Royle1987 Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 I recently purchased the bass from a well known auction site 😁 for a measly 29 English pounds Upon looking at the pictures prior to purchase I just figured it had to be a 80s maybe even a 70s relic, the tuner pegs are super old skool, the frets are worn like nothing I've seen before and the bridge is out of this world. Made in Japan I've tried looking and possibly think it's a Maya Any help appreciated Cheers Royle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsampson Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Bargain! I'd agree that the missing word on the headstock is Maya - and that looks like a Schaller 463 bridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royle1987 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 6 hours ago, atsampson said: Bargain! I'd agree that the missing word on the headstock is Maya - and that looks like a Schaller 463 bridge? Thanks @atsampson My initial idea was to get a cheap jazz and overall it to a look how I would like, but now having it in person it almost seems wrong to mess with it, more just trying to tidy it up and let it age gracefully Decisions decisions!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Looks very like an old Cimar I had - it’s not a Cimar though. I would imagine laminated body of some kind the bridge is not original and good news probably worth your purchase price on its own … @Bassassin helped me with info on mine. FWIW I regret selling my old one - on of the best jazz basses I’ve played. I know where it is and it’s not going anywhere:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Yup, tasty bridge replacement with a Schaller 3D bridge and agree that it was probably worth £29 on its own That's a score! I have nothing further to add, @Bassassin has been tagged twice now and I have little doubt he will be along shortly to tell you what you have in full, explicit, hardcore, technicolor detail... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Inclined to agree the missing word was probably Maya, simply because they often used that same 'Electric Bass' suffux & most other Japanese brands didn't. However! The bass is the same thing as numerous others made in the mid/late 70s by Chushin Gakki, and sold with a plethora of rebrands. Maya, Grant/Grantson, Columbus, Cimar, CMI, Avon & a whole bunch of others I can't currently prise out of my post-Covid brain-fog. Thinking about it, CMI sometimes used that 'Electric Bass' suffix. Having found that pic, I'm leaning towards it originally being a CMI. Should be a decent bass, body will probably be butcher-block or ply - the big oversprays on the contours indicate it's not solid timber. That bridge, as others have said, is a German-made Schaller 3D - which would cost you about £80 to buy new. Steal for £29, then. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royle1987 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 Thanks for the input everyone, now knowing it's defo a 70s relic I can't bring myself to respray it, pure sacrilege!! The only thing I would like to change are the tuners, I like the butterfly style ones, set off the headstock Alot better, I may risk hollowing out the existing holes and updating. A new scratch plate and she should be good to go Nice to know its an updated bridge, coincidentally worth more than the bass itself 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royle1987 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 Also another note, it's quite a heavy bass, so should be decent wood underneath 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royle1987 Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 Just ordered, new tuner pegs, tortoise scratch plate and a fresh set of strings May do a little thread in basses to see how she turns out 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 35 minutes ago, Royle1987 said: Also another note, it's quite a heavy bass, so should be decent wood underneath 👍 It will be laminate of some kind. 2 hours ago, Bassassin said: Should be a decent bass, body will probably be butcher-block or ply - the big oversprays on the contours indicate it's not solid timber. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Nothing wrong with laminate/ply. Even Jens Ritter has used it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royle1987 Posted September 12, 2022 Author Share Posted September 12, 2022 So this evening I have been doing some bits to the 'relic' From the picture below I'm happy to say that I have finally found out what it is, from slight sanding back the staining from the original make showed up just enough, it is indeed a Maya Gave the old lass a fresh scratch plate and put butterfly tuners on (maybe not to some people taste) they're squeezed in but I like it Cheers Royle 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigguy2017 Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 That looks so much better with the new tuners. Classic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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