Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='895945' date='Jul 15 2010, 08:27 PM']The seller of this says s/he was told that this is Japanese.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-precision-good-copy-Japanese-/330451608720?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4cf0736490"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-precision-goo...=item4cf0736490[/url][/quote]

Looks to be same hardware as my made in China cheapies.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='895945' date='Jul 15 2010, 08:27 PM']The seller of this says s/he was told that this is Japanese.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-precision-good-copy-Japanese-/330451608720?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4cf0736490"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-precision-goo...=item4cf0736490[/url][/quote]

I have that exact same neck, I picked it up brand new on ebay 2 years ago, for not very much money. Nice, but not japanese. Comedy amber tint gives it away.

[Annoying Twit]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-BLACK-WESTONE-THUNDER-1A-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-82-/250667714237?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a5cf5c6bd"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-BLACK-WESTONE-T...=item3a5cf5c6bd[/url]

Thunder 1A bass, [size=3]£350 + £14.99 p&p[/size]

It's "rare", donchaknow. Form an orderly queue.

[pete.young]

This looks very Japanese to me, but I'm not an expert by any means. Unbranded Les Paul copy, looks vaguely Antoria-like to me. Anyone know what it really is?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-bass-guitar-/220636502301?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335ef5d91d"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-bass-guitar-...=item335ef5d91d[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='897080' date='Jul 17 2010, 08:44 AM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-BLACK-WESTONE-THUNDER-1A-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-82-/250667714237?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a5cf5c6bd"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-BLACK-WESTONE-T...=item3a5cf5c6bd[/url]

Thunder 1A bass, [size=3]£350 + £14.99 p&p[/size]

It's "rare", donchaknow. Form an orderly queue.[/quote]
After a [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-1983-Westone-Thunder-II-Passive-Bass-Pearl-Silver-/320559190035"]through-neck Thunder II in a genuinely uncommon finish[/url] just sold for a massive £112, this is getting into self-harmingly delusional territory!

[quote name='pete.young' post='897462' date='Jul 17 2010, 06:02 PM']This looks very Japanese to me, but I'm not an expert by any means. Unbranded Les Paul copy, looks vaguely Antoria-like to me. Anyone know what it really is?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-bass-guitar-/220636502301?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335ef5d91d"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-bass-guitar-...=item335ef5d91d[/url][/quote]

I can tell you it's not an Antoria but at this point neither I nor anyone else can tell you what it actually is. These basses, and the guitar version of the same thing, plus a hollowbody bass, an SG-shaped bass & guitar, and a violin bass all from the same source are one of the current ongoing mysteries of JapCrap. They are pretty decent quality and are from the very early 70s, or very late 60s, at a push. They all share a few odd features, for example the shield-shaped neckplate, plus metal pickup rings. Arch-top basses have the carved wooden height-adjustable bridge you can see on this one, and necks are made from strip ply under the paint.

Most of these turn up unbranded but they appear in the wild from time to time with importer names like Jedson & Zenta, which offer no clue to their origin. I have an SG guitar from this range hanging on my wall, and I actually had an identical LP bass to the one for sale here when I was 16 - so I'd really, really like to find out a bit more about them!

£200 start is a bit steep though, particularly when the seller's too lazy to even bung a set of matching knobs on it.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='897477' date='Jul 17 2010, 06:25 PM']After a [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-1983-Westone-Thunder-II-Passive-Bass-Pearl-Silver-/320559190035"]through-neck Thunder II in a genuinely uncommon finish[/url] just sold for a massive £112, this is getting into self-harmingly delusional territory![/quote]

Wow! I saw that when it was listed, and would never have expected it to sell for that little.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='897503' date='Jul 17 2010, 07:07 PM']Wow! I saw that when it was listed, and would never have expected it to sell for that little.[/quote]
Me neither. I just assumed it'd go for £200+, so I didn't bother watching the auction.
J.

[Annoying Twit]

I have a parallel thread running on the Westone forums. It's been pointed out that the Thunder IA bass being sold for £350 was recently bought for £230. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-Bass-guitar-Matsumoku-Japan-amazing-/110554537871?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19bd905f8f"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-Ba...=item19bd905f8f[/url]


There seem to have been a few Jedson basses and guitars on ebay recently. I haven't heard good things about the Jedson brand though.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-JEDSON-TELE-TYPE-BASS-GUITAR-MADE-JAPAN-MIJ-/220639096066?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335f1d6d02"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-JEDSON-TELE-...=item335f1d6d02[/url]

Edited July 17, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[tazza1]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='897571' date='Jul 17 2010, 08:29 PM']I have a parallel thread running on the Westone forums. It's been pointed out that the Thunder IA bass being sold for £350 was recently bought for £230. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-Bass-guitar-Matsumoku-Japan-amazing-/110554537871?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19bd905f8f"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-Ba...=item19bd905f8f[/url]


There seem to have been a few Jedson basses and guitars on ebay recently. I haven't heard good things about the Jedson brand though.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-JEDSON-TELE-TYPE-BASS-GUITAR-MADE-JAPAN-MIJ-/220639096066?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335f1d6d02"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-JEDSON-TELE-...=item335f1d6d02[/url][/quote]

I started playing on the guitar version of this - bloody awful!! Very high action, you couldn't set the intonation & the bridge height adjustment screws were just in the right position to cut your hand to shreds... & they did!! Horrible things - it's a wonder I carried on playing.

[essexbasscat]

[quote name='tazza1' post='897615' date='Jul 17 2010, 09:11 PM']I started playing on the guitar version of this - bloody awful!! Very high action, you couldn't set the intonation & the bridge height adjustment screws were just in the right position to cut your hand to shreds... & they did!! Horrible things - it's a wonder I carried on playing.[/quote]


I'd corroborate this. I remember Jedsons as being firmly in the same camp that the cheaper Columbus models occupied, in fact, some Columbus models were better than the Jedsons ! Usually brings back memories of Audition guitars - the Woolworths brand.

Both Jedson and Audition did cut your fingers to shreds - Picato or Monopole strings were an upgrade !

T

[Annoying Twit]

Thanks. These comments corroborate what I've heard about Jedsons from other people.

[Metalmoore]

I have something VERY similar to that jedson minus the jedson name on the headstock (probably taken off), are they worth anything? Would it be worth getting properly setup by Mark(7string). My girlfriend had it in her room and gave it to me as it was taking up space in her room.

[Mr. Foxen]

there was a comedy character in a cheap muso magazine called Teddy Tench that was a collection of bad musician cliches, and he played a Jedson, I was interested to fdind what they were and get one just to be a bad cliche (I play pointy BC Richs). When I found out I realised I already had one.

[Bassassin]

Jedsons weren't all sh!te by a long way. Things like this were definitely entry-level tat but you'll also find some quite sexy early Matsumoku stuff wearing a Jedson badge, such as (guitar content warning) this:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jedson-Les-paul-copy-1970s-Vintage-MIJ-/120596488289"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jedson-Les-paul-copy...J-/120596488289[/url]

I've seen some nice Mat Jazz copies badged as Jedson too, and their acoustics can fetch some quite startling money. The Jedson brand disappeared in the early 70s after J.E. Dallas & Sons (see what they did there?) merged into Dallas-Arbiter. I think the Arbiter brand broadly has a slightly better reputation too.

J.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='897725' date='Jul 18 2010, 12:29 AM']Jedsons weren't all sh!te by a long way. Things like this were definitely entry-level tat but you'll also find some quite sexy early Matsumoku stuff wearing a Jedson badge, such as (guitar content warning) this:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jedson-Les-paul-copy-1970s-Vintage-MIJ-/120596488289"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jedson-Les-paul-copy...J-/120596488289[/url]

I've seen some nice Mat Jazz copies badged as Jedson too, and their acoustics can fetch some quite startling money. The Jedson brand disappeared in the early 70s after J.E. Dallas & Sons (see what they did there?) merged into Dallas-Arbiter. I think the Arbiter brand broadly has a slightly better reputation too.

J.[/quote]

Kinda scrimping on the neck plate there.

[Annoying Twit]

Thunder II with hard case, £150BIN. £80 starting bid. The BIN price looks quite a good deal to me. Pickup only in Hampshire.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-II-Electric-Bass-Guitar-/320566646935?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aa342d897"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-II-E...=item4aa342d897[/url]

Edit: Only just noticed that it's a fretless.

Edit: Gone!

Edited July 25, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[fonzoooroo]

Talking about Jedson tele basses... I'm selling this one:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270612894548&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...=STRK:MESELX:IT[/url]

[Annoying Twit]

Ibanez Roadster, P/J. I don't know much about the Roadsters. I presume it's a very nice bass, but I think it looks a bit ugly.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-RS924-Roadster-MIJ-/200501587502?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2eaed36e2e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-RS924-Roadste...=item2eaed36e2e[/url]

[Bloodaxe]

Potentially bargaintastic [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Cardinal-CSB-380-Aria-Pro-ll-Series-Bass-Guitar-/300449360448?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item45f42d6a40"]Cardinal CSB-380[/url]

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='906336' date='Jul 26 2010, 09:08 PM']Ibanez Roadster, P/J. I don't know much about the Roadsters. I presume it's a very nice bass, but I think it looks a bit ugly.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-RS924-Roadster-MIJ-/200501587502?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2eaed36e2e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-RS924-Roadste...=item2eaed36e2e[/url][/quote]
That's our very own Mr Pablo selling that. I've got one of these, I agree they aren't the most beautiful of basses but playability, build quality & sound make up for it. Plus Steve 'Arris used to play one!

They weigh a ton though.

J.

[Annoying Twit]

Ta.

This SB series fretless isn't as good value as the one with a case that had a BIN of £250 some months ago.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB-series-Fretless-bass-guitar-very-rare-/190423987148?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2c562773cc"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB-serie...=item2c562773cc[/url]

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OLD-JAP-BASS-GUITAR-/260642400618?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3caf7f696a"]Everything wrongness of this pleases me.[/url]

[Annoying Twit]

Jedson tele bass sells for £156 + p&p. That's more than I thought it would sell for. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220639096066&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='908708' date='Jul 28 2010, 10:22 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OLD-JAP-BASS-GUITAR-/260642400618?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3caf7f696a"]Everything wrongness of this pleases me.[/url][/quote]
Username and location makes me think it might be from our very own BigAlonBass. It pleases me too.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='908708' date='Jul 28 2010, 10:22 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OLD-JAP-BASS-GUITAR-/260642400618?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3caf7f696a"]Everything wrongness of this pleases me.[/url][/quote]
Looks very much like an Audition/Top Twenty Woollies special from the 70s. I had solid-body and semi 6-strings, and a thoroughly decrepit solid-body 6-string is in my garage waiting for me to decide to throw it away.