Anyone heard of a Hohner IB780 Innovator bass?

[ianmac]

Bought this on eBay for next to nothing on a whim, fully expecting it to be a Chinese knock-off but according to the one piece of info Mr Google came up with, it's a genuine Hohner, though Hohner.de say that it was probably only marketed in the UK.

Can't find a single bit of info despite several combinations on search terms, any 4-stringers know any more?

Ian

[Bassassin]

Late 70s/early 80s MIJ, made by Moridaira Gakki, best known as the manufacturer of Prince's Hohner MadCat Tele copy. Not much info around about the bass, but the same thing would have also been sold branded Morris (Moridaira's house-brand), Lotus (US) and probably Bill Lawrence & H.S. Anderson.

 

Can't find any info on the bass but some nice pics (& German text, if you're multi-lingual) of the guitar version here:

 

https://best-vintage-guitars.de/morris_global_sound_neck_through.html

 

There's an FB group for owners & enthusiasts of Moridaira - you may get more info there, & they'll certainly be interested in seeing it.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1978659485756691

 

Edit - turns out the German site has the same bass as the Hohner branded Tacoma, which would have been an importer/distributor rebrand:

 

https://best-vintage-guitars.de/tacoma_neckthrough_grand_bass.html

 

Search 'Morris Grand Bass' & you'll find more pics.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Bassassin

[ianmac]

Thanks for that - so it seems to be a Hohner but made under licence in Japan

[Bassassin]

3 hours ago, ianmac said:

Thanks for that - so it seems to be a Hohner but made under licence in Japan

 

Not so much made under license, as simply a rebrand of a model made by Moridaira. This was very common during the Japanese guitar-making boom in the 70s, a variety of identical instruments, usually copies but also original designs like this, appearing under numerous different names.

 

I don't think Hohner ever manufactured guitars & basses in-house, in the 70s & early 80s they came from Moridaira, and from maybe 1983, production moved to Cort in Korea. Most of the output from those factories would have been sold under other brands too.