Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Jerry_B]

I think the first fretless I owned was a Kay - a Fender Jazz copy. It actually wasn't all that bad, apart from the neck which was a bugger to keep straight. My very first bass was (I think) and Indian-made P-Bass, complete with all the metalwork. Wish I could remember the make...

[Annoying Twit]

Westone, Collection only in Clydebank.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Westone-Thunder-1-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ120516637107QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item1c0f59f1b3"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Westone-Thun...=item1c0f59f1b3[/url]

[BottomEndian]

Not an eBay link, but for any of the Matsumoku-lovers that might've missed it, our very own FlatEric is [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=73166"]selling one of his Westone Rails[/url]. If I had the cash to spare, I'd have it for myself.

[Ou7shined]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280450646770&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123"]Here[/url]'s a fixer-upper.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='711735' date='Jan 13 2010, 06:50 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280450646770&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123"]Here[/url]'s a fixer-upper.[/quote]

And it's actually a Kay, made in Taiwan & absolutely nothing to do with Teisco, Jedson or Japan.

Probably wouldn't even burn very well.

J.

[paul h]

Is this any good?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370316805289&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en#ht_6023wt_1165"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...#ht_6023wt_1165[/url]

EDIT: Actually spotted this one before and decided I couldn't be bothered to change the bridge.

Edited January 13, 2010 by paul h

[Annoying Twit]

What is a Cat series Aria Pro 2 bass? It's said to be 80s, but it could be "too late" 80s.

Left handed, so it's not for me.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Bass-Guitar-Cat-Bass-Series-Left-Handed_W0QQitemZ270514934858QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3efbf2544a"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Bass-Gui...=item3efbf2544a[/url]

[paul h]

I bought a brand new "Cat" in 86/87. Not sure how long they had been around by then. Only found one on google images so I don't know if that implies something about their rarity...or popularity?

[Musky]

The Cats seem to pop up on the 'bay every few months, so while they're not exactly common they're not ultra rare either. I think the guys being a bit optimistic with the £135 price tag, especially with collection only and a dodgy input jack (which might turn out to be a can of worms). About £70 is more likely. A white one sold a year ago for £29, which the guy spent months trying to turn a profit on before finally selling it for about £65.

Edit: Tell a lie - it was over 2 years ago, bought for £26 and sold for £71.
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2596&st=20&p=56802&hl=cat&#entry56802"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...amp;#entry56802[/url]

Edited January 14, 2010 by Musky

[Bassassin]

[quote name='paul h' post='712249' date='Jan 14 2010, 09:04 AM']I bought a brand new "Cat" in 86/87. Not sure how long they had been around by then. Only found one on google images so I don't know if that implies something about their rarity...or popularity?

[/quote]
I don't think the pic's a Cat - looks like an RSB Deluxe II to me - a Cat would have standard P/J pups & a bent-tin bridge, I think. The only pic of a Cat bass I can find on the Mat site is this one:

[url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/ads/adpages/pg13.jpg"]http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/...dpages/pg13.jpg[/url]

But there were versions with no scratchplate & a rosewood board. Forgive the inadvertent poetry but not all Cats are Mats - the model stayed in the range post-86 and there are Korean-made ones, the only immediate difference is that they don't have Made In Japan on the neckplate. I got a good look at an MIK Cat at a car boot a while back, & it looked like a decent enough bass - but not for the £70 the nutter wanted for it!

J.

[paul h]

I didn't look that closely! Oops!

[Bassassin]

I only noticed 'cos I've got an RSB Deluxe II!

J.

[Happy Jack]

Was the Aria Pro II XXB (Flying V) any good?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-XXB-Bass_W0QQitemZ320472345797QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item4a9da3ecc5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-XXB-Bass_W0...=item4a9da3ecc5[/url]

Anyone know how heavy it was?

Pickup only from Harlow is way inconvenient, but will keep the price low I imagine.

[Annoying Twit]

How much would a Matsumoku made Cat go for?

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='712697' date='Jan 14 2010, 04:04 PM']Was the Aria Pro II XXB (Flying V) any good?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-XXB-Bass_W0QQitemZ320472345797QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item4a9da3ecc5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-XXB-Bass_W0...=item4a9da3ecc5[/url]

Anyone know how heavy it was?

Pickup only from Harlow is way inconvenient, but will keep the price low I imagine.[/quote]

I'd expect it to be on a par with the other early 80s bolt-neck Arias - my old RSB was a peach until it developed a severe neck twist. Weight-wise probably similar to the ZZB Explorer-shape - our man Bloodaxe has got a couple of them so it might be worth dropping him a PM. So that even has a fitted hard case & it's still too much effort for the lazy sod to drag himself to the PO. His loss.

Twit - hard to be specific although they don't seem to command the same prices as other Matsumoku basses - possibly because of the crossover with MIK versions, or perhaps because they just don't get advertised well. I'd think you could pick one up for under a ton though, if you're patient.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Is this Vantage bass really worth much more than a Westone Thunder might go for?

(This is a simple question, rather than a rhetorical one. I have no idea how much the bass is worth).

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vantage-VS-695B-Bass-Matsumoku-Japan-early-1980s_W0QQitemZ390146867447QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item5ad690c0f7"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vantage-VS-695B-Bass...=item5ad690c0f7[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='721937' date='Jan 23 2010, 09:17 AM']Is this Vantage bass really worth much more than a Westone Thunder might go for?

(This is a simple question, rather than a rhetorical one. I have no idea how much the bass is worth).

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vantage-VS-695B-Bass-Matsumoku-Japan-early-1980s_W0QQitemZ390146867447QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item5ad690c0f7"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vantage-VS-695B-Bass...=item5ad690c0f7[/url][/quote]
Definitely not in terms of quality & components - Mat stuff from this era was consistently good, & construction & parts-wise this is near-identical to a Thunder 1. Vantages are a lot less common that Westones & that's likely the basis for the higher BIN. Not convinced that bridge is original, either.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Ta J., as always.

Very shiny. With Matsumoku mystery switches:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-A-Active-Fretless-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ220545903352QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item33598f6af8"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-A-...=item33598f6af8[/url]

Edited January 25, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

That's a bit more like it - sensible BIN, too.

Jon.

[zbigniew]

Tokai Hardpuncher ltd. ed. - I Japan

Beautiful

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220548600487&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123"]Tokai[/url]

(edited for spelling)

Edited January 31, 2010 by zbigniew

[zbigniew]

Greco Spacy Sound - In USA

I like this one too - very cool looking

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260545467836&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123"]Greco [/url]

[allighatt0r]

[quote name='zbigniew' post='730585' date='Jan 31 2010, 01:51 PM']Tokai Hardpuncher ltd. ed. - I Japan

Beautiful

[url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220548600487&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123"]Tokai[/url]

(edited for spelling)[/quote]

Photographed in a hall of mirrors!

[Annoying Twit]

AP2 Cardinal series bass.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARIA-PRO-II-BASS_W0QQitemZ220550602011QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3359d71d1b"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARIA-PRO-II-BASS_W0Q...=item3359d71d1b[/url]

Up here, "Pickup only" sometimes implies "potential bargain". But, I guess that doesn't apply down in London.

[spinynorman]

For interest only as it's in the US and about to end - Madeira EB/JS copy "Made in Japan, adjusted and distributed by Guild". Looks kinda cute.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160399406324"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=160399406324[/url]

[spinynorman]

Commodore Hollowbody, Hideous Headstock

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220547817090"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220547817090[/url]