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A point of view from eastern Europe ...
- Thread starter KISSbestfan
- Start date
I see that you like the history hehe. So, for your interest, this post will cotain all Defil basses produced during factory activity.
The first produced bass was Lotos. You can find its photo on the first post. It clearly looks like Hagstrom Kent, but with different headstock. It was a shortscale, the scale length was 780 mm (which is approx 30,71 inch). This bass was popular, especially in punk rock during the 80's.
Due to its shape, it was often customized, to make it look like Fender Precision. When Precision pickups were able to buy in the 80's it became even easier. It sounded more like a Jazz Bass, because of two single coil pickups, but the resistance was lower (2,5 kOhm)
I'm not quite sure which bass came later, but since both of them have the same neck, and similiar hardware, I'll show this one first. It's clearly a Hofner copy, and it was made due to Beatlemania. Like most of Defil guitars it cotained a guitar, stylised the same way. It was called "Romeo"
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Its a hollowbody bass, like the real Hofner. The neck has 800 mm length, which is 31,5 inch. Its also the scale, that most of Defil basses will use. These pickups will be also used in most guitars and basses, but anyway, their sounding was pretty nice - both in guitar and bass. Technically, there are 2 single coils, but the construction is more like Rickenbacker pickups - the magnet is not on the bottom, but coated with the wire, inside the plastic cover. The metal cover was added, to make them look nicer, and the coloured inside, is just a plastic addition.
The second bass I wasnt sure about production dates is the Mamba bass:
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As you can see its a hollowbody, that looks much like Gibson basses. The bass was built, using a body of jazz acoustic guitar (simply called Defil Jazz, which was very popular in Poland, and its prices are very low), and what is more interesting, also 4 models of electric guitars were made using this body (1,2,3 pickups version, and 12 string). The pickups are the same, used in Lotos. How does it sound ? Check it out here:
The bass featured a small change, that was a new bridge - a tune-o-matic with strings through body system. I got one in home (but it belongs to a friend). The whole body, neck, and fretboard is made of maple. To me, this was a really great bass.
The biggest problem was that, in 1989 the political system has changed. Poland has turned from socialist republic, to a normal capitalism republic. Guitars started to be imported from other countries. Defil had to be one of the brands, that can earn for itself (earlier they didnt had to worry about it, because they were the only guitar developer at country). The thing wasnt about quality - the Aster Bass is a great bass. The thing was mainly about IT WAS A DEFIL. In 1994 the production of electric guitars and basses had stopped, and till 2001 Defil carried on, producing acoustic guitars. Now the factory is about to be demolished.
The first produced bass was Lotos. You can find its photo on the first post. It clearly looks like Hagstrom Kent, but with different headstock. It was a shortscale, the scale length was 780 mm (which is approx 30,71 inch). This bass was popular, especially in punk rock during the 80's.
Due to its shape, it was often customized, to make it look like Fender Precision. When Precision pickups were able to buy in the 80's it became even easier. It sounded more like a Jazz Bass, because of two single coil pickups, but the resistance was lower (2,5 kOhm)
I'm not quite sure which bass came later, but since both of them have the same neck, and similiar hardware, I'll show this one first. It's clearly a Hofner copy, and it was made due to Beatlemania. Like most of Defil guitars it cotained a guitar, stylised the same way. It was called "Romeo"
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Its a hollowbody bass, like the real Hofner. The neck has 800 mm length, which is 31,5 inch. Its also the scale, that most of Defil basses will use. These pickups will be also used in most guitars and basses, but anyway, their sounding was pretty nice - both in guitar and bass. Technically, there are 2 single coils, but the construction is more like Rickenbacker pickups - the magnet is not on the bottom, but coated with the wire, inside the plastic cover. The metal cover was added, to make them look nicer, and the coloured inside, is just a plastic addition.
The second bass I wasnt sure about production dates is the Mamba bass:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
As you can see its a hollowbody, that looks much like Gibson basses. The bass was built, using a body of jazz acoustic guitar (simply called Defil Jazz, which was very popular in Poland, and its prices are very low), and what is more interesting, also 4 models of electric guitars were made using this body (1,2,3 pickups version, and 12 string). The pickups are the same, used in Lotos. How does it sound ? Check it out here:
The bass featured a small change, that was a new bridge - a tune-o-matic with strings through body system. I got one in home (but it belongs to a friend). The whole body, neck, and fretboard is made of maple. To me, this was a really great bass.
The biggest problem was that, in 1989 the political system has changed. Poland has turned from socialist republic, to a normal capitalism republic. Guitars started to be imported from other countries. Defil had to be one of the brands, that can earn for itself (earlier they didnt had to worry about it, because they were the only guitar developer at country). The thing wasnt about quality - the Aster Bass is a great bass. The thing was mainly about IT WAS A DEFIL. In 1994 the production of electric guitars and basses had stopped, and till 2001 Defil carried on, producing acoustic guitars. Now the factory is about to be demolished.
Read all your threads. What a fantastic job of capturing the history of a very cool manufacturer that I've never heard of. I hope everyone reads it. I get a little sad when I see these instruments with such unique personalities give way to the ways of western world. I find instruments like these infinitely cooler than most anything.
Found a couple cool vids of Defil basses in action:
I am liking what I'm hearing. I may have to start looking out for one of these babies!
Found a couple cool vids of Defil basses in action:
I am liking what I'm hearing. I may have to start looking out for one of these babies!
Oh man NOT THIS SITE PLEASEEE !
The guy that own the site had never touched any eastern guitar. Most info he gets from LordBizarre, that often likes to imagine the facts. Like the presented fact with Defil Kosmos "It was favourite guitar of communist metal bands"
This is the worst lie, that I ever heard. First of all ...
... there wasnt ever a communist country ever, just a "real socialist" ones ...
... having a Defil Kosmos in the 80's was more a reason to be embarassed than proud ...
... because the 80's in Poland was a strat and superstrat era ...
... except that Kosmos have never had humbuckers, factory equipped it only with standart single coils. Every Kosmos with humbuckers is a custom.
So if you want an advice about Defil and several guitars from other countries (Musima, Orfeus, Jolana) ask me first please, because I got a friend that copied a full documentation of Defil factory, and has the most recent info.
Ok then.
It's a horrible site with a lot of pictures of guitars from Eastern Europe.
Ressources are rather scarse about them.
It's a horrible site with a lot of pictures of guitars from Eastern Europe.
Ressources are rather scarse about them.
BUmp!
found this on ebay... must say, for that price, im tempted!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-VINT...al_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c3c17aa8a
found this on ebay... must say, for that price, im tempted!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-VINT...al_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c3c17aa8a
Greetings from the North,
Thank you KISSbestfan. It's so cool talking to players from around the world......forbidden or not.
Rezdog
Thank you KISSbestfan. It's so cool talking to players from around the world......forbidden or not.
Rezdog
Here's what they were playing in Riga, Latvia in April.
BTW-I had a great time there. Talked to a bass player at the conference I covered, he had a very nice Sire.
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