Kawai Aquarius AQB 500

[steviedee]

Picked up one of these odd Japanese basses today. Just  couldn’t resist it😣. Not totally a barn find as it wasn’t for total peanuts but it was cheap. Cleaned it up restrung and fixed the action. Some marks on the body as you would expect from a 40 year old bass, neck is super clean and bizarrely it works, not even a crackle! Sounds great, lightweight and strangely cool to my eyes. Any info much appreciated. Needs new knobs and it looks like they should be black speed knobs. Bridge a wee bit discoloured and oxidised I think the saddles should be gold so maybe see about replacing but it works. Quite pleased!

Edited January 20, 2024 by steviedee

[velvetkevorkian]

Hah, I think I just spotted this on Gumtree, nice find. Cool headstock.

[steviedee]

13 minutes ago, velvetkevorkian said:

Hah, I think I just spotted this on Gumtree, nice find. Cool headstock.

Yes the guy was selling it with a couple of guitars originally and I sent him an offer and he didn’t reply. I thought it was maybe too low but he came back today and said he hadn’t seen the message when I sent it but just read it and would take the offer if I bought the bass today, so I did. I was worried it would be knackered  and it was a bit manky but cleaned up well and I have to say sounds great!

Edited January 20, 2024 by steviedee

[steviedee]

Bizarrely my wife, who has less than zero interest in my bass playing walked by and said that sounds good! I was astounded but a bit hacked off as she never says that when I’m playing any of my instruments that cost thousands of pounds! Maybe hoping I’ll sell them 😜

[TheGreek]

I have a F2B - the "Alembic copy" - smashing bass. They certainly know what they are doing. 

Not sure if they're built at the Matsumoko factory. 

Edited January 20, 2024 by TheGreek

[steviedee]

Just now, TheGreek said:

I have a F2 - the "Alembic copy" - smashing bass. They certainly know what they are doing. 

Not sure if they're built at the Matsumoko factory. 

The F2 just looks fantastic totally looks like quality instrument.

[TheGreek]

They have a well deserved reputation of being great basses.

 

[steviedee]

4 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

They have a well deserved reputation of being great basses.

 

That’s a beauty!

[TheGreek]

Don't...I haven't played it in over a year.

Lovely neck, great tones, what's not to like. 

Several threads about them on the  TB forum. 

[steviedee]

Don’t want to bore people to death with this but I’m genuinely knocked out at what an excellent wee bass this is. I’m not much for tinkering with truss rods etc but got the action down really low and it plays and sounds really great. Cleaned up the saddles and got some speed knobs which look like the originals. 

 

 

[Jono Bolton]

I also spotted this on Gumtree. I was half tempted for the price but having already bought two basses in the space of a month, I don't think I could justify a third.

[Bassassin]

That's a proper rarity. Could say the same for Kawai basses in general. I have their rather odd-looking Sleekline (mildy & reversibly modded) which is basically a funny-shaped Jazz with a chunky P-ish neck.

 

 

Kawai was a manufacturer in its own right during their guitar-making era (obvs they're still around as a piano/keyboard producer) and in fact most of the 60s MIJ guitars that Ebay sellers insist are Teiscos likely came from Kawai Gakki. Particularly the ones dating from after Kawai bought Teisco! The brand disappeared during the 70s (although they would still have been manufacturing for other brands) but re-emerged in the late 70s with (mostly) original designs, to compete with the likes of Ibanez, Greco & Aria Pro etc.

 

Some blurbs here, including a couple of Aquarius range catalogues - the AQB500 is in the 1983 edition.

 

 

[steviedee]

Hey @Bassassin I  was hoping you would reply! I reckon every time someone buys a strange Japanese bass you are on speed dial! That Sleekline looks great. I'm glad these are rare as I don't need to have another thing to collect! Thanks for the info!

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I've got one similar, charity shop find from a couple of years ago. I haven't really done anything with it yet.

The body feels very light but the neck is glorious! I might take it off and use it for something else.

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2024 by Cosmo Valdemar

[Muzz]

Oh my, a Kawai Sleekline...haven't seen one of those in an age...there was one in A1 Manchester for a lonnng time, but I was in my Rawk n Roll phase, and if it wasn't an Explorer/Thunderbird/Something Pointlessly Pointy, I wasn't really interested...

[steviedee]

23 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I've got one similar, charity shop find from a couple of years ago. I haven't really done anything with it yet.

The body feels very light but the neck is glorious! I might take it off and use it for something else.

 

Looks great that bass of yours!

[steviedee]

[Rayman]

Nice indeed, good find.