Happy Jack Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 OK, this really IS rare. At £1200 it's not too tempting (to me, anyway) but undeniably something a bit different. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stunning-ultra-rare-Tokai-Talbo-B-135-Bass-Good-original-condition-Alu-body/254651491114?hash=item3b4a69632a:g:pl8AAOSwwshfCyez My only real criticism is that Tokai really, really should have hired a graphic designer before turning a 12-year-old loose with the Letraset on that headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 Looks like the long lost father of the Bongo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Be wary. Two of those photos are ones I took of the bass I used to own, which when I sold it when back to Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 55 minutes ago, BigRedX said: Be wary. Two of those photos are ones I took of the bass I used to own, which when I sold it when back to Japan. Hmm, that always raises a red flag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 TBH, in the early 2000s they weren't that uncommon, The UK importers had a load and just about every shop in Denmark Street had one on display. However all the ones I saw in the UK had noticeable casting marks on the body, something I'd not seen on any during my previous trip to Japan. I wasn't impressed with the finish of the ones I'd seen in the UK and ended up buying mine from Ishibashi. I believe @Bassassin bought one of the UK imported models. As I said when I moved it on, it went back to Japan. It could be the same bass, but my photos were taken about 15 years ago, so even if it is, they will hardly be representative of the current condition of the instrument. There is a really rare 80s version that I have only ever seen in a Tokai catalogue. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 18 minutes ago, BigRedX said: TBH, in the early 2000s they weren't that uncommon. As I said when I moved it on, it went back to Japan. It could be the same bass, but my photos were taken about 15 years ago, so even if it is, they will hardly be representative of the current condition of the instrument. "I personally imported this bass into UK around 10 years ago, as I don't think they were ever retailed over here." Fascinating ... it is of course possible that Mike sold the bass back to Japan in 2005 only for another Englishman to re-import the same bass in 2010 but that does seem like one helluva coincidence. And the suggestion that they were never sold in the UK rather undermines the vendor's credibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 I won't be able to get accurate dates until I have access to the computer I do my ebaying on next week but IIRC I bought mine from Ishibashi U-Box some time around 2008 and sold it on back to Japan around 2014. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Is the seller a bishop ?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 53 minutes ago, Hellzero said: Is the seller a bishop ?!? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 On 27/12/2020 at 10:39, BigRedX said: TBH, in the early 2000s they weren't that uncommon, The UK importers had a load and just about every shop in Denmark Street had one on display. However all the ones I saw in the UK had noticeable casting marks on the body, something I'd not seen on any during my previous trip to Japan. I wasn't impressed with the finish of the ones I'd seen in the UK and ended up buying mine from Ishibashi. I believe @Bassassin bought one of the UK imported models. Indeed - still got it. And it came from Denmark St, memory's a bit vague but I think it was Roka's. Casting's not perfect on mine but it was a bit of a bargain & sort of had to come home with me! There were some of the painted body ones there too, the blue was quite pretty. Nice bass but only ever gigged it once - the hollow metal body is very microphonic, and to get it to not squeal like a piggy meant I had to seriously cut the top/high mids & couldn't get a tone I was happy with. Nearly sold on here a few years back (unforseen cash emergency) but if I remember right I was talked out of it! However seeing the £1200 tag on this (whether or not it actually exists!) and the fact mine's basically unmarked does mean I could possibly be persuaded... Look. Look at the shiny... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alembic1989 Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 9 hours ago, Bassassin said: Indeed - still got it. And it came from Denmark St, memory's a bit vague but I think it was Roka's. Casting's not perfect on mine but it was a bit of a bargain & sort of had to come home with me! There were some of the painted body ones there too, the blue was quite pretty. Nice bass but only ever gigged it once - the hollow metal body is very microphonic, and to get it to not squeal like a piggy meant I had to seriously cut the top/high mids & couldn't get a tone I was happy with. Nearly sold on here a few years back (unforseen cash emergency) but if I remember right I was talked out of it! However seeing the £1200 tag on this (whether or not it actually exists!) and the fact mine's basically unmarked does mean I could possibly be persuaded... Look. Look at the shiny... That is gorgeous. I’ve always wanted to try one. Would look fab with an aluminium Kramer neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 9 hours ago, alembic1989 said: That is gorgeous. I’ve always wanted to try one. Would look fab with an aluminium Kramer neck. Unfortunately the Kramer necks are too short. I did think about it when I had both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 I had a look at my records and I bought my Talbo Bass in December 2007 from Ishabashi U-Box. It went back to Japan after being advertised on eBay in June 2013. Even allowing for the time that has passed, it was neither bought or sold for anything like the price of this current offering. It cost me just under £500 including shipping, VAT and import duty, and was sold for slightly less. IIRC the ones I saw for sale in the UK were initially being offered for £699. @Bassassin I recall the painted Talbo Basses from one of the guitar shows in the early 2000s, however I'm pretty sure that some of them had wooden bodies. A fiend of mine has a Talbo Jr Guitar with a salmon pink painted body which he bought direct from the UK distributor, which is definitely aluminium underneath. However it's the only painted Talbo Jr I have ever seen. I just did a search on Digimart to see what a Talbo Bass would cost from Japan, unfortunately there are none available right now. However it did bring up the EVO Bass which appears to be the latest version and has the partially cutaway body design of the Talbo Jr. However they are not cheap. A quick on-line price conversion comes out at around £2790! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibody Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 2 hours ago, BigRedX said: I had a look at my records and I bought my Talbo Bass in December 2007 from Ishabashi U-Box. It went back to Japan after being advertised on eBay in June 2013. Even allowing for the time that has passed, it was neither bought or sold for anything like the price of this current offering. It cost me just under £500 including shipping, VAT and import duty, and was sold for slightly less. IIRC the ones I saw for sale in the UK were initially being offered for £699. @Bassassin I recall the painted Talbo Basses from one of the guitar shows in the early 2000s, however I'm pretty sure that some of them had wooden bodies. A fiend of mine has a Talbo Jr Guitar with a salmon pink painted body which he bought direct from the UK distributor, which is definitely aluminium underneath. However it's the only painted Talbo Jr I have ever seen. I just did a search on Digimart to see what a Talbo Bass would cost from Japan, unfortunately there are none available right now. However it did bring up the EVO Bass which appears to be the latest version and has the partially cutaway body design of the Talbo Jr. However they are not cheap. A quick on-line price conversion comes out at around £2790! Well unless they have a time machine they didn't import it personally from japan 10 years ago as they claim in the ad.. certainly smells a bit fishy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Just now, Nibody said: Well unless they have a time machine they didn't import it personally from japan 10 years ago as they claim in the ad.. certainly smells a bit fishy They could have done. Not all the photos used in the ad are ones that I took of my Talbo bass, the other photos could be of the bass that is for sale and that one could have been imported as stated. However using photos which are not of the actual bass they are selling is not a particularly good idea, as eBay take a dim view of goods not being as described in the ads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 @BigRedX @Bassassin are these things ridiculously heavy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 12 hours ago, MoonBassAlpha said: @BigRedX @Bassassin are these things ridiculously heavy? No. The body is hollow. Mine was filled with flight-case foam sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Will weigh mine when I get a minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 It appears the seller of this one has included a screen grab of my original listing which states the weight of mine as 4.6kg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 I had to ask, "Is it good for Metal'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 4 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said: I had to ask, "Is it good for Metal'? You need to ask? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 9 hours ago, Bassassin said: Will weigh mine when I get a minute. 4.4kg/9.7lbs, according to my digital luggage/bass weighy device. So not exactly lightweight but not quite a Peavey T40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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