Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='684041' date='Dec 14 2009, 02:42 PM']Or you could go for the real thing:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=70593"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=70593[/url][/quote]

Real thing??? We'll have no "real things" in THIS thread!!!



J.

[warwickhunt]

Anybody get this Antoria?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130349656696&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

[Annoying Twit]

Is this likely Matsumoku made?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-BY-VANTAGE_W0QQitemZ190357790745QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c52356019"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-BY-VANTA...=item2c52356019[/url]

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='684809' date='Dec 15 2009, 07:15 AM']Anybody get this Antoria?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130349656696&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url][/quote]
Was on my watch list but Foxen called dibs on here. Went for more than I expected anyway.

[Annoying Twit]

Are these as good as the seller suggests?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEGA-RARE-1970s-LYLE-Bass-Guitar-MIJ-Ref-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ200418064238QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2ea9d8f76e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEGA-RARE-1970s-LYLE...=item2ea9d8f76e[/url]

[Moos3h]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='684965' date='Dec 15 2009, 11:24 AM']Is this likely Matsumoku made?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-BY-VANTAGE_W0QQitemZ190357790745QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c52356019"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-BY-VANTA...=item2c52356019[/url][/quote]

Nah, more than likely Korean so could be the Cort plant.

[beerdragon]

Westone. wouldn't call it crap though.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220524380151&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='684988' date='Dec 15 2009, 11:43 AM']Are these as good as the seller suggests?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEGA-RARE-1970s-LYLE-Bass-Guitar-MIJ-Ref-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ200418064238QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2ea9d8f76e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEGA-RARE-1970s-LYLE...=item2ea9d8f76e[/url][/quote]
Dunno about good, but old & uncommon, certainly. That's a Matsumoku-made bass, late 60s probably. You'll see more of these branded as Commodore & such in the UK, as Lyle was a US importer brand & not available in the UK. Presumably someone's imported this or brought it back from their hols - the American brand name doesn't really attribute it any particular collectable status over & above UK brands, but that odd 4-a-side headstock might.

This is the fourth time he's listed this bass - previously it's had a BIN of £550 and then £500, so I'd expect his reserve price to be somewhere in that locality. Which is really quite a lot.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks.

Also, what is an Aria Pro 2 "SB Special"? And how does it compare to the classic SB 1000s, etc?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250548961629&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='686022' date='Dec 16 2009, 07:56 AM']Thanks.

Also, what is an Aria Pro 2 "SB Special"? And how does it compare to the classic SB 1000s, etc?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250548961629&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url][/quote]

I saw that - it's rather nice!

This isn't really a proper SB - it's based on the RSB bolt-neck series (I have an RSB Deluxe II). I don't think it's medium-scale either, I think the guy's getting confused with the similar-looking RSB Medium. Essentially this bass is the same as the RSB Deluxe that I have, apart from the finish, & fact mine has a J-type pup in the bridge position. Same hardware, control layout (stack pots & phase switches), headstock etc. Necks on the RSBs are a bit skinnier than I remember SB necks being, and they're a bit lighter too, I think.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Is this worth as much as is being asked for?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-thunder-1A-fretless-bass-guitar-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ290382842161QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item439c2a8931"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-thunder-1A-f...=item439c2a8931[/url]

[BigAlonBass]

God, no!

[Bassassin]

Far from it - Thunders are common enough to be pretty cheap to start with - & black ones are usually a lot less popular than the natural finishes. There's no reason to pay more than £150 for any Westy Thunder 1, IMO.

This isn't original anyway - someone's fitted a kill switch - and it looks like there's something weird going on with the fingerboard. It's presumably factory fretless - no dots - but there are visible dark lines, like someone's tried to score fret positions onto the board. Don't like the look of it at all.

J.

[Prosebass]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='683615' date='Dec 14 2009, 01:07 AM']And possibly more interesting, but somewhat more of a project - a long-scale slot-headstock example:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170414421937"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170414421937[/url]

Longscale EB copies are very uncommon, and this is probably a Fujigen, possibly originally an Antoria or - amazingly - an Ibanez. Guy won't post so this may be of interest if you're in the SW.

J.[/quote]

I've got my eye on this one as I will be a few miles from Wedmore in a week or so, looks interesting or would do with a nice deep red stain !

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Prosebass' post='688638' date='Dec 18 2009, 07:06 PM']I've got my eye on this one as I will be a few miles from Wedmore in a week or so, looks interesting or would do with a nice deep red stain ![/quote]
Hope you get it - I think it should scrub up nice.

J.

[warwickhunt]

One for the Japcrap experts... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=71158&st=0&gopid=689708&#entry689708"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry689708[/url]

[Musky]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='688355' date='Dec 18 2009, 02:00 PM']Is this worth as much as is being asked for?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-thunder-1A-fretless-bass-guitar-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ290382842161QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item439c2a8931"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-thunder-1A-f...=item439c2a8931[/url][/quote]

Good grief. That actually sold for £275. Either someone desperately want a black fretless 1A, or it's misplaced shill bidding gone wrong.

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MEGA-RARE-1970s-LYLE-Bass-Guitar-MIJ-Ref-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ200420062952QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2ea9f776e8"]Interesting looking Lyle.[/url]

[Annoying Twit]

Now that the Lyle bass is listed at a low starting price, we'll see how high it goes. Unlike the previous threads on this bass, where the starting price was £500 or more. I'm betting that the reserve is high enough so that it will never sell.

I had a look through Yahoo Japan auctions for old Ibanez basses. I was very surprised to see how few there were. There were only 102 basses in total, and very few were anything other than the current(ish) production instruments. [url="http://list5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/%e3%82%a2%e3%82%a4%e3%83%90%e3%83%8b%e3%83%bc%e3%82%ba-%e6%9c%ac%e4%bd%93-%e3%82%a8%e3%83%ac%e3%82%ad%e3%83%99%e3%83%bc%e3%82%b9-%e3%82%ae%e3%82%bf%e3%83%bc-%e5%bc%a6%e6%a5%bd%e5%99%a8-%e6%a5%bd%e5%99%a8-%e5%99%a8%e6%9d%90-%e3%83%9b%e3%83%93%e3%83%bc-%e3%82%ab%e3%83%ab%e3%83%81%e3%83%a3%e3%83%bc/2084235985-category-leaf.html?alocale=0jp&mode=2&apg=5"]http://list5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/%e3%8...ode=2&apg=5[/url]

Though, I suppose given the size of the country, that's proportionally more than the 40 Ibanez basses on sale on UK ebay. With 302 Ibanez basses, the USA ebay appears to be in the lead.

However, I looked at these to see what an Ibanez Artist bass would be going for at present. There's only one listing, and it's that German knut. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-IBANEZ-ARTIST-BASS-made-in-JAPAN_W0QQitemZ120500135674QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item1c0e5e26fa"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1978-IBANEZ-ARTIST-B...=item1c0e5e26fa[/url]

[Annoying Twit]

Is this a typical price for an Aria Pro II SG R80? (And, of course, please tell me if this is not an Aria Pro II SG R80).

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-SG-R80-Bass-1982-Original-Matsumoku-MIJ-Thro-Neck_W0QQitemZ250552312570QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a5614e2fa"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-SG-R80-Bass-198...=item3a5614e2fa[/url]

£595 starting bid, £685 BIN.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Annoying Twit

[Ou7shined]

Dat ain't no SG. Surely it's an SB.

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='692262' date='Dec 23 2009, 12:36 PM']Dat ain't no SG. Surely it's an SB.[/quote]

Oh. I just assumed it was a model line I'm not familiar with. Ta.

[noelk27]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='692246' date='Dec 23 2009, 12:23 PM']Is this a typical price for an Aria Pro II SG R80? ...

£595 starting bid, £685 BIN.[/quote]

BIN is £645. Personally, think it's a little overpriced in the current market, as there's a lot more JapCrap, including SB models, coming up for sale on a regular basis. I do like how the seller asserts that you can identify it as a Matsumoku instrument by the recessed jack socket, which is b*ll*cks. Not every APII SB built up to '87 was built by Matsumoku, but all were built to the same specification. The only thing that identifies a Matsumoku as a Matsumoku is Matsumoku's own registration stamp/mark.

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='692246' date='Dec 23 2009, 12:23 PM']Is this a typical price for an Aria Pro II SG R80? (And, of course, please tell me if this is not an Aria Pro II SG R80).

£595 starting bid, £685 BIN.[/quote]

He's being optimistic! For £645 I'd want it mint, with original branded hard case, & all the case candy.

Even then I'd think twice.

Pretty though.

Pete.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Bloodaxe

[Annoying Twit]

For all the left handed members near Scunthorpe. Aria Pro 2 bass, presumably Matsumoku.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Electric-Bass-and-Hard-Case_W0QQitemZ250555437803QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a564492eb"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Electric...=item3a564492eb[/url]