Cool MIJ P and J copies

[Jim C]

You guys ever heard of Seiwa which I think is from Japan?
Traded some parts for a P copy and love it to death.
Sounds great, plays very well, and 8 lbs

 

[RBrownBass]

define "cool"...

IMO, looks good (to me), plays well, sounds good. IMO

 

[RBrownBass]

View attachment 3193805

Hondo isn't MiJ (as far as I know), but I tend to group them together. Picked this up yesterday, it's the first Fender shaped bass I've ever owned. Not a huge fan of the headstock, but I like the white and gold.

Nice find! That said, I never cared for the inline and angled HS myself. IMO, it should be angled and basically symmetrical, or inline and flat with string trees.

 

[JGbassman]

I’m not sure where this was built (thinking Korea) but it’s a 1981 Hondo II I bought new and was my first bass. It has a set of DiMarzio pickups and a Schaller bridge I replaced the originals with, mostly stock though.

It actually plays very nice, has a good sound as well. It’s a pretty good copy of a solid 70’s p bass.

 

[hieronymous]

There's a guy in Japan who finds and restores lots of the old MIJ stuff - he has a Reverb store:

Bass Japan Direct

He's got high end stuff too (Moon, Dragonfly, Atelier Z, etc.), but the old stuff (usually '70s-'80s) is the most interesting to me. I follow him on Instagram (Bass Japan Direct (@bassjapandirect) • Instagram photos and videos) and he often posts cool pics, sometimes before/after.

 

[pie_man_25]

View attachment 3193805

Hondo isn't MiJ (as far as I know), but I tend to group them together. Picked this up yesterday, it's the first Fender shaped bass I've ever owned. Not a huge fan of the headstock, but I like the white and gold.

Those hockey stick headstocks definitely make a statement. Very 80s, they can be pretty garish. I think that bass wood look really cool with the same pick guard in black, but it's kinda quirky in its current state, which I can dig a bit.

 

[flam]

Those hockey stick headstocks definitely make a statement. Very 80s, they can be pretty garish. I think that bass wood look really cool with the same pick guard in black, but it's kinda quirky in its current state, which I can dig a bit.

I agree, I think the gold is interesting, but I'm not so in love that I wouldn't change it. I have a thing for strange color combinations.

 

[kodiakblair]

For me it's the Tokai Hard Puncher and Jazz Sound.

Back in the mid 80's I'd saved a wad of cash and a Fender P was on the agenda. Trip to Denmark St (Lomdon's guitar shop hub). 6 shops and 8 decidedly average Fender basses later I tried a Hard Puncher

If basses had legs those Big F's would've slunk away in shame,Tokai blew them away

 

[reddog]

US + 80's.... Not good. IMHO