Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Grangur]

Also, not on EvilBay..

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/289795-westone-spectrum-dx/page__fromsearch__1

This looks nice to me. Is this an '86 - going by the serial number?

[Paul S]

'Kawai Teisco Satellite',60s, through neck. Looks interesting, though not for me.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BASS-GUITAR-/232047205716?hash=item3607175d54:g:bRYAAOSwMtxXrsj8"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BASS-GUITAR-/232047205716?hash=item3607175d54:g:bRYAAOSwMtxXrsj8[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1471111696' post='3110643']
'Kawai Teisco Satellite',60s, through neck. Looks interesting, though not for me.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BASS-GUITAR-/232047205716?hash=item3607175d54:g:bRYAAOSwMtxXrsj8"]http://www.ebay.co.u...RYAAOSwMtxXrsj8[/url]
[/quote]

Hilariously inept description. It's Korean, from about 1980. As you'd assume from looking at it!

These are OK - I had one, it had a treetrunk neck, was was incredibly heavy and the timber under the brown lacquer was a bunch of random knotty offcuts. Quite playable but built to survive the nuclear apocalypse we all expected in the 80s. If it stays around £70, that's a decent price.

J.

[Paul S]

hah! Sounded plausible to me!!

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1472339102' post='3120509']
There is a Greco for sale at Bass Direct at the moment. It is a P-style bass with PJ pickups, albeit with the P pickup way closer to the neck. I think Ibanez had a similar bass as part of their silver series.
[/quote]

This one:

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Greco_PJ.html"]http://www.bassdirec...s/Greco_PJ.html[/url]

It's a PB750S, looks like 1976 from what I can see of the s/n.

Same bass in a 1978 catalogue:



Tuners aren't original but otherwise it looks tidy. I'm guessing Mr Bass Direct doesn't know a whole lot about these judging from both the lack of any info and the surprisingly uninflated price tag. This was a Japanese market bass so very uncommon in the UK - or anywhere else for that matter. If I was selling one I think I'd cross my fingers & go for a bit more than BD are asking.

The Ibanez you mention is very probably the 2369B-WH, broadly the same deal but white with black or pearl blocks, there were various versions of this including a Silver Series around 1977. Both the Ibby & Greco were made by Fujigen during the same period.

Edited August 28, 2016 by Bassassin

[TheGreek]

Westone Raider 11 - never seen one of these before:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-Raider-II-Bass-Matsumoku-Vintage-/222259286243?hash=item33bfaf90e3:g:mZoAAOSw4shX5SUT

[randythoades]

Listing for a lovely looking bass but listed as Aria but I think it is actually the Washburn Vulture bass. A lot of dosh too but I haven't seen one before so assume it is not that common:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Vulture-II-Bass-with-Redesigned-bridge-custom-wiring-w-HSC-/291867563179?hash=item43f4a994ab:g:RPkAAOSwRQlXd-Zl"]http://www.ebay.co.u...PkAAOSwRQlXd-Zl[/url]

Edited October 7, 2016 by randythoades

[Bassassin]

Yeah - this is a Yamaki - built Washburn Vulture (not Vulture II) and I'm unsure whether it's been modded/renovated or if it's some sort of early oddity.

Seller claims Fender pups, custom wiring & "redesigned" bridge so I'm inclined to think it's a doer-upper and lost its logo/gained a bass clef along the way. There is a precedent for un-logo'd Yamaki Washies though, so it's curious.

Very very expensive though. About half that, shirley.

[Grangur]

Interesting "Impact made in Japan" bass

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-Vintage-Impact-Made-in-Japan-short-scale-Solid-Body-Bass-Guitar-/302100760146?hash=item46569bc652:g:P5kAAOSw8w1X-WMx

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1476461968' post='3154594']
Interesting "Impact made in Japan" bass

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-Vintage-Impact-Made-in-Japan-short-scale-Solid-Body-Bass-Guitar-/302100760146?hash=item46569bc652:g:P5kAAOSw8w1X-WMx"]http://www.ebay.co.u...5kAAOSw8w1X-WMx[/url]
[/quote]

Never seen an "Impact" branded one before, but these are pretty common either branded Jedson or unbranded.

Can't help thinking [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jedson-Bass-/262647293944"]£190's a bit overpriced...[/url]

[bartelby]

There's a white Aria Pro II Laser Heritage in Cash Generators in Coventry city centre for £80.
if I hadn't just bought a bass I'd have snapped it up.

Looked in pretty good condition

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1477316383' post='3161337']
There's a white Aria Pro II Laser Heritage in Cash Generators in Coventry city centre for £80.
if I hadn't just bought a bass I'd have snapped it up.

Looked in pretty good condition
[/quote]

Bargain. I'd buy it, give it a wipe and flip it.

Like a proper gyppo.

[bartelby]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1477416505' post='3162092']
Bargain. I'd buy it, give it a wipe and flip it.

Like a proper gyppo.
[/quote]

I was tempted, but I know I'd only get 2/3 of the way through the process...

[JapanAxe]

Yeah I bought and sold mine for about £20!

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1477569002' post='3163018']
I was tempted, but I know I'd only get 2/3 of the way through the process...
[/quote]
That's the glaring flaw in the plan. It's happened to me, probably about 30 times now.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1477569263' post='3163020']
Yeah I bought and sold mine for about £20!
[/quote]
Shame you didn't sell it to me. I'd have cleaned it, polished the frets, re-strung it, all the while feeling smug about the massive profit I'd make.

Then I'd look at it occasionally, maybe play it a bit, thinking "I really should sell that".

[pete.young]

It's been quiet in here for too long!

Reasonable looking Maya, respectable price, collection from Sandhurst: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maya-electric-bass-guitar-uk-only-/272453042984?hash=item3f6f778328:g:vg4AAOSwPCVYBQ3e

Satellite, think this is japanese but not certain, looks like a grotfest but might clean up OK. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/satellite-bass-guitar-electric-20-frets-/222320762468?hash=item33c3599e64:g:Tm8AAOSwcLxYMZ0P

Nice looking Aria but I think the price is a bit too high: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bass-guitar-/322334385540?hash=item4b0ca06584:g:MzwAAOSwj85YMW3S

Thunder 1A, looks in decent condition, price reasonable http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-Thunder-1A-bass-guitar-/112210500056?hash=item1a204459d8:g:YA4AAOSwux5YMbLc

And for Suzi Quattro fans (that's everyone, yes?) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-MIJ-Japanese-Ibanez-Lawsuit-Short-scale-Tele-Bass-/332020716222?hash=item4d4dfa12be:g:1PYAAOSwn7JYEUAM

[Paul S]

And another - Washburn Scavenger, 3 days to go no bids, starting at £150. Pickup only Holloway Road, London.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291946889724?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291946889724?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT[/url]

[chriswareham]

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1479832442' post='3179662']
It's been quiet in here for too long!

Reasonable looking Maya, respectable price, collection from Sandhurst: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Maya-electric-bass-guitar-uk-only-/272453042984?hash=item3f6f778328:g:vg4AAOSwPCVYBQ3e"]http://www.ebay.co.u...g4AAOSwPCVYBQ3e[/url]
[/quote]

I've just bought that (made an offer of £100 that was accepted) as my brother lives local to the seller and can collect. I've now ordered the following replacement parts, all in black:

Machine heads.
String retainer.
Bridge.
Strap pins.
Control panel and knobs.
Single ply scratch plate.

If I don't like the pickups then I'll stick a Di Marzio DP123BK set in, which have black covers and pole pieces.

Now to find someone who can strip the body and refinish it in a satin matt finish like my old Stingray Stealth!

[TheGreek]

Don't know anything about these but the build quality looks spot on with thru neck and exotic wood wings. Is this a good deal?

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/very-rare-1970-s-mij-takeharu-takekaru-bass-guitar-in-hardcase/1202351813

[alyctes]

That's a very Aria headstock, to my eye.

[Bassassin]

One of these had an Ebay residencey for a few months a year or two ago, same sort of price & the seller making all sorts of unverified claims about its provenance and wonderfulness. It got discussed right here commencing [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/7473-japcrap-spotting/page__view__findpost__p__2536091"]with this post[/url]. Interestingly the Ebay link, complete with pics, is still working:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Takeharu-Bass-Guitar-MATSUMOKU-Made-in-Japan-Very-Rare-model-/121417792460"]http://www.ebay.co.u...l-/121417792460[/url]

It's quite a cool-looking bass but apart from the slightly unusual body it's all a bit generic, tbh. It's a set-neck rather than neck-through, which you occasionaly see on MIJ instruments from this era.

[tazza1]

There's a nicely aged Jap Crap Jazz on the Bay at the moment. The seller says he thinks a Cimar, it does have the chrome truss rod cover & Made In Japan neck plate which you find on 70's era Japanese copies so it could be any one of a few generic brands. Not a bad price either - if it wasn't just before Xmas I probably would have bought this except for the fact I now mainly play short scale basses. Hopefully Bassassin will be along soon!

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/70s-Bass-Guitar-Japanese-Cimar-Jazz-Bass-copy-Old-but-plays-well/222350970253?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D888007%26algo%3DDISC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38661%26meid%3D9fc45c20601d40239e129dd3b1a8537c%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D201751685476"]http://www.ebay.co.u...%3D201751685476[/url]

[LukeFRC]

looks nice

[Bassassin]

99.9% it was a Columbus before it was refinished & had its logo sanded off. Columbus was an incredibly common UK brand but Cimar is very uncommon. Seller seems to be making stuff up in order to pretend it's got an Ibanez connection. Which it hasn't and wouldn't really, even if it was a Cimar. Which it's not.

[tazza1]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1482404011' post='3200204']
99.9% it was a Columbus before it was refinished & had its logo sanded off. Columbus was an incredibly common UK brand but Cimar is very uncommon. Seller seems to be making stuff up in order to pretend it's got an Ibanez connection. Which it hasn't and wouldn't really, even if it was a Cimar. Which it's not.
[/quote]

I've only ever seen these in sunburst so it's nice to see one in a different colour. So it is probably a ply body then? Certainly the sunburst one I have, which I suspect is similar to this, is ply bodied. I must repair it some day.