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Cool 60's basses (OTHER than main-stream brands)
- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
A few more to add... likely making bass guitars in Poland before Defil was Alfred Kopaczek. Like many of the German luthiers such as Fasan and Isana, he combined the start of his first and last name for the brand... Alko. Looks like this one has East German Simeto pickups, which were made what, 1965-1972?
But the prettiest of the Eastern Euro 60s basses might have been these offset Seiferts.
Heinz Seifert also did some very fancy looking teardrops.
And this oddity is for sale locally for a little under $130 now... says it's a 60s Orpheus, but there's no visible branding and it doesn't seem to look much like the Orpheus violin basses I've seen.
Back carving looks really cool.
But as with so many of these basses...
And looks to have been through some mods.
So, any guesses as to who might have made that one?
But the prettiest of the Eastern Euro 60s basses might have been these offset Seiferts.
Heinz Seifert also did some very fancy looking teardrops.
And this oddity is for sale locally for a little under $130 now... says it's a 60s Orpheus, but there's no visible branding and it doesn't seem to look much like the Orpheus violin basses I've seen.
Back carving looks really cool.
But as with so many of these basses...
And looks to have been through some mods.
So, any guesses as to who might have made that one?
Oh, also recently spotted this Dallas... a UK brand possibly importing East German instruments, not Texan at all. The string angles at the headstock...
Edit... here's another with cool striped sides and engraved tailpiece.
Edit... here's another with cool striped sides and engraved tailpiece.
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Thanks for posting these awesome basses prima! 
The Dallas is a beauty. The pu's, bridges, tuners and tail-pieces on the first three you posted are like the ones on my German Musima. And the bridge on the magenta Alko looks like the one on my 1970 (Czech) Jolana Kolorbas.
My Musima is somewhat unique having 24 frets and sporting a different tailpiece than most I've seen. The 'crest' cutout tailpiece like the first three you posted is the more common tailpiece you see on a Musima that looks like mine.
22 fret - crest tailpiece
The Dallas is a beauty. The pu's, bridges, tuners and tail-pieces on the first three you posted are like the ones on my German Musima. And the bridge on the magenta Alko looks like the one on my 1970 (Czech) Jolana Kolorbas.My Musima is somewhat unique having 24 frets and sporting a different tailpiece than most I've seen. The 'crest' cutout tailpiece like the first three you posted is the more common tailpiece you see on a Musima that looks like mine.
22 fret - crest tailpiece
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I've always wanted to add the Modulo's pickups to another Italia bass, the Maranello Zed.
May I present, the MODARANULLO ZED:
It looks almost stock save for the additional pups. However...
It combines the Zed's Piezo (actually swapped out for Graphtech Ghost system) with the Mod's lipstick-mags, of course, but NB! Those aren't frets, those are MOP lines on a fretless board topped by a Graphtech nut and bottomed by a Graphtech saddle.
Note, too, the fugly black control-pod has been rectified in matching cream. The preamp underneath being a KustoM jobby marrying the Ghost with my own exotic blend of capacitory creaminess. Hipshot drop-tuner, natch, mated to Graphtech tuners.
Lastly, arguably perhaps the best feature of all, the strap-button on the upper-bout is actually on a spring-loaded push-push vanta-black rod to extend the strap-button out to the 12th fret — free from neck dives, the MODARANULLO ZED still fits in its standard case.
She will be mine, oh yes, I will make her mine... some day.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Always liked these (Framus 5/165-52 Strato de Luxe Star bass) and this one is a looker - note cool mute lever -
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I've long thought designers at Framus had a really good hand for body and pickguard curves.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Well, as true as that is - this particular body style was riffing on the Fender Jazzmaster (and Jaguar) which entered the scene in 1958. They were not alone, as many guitar makers from all across the globe found that body style to be a successful look for their guitars.
Their full-frontal pick-guards and control/switch plates set Framus apart for sure. That's what made their guitars/basses unique.
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That neck is amazing! Love the square tuner-buttons, too.
Would be fun to replicate this Framus with all modern-spec playability — string-spacing, fingerboard (fretless) radius, neck-shape, precision Graph-tech tuners...
And the neck. To get that level of laminates together in one solid block to carve the neck out of...
I'm not a luthier. I'd order a neck with a blank headstock that I could cut out the Framus-apes-Fender shape and call it a day.
Yup, parts-bass slapped together is doable.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Phil Kubicki re-introduced a laminated (hard maple) neck on his Ex-Factors in the mid '80s. There were many examples of such in the '60s. As it created a very stable piece of wood perfect for a neck, it was economically efficient using scrap pieces that weren't wide enough for a whole neck. More labor intensive to laminate though but I have to believe laminated stock can be purchased to cut a neck out of. (both then & now)
That neck is amazing! Love the square tuner-buttons, too.
Would be fun to replicate this Framus with all modern-spec playability — string-spacing, fingerboard (fretless) radius, neck-shape, precision Graph-tech tuners...
And the neck. To get that level of laminates together in one solid block to carve the neck out of...
I'm not a luthier. I'd order a neck with a blank headstock that I could cut out the Framus-apes-Fender shape and call it a day.
Yup, parts-bass slapped together is doable.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Cool '65 Crucianelli currently on eBay (no affiliation)
My 1967 Kapa Continental.
Sorry for the long story, but here goes anyway.
I bought this from a guy selling it on Craigs List for some odd price like 165 dollars. Some of you guys will know that the Kappa brand was the store brand for Venemans Music Emporium in Maryland in the 1960s. These were made in the USA, (later in Japan), using Hoffner pickups, bridges and tuners. Nice transparent red nitro finish in excellent condition. When I went to check it out it had only three strings on it, and they were obviously not the correct gauge. The neck had a bad bow to it. The seller said that it had been stored in an unheated attic for years, (I'm in Wisconsin). I was not sure it could be saved. I thought maybe it would just be a wall hanger. When I got it home I removed the neck and after a while I put the body and neck in a closet and forgot about it for a year. One day I decided to bring it out, and I found that the neck had straightened out on its own while being stored! I put it back together and found that I had to add a spacer, (not just a shim) under the neck and was able to set it up just fine. When I bought it the seller told me that he had bought it from a guy in a band that I remember hearing on the radio back in the 1960s, The Critters. I did some research and found that the Bass player for the Critters was a guy named Ken Gorka, and that he was the owner of The Bitter End in Greenwich Village! I called the place and asked to speak to Kenny, and he said "You're talking to him". I told him the story of the bass, and he confirmed that he had sold a red Kappa many years earlier. I told him that I had done a little work on it and it was in good condition. I told him that if he would like to have it back that if he would tell me where to send it I would ship it to him. He seemed surprised and asked "how much?". I told him he could have it, Just tell me where to send it. No charge. He hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "I don't play anymore so thanks anyway". A few months later I saw a piece on an NBC TV morning news show saying that Ken Gorka, owner of The Bitter End, bass Player for the Critters had died a few days earlier.
Edited to add that posting this inspired me to search the internet to find another red Kapa Contintel single pickup bass. I don't click on anything that goes to Facebook so there may be a reference to one of these there, but in forty-five minutes of searching I did not find one like it. There has to be some of these out there somewhere. If anyone here has a Kapa or knows someone who has one, post a photo in this thread so I won't feel so lonely. If this is the only one left the highest bidder can have it. Based on the rarity, the reserve price stands at one million dollars!
Sorry for the long story, but here goes anyway.
I bought this from a guy selling it on Craigs List for some odd price like 165 dollars. Some of you guys will know that the Kappa brand was the store brand for Venemans Music Emporium in Maryland in the 1960s. These were made in the USA, (later in Japan), using Hoffner pickups, bridges and tuners. Nice transparent red nitro finish in excellent condition. When I went to check it out it had only three strings on it, and they were obviously not the correct gauge. The neck had a bad bow to it. The seller said that it had been stored in an unheated attic for years, (I'm in Wisconsin). I was not sure it could be saved. I thought maybe it would just be a wall hanger. When I got it home I removed the neck and after a while I put the body and neck in a closet and forgot about it for a year. One day I decided to bring it out, and I found that the neck had straightened out on its own while being stored! I put it back together and found that I had to add a spacer, (not just a shim) under the neck and was able to set it up just fine. When I bought it the seller told me that he had bought it from a guy in a band that I remember hearing on the radio back in the 1960s, The Critters. I did some research and found that the Bass player for the Critters was a guy named Ken Gorka, and that he was the owner of The Bitter End in Greenwich Village! I called the place and asked to speak to Kenny, and he said "You're talking to him". I told him the story of the bass, and he confirmed that he had sold a red Kappa many years earlier. I told him that I had done a little work on it and it was in good condition. I told him that if he would like to have it back that if he would tell me where to send it I would ship it to him. He seemed surprised and asked "how much?". I told him he could have it, Just tell me where to send it. No charge. He hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "I don't play anymore so thanks anyway". A few months later I saw a piece on an NBC TV morning news show saying that Ken Gorka, owner of The Bitter End, bass Player for the Critters had died a few days earlier.
Edited to add that posting this inspired me to search the internet to find another red Kapa Contintel single pickup bass. I don't click on anything that goes to Facebook so there may be a reference to one of these there, but in forty-five minutes of searching I did not find one like it. There has to be some of these out there somewhere. If anyone here has a Kapa or knows someone who has one, post a photo in this thread so I won't feel so lonely. If this is the only one left the highest bidder can have it. Based on the rarity, the reserve price stands at one million dollars!
Last edited:
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
What a remarkable story! It looks like a really nice & uncommon bass and one with a cool history. Thanks for posting!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I have heard of Kappa but know little about them. It's got a lot going for it.Edited to add that posting this inspired me to search the internet to find another red Kapa Contintel single pickup bass. I don't click on anything that goes to Facebook so there may be a reference to one of these there, but in forty-five minutes of searching I did not find one like it. There has to be some of these out there somewhere. If anyone here has one or knows someone who has one, post a photo in this thread so I won't feel so lonely. If this is the only one left the highest bidder can have it. Based on the rarity, the reserve price stands at one million dollars!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,605
- 222,077
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Another cool Framus - this one 27" short-scale with Bill Lawrence designed pu's. Framus later became Warwick - didn't know that.
Phil Kubicki was inspired by necks made like this... also, looks to be an ebody fb -
Phil Kubicki was inspired by necks made like this... also, looks to be an ebody fb -
