Quest Black Magic

[bassplayer0900]

Picked up an old bass yesterday. Looking for any information about the manufacturer, Quest, and the model, Black Magic. Serial number B500023. I know it was a Japanese company that only made them from 86-89. Only seen two in my life, this one and the one I owned in high school. Appreciate the help. Dave

[Bruce Johnson]

Buried somewhere in my own instrument collection, I have a black Quest electric guitar. I bought it new sometime around 1987 at some music store here in Los Angeles area. I know very little about the brand or manufacturer, other than as you say, it was made in Japan. I bought it because I simply liked it. Really nice '80's looking styling, nice functional features, and very nice quality. I don't remember what I paid for it, but it wasn't much.

[cdef]

Quest guitars/basses were made for the US company MTI (formerly known as Merson and Unicord) at the Matsumoku factory, in the last years before its closing down. The line was launched as "Quest by Vantage" and seems to have been developed in-house as a follow-up or sister brand, as Vantage itself (an earlier MTI/Matsumoku collaboration) was transferred to Samick in Korea (1985). A Canadian distributor, Jam Industries, also provided some input. The Quest "Black Magic" bass had the model number SB-108 and was styled in accordance with a brief mid-'80s fad for all-black basses with red binding or accents (viz. Takamine and Washburn).

A design and production company named Quest International currently exists, producing MD and Landscape brand instruments as well as acting as the business agent for Gotoh hardware. The founder/owner apparently was Matsumoku's head of R&D in the past.

http://www.quest-md.com/en/index.html

[bassplayer0900]

Very interesting. Anybody got blue book value? Not that I'll get rid of it but just curious.