Maya Precision - curious about the pickup

[Happy Jack]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAYA-PASSIVE-PRECISION-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-1974-MADE-IN-JAPAN-MIJ/264436324171?hash=item3d91a2174b:g:q~0AAOSwxq5dSdm5

In my experience, these are very well-made instruments let down by poor electronics - stick a decent pickup in it, replace the speed knobs (and maybe the pots), maybe even fit a 4-saddle BBOT, and you've got a very nice Precision.

All of which said, I don't recognise the fitted pickup at all ... is it original?

@Bassassin 

[TheGreek]

Nice looking example...the price range on these is huge though. I've seen them for over £500

[Nibody]

Used to own a Maya with the more standard P split pickup. It was a gorgeous bass.

[Bassassin]

Maya's just a brand name, and you'll find it on a wide range of instruments of various quality levels.

This is a pretty low-end bass - ply body, 2-saddle bridge and that little Tele-type pickup. These parts were intended to be hidden under the chrome covers it would have had when new. They're very common on low-end MIJ copies, here are a couple which have passed through my own shed:

If you look closely, you'll notice the J is a Maya. The exact same bass was sold in the UK branded Avon. They go for a lot less money...

[hooky_lowdown]

I'm sure @Bassassin could list the decent brands of MIJ's, there are lots of low end stuff and crazy prices.

I had a Maya jazz, was made ok, pickups were very weak, everything except the neck and body needed changing, and it weighed as much as a small planet.

[Stub Mandrel]

I like this one, I've had it over 30 years, used to gig it regularly. I think its about 1987. Gave it some TLC earlier this year, replaced the broken pickguard put ashtrays on it (they had disappeared when i got it) (it's a split P-pickup under the chrome):

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by Stub Mandrel

[oldslapper]

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I like this one, I've had it over 30 years, used to gig it regularly. I think its about 1987. Gave it some TLC earlier this year, replaced the broken pickguard put ashtrays on it (they had disappeared when i got it) (it's a split P-pickup under the chrome):

 

😢 I miss mine. 

[bassaussie]

The bass in the original post is exactly the same as the bass I played on in high school, only that had a different brand name - "Tempo". I remember the pickup, the tele style bridge, the tuners and the metal plate over the truss rod. The was very early on in my bass playing, and with time I came to notice all the difference between it and a real Fender - the obvious being the pickup, but then realising all the other little differences as well. I don't think I've ever seen another bass with at Tele type pickup until you posted this. The tuners, on the other hand, are really typical for basses from this period.

[Bassassin]

These would have been sold with a load of different names - Chushin Gakki (the factory that made them) was probably the biggest manufacturer of low/midrange copy-era stuff during the 70s, and importers all around the world all put their own brands on them.

On the whole, despite being built to a budget, they're usually perfectly playable instruments - there's definitely a consistent good quality in necks & fretwork on instruments of that era. I think back in the day a lot of us (me included) considered them junk because we had no clue about setting our instruments up properly.

Those closed-back Gotoh tuners on so many of these basses get a bad rap, but that didn't stop the likes of Shergold using them.

[bassaussie]

So my understanding is that a company (usually in Japan/Asia) would create the instruments, and then you'd have a distributor in each country taking a boatload, branding them for the local market, and away you go. Is that about it?

Whenever I see those tuners, they make my cringe!!!! Hahahaha!

[Bassassin]

Yes, exactly that, but instead of one distributor, loads. Anyone could (and still can) order direct from a factory/exporter, as long a you bought a minimum quantity, and have instruments badged up as they pleased. Many of the 70s UK brands, such as Grant, Shaftesbury, Avon etc were just imported by music shops, sold in their own retail premises & also distributed to other outlets around the country.

In the 70s you'd end up with the situation where retailers would have the same instruments with different badges (and often different price tags) hanging side-by-side.

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, Bassassin said:

Those closed-back Gotoh tuners on so many of these basses

Tempting to put clover leaf tuners on mine though - it's an almost perfect clone of an early 70s Precision otherwise.