Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='836431' date='May 13 2010, 06:05 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-String-Bass-Guitar-/250632453448?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a5adbbd48"]Dun if jap, but nice ash body, and might be hex pole pickup.[/url][/quote]

This is ending today, with no bids yet, and I can't afford to bid.

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='843011' date='May 20 2010, 12:20 PM']This is ending today, with no bids yet, and I can't afford to bid.[/quote]

I've looked at it, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm sure if someone gets it for near the starting bid that it would be good value. But.......

[Annoying Twit]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980-ARIA-CARDINAL-SERIES-CUSTOM-BASS-MATSUMOKU-JAPAN-/250633471762?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a5aeb4712"]Aria P2 Cardinal series bass[/url] 99p start.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Aria-Pro-2-II-RSB-800-Matsumoku-cf-SB-900-/110535913167?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19bc742ecf"]RSB 800 Aria Pro 2 bass[/url]. RSB? I'm not familiar with this model designation. I'm off to google. 99p start again.

Edit: I was a bit confused when I saw the listing as I thought that RSB was a six string guitar code. It is, it seems. There aren't many of these bass versions about, and a wild guess on the value might be £600 or so. The more I look at it, the more I like it. But, too much money, more than I can justify.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAYA-VINTAGE-70S-JAZZ-BASS-GUITAR-JAPAN-/330435634450?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4cef7fa512"]Another Maya jazz bass[/url]

Edited May 20, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Azumi-Victory-Bass-guitar-Super-rare-/180511371474?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a0750f0d2"]Azumi[/url]

Kinda like the grubby ash finish. It that a finish, or is it just ash that is grubby?

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='845796' date='May 23 2010, 03:11 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Azumi-Victory-Bass-guitar-Super-rare-/180511371474?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a0750f0d2"]Azumi[/url]

Kinda like the grubby ash finish. It that a finish, or is it just ash that is grubby?[/quote]

Price reduced from the previous listing.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1A-bass-/110537067276?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19bc85cb0c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1A-b...=item19bc85cb0c[/url]

Is this the original finish? It looks a bit pale.

[Annoying Twit]

Korean Satellite? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-P-TYPE-FRETLESS-BASS-GUITAR-JAPAN-VINTAGE-80s-/220612546137?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335d884e59"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-P-TYPE-FRETLE...=item335d884e59[/url]

[FlatEric]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='849837' date='May 27 2010, 09:40 PM']Korean Satellite? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-P-TYPE-FRETLESS-BASS-GUITAR-JAPAN-VINTAGE-80s-/220612546137?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335d884e59"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-P-TYPE-FRETLE...=item335d884e59[/url][/quote]


Yep.
I've go one of these - really quite good. Nice sound and feel - nothing special just gets on and does the job.
I bought it to improve my fretless technique, as mine has factory position marks on the edge of the neck.
These are dead centre to where the fret would be.
Helped me a lot. . . . . . . . . Helped me to realise I am never going to be a fluid fretless player.
I have some lined fretless, so I think I will stick to that.
Might sell mine, if anyione is interested.

Cheers.

[FlatEric]

Not really an e.bay related thing but I told Jon I would post pics
of the Lincoln I have.

So, here it is.

This one has also had a head repair but this one is [i]much[/i] better
than the one that was up for sale.
Sounded very nice when I got it - took the strings of to "get it sorted"
some time ago and never got round to it. Must get on the case!

[attachment=50937:Lincoln.jpg] [attachment=50938:Lincolna.jpg]

[attachment=50939:Lincolnb.jpg] [attachment=50940:Lincolnc.jpg]

Cheers.

[Bassassin]

Very nice example, head repair's well done by the looks - was the head detached or just cracked?

Shouldn't take much to get that up to scratch!

J.

[backwater]

Westone Thunder 1 on Gumtree Edinburgh :

[url="http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/15/59418315.html"]http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/15/59418315.html[/url]

Andy

[FlatEric]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='851884' date='May 30 2010, 03:57 PM']Very nice example, head repair's well done by the looks - was the head detached or just cracked?

Shouldn't take much to get that up to scratch!

J.[/quote]

Just cracked and it looks like it was a [i]long[/i] time ago.
Was OK when I got it.

Think I'll get it sorted and then stick up some pics.

Cheers.

[BigRedX]

Not on eBay, but I was hoping that Bassassin has some information about [url="http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/ubox.cgi?T=syosai&sline=892&print=1&keys2=tachikawa%40ishibashi%2Eco%2Ejp&tid=list3"]this Greco Bass on the Ishibashi U-Box[/url].

[Annoying Twit]

Someone in my city (Leicester) is selling both a Thunder II bass, and a Thunder III bass, both with hard cases.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIJ-Westone-Thunder-III-Original-Hardcase-/270588126068?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3f004f2374"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIJ-Westone-Thunder-...=item3f004f2374[/url]

I won't be bidding as (i) I'm sure they'll go for more than I'm prepared to pay, and (ii) I gave this month's guitar buying budget money to my partner to help with dental bills. So, I'm stuck at a big fat £0 budget again.

But it's interesting to see them turn up locally.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='855680' date='Jun 3 2010, 08:46 AM']Not on eBay, but I was hoping that Bassassin has some information about [url="http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/ubox.cgi?T=syosai&sline=892&print=1&keys2=tachikawa%40ishibashi%2Eco%2Ejp&tid=list3"]this Greco Bass on the Ishibashi U-Box[/url].[/quote]
That's lovely! GOB-900, from 1978 as far as I can tell from the serial. These were Fujigen, Japan home market only - and it's like the Ibanez Musician's better-looking sister.

I'm guessing these are pretty scarce - looking at the old Greco catalogues, this model appeared in 1978, and is the middle of the GOB range:

[url="http://psyco.jp/greco/p/c09_29.jpg"]http://psyco.jp/greco/p/c09_29.jpg[/url]

But by '79 the design's been revised somewhat:

[url="http://psyco.jp/greco/p/c10_07.jpg"]http://psyco.jp/greco/p/c10_07.jpg[/url]

So this particular version was only around for a year. Sorry I can't tell you much more than that, having never encountered one before - and sadly I can't read Japanese! However, I know a man who can - is any of the catalogue text legible enough to translate, Ross?

Japanese model designations are weird - they always reflect the price, hence this one was 90,000 Yen when new. Now it's 36,800 - which is an incredibly reasonable £270.

Jon.

[BigRedX]

Thanks!

Sticking the Ishibashi text through the Mac's translator widget, the reason it's so cheap is that there is some fret wear and the truss rod is at it's limit of adjustment (I think).

Quite tempted by this but I've just spotted something even better...

[Musky]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='855683' date='Jun 3 2010, 08:47 AM']Someone in my city (Leicester) is selling both a Thunder II bass, and a Thunder III bass, both with hard cases.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIJ-Westone-Thunder-III-Original-Hardcase-/270588126068?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3f004f2374"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIJ-Westone-Thunder-...=item3f004f2374[/url]

I won't be bidding as (i) I'm sure they'll go for more than I'm prepared to pay, and (ii) I gave this month's guitar buying budget money to my partner to help with dental bills. So, I'm stuck at a big fat £0 budget again.

But it's interesting to see them turn up locally.[/quote]

Another basschater, no less. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=90275"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=90275[/url]

[Bassassin]

Keeping it Thunderous - here's a project Thunder III:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170495007513"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170495007513[/url]

Doesn't look like much of a project to me...

J.

[Bloodaxe]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Cat-Pro-2-Bass-Guitar-WHAMMY-Bar-/160440853153?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item255b0522a1"]A Cat with an extra tail[/url]

Sensible start price, no idea what breed of trem it is though.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='857526' date='Jun 4 2010, 06:14 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Cat-Pro-2-Bass-Guitar-WHAMMY-Bar-/160440853153?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item255b0522a1"]A Cat with an extra tail[/url]

Sensible start price, no idea what breed of trem it is though.[/quote]
Price would be OK if it was Japanese - this is almost certainly post-Matsumoku Korean - otherwise it would say MIJ on the neckplate. I suppose the W@nkstick might be worth a few quid though!

J.

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='857612' date='Jun 4 2010, 07:47 PM']Price would be OK if it was Japanese - this is almost certainly post-Matsumoku Korean - otherwise it would say MIJ on the neckplate. I suppose the W@nkstick might be worth a few quid though!

J.[/quote]

According to the S/N it's an '86 - When did production shift? I thought it was '87.

P.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='857773' date='Jun 4 2010, 10:37 PM']According to the S/N it's an '86 - When did production shift? I thought it was '87.

P.[/quote]
From what I've read it looks like there was a transitional period and I think 87 was the cut-off point for Matsumoku Arias. It's generally assumed that if it doesn't say MIJ then it's Korean production - but clearly this is all just archaeology & guesswork! Pretty sure I've also read that some late MIJ Arias came from factories other than Matsumoku, so there's no telling how you'd ID those...

J.

[noelk27]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='857773' date='Jun 4 2010, 09:37 PM']According to the S/N it's an '86 - When did production shift? I thought it was '87.[/quote]

Matsumoku closed '87. Production of certain models moved to Taiwan and Korea '85.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='857886' date='Jun 5 2010, 12:03 AM']From what I've read it looks like there was a transitional period and I think 87 was the cut-off point for Matsumoku Arias. It's generally assumed that if it doesn't say MIJ then it's Korean production - but clearly this is all just archaeology & guesswork! Pretty sure I've also read that some late MIJ Arias came from factories other than Matsumoku, so there's no telling how you'd ID those...[/quote]

There are examples of LEB models both MIJ and MIK manufactured between '85 and '87.

There are examples of non-Matsumoku MIJ APII models from '85 onwards.

Edited June 5, 2010 by noelk27

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='856750' date='Jun 4 2010, 12:55 AM']Keeping it Thunderous - here's a project Thunder III:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170495007513"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170495007513[/url]

Doesn't look like much of a project to me...

J.[/quote]
Can't believe that after I spotted this, he added a £100 BIN - and I missed it! Hope someone here got lucky.

I think I'm losing my touch - I missed a fixer-upper Ibanez Blazer, local to me, a couple of days back. It was £30.

J.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='857889' date='Jun 5 2010, 01:07 AM']Can't believe that after I spotted this, he added a £100 BIN - and I missed it! Hope someone here got lucky.[/quote]

Might have been at request though, someone says I'll give ya £100 for it, and he keeps ebay protection that way.

[Bloodaxe]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARIA-PRO-TWO-Left-handed-Bass-Guitar-/230484512130?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35a9f28d82"]Sinister SB-600[/url]

Could be an SB-700, but there's something about the heel that suggests it's a set-neck 600.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Bloodaxe