AREA Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 ..... This Bass was given to me Yesterday as a Present. Must be about 30-35 Years old. All Functions are working. Just needed a little Set-Up, Cleaning, some Contact-Spray and a fresh Battery for the Onboard Effects --> Distortion and Phaser... Has been standing in a Living Room for the last 20 Years and was only getting older. HaHaHa...what a crazy Bass, but with these Black Nylons on it you can reproduce some really nice 70s Motown Sounds.... Great... Ah yes...It´s "Made in Japan" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert43 Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Hi very diffrent whats it like the bass ? What about the onboard are they good or a gimmick? Any way have fun all ways nice to get a new old toy to play with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born 2B Mild Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 What's the story Mr 'Japcrap Wiki' Bassassin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 That is supercool. Looks like a MM jazz but good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote name='Protium' post='421596' date='Feb 28 2009, 11:48 AM']That is supercool. Looks like a MM jazz but good [/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='421595' date='Feb 28 2009, 11:43 AM']What's the story Mr 'Japcrap Wiki' Bassassin?[/quote] Asama is Japanese for "Big Bottom". Area - if you consider selling, let me know. BTW I take it the pics aren't actually your bass, since they're from the www.guitarmaniacs.de site? I'll go & do a bit of digging, see what I can find out... Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AREA Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote name='Bassassin' post='421618' date='Feb 28 2009, 01:21 PM']Asama is Japanese for "Big Bottom". Area - if you consider selling, let me know. BTW I take it the pics aren't actually your bass, since they're from the www.guitarmaniacs.de site? I'll go & do a bit of digging, see what I can find out... Jon.[/quote] Yes, this is exactly my Bass, because on "Guitarmaniacs" I´m registered as "Rumms". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote]Asama is Japanese for "Big Bottom".[/quote] Interesting bass and it looks in very good condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote name='AREA' post='421625' date='Feb 28 2009, 12:31 PM']Yes, this is exactly my Bass, because on "Guitarmaniacs" I´m registered as "Rumms".[/quote] That's what I get for not paying attention! Makes more sense knowing you're in Germany, the Asama brand seems more common on the Continent. Anyway, while "Asama" may translate as "Big Bottom", it's actually more likely the name comes from Mt. Asama in Nagano prefecture - which is traditionally home to much of Japan's guitar making industry. I am talking about mountains (a common theme in JapCrap brand names - Fujigen, Rokkomann, Maya...) because there's not much info out there about Asama. Anyway, it appears to be a brand rather than a factory & there was a range of Asama FX guitars of which this bass is but one - here's an LP with the same module: [url="http://www.geocities.com/stompbox2001/asama.htm"]http://www.geocities.com/stompbox2001/asama.htm[/url] I'm sure there used to be a [i]Vintage Guitar[/i] mag article about these knocking around on the web - maybe I'm thinking of Fresher, who also had a range of FX guitars. All the [i]Guru's Guitar Guide[/i] book has to say about Asama is this: [quote]Instruments previously built in Japan during the early 1980s. Guitars with this trademark are generally medium to good quality copies of American design as well as some original designs[/quote] And the only other Asama bass I've seen is this one: [url="http://www.guitardir.com/specs.php?NodeId=11812&Context=3"]http://www.guitardir.com/specs.php?NodeId=...2&Context=3[/url] Owned by a Dutch gentleman called Kees, whose knowledge of JapCrap makes me feel positively intellectually stunted - and he doesn't have a clue who made them. These appear under numerous brands - the best known being Fernandes. Which doesn't help since Fernandes is only a brand name & has been made in various different factories. Anyway to get back to the point - while I can't find much concrete info, I have seen a bass like AREA's before, and needless to say it was on Ebay & somewhere in Europe. I can't swear it was branded Asama, but it had the same FX and black blocks. I have absolutely no recollection of how much it sold for - but obviously more than my £50 Ebay Pikey ceiling! Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AREA Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Okay, here it goes... Short Soundexamples.... Please keep in Mind, that there are 20Year old Black Nylon Strings on this Bass... 1. Run = Normal, Both Pickups Tone ca. 50% 2. Run = With Phaser, Ratio about 50% 3. Run = With Distortion, The Full Hell :D:D [url="http://xlupload.de/Download/yh3mj1vbo08us9m5b2ze/"]http://xlupload.de/Download/yh3mj1vbo08us9m5b2ze/[/url] ...you have to wait 10 Seconds, than you can download or open the File... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 [quote name='AREA' post='421919' date='Feb 28 2009, 07:49 PM']Okay, here it goes... Short Soundexamples.... Please keep in Mind, that there are 20Year old Black Nylon Strings on this Bass... 1. Run = Normal, Both Pickups Tone ca. 50% 2. Run = With Phaser, Ratio about 50% 3. Run = With Distortion, The Full Hell :D:D [url="http://xlupload.de/Download/yh3mj1vbo08us9m5b2ze/"]http://xlupload.de/Download/yh3mj1vbo08us9m5b2ze/[/url] ...you have to wait 10 Seconds, than you can download or open the File...[/quote] The clean is a very nice clear sound, not so much attack very much a softer sounding bass. The Distortion is just pure old school fuzz. Great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor_of_the_bass Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Velly intellesting! Looking at the scratchplate, you can see who inspired Marcus Miller...! Whilst in this particular arena, if anyone has an Electra MPC they want to flog...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixshooter Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I have got the Guit*r version of this at home. I will dig it out and let you know who made it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umph Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 do want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjb Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 That is pure mojo right there..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 wow, i want one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixshooter Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Here is the Guitar version [attachment=21342:Yasuki.jpg] [attachment=21343:Headstock_1.jpg] This one is branded Yasuki! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I love it. The effects are pretty decent too. Total win. Is it heavy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 thats amazing. I'm in love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='Bassassin' post='421887' date='Feb 28 2009, 07:16 PM']And the only other Asama bass I've seen is this one: [url="http://www.guitardir.com/specs.php?NodeId=11812&Context=3"]http://www.guitardir.com/specs.php?NodeId=...2&Context=3[/url][/quote] The bass player from MK band Lionsex has an Asama P-bass, which I've had a bit of a play with. I assumed from the feel and quality that it was from one of the Japanese factories from the '70s or '80s - good to have that confirmed. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='sixshooter' post='423637' date='Mar 2 2009, 08:41 PM']Here is the Guitar version [attachment=21342:Yasuki.jpg] [attachment=21343:Headstock_1.jpg] This one is branded Yasuki![/quote] Cheers for that, although this is arguably even more of a mystery! Yasuki's a new one on me, it smacks of an importer's idea of a "Japanese-y" sounding name, like Kimbara & Sakai were. However this is clearly from the same source as the Asama bass & LP. A full autopsy might reveal some clues as to a manufacturer, but there are a lot of instruments out there that are destined to go unidentified, it seems. We can assume that many less recognisable guitars came from the Matsumoto Musical Instrument Manufacturers Association, a collective of smaller builders & suppliers in the region, which excluded the bigger & better known factories like Matsumoku & Fujigen. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixshooter Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 [quote name='Bassassin' post='423972' date='Mar 3 2009, 11:03 AM']Cheers for that, although this is arguably even more of a mystery! Yasuki's a new one on me, it smacks of an importer's idea of a "Japanese-y" sounding name, like Kimbara & Sakai were. However this is clearly from the same source as the Asama bass & LP. A full autopsy might reveal some clues as to a manufacturer, but there are a lot of instruments out there that are destined to go unidentified, it seems. We can assume that many less recognisable guitars came from the Matsumoto Musical Instrument Manufacturers Association, a collective of smaller builders & suppliers in the region, which excluded the bigger & better known factories like Matsumoku & Fujigen. J.[/quote] The neck on the guit*r is remarkably like the neck on my Casio PG310 synth guit*r, which is very good quality. The Casio I think was made by Fujigen for Casio. I am guessing that it is mid 70's as it has the bullet truss rod and I cannot imagine that the Japanese would copy a crap design like that for long! On the neck plate it has Made in Japan stamped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 From what I've seen Yasuki don't come up often. http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yasuki-1970s-Through-neck-Bass-Guitar-/121901862159?nav=SEARCH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 First one I've seen since the last one - and that was a while ago... However, I've seen these same through-neck basses (and the equivalent guitars) with various different names, and I think I know what they are. From what I can glean they're a variation on a Japanese-market thing called a Fernandes Custom Hand: [url="http://www.fernandes.co.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1978_vol1.pdf"]http://www.fernandes...9/1978_vol1.pdf[/url] (page 28) It seems that Fernandes was built by Kawai at this point - this Yasuki appears to be the same thing as the FXB-I bass, with different (probably cheaper) hardware & electronics. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatEric Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 [quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1456658745' post='2991064'] First one I've seen since the last one - and that was a while ago... However, I've seen these same through-neck basses (and the equivalent guitars) with various different names, and I think I know what they are. From what I can glean they're a variation on a Japanese-market thing called a Fernandes Custom Hand: [url="http://www.fernandes.co.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1978_vol1.pdf"]http://www.fernandes...9/1978_vol1.pdf[/url] (page 28) It seems that Fernandes was built by Kawai at this point - this Yasuki appears to be the same thing as the FXB-I bass, with different (probably cheaper) hardware & electronics. Jon. [/quote] Jon, Hi. I've got one - branded as "Morris". Bought it on a whim, years ago - still got it and it plays nice and has "a big bottom" Deep, deep, thud - with clarity. Just one of those oddball things I acquired that turned out to be quite a find. I'll dig it out and get some shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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