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Me fully clothed (thank goodness) and my new Naked Univox bass

Rat Blitz

Rat Blitz

Jan 6, 2009
522
999
#1
You just have to love the names the Japanese came up with for their 70s and 80s clone guitars.

You have Tokai Jazzsound (Jazz), Hardpuncher (Precision …I hear that one lives up to its name!) and the notorious Rockinbetter (go figure it out).

Then you have Univox Stereo Bass (Rickenbacker), Hi-Flier (Mosrite), The Lucy (Ampeg Dan Armstrong Lucite guitar), Badazz (Guild S-100), Coily (Epiphone Casino), Precisely and the Professional Bass (Precision).*

And then there was the Univox Naked (U1971N). It was the same as the Precisely, except it had natural (naked) finish. The cost back in 1971 with "plush" case was $250.

The Univox guitars were built by Matsumoko (same company that built Aria guitars).
They have been disparaged a lot in the past but I find them very playable and unique.

I just picked up the example dating somewhere between 1971 and 1978 (probably later than earlier) with the original hard case for less than you could find a Fender case from that same period (Not that I would dare compare the two ... not that I've had the chance yet to play a 70s Fender).

It needs new strings and a setup but I can tell you it's very lightweight has a nice feel and a real thump to it.

Meet my new Naked (and don’t worry I’ll keep all my clothing on!)

In case you can’t read the original advert this is what it says:

As a jaybird she don’t make it. Booms
too much. Thumps too much. All them
precisely measured toned for the supercritics.
She's the hot rod member of the family …
Hardshell, ornately-trimmed plush-lined case.

UNIVOX Naked Bass Outfit U1971N

* Some Univox guitars:
The Mother or Rhythm and Blues or Gimme (all Les Paul clones)


**** I just did some more research on this bass and now I'm starting to wonder. The headstock doesn't look exactly like any other Univox I could find. The tuners are smaller than the one in the catalog. And it's a single pickup not exactly like the one pictured. And the tugbar seems to be on the wrong side. The case however did look just like another Univox case I found in another picture. The neck is maple and not rosewood as pictured. It's a bit of a mystery. The base and case don't look modern but it doesn't look exactly kosher either ****

******I did more research and found out that it's a counterfeit!
Link Removed
I'm a bit disappointed but not heartbroken. It's still made in the 70s (Japan) and still seems to play pretty well ... but it's not exactly what I was hoping for but I didn't pay very much at all for it. Shows you should do your research first (which I thought I did but not well enough). ******



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#4
Ok I identified this bass 100% counterfeit (probably from the 70s).
It was only $125 with hard case (and I'm of half a mind to keep it) but the gentleman kindly agreed to take it back.

I knew there were counterfeit Gibsons and Fenders but who knew that Univox was spawning counterfeits back in the 70s???
 
#7
Rat Blitz said:
Ok I identified this bass 100% counterfeit (probably from the 70s).
It was only $125 with hard case (and I'm of half a mind to keep it) but the gentleman kindly agreed to take it back.

I knew there were counterfeit Gibsons and Fenders but who knew that Univox was spawning counterfeits back in the 70s???
Click to expand...

Really, you're sure? It seems very strange that anyone would make fake Univox stuff.

I was thinking that it might be an earlier bass. A lot of that Matsumoku stuff had variations in the '60s and early '70s.

Aria made a short scale Tele Bass with a similar pickup, and I believe it had the same mounting screws.

Did the guy you got it from buy it new?
 
#8
This is from Univox.org

Supposed Counterfeit Univox Guitars


There are some guitars that have generated confusion in the past few months. Some claim they are "modern" Univox's, made overseas to cash in on the vintage popularity, however it has been brought to my attention that these guitars are in fact from the late 70s. I have received a few emails from people who bought the guitars during that time period. I believe these guitars were made for markets other than the US, possibly Canada.

Thought they do not fit in with the models listed on this site, at this time I do believe they are from the 70s. I am listing the common differences between them and the other Univox models for reference:


Pearl inlay Logo is different than anything else with the Univox name on it.
The Ripper is the only exact Strat copy Univox ever made and it only had Humbuckers, there was no single coil version
None of the neck plates have a 'U' on them, or even a "made in japan" logo, "steel reinforced neck" or "steel adjustable neck".
Some of the colors seem off from what Univox is known to have produced in the 70's (such as candy apple red).
There are currently only 3 dealers on eBay selling them, one in New York and 2 in Canada.

If anyone has purchased a guitar like this, please contact me. I would be very interested if anyone could send me date codes from the pots in the guitars or any distinguishing markings one would find from taking the guitar apart. Please only contact me with guitars with the above features, especially the unusual logo. I get a lot of emails about "counterfeits" but usually it is a model guitar that is exactly like or similar to an existing guitar on the site. If you own something that is a hollow body or a copy of a Gibson, it is not counterfeit, there were a lot of variations over the years and I have not been able to catalog all of them.


There are too many flags on this bass:
1) Headstock Logo (same exact counterfeit logo is flagged on this website).
2) Tugbar is on wrong side of the bass
3) There are no holes for the pickup cover in the pickguard (so it was never there in the first place)
4) There is single pickup instead of split Precision style
5) The fact it did come from Canada (per article above)
6) Fingerboard is Maple not Rosewood
7) No U on back plate
8) Tuners are smaller

That is a lot of red flags!

The guy I bought if from has only had it a few years but said the guy he bought it from had it a long time.
The other thing is that I have a univox hi-flyer and while this is not a "bad bass" it has a totally different feel to the construction.
I can't explain why there would be counterfeit Univox guitars made in the 70s but I am very confident that this is an example of one.
 
#10
Rat Blitz said:
This is from Univox.org

Supposed Counterfeit Univox Guitars


There are some guitars that have generated confusion in the past few months. Some claim they are "modern" Univox's, made overseas to cash in on the vintage popularity, however it has been brought to my attention that these guitars are in fact from the late 70s. I have received a few emails from people who bought the guitars during that time period. I believe these guitars were made for markets other than the US, possibly Canada.

Thought they do not fit in with the models listed on this site, at this time I do believe they are from the 70s. I am listing the common differences between them and the other Univox models for reference:


Pearl inlay Logo is different than anything else with the Univox name on it.
The Ripper is the only exact Strat copy Univox ever made and it only had Humbuckers, there was no single coil version
None of the neck plates have a 'U' on them, or even a "made in japan" logo, "steel reinforced neck" or "steel adjustable neck".
Some of the colors seem off from what Univox is known to have produced in the 70's (such as candy apple red).
There are currently only 3 dealers on eBay selling them, one in New York and 2 in Canada.

If anyone has purchased a guitar like this, please contact me. I would be very interested if anyone could send me date codes from the pots in the guitars or any distinguishing markings one would find from taking the guitar apart. Please only contact me with guitars with the above features, especially the unusual logo. I get a lot of emails about "counterfeits" but usually it is a model guitar that is exactly like or similar to an existing guitar on the site. If you own something that is a hollow body or a copy of a Gibson, it is not counterfeit, there were a lot of variations over the years and I have not been able to catalog all of them.


There are too many flags on this bass:
1) Headstock Logo (same exact counterfeit logo is flagged on this website).
2) Tugbar is on wrong side of the bass
3) There are no holes for the pickup cover in the pickguard (so it was never there in the first place)
4) There is single pickup instead of split Precision style
5) The fact it did come from Canada (per article above)
6) Fingerboard is Maple not Rosewood
7) No U on back plate
8) Tuners are smaller

That is a lot of red flags!

The guy I bought if from has only had it a few years but said the guy he bought it from had it a long time.
The other thing is that I have a univox hi-flyer and while this is not a "bad bass" it has a totally different feel to the construction.
I can't explain why there would be counterfeit Univox guitars made in the 70s but I am very confident that this is an example of one.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. From the pictures of the ad vs. the bass you can see the one in the ad looks vastly different. (Full size tuners for example).

Sorry to hear you got a counterfeit. :hmm:
 
#11
Hey no problem ... The guy is a real gent and will take it back
... It's a bit of a drive and like I said it is not a bad bass .. but it's not the bass I thought it was so I will be taking it back (he's already relisted it on kijiji).
 
#13
I read that link you posted, but I'm still skeptical (not that that means anything) of Univox.org's claim on counterfeit.

It's like making fake Harmony guitars, but only selling them in Canada and Finland...why bother?

I still think it might be legit and from the '60s. The main thing that makes me doubt it is the condition; but you know how people are, since it's MIJ it's very possible that someone thought he was above playing it and never used it.

It's hard to say whether it real or not, but I'm pretty sure I've seen those sparkly logos before. Maybe they were also on counterfeits; but I really think this whole "counterfeit Univox" thing might be the result of someone's imagination.
 
#15
I do believe that it is from the 60s or 70s. But that is a lot of variations to have from the original Univox model. It does say Made in Japan on the backplate.
Not sure why it would be done. It doesn't' make sense. Maybe worth keeping????
 
#17
I just had a thought (it happens). It could be that Univox made a special line, similar to Squier, to sell to certain countries.

Hagstrom made some single pickup basses for Canada, and made some stuff labeled Kent for England.

I seriously doubt any Univox forgery was going on.
 
#19
that counterfeit text you copied and pasted seems (to me anyway) to be referencing strat fakes. Where does it mention bass fakes ? It says there was no single coil strat version...not P bass.. Before you allow that bass to get too far away, take just a leeetle more time with your research and get bass specific info. my $.02
 

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