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Bass Maniac by Tune?
- Thread starter ShallowBayXI
- Start date
OK, this is complicated but what I know is this. TUNE was started by one Japanese dude, once again I'd have to look up his name, but anyway the current TUNE Japan team are his original luthiers as I understand it, they hand craft every instrument they build, they are made to order though you occasionally see a few "in stock" basses for sale. The Korean TUNE is a company called Hatsun to my knowledge, they were a contractor to the original TUNE Japan as I understand it.
Supposedly at some point in the 80's or possibly early 90's the TUNE founder had some "issues", I've heard various tales of him disappearing at some point, possibly some alleged money management issues going on, but anyhow the company was split with the original TUNE team gaining the rights to build, market and sell TUNE in Japan, although they deal with customers around the world anyway. Then there is Hatsun who gained the rights to TUNE for the rest of the world outside Japan and who have a full line of "production" basses, they use some mass production as opposed to the hand crafted approach of the Japanese team although I believe they have a custom shop also which I would think would get you hand crafted instruments as well. They share models, but the Korean guys have cheapened many of the parts and the construction methods opting to offer instruments that look essentially the same but come at a lower price point. The Korean Maniac for example has a standard type bridge where as the Japanese bass has/had a big block of stainless steel that was milled into a thing of beauty for a bridge. Korean fretboards are rosewood, the early Japan ones had lovely Tiger Stripe ebony. They did away with the flush mount Dunlop strap locks in favor of standard ones. They have a 25 fret neck on the Korean Maniac, don't ask me why but they do. In house pickups, what appears to be the original TUNE PCB mounted preamp design from the 80's. Cheaper Gotoh knockoff tuners, much simpler neck joint design on the Maniacs, the list goes on. Anyway, there is is, what I know, although the whole thing is pretty convoluted frankly. The guy from up here in Canada that has the VSN guitars website is a dealer for the Korean TUNE, he might know more about the implosion of the original TUNE but I doubt he'd spill everything he knows if he does have the details just because he has a vested interest in the company, or one of the companies. lol TUNE version 2.0
Wow, thanks for the write up, I think I understand this a lot better now. Really appreciate it.
I think they go by WSC in Korea now, Woosong or something, oh and the original TUNE founder was a guy named Mr. Hatsun Fujitany for what it's worth.
** Seems the TUNE Korean team don't spell Japanese names too well, Hatsun Fujitani
** Seems the TUNE Korean team don't spell Japanese names too well, Hatsun Fujitani
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That's really interesting. I do have one of the Korean instruments (which I love to death) but I've been gassing over some of the new Japanese ones and once I get some money I'll definitely get one. Of course getting one is a task in its own, but that's for another thread.
Also I've noticed some of the Japanese ones (I'm assuming they're Japanese) have 25 frets as well. I'm guessing this is what the Korean company continued with?
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Cool....this TUNE thread keeps going and going and going. TUNE for the win.
Dan, the shipping from Japan is going to cost about half of what one of those Maniacs will cost. Maniacs are nice, don't get me wrong. But if you are ordering from Japan, shipping has to be a small part of the pie, ya think?
TWB, Zi or even the TWX series basses may cost a bit more but they cost the same to ship.
I play TUNES against LeFay or Rutherford worthy Yammi's, and TUNES hold up.
My sincere hope is that you will spend a bit more and get a truly boutique instrument.
Everyone needs to do that once in their career.
-Kahuna
Dan, the shipping from Japan is going to cost about half of what one of those Maniacs will cost. Maniacs are nice, don't get me wrong. But if you are ordering from Japan, shipping has to be a small part of the pie, ya think?
TWB, Zi or even the TWX series basses may cost a bit more but they cost the same to ship.
I play TUNES against LeFay or Rutherford worthy Yammi's, and TUNES hold up.
My sincere hope is that you will spend a bit more and get a truly boutique instrument.
Everyone needs to do that once in their career.
-Kahuna
So I emailed the current Japanese TUNE and they told me that my bass is an 1980's Japanese TUNE TB-05PJ. I think they were made in the late eighties.
But anyway, I'm in love with this bass. Honestly, call me crazy, but I went to Guitar Center again today, and I would say my bass at minimum holds up against the American Fenders, a Carvin they had for sale, and to an extent even the Musicmans.
I couldn't be happier with this bass. Even if it's not exactly boutique perhaps, I like it better than my previous "nicest bass"
But anyway, I'm in love with this bass. Honestly, call me crazy, but I went to Guitar Center again today, and I would say my bass at minimum holds up against the American Fenders, a Carvin they had for sale, and to an extent even the Musicmans.
I couldn't be happier with this bass. Even if it's not exactly boutique perhaps, I like it better than my previous "nicest bass"
Oh I know the worries of shipping, and as much as I think the Maniac series is cool I'd rather get a TWB/X or Zi since I prefer the larger bodies and the TWs just look cool, and for what it's worth there's a similar Japanese company that produces a Maniac like instrument
. Depending on price and everything though, I might snag a used Maniac (preferably an MIJ instrument sold here in the US).ShallowBayXI, enjoy that bass.
ShallowbayXI you should just start at the beginning of the Tune bass club and read the whole thread. It's not that long and has the whole story of the split, pretty much what you just read here and a a lot of nice Tune basses posted. I have a TWX Korean 5er I bought off GC used last year for cheap but it had/has cosmetic damage. It still plays and sounds great. The bass you just bought is exactly like the first one I encountered in the 80's. An ex bass player for a band I was in used to come sit in once in awhile. I would get to play his bass when he did. It was the first time I really got to play a 5 string other than in a store and I fell in love with his bass. It was pretty much the first boutique bass I ever played. I didn't see another one for many years. I always wanted one but forgot about them after a few years. Last year I was surfing GC used and saw the one I have now and bought it sight unseen even with the damage cause it was a deal and I'm glad I did. I still want one like yours which is just like the one I first fell in love with. Enjoy!
I'm no expert, but I just bought the exact same bass off CL. After much web research, I've concluded our basses are Japanese from the 1980s, primarily because the fingerboard with the tiny markers on the treble side is made of high-end phenolic resin! Your pic is the only other bass I've seen with these markers except brochure photos of vintage '80s fretless 5 strings. I'm loving mine! It's quite beat up and needs a pickup repair, but the neck and action are awesome. I paid $300 for mine, but would rather have yours in better shape. Congrats and enjoy, these are killer instruments and are largely unknown.
BTW, my 1995 Blue Book of guitars shows that these Japanese Bass Maniac 5 strings listed for $1699 back then.
Awesome looking bass, love the strings! Out of curiosity, do you ever get a hum that gets worse when you turn the treble pot up? Love the bass but I'm going to look into fixing it.
I noticed a buzz with the treble cranked, but my noise attenuator killed it. I get the same with another bass, so I thought it was house wiring in my practice room. The bass side of my P pickup is dead, so I'm using the J pickup for now. I was thinking by balancing both pickups they might cancel the buzz. If your pickups work and you still get the buzz my theory might not work. Generally, I go easy on the treble anyway.
Hey, do you or anyone have any idea what this is? Found it for really cheap locallyHippie woods, this made me lol Had to have come from the Alembic wood stores then,
From reading on the Talkbass Tune Club string, I think it's a TWB-4 (based on the body shape), made in Korea (based on the rosewood fretboard) with Paduak(sp?) wood top based on some pics on the thread. Korean Tunes get plenty of love. Worth taking a look at if it's cheap!
