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Hondo 8200 Fame

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DarkLethe

Aug 19, 2012
4
0
#1
Hey so I just acquired an old Hondo 8200 bass with the intent of revitalizing it as a project bass. I wanted to get some input from you guys or any ideas you may have. Also information on Hondo basses is pretty hard to find, does anyone have an idea of what the age range may be for this bass or how I can find out?


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#3
No serial numbers to be found. I really dig the headstock and Fender ripoff logo. Im debating if I should add a pickguard or keep it original. I've already stripped all the parts and electronics, sanded down to the grain. Now where to go from here.....
 
#6
I like the 1980's versions with the brass bridge pieces and string-thru-body construction.
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There are 3 Hondos here with the construction mentioned at the top of the page, all with maple fretboards, and 2 with the "FAME" logo. One came with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder's in it and it sounds the best. The other 2 will get that upgrade.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/bass/pbass/passive/spb3_quarterpou/
I gig with these now with one of them being a main bass.

I'm not sure of the neck on yours(i.e. if it can be adjusted, neck angle set right, etc.). IF that part is OK, I'd replace the stock pickup with SD's and go from there.
 
#7
Yea i just got in the spb-3's yesterday. I also got some new tuners because one of the old ones snapped off. I de-rusted the old bridge so im keeping that for now. Got all new pots in and input, just waiting for a nut (old one was cracked) and some knobs to come in. The body is in the process of being prepped for paint. Had to fill the old pickup routes a little bit because the spb's are a bit smaller than the previous. The new pots are a bit shorter also so I have routed the back cavity a little deeper. I want to refinish the neck at some point but I would like to keep the Fame/Hondo logo. Ive thought about maybe a pickguard, but Im not sure how well it would fit and I dont want to ruin the "Hondoness" of this bass. Im keeping the slab body aswell.
 
#8
A year late ..but how did this end up? I had this same bass when I was a kid, purchased new 1986. Funny reading what you had to say here. My G sting tuning peg snapped off one day & the nut also cracked on the E string side & shot out of it while I was playing a gig. I thought the body was plywood. ????
 
#9
DarkLethe said:
No serial numbers to be found. I really dig the headstock and Fender ripoff logo. Im debating if I should add a pickguard or keep it original. I've already stripped all the parts and electronics, sanded down to the grain. Now where to go from here.....
Click to expand...
Do you have pictures of the sanded bass, or do you know what kind of wood it is? plywood? I'm looking at one of these and was surprised to see that it looked like a mahogany neck.
 
#10
DarkLethe said:
No serial numbers to be found. I really dig the headstock and Fender ripoff logo. Im debating if I should add a pickguard or keep it original. I've already stripped all the parts and electronics, sanded down to the grain. Now where to go from here.....
Click to expand...

No pickguard, useless if no cavity underneth enabling it to be used to hold the controls and hide the cavity. I'd put a jazz pickup (or a humbucker jazz pickup), and a passive preamp in it just to give it more options.
 
#12
Hello,
I own this bass since 1986.
I was thinking in changing the pick ups in order to upgrade the bass.
Do you think it has sense or the quality is good enough ?
What I will do soon is to change the electronic, CTS pots, jack, etc...
I already did it with a Harley Benton JB20, it's very easy.
 
#13
Zaviat said:
Hello,
I own this bass since 1986.
I was thinking in changing the pick ups in order to upgrade the bass.
Do you think it has sense or the quality is good enough ?
What I will do soon is to change the electronic, CTS pots, jack, etc...
I already did it with a Harley Benton JB20, it's very easy.
Click to expand...


If you like the bass and want to keep it, which you obviously do, sure, mod away.
 
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#17
My first bass was a Hondo Fame Bassmaster 001. Was a great bass and was the premium instrument from them at the time. Had a flame maple top (most likely a Photoflame), a Kahler Tremolo bridge on it and gold hardware. The pickups were mud and I replaced them with a Dimarzio. It was a really nice bass, and it only cost me $125 WITH a hardshell case back in 1990. I had it for about 15 years and sold it, but never had any problems with it.

Hondo 2.JPG
 
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