AndyTravis Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 [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] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted September 18, 2016 Author Share Posted September 18, 2016 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 [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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 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] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 [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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Presumably she got a hernia in the process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1474564664' post='3138877'] Presumably she got a hernia in the process? [/quote] She obviously already had a thyroid problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 [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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 [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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1474588485' post='3139118'] I suspect we may have tumbled [/quote] Nice. [i]Very[/i] nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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