steviedee Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 (edited) 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 by steviedee 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Hah, I think I just spotted this on Gumtree, nice find. Cool headstock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 (edited) 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 by steviedee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 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 😜 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 (edited) 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 by TheGreek 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 They have a well deserved reputation of being great basses. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 4 minutes ago, TheGreek said: They have a well deserved reputation of being great basses. That’s a beauty! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 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. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 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. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Bolton Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 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! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 (edited) 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 by Cosmo Valdemar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 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... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 23 Author Share Posted January 23 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! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Nice indeed, good find. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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