This looks very similar to my first bass which was a Cameo. It was wretched. It's hard to believe that one actually stayed together for this long without rusting/falling apart.
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Anyone here know about Cameo basses?
- Thread starter Jean Rodriguez
- Start date
Not sure what my first bass was as the badge was long gone leaving only 2 holes in the headstock.
But it was verrrrry similar to that one. Cheap plywood body, weak bendy-neck crappy parts, worthless tuners.
I'd have been better off with a washtub, broom handle and piece of twine.
But it was verrrrry similar to that one. Cheap plywood body, weak bendy-neck crappy parts, worthless tuners.
I'd have been better off with a washtub, broom handle and piece of twine.
Well, I took the plunge and got the bass. To my surprise, it's a short scale bass. The neck is thick (I love thick necks), the pick up is quite hot and it's not in terrible shape (the bridge is a bit rusted, but it intonate). It's not a great and not much to get excited about (except for the shape and design). But, it looks cool and it's not a bad back up or a bass to whip out when you wanna stick out in a crowd full of jazz and precision basses.
Alright! you got a back-up, and a conversation starter. A good scrub with naptha (lighter fluid) should knock most of the rust off that bridge. A soak in a vinegar/water solution (mostly vinegar) would get off more rust. Be sure the truss rod works; neck bow is one of the generic failings of these type instruments. Probably you should shim the neck. And avoid high tension strings. If you can get the bass adjusted right, it's a player. I doubt anything made today sounds like that pickup.
After about an hour of playing, the action isn't too bad. So far, I don't see any bows on the neck and no dead spots or buzzing frets. Either way, I'm taking it over to my guitar tech (previous owner said that he took to a luthier friend of his who told him that the bass was in excellent shape), but I want to get a second opinion. Also, I plan on putting some light strings on it (I'm thinking .95-.40 like on my violin bass)
My thoughts about these instruments are a little different than many expressed above. I have two late-60s Japanese instruments (a Teisco guitar, and a violin bass), but haven't handled a ton of them. They're a bit ... eccentric. So if you're willing to put up with the oddities, you may get something different from the usual. They won't have the hardware, finish quality, or solidity of a current guitar. For ex even entry level Squiers are quite solid - OTOH, they're also the same as a zillion other entry level Squiers. The tuners, bridges, and necks can be weak spots on old MIJ instruments. The cheesiest ones often have very cheesy bridges and non-adjustable truss rods. However, if the neck hasn't already warped in its 40 plus years of existence, and the truss rod works, I don't think the neck is suddenly going to freak out just because you're playing it. Avoiding heavy strings is a good idea. And yes, most of the MIJ basses of that time were short scale.
Most, but not all. The basses pictured in this thread
Help Identifying?
came in both short- and long-scale.
AAAHHHHHH! MY FIRST BASS!!! Mom bought it for me for my 16th birthday in 1972. Action was a mile high and I didn't know jack about adjusting stuff. Thought that was just the way it was supposed to be. Gave me some great callouses...
My first bass was the 2 PU version of that Cameo, bought new in 1972 from the Keesler AFB BX for $110.00
Spent the better part of the next summer facing a cranked GBX 810 being the most-Hendrix sounding proto-punk bassist you never heard of. Or wanted to... Anyway, the other guys couldn't play either so it was all good.
I still have the Cameo. It's in pieces, the frets are whupped from Roto's and the neck has a bend at the 7th fret. Maybe I'll spruce it up and hang it on a wall. I never paid attention to such things in those days, but the neck is bound, has a zero fret, and looks like a laminate of at least 50 pieces at the headstock and 30+ pieces at the heel. Huh.
Spent the better part of the next summer facing a cranked GBX 810 being the most-Hendrix sounding proto-punk bassist you never heard of. Or wanted to... Anyway, the other guys couldn't play either so it was all good.
I still have the Cameo. It's in pieces, the frets are whupped from Roto's and the neck has a bend at the 7th fret. Maybe I'll spruce it up and hang it on a wall. I never paid attention to such things in those days, but the neck is bound, has a zero fret, and looks like a laminate of at least 50 pieces at the headstock and 30+ pieces at the heel. Huh.
