Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1403695868' post='2485349']
Shaftesbury Les Paul style bass. If I was less lazy I'd compare the shape to the Jedson posted a few posts further up, and therefore by implication to Jon's unbranded bass.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-SHAFTESBURY-LES-PAUL-TYPE-BASS-MIJ-JAPAN-70s-WORKING-RIPE-TO-RESTORE-/321442695774?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4ad77a4a5e"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item4ad77a4a5e[/url]

Said to be 'ripe' to restore. But it looks OK to me, just old. Reasonable starting bid and reasonable postage means that it'll make its true value.
[/quote]

Now that's interesting. "Steel Adjustable" plate, offset position dots & arrowhead trc tell us this is a Matsumoku bass. Just a week or two back I was reading somewhere (probably one of the MIJ boards or the Vintage Japanese Guitars FB group) and the concensus was that there had never been an Aria LP bass, and that Mat had probably never made one. I'm pretty certain I've never seen one before.

However this one does look pretty far gone - the corrosion makes me think it's been sitting somewhere damp (a cellar or a shed) for a lot of years and all the screws will probably be rusted in. And the cracking around the fretboard looks very bad - I'd say the board is delaminated at both ends, plus the shot down the neck looks warped.

I might take a chance on it if it was £50 or less delivered, but I think there are too many potential issues with this one. Shame.

J.

[LukeFRC]

if you look down this forum theres a thread i started about a ESP 800 series for £300 inverness way.... I realise that it's maybe too niche to have it's own thread and should be in here.... though not exactly at the crap end of the range of japanese interments!

[Bassassin]

Fretless Ibanez Musician [b]copy[/b]!

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-Musician-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-1980s-/131226139499"]http://www.ebay.co.u...s-/131226139499[/url]

Now that's a weird one. No idea what it actually is, seller says it's MIJ but I'm not sure. Never seen pots like those before on anything, wiring looks tidy enough to be original.

Still, £225 BIN if anyone fancies a pretty unusual lookey-likey.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1403825287' post='2486947']
Fretless Ibanez Musician [b]copy[/b]!

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-Musician-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-1980s-/131226139499"]http://www.ebay.co.u...s-/131226139499[/url]

Now that's a weird one. No idea what it actually is, seller says it's MIJ but I'm not sure. Never seen pots like those before on anything, wiring looks tidy enough to be original.

Still, £225 BIN if anyone fancies a pretty unusual lookey-likey.

J.
[/quote]

Is that a real Ibanez logo on the headstock? It looks a bit hand made to me.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1403854370' post='2487039']
Is that a real Ibanez logo on the headstock? It looks a bit hand made to me.
[/quote]
'Course not - the bass is a Musician copy, someone's stripped the headstock face (no doubt to remove the original logo) & presumably stuck Letraset on it, or something.

I'd guess the face would've originally been stained to match the body wings, in fact I think you can still see the remnants of the stain still in the grain. A real Musician would have had a veneer to match the body.

J.

.

[bjelkeman]

That is a pretty poor copy.

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1403863471' post='2487177']
'Course not - the bass is a Musician copy, someone's stripped the headstock face (no doubt to remove the original logo) & presumably stuck Letraset on it, or something.

I'd guess the face would've originally been stained to match the body wings, in fact I think you can still see the remnants of the stain still in the grain. A real Musician would have had a veneer to match the body.
[/quote]

Is the bass in this video a real Musician then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnejLmQGYhg

Edit: Now I've seen the video all the way through, the logo is too long for an Ibanez I think. It still looks 1970s/80s Japanese however, and now I want to know what it is. Damn me and my curiosity.

Edited August 11, 2014 by icastle
Link fixed.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1403912365' post='2487773']
Is the bass in this video a real Musician then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnejLmQGYhg
[/quote]

Yep - looks like an MC-824, like the one in this catalogue:

[url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=65&now=6"]http://www.ibanez.co...cat_id=65&now=6[/url]

The Ebay one has the wrong headstock profile, 3-part rather than 5-part neck, sandwich body wings, wrong hardware (OK, that can be changed, but there'd almost certainly be bridge & tuner screwholes visible) and peculiar surrounds around the pickups. The pups are the only bits that look like genuine Ibanez parts.

Anyway, the seller's pulled the listing - too bad, I was going to suggest you should buy it (you're in the market for a fretless, aren't you?) so we could dissect it & try to find out what it actually is!

J.

Edited August 11, 2014 by icastle
Link fixed.

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks Jon.

The thought of buying it did occur to me. But if it's of unknown provenance then it could be good, or it could be overpriced tat.

BTW: The Ibanez catalogue link in your post is for the RS series. I hunted around and found the correct (previous) page here: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=75&now=1

http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=75&now=1 The 924 may have more extensive electronics, but I don't like the look so much. The upper horn looks odd to me.

If you're keen on me buying a classic era Japanese fretless, you may have made a strategic booboo by mentioning that you liked the Squier VMJ Fretless. I tried one and really liked the feel of the ebanol fretboard. That's what's stopping me buying the Harley Benton J Fretless, as I've been curious about the Harley Bentons for a while.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

That's weird - the links you've posted are both just giving me the front page of the catalogue! The one I posted is working for me, (MC series on the right, passive MC824 in the middle of that group) but here's a direct link for the image:

[url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/65/6.jpg"]http://www.ibanez.co...ersary/65/6.jpg[/url]

The Ebay one's a fairly close copy of the 824, very similar control layout apart from edge-mounted jack & toggle switch on the Ibanez.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Oops! I posted the same link twice. When I click on yours, it takes me to some RS series basses. Maybe the Ibanez is using cookies, or perhaps our respective computers have been possessed by the spirits of undead civil service administrators or something.

EDIT: Now I get the front page of the catalogue too.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[alyctes]

Allegedly Japanese-made so I'm going to post it here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marlin-Idol-PB-26-vintage-bass-guitar-Teisco-Kawai-Japan-60s-short-scale-rare-/151341751929?pt=Bassi&hash=item233cabde79

It looks vaguely like one of those Russian 70s jobs, but prettier.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1404086984' post='2489222']
Allegedly Japanese-made so I'm going to post it here

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marlin-Idol-PB-26-vintage-bass-guitar-Teisco-Kawai-Japan-60s-short-scale-rare-/151341751929?pt=Bassi&hash=item233cabde79"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item233cabde79[/url]

It looks vaguely like one of those Russian 70s jobs, but prettier.
[/quote]
Seen one of these before, and they are definitely MIJ. This comes from an era when there were a lot of pretty out-there Japanese designs, before they realised the money was in copies!

Quite cool in a bizarre way but not for £850!

J.

[bartelby]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1394718809' post='2394372'] Went for a wander around town yesterday to see if there were any bargains in the charity shops. Spotted a nice looking Aria Pro II Cardinal series bass in Cash Generators: [url="http://www.cashgenerator.co.uk/bass/aria-pro-ii-bass-cm1133"]http://www.cashgener...-ii-bass-cm1133[/url] No idea if it's overpriced, but it was in very good nick for it's age.

[/quote] [quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1394745049' post='2394805'] Nice example but IMO a bit overpriced, £150-£175's probably fair enough for one o' them. J. [/quote]

Popped into town last week and saw that this was now around £175.

Edited June 30, 2014 by bartelby

[Bloodaxe]

[url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Pro-II-Bass-/201122271781?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2ed3d25225]Battered Laser Classic[/url]

£80 collection only from That Norf Lunn'n.

[Annoying Twit]

MIJ SG "Project". Not sure that this is a bargain given how much is missing, unless someone has an old one with a broken neck or something lying around. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-BASS-GUITAR-MIJ-PROJECT-/400741173062?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item5d4e090746

[Bassassin]

Looks like some basses are like buses. Can't remember the last time I saw a Washburn B20 Stage on Ebay, today there are two:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151355987841"]De-fretted beater with a surprisingly restrained start price[/url]

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251589709597"]Spectacularly rare Yamaki-built 8-string with an eye-watering BIN[/url]

I really wanted one o' them 8-strings when I was 18. Not this much, though.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Greco Dan Armstrong copy plexiglass bass.

Described as "Lucite" in the listing title, but the listing does mention the plexiglass body. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Greco-Dan-Armstrong-Lucite-Bass-Guitar-/271551500893?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3f39bb125d"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3f39bb125d[/url]

I have no idea how much these are worth, hence can't comment on whether it's a good deal or not.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

That's been on before, I think. What's worth remembering here is that Greco is essentially a Japanese home market brand, so production of these & other copies continued long after export stopped. The serial number on this one (B000914) seems to suggest February 2000, and the condition (as far as one can see) and modern hardware support this, imo. With later Grecos, production wasn't solely in Japan, and this one doesn't state a country, at least not on the neckplate.

The price would be pretty much right for a 70s example in average/good condition, but I'm not sure what a modern one like this would go for on Ishibashi or if Kukkunyan was selling it on here.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks Jon. I didn't know about non-MIJ Grecos. (Or quite plausibly, I knew at some point and have forgotten it). Edit: The seller tells me that it was made in Japan in the 70s.

I'm semi-tempted to go for this fretless Thunder 1A. [url="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e11010.m1951.l3160/7?euid=ef8cdb7171d841faa8f8d23955e8e66f&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.co.uk%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D171383740494%26ssPageName%3DADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AGB%3A3160"]Westone Thunder I-A Fretless bass black 1985 matsumoku Japan Collectable[/url] If it had a hardcase, I think that would tip me over. But, I think I'm edging towards leaving it and seeing what else comes up.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[razze06]

Nice fretless thunder. Did they used to do a fretless version of the previous variant (with the skunk stripe and split pickup)?

[chaypup]

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1405682376' post='2504284']
Nice fretless thunder. Did they used to do a fretless version of the previous variant (with the skunk stripe and split pickup)?
[/quote]

Yep. The only fretless variant I haven't yet seen/owned is the Thunder II version 1 with the double split p's.

[Paul S]

I have one of those models - it is very nice. 1A version 3 - lightweight, great unlined neck, I prefer the Magnabass pickup over the split, too. For my ears it has a sweet spot on the bass/treble boost/cut that really brings out the mwah factor. IMO knocks spots over the much loved Squier VMJ fretless I used to have before this took its place.

[Annoying Twit]

@Paul S - I have tried the Squier VMJ and really like it. The Thunder 1A that is the subject of this thread received no bids, and has been relisted for the same price. I *could* buy it, but have heard that the ebanol fretboard on the VMJ is a bit marmite - and I liked it. The Thunder 1A would be £170 to me including p&p if I bid the starting price and won. But, my gut feeling is just telling me 'not yet'.

[Paul S]

Don't get me wrong - I quite liked the ebanol board on the VMJ too. I've had 2 over the last few years when having need of a fretless. I had a fretted Squier Jazz Deluxe that also sported an ebanol board and that was good, too. I just really like Westones in general, especially the Thunder 1As. I believe they are better quality basses than the VMJ Squiers - but I also believed they were all too heavy. Then I discovered that version 3 is lightweight and that was that, really.