Cool 60's basses (OTHER than main-stream brands)

[Dynacord]

Wow! Then I wasn't imagining it! I had no idea there were more than one made - that doesn't seem like a lot now but $3500 was a chunk of change then - $20k for a vintage Fender would have been unheard of at that point. (as I witnessed and played a '62 J at Chicago Music Exchange marked at that price about 6 years ago)

True. That was a lot then - though about the same as a regular stack knob at that time. For context, I bought a '64 t-bird right around then for $1,100. Also saw a really nice '68 pink paisley tele bass that I could have snagged for $700 but didn't have it.

$180,000 plus $500 shipping! Yowie! Plus I've never heard of Broken Arrow Music and I live here!

Well, as it's local, you might be able to save on shipping

 

[JIO]

True. That was a lot then - though about the same as a regular stack knob at that time. For context, I bought a '64 t-bird right around then for $1,100. Also saw a really nice '68 pink paisley tele bass that I could have snagged for $700 but didn't have it.



Well, as it's local, you might be able to save on shipping

I'm leaving to pick it up now...

 

[Dynacord]

PS I can't swear it was that same particular one - this was 25 years ago - but I know there were at least two. We talked with Albert Molinaro about it who was pretty much the most knowledgeable guy on Fender basses then. One of them is also pictured in his book "The Fender Bass" - and I think that's not the same one as in the Reverb ad.

 

[Mark76]

Less yap... More basses

 

[SoulReflection]

Less yap... More basses

And where did you say you were from? . BTW, I am Canadian and married to a Brit, so you may not have to answer!

 

[JIO]

Less yap... More basses

Hah! If you think yap is involved here, you should visit the Thunderbird Club.

Another Egmund with a textured vinyl coat -

 

[kodiakblair]

From the people who gave you the WEM Copycat. May I present my Wilson Sapphire,1968

 

[JIO]

From the people who gave you the WEM Copycat. May I present my Wilson Sapphire,1968
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Really cool bass - so what's up with "Fender Precision Bass" on the hs???

 

[kodiakblair]

Really cool bass - so what's up with "Fender Precision Bass" on the hs???

My guess is some crazy person thought folks wouldn't see the Wilson name stamped into the bridge or on the little PG.

 

[JIO]

My guess is some crazy person thought folks wouldn't see the Wilson name stamped into the bridge or on the little PG.

a victim of the cult of Fender

 

[kodiakblair]

a victim of the cult of Fender

The poor deluded fools . Is it true the only cure is fatal

 

[GretschWretch]

From the people who gave you the WEM Copycat. May I present my Wilson Sapphire,1968
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That headstock sure looks Magnatone X-10 ish.

 

[GretschWretch]

Hoyer (German) mid 60's Model 43 also known as "The London Bass". Pretty cool little bass that was also available with a single p/u.

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At least one came in red.

 

[GretschWretch]

It's to engage the string mute pad (missing).

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No, the mute pad is not missing; it's just aftermarket. And the pickup is not original.

Okay; on the black sparkle the pad is missing and the pickup is original, but not on this white sparkle.

 

[GretschWretch]

That's a great design - the best mute adjuster I've seen as it can be added with nuance and easily 'rolled-off'. Unfortunately, the bridge leaves much to be desired.You can see how the saddles are bottomed-out with no room to intone correctly.

It cannot be easily rolled off. If you grit your teeth and scrunch your shoulders, it can be rolled off. It is the worst mute I have ever encountered. The only nuance it understands is brute force.

The bridge simply is badly engineered. Besides the mute and the saddles, which are wobbly by design, you have thumbwheels to raise and lower the bridge. In my experience Gretsch and Magnatone are the worst for over-engineering.

These things being said, the X-10 Hurricane is the closest you will come to a P-bass Lyte before there was a P-bass Lyte. And the neck is super-fast although subject to forward bow. Have some small washers handy.

 

[JIO]

It cannot be easily rolled off. If you grit your teeth and scrunch your shoulders, it can be rolled off. It is the worst mute I have ever encountered. The only nuance it understands is brute force.

The bridge simply is badly engineered. Besides the mute and the saddles, which are wobbly by design, you have thumbwheels to raise and lower the bridge. In my experience Gretsch and Magnatone are the worst for over-engineering.

These things being said, the X-10 Hurricane is the closest you will come to a P-bass Lyte before there was a P-bass Lyte. And the neck is super-fast although subject to forward bow. Have some small washers handy.

There you go!

 

[HaphAsSard]

I know you said no Guilds but...I think the Jet Star ticks the other boxes - '60's and super-cool:

 

[JIO]

I know you said no Guilds but...I think the Jet Star ticks the other boxes - '60's and super-cool:
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No worries, I was just trying to keep it more focused on basses not usually covered. I also dig the Jet Star and have one of the early 2000's MII RI's by DeArmond, which is a really nice bass all the way around. The 60's guitar version (Thunderbird) had a retractable stand on the back which sounds like a good idea but was called the "crash stand" as it inevitably led to toppling because it was too short leaving it laid back at too slack an angle.

 

[Feral Feline]

Hah! If you think yap is involved here, you should visit the Thunderbird Club.

Another Egmund with a textured vinyl coat -

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Love this Egmund. What's the headstock look like?

 

[Ratatosk]

From the people who gave you the WEM Copycat. May I present my Wilson Sapphire,1968
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And may I present my WATKINS Sapphire?
Year of manufacture unknown and converted to fretless by me.