' post='3138836']
I played on a few Columbus JBs back in the 70s don't remember seeing a split pick up there before!
[/quote]

The P pickups (Dimarzio iirc) were a mod done by the guy I bought it from. We were in a band at school together, I just sang. When we finally all went off to different higher ed places I bought the bass for £30 and it sat around for 3 years before I really picked it up. Much later I swapped everything out apart from the body and returned it to a proper jazz config and with a mighty mite neck and proper fender PU's it was a very playable instrument, just a bit heavy!

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1474588485' post='3139118']
I suspect we may have tumbled
[/quote]

Nice. [i]Very[/i] nice.