Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[BigRedX]

But if it was for sale in this country I image the asking price would be considerably higher than in Japan where there isn't much of a second hand market for non-classic instruments.

[Annoying Twit]

Wow, that Greco looks amazing.

I thought that second hand instrument prices had come up in Japan, and were now more than they used to be. (I don't want to think about what I might have been able to buy when I lived there from '87 to '91 and for how much). It made me curious what second hand prices are in Japan at the moment.

Having a quick look on Ishibashi Gakki, prices do seem low. £184 for this Japanese Fender. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/09-325056403

Gosh, what is that rather odd looking pink bass by Fernandes/Burny that is vaguely in the shape of a well known litigious American instrument maker? At £105 pounds, even s/h, I'd guess that's not MIJ, so not relevant in this thread here but I had to mention the so-bad-its-cute-ness.

£316 for this 1979 Greco. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/08-325016503 I'm not sure the price would be that much higher in the UK.

Another Greco, for the same £316. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/06-326949002

£369 for this. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/08-326855702

Only £68 for this, but it makes me sad to see what has happened to the Greco brand. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/09-325056803

[Annoying Twit]

MIJ? the listing says. Looks early Korean Cort to me. No sign of a brand on the headstock.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/271654452017"]http://www.ebay.co.u...ke/271654452017[/url]

Edit: Yup, Korean. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/226006-through-neck-bass-korean-cort-for-sale-price-dropped-to-l125-posted/

Edited November 3, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

TRC's been flipped to conceal the "Kay" logo, I'd say. I do like these, they're pretty much the first attempt by a Korean manufacturer to produce a serious decent-quality original design. Wonder if it's DiMarzio in the P position?

J.

[kodiakblair]

Was it not Hondo who put DiMarzios their basses as standard. I know they did one in a similar shape then moved to Korea and got Samick to build
them.

[alyctes]

Vox Standards had DiMarzios, IIRC. Mine is a bit weedy but has great tone if you crank it up

[Bassassin]

Both Korean & MIJ Hondos had DiMarzios as standard - not all of them by any means though. Quite a lot of Matsumoku-built instruments did too, not Westones, but Vox & Westbury did, and it also turns out [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/248491-1979-matsumoku-aria-pb-550-fretless-maple-neck/"]some Arias did too[/url]. I'm sitting here next to a Kasuga Scorpion which has a Model P as standard - once MIJ stuff started to be taken seriously, a lot of the manufacturers upped their game by using good-quality branded components, including Badass bridges & Schaller tuners as well.

These Cort-made Kays came fitted with pickups called "Powersound" (see pic 3 in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/82420-can-anyone-identify-this-bass/"]this thread[/url]) so the cream coloured unit on the Ebay one isn't original, which is what leads me to suspect it's a pukka DiMarzio in it. It's surprising what they turn up in - I once bought a Satellite P copy off Gumtree for £35 simply on a hunch that the non-original cream P pup was a DiMarzio - and it was.

J.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Bassassin

[kodiakblair]

I remember Satellite LP copies with " powered by DiMarzio " on the scratchplate in the 80's and a very decent Sunn Mustang with them too.

Still can't believe anything with the Kay name could be playable.My psyche is scarred by the EB100 bought from the catalogue

[attachment=175454:Kay EB100.jpg]

[Annoying Twit]

I told the seller that it was a Korean bass some time ago. They haven't updated the listing even though they've added other information. IMHO the seller knew it wasn't Japanese from the start.

@Kodiakblair - Paul McCartney played a Kay for a bit. I thought there were a number of good ones released over the decades, depending on who made them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEil2e_bUvg

Edited November 4, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[kodiakblair]

AT

I think even Paul would've had trouble with my one. The plywood body was the same one they used for the guitar version and I
mean plywood that you build packing cases and sheds out of and same pickup as well.

Honestly it was terrible and on the strength of that I never went near a Kay again. I actually destroyed that bass and that was
unheard of as money was tight back then,had me wishing I'd still got the hollow body with the nailed on pickup and no pegs on
the machineheads so I tuned using a pair of pliers

I know it was the very entry level but round our way everyone loathed Kays and dreamed of owning a Satellite instead.

Thankfully the Organ shop in town had their own brand P bass,was 3 times the cost of the Kay and weighed around 14lbs, or
I'd have given up.Man I wished I'd never sold that bass.

Did anyone ever buy a Thomson P bass copy from either Nottinghill or Camden Music Exchange around 1989? was strung with RS nylon flats.
I want her back

[Annoying Twit]

<off topic>I started bass when I was a young teenager, but had a long gap before starting again as an adult. (Several times as that's another story).</off topic>

<possibly on topic>My first bas was an unbranded P-bass copy with a mile high action. Plausible it could have been Japanese</possibly on topic>

<on topic>However, for my second bass, my father bought me one of the basses pictured below. I wish I still had that</on topic>



i've heard that Kays, when they are bad, are very very bad. But, the neck through Cort built ones as in the ebay listing, are quite nice.

[kodiakblair]

Think my P-bass copy was Japanese,played great.

Your second bass, I'm squinting my eyes does that read Ibanez ?

The through neck Cort built Kay is a totally different animal to the thing I had. No question about that.

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1415144989' post='2597293']
Your second bass, I'm squinting my eyes does that read Ibanez ?
[/quote]

Yes. An approximately 1977/78 Ibanez Artist bass.

[wotsy]

Aria Cardinal double p config looks quite good:
http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/aria-pro-bass-guitar-cardinal-series-deluxe-model-made-in-japan-1985/1087582244

[randythoades]

That Aria Cardinal is pretty good price. The 2 pickup Deluxe seems to go for between 150-200, but from what the photo shows it looks in good condition. I like the Cardinal basses and currently have 2, they are medium scale 32" and very easy to play. A bit more aggressive and growly than a pBass. Great for rock and blues...

[Annoying Twit]

Would be a bargain if Japanese. But didn't some of the very early Korean models have this headstock?

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Pro-2-Bass-Made-in-Japan-/251719603892?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a9ba856b4"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3a9ba856b4[/url]

Edit: As an Aria Pro II Laser bass, isn't this one of the last Matsumoku built basses?

Edit: Just in case the above isn't Japanese, here's a Cardinal with a 99p start. For Wrexhamites. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Pro-II-Cardinal-series-Bass-Guitar-/121488152214?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c49421696

Edited November 15, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

That's MIJ - these were long gone before Matsumoku went under. I know MIJ prices aren't what they once were, but that's a silly, silly bargain!

J.

[FlatEric]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1416098857' post='2606966']
That's MIJ - these were long gone before Matsumoku went under. I know MIJ prices aren't what they once were, but that's a silly, silly bargain!

J.
[/quote]

Jon, Hi.

I have three Lasers.
Two passive and one active.
Rehearsed with them, noodled with them - gigged them.
If only players would try some of this Classic Jap stuff.

Nuff said.

[Annoying Twit]

No-one's bought the laser yet.

[wotsy]

Possible bargain, Westone 25 quid ono (unless it's a typo?)
http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/bass-guitar-with-case-nearest-offer-/1089593780

Edited November 19, 2014 by wotsy

[smaz]

That E string tuner looks a bit pissed... Also look like replacements?

[Bassassin]

£25 for a Westone Thunder, albeit with one shonky replacement tuner?

Nicked.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Not a lot happening on ebay at the moment. That Takeharu has turned up again, but still at a too high price. The 15 string Tenessee bass has been listed again.

On the other hand there's this Aria Pro II SB60. Nice, and with a low starting price, bidding is already heating up. This is how you sell a bass.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magnificent-1982-Aria-Pro-II-SB-R60-4-String-Right-handed-Passive-Bass-Guitar-/221614222144?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item33993cab40&autorefresh=true"]http://www.ebay.co.u...utorefresh=true[/url]

Here's a 1970s Grant, in case Jon is feeling nostalgic.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970-s-Grant-Fujigen-Gakki-Jazz-Bass-/151484000057?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2345266739

Edited November 24, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[megallica]

I was wondering is this a Hamer neck transplanted onto an Ibanez Studio bass?

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1980s-Ibanez-Studio-ST924WN-924-Walnut-MIJ-Electric-Active-Bass-Guitar-/111516493771?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19f6e6a7cb"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1980s-Ibanez-Studio-ST924WN-924-Walnut-MIJ-Electric-Active-Bass-Guitar-/111516493771?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19f6e6a7cb[/url]

Quite a distinctive headstock....

[Musky]

It looks quite like a Jaydee headstock, although as far as I know they were usually through neck. No idea whether John Diggins ever took on work to make just a neck for customers though.