What is this 'Eros' bass?! (short scale / Matsumoku...)

[Powertripper]

Hey guys,

Can anybody help me identify this short-scale bass? I found it today at a second hand shop whilst buying something, and it was behind the counter where somebody had reserved it until the end of the day, but it was nearly closing time and they'd not returned It was an 'EROS'; I'd never heard of it, but a quick Google revealed multiple suggestions that this was something out of the Matsumoku factory in the 70's? This one says 'Made in Korea' on the back and I wonder if this is perhaps an 80's bass, but I'm guessing Eros was simply a distribution name for this bass and that there may be others out there under a different title. I'd love any information on it, especially as I love Matsumoku and have a '72 lawsuit 4001 that I think the world of it, so I said I'd go back in the morning. It was listed as £80 and if it's worth it, I'll get it.

Cheers!

Harry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[therealting]

I’d argue that if you like it and there are no issues, any bass has got to be worth £80. 

[Bassassin]

Eros was a UK importer brand owned by Rosetti, and sourced instruments from several manufacturers.

Early Eros were Japanese, I've had two that were Matsumoku builds and one that was a Fujigen. Later examples - such as this - were Korean, so clearly nothing to do with Matsumoku or any other Japanese manufacturer. Likely to be late 70s/early 80s and from Cort or Samick.

As far as value's concerned - this is plainly a low-end beginner's bass. I'd say £80 for something as crude as this is wildly over the odds & probably about twice what it's worth. However if you really like it, knock yourself out!

 

[Grahambythesea]

It looks the same as an unbranded bass I bought back in the 80’s in the Charing Cross Road. Played and sounded like .......... but it only cost about £30! If that.

[Powertripper]

I didn't buy it haha, neck was warped up and of course you can't test one out in a charity shop, cheers though, just in case it was a gem...

[Mickeyboro]

Alex Phillips, Danny Bryant’s bass player (a member here) uses one. He had to do a lot of work to make it playable though after buying it on Gumtree.

Edited January 4, 2019 by Mickeyboro

[AVW]

Can't see the photos?? ... think I may have the same one though!

[Bassassin]

16 minutes ago, AVW said:

Can't see the photos?? ... think I may have the same one though!

Can't remember what the OP's bass looked like. Why not post a pic of yours?

[AVW]

[Pea Turgh]

What’s that pickup, in that position, sound like?  Like tighter/lighter than a P?

[Bassassin]

That's interesting & pretty cool - not the same bass as the OP's. Never seen an Eros P like this before.

[AVW]

On 07/02/2020 at 22:14, Pea Turgh said:

What’s that pickup, in that position, sound like?  Like tighter/lighter than a P?

The pickup is very light, being a single coil with not much output ... but when cranked and eq'ed it sound's quite funky and tight, not too trebly, nor too muddy ... somewhere in the middle, but still with good low end responce!

I may experiment with other pickups when I have time ... but it ain't really broke!