Anyone know anything about this bass?

[Keanu13]

Father gave me this bass he got in tge late 80s wiring is all junk what would I need to revive this and what style diagram should I use ?? Anything helps

 

[J Wilson]

Ambidextrous thumb rests ! ! !

 

[Keanu13]

Ambidextrous thumb rests ! ! !

I knew that lol talking about the wiring inside

 

[MonetBass]

A pic of the current wiring would certainly help.

 

[J Wilson]

Did you get lucky and there's a cover/access opening on the back, or are you going to have to fish everything in and out through the F-holes?

 

[Keanu13]

Did you get lucky and there's a cover/access opening on the back, or are you going to have to fish everything in and out through the F-holes?

I'm forced to pull everything out lol all by the pickup holes I saw on the bridge pickup says maxon but with that said everything is all brittle and half broken I'm scare I can't find parts to just make it playable for my cottage

 

[ardgedee]

How does it sound when it's plugged in? Can you at least hear noises when you move the knobs? It's impossible to make suggestions because we have no information to go on.

 

[JeroB666]

Almost looks like an old Antoria semi hollow bass:

 

[Keanu13]

It makes sound in tge forward and mid position making tge neck pickup work but it seems the back pickup isn't properly wired ord just corroded to the point it only make feedback

 

[Keanu13]

Almost looks like an old Antoria semi hollow bass:

Very very similar but mine seems to be cheaply made and in terrible condition

 

[ThudThudThud]

Wasn't Maxon an Ibanez company? I seem to remember some link there.
I'd probably wire for any V/V/T/T type set up.

 

[Keanu13]

Wasn't Maxon an Ibanez company? I seem to remember some link there.
I'd probably wire for any V/V/T/T type set up.

I have no idea tbh ik it's vv tt just from frigging with it just not sure which diagram I should follow to be able to buy the following things needed

 

[Wood and Wire]

I'm sure another one of these showed up quite recently, probably in the Scroll Bass thread.

I feel like I recall it was a Greco, or Ibanez oddity - certainly Maxon pickups is consistent with 70's / 80's Japanese instrument that were inspired by Fender, Gibson, and Rickenbacker, among other designs.

That particularly bass looks like it was inspired by early Framus basses, with a dash of Gretsch thrown in, and a Scroll headstock.

 

[Keanu13]

I'm sure another one of these showed up quite recently, probably in the Scroll Bass thread.

I feel like I recall it was a Greco, or Ibanez oddity - certainly Maxon pickups is consistent with 70's / 80's Japanese instrument that were inspired by Fender, Gibson, and Rickenbacker, among other designs.

That particularly bass looks like it was inspired by early Framus basses, with a dash of Gretsch thrown in, and a Scroll headstock.

That would seem accurate judging by the cheap build of the guitar it's also missing a bridge me dad made a makeshift one years ago but the intonation is garbage any idea we're I'd find old parts like that ??

 

[J Wilson]

I don't know how technical you are but provided both pickups are working . . . . you could simply rewire it with regular pots, switches and wiring, and since there's no rear access, a good tech would simply pull the pickups and work through those holes. Remove the wiring harness and old pots, build the new one, re-insert that, then place the pickups back and you'll be good to go, IF you want to spend the money to do it, or have it done by a pro.

It would still be a kind of 'ship in a bottle' type job, but 335-style instruments often can be.

 

[B-Mac]

Father gave me this bass he got in tge late 80s wiring is all junk what would I need to revive this and what style diagram should I use ?? Anything helps

@JIO or @GretschWretch might be able to help.

 

[Keanu13]

First picture is the wire from the pickup second is from the wires from the pot wasn't able to pullbthe pots out I'm worried is screw it up lol unless I for sure have the right diagram

 

[Wood and Wire]

That would seem accurate judging by the cheap build of the guitar it's also missing a bridge me dad made a makeshift one years ago but the intonation is garbage any idea we're I'd find old parts like that ??

Well that actually sounds inconsistent with it being a 70's / 80's Matsumoku / Fujigen instrument, which are very highly regarded - the "lawsuit" era instruments often being considered superior to the instruments they were copying.

Really, the downside with a lot of them was the weight (which back then was actually considered a good thing, with the fashionable belief that heavier weight meant better tone, and sustain), and some of them had bridges that were low quality diecast metal - there's an often posted photo of the bridge on one of their Rickenbacker copies succumbing to "tail lift" and folding in half (that same style bridge was spotted on several Ibanez models, including the Alembic inspired model).

Parts do crop up, but even those Maxon pickups can be pretty pricey these days (the good quality copies, and lawsuit era instruments are pretty collectible now, and can command pretty high prices for copies - it's not uncommon to see them upwards of $800), so the chances of finding an original bridge at a price that seems reasonable, is probably pretty slim.

Fortunately, that style of trapeze type bridge is pretty simple, and doesn't require any drilling, so you should easily find a suitable, and much better replacement.

As for the wiring, most of the two pickup Matsumoku / Fujigen instruments I've come across tended to have Gibson style wiring.

 

[JIO]

I'm forced to pull everything out lol all by the pickup holes I saw on the bridge pickup says maxon but with that said everything is all brittle and half broken I'm scare I can't find parts to just make it playable for my cottage

This is not uncommon with any hollow-body bass or guitar of any level. There are tricks to make it happen, along with patience. I would rewire the bass replacing anything that doesn't work. You can find 2-pu/ VTVT schematics on the net - just use a basic version. Once wired correctly it will be a fun bass - for free.

 

[scuzzy]

Just use Les Paul wiring. Likely what is was anyway.