Can You Identify This Bass?

[JDJen]

This bass belongs to a friend of mine, it was his brothers. It's not for sale, and I just want to try and help him put a name or model number with it.

Hofner knock-off from the 60's or 70's.

Knobs are Vol, Vol.

Neck Plate shows Made In Japan. (These are the only words on the bass) and it is crooked.

It has been defretted.

It is in the original case.

Original Hard Case.

Just hoping someone might know what this thing is.

 

[JDJen]

Backside.

 

[TRichardsbass]

Could be just about any discount brand made in Japan at the time, but based on the truss rod cover I'm gonna say its a Univox.

 

[gigslut]

Love that crooked neck plate.
Here's a Univox Beatle bass that recently sold here on TB. This one has different pickups and heel end TR adjuster.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/univox-beatle-bass-mij-hofner-copy-830269/

I just noticed OP's bass is defretted.

 

[WorkingBassHero]

It's a Wololoonga Batchunga Custom!! I don't know, it seems that it's a homemade or custom made axe. I've seen some like that here in Brazil. Maybe the builder put that neckplate to puzzle TB'ers!! Lol

 

[gigslut]

Here's one like yours at Antebellum. He's not sure of the maker, he guesses Univox, someone posts a comment that it's Greco.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[gigslut]

These are pretty darn close. The "Coronet" badge was likely affixed by the distributor, yours could have have been sold as another brand.

Apollo looks like an inlay, they were the St Louis Music Supply brand and a big customer of the Japanese factories, so they may have done a special run for them.

Or take your pick from the gallery.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[gigslut]

Here he shows how the Greco Violin basses evolved and a bit about their origins. Earlier versions were made by Matsumoku. The more accurate Hofner copies were made at the Fuji Gen factory.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[cdef]

That's a very common '70s model that appeared under many badges, such as Coronet, Electra, Kimberly, Unicord, Yamato and several others... or none at all.

 

[fenderhutz]

Ah. When music stores sold instruments cheap to get people to pay for lessons lol.

 

[JDJen]

Great!

Thanks to all for the information. I will pass this along to it's owner.

 

[GM60466]

go here
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
there are a couple hundred

 

[gigslut]

does anybody read before posting?

 

[One Drop]

does anybody read before posting?

Read what?

 

[gigslut]

Read what?

That's what I thought.