Identify Old (?) Bass

[Bass V]

to make it more irrational, there are oddball solidbody / non-ply basses with the suspect burst blotch on the reliefs, why anyone would do so IDK but I'd go $200 easy on this PJ cos it looks really cool all nekid and clean, maple board, and matching burst headstock! man, what's not to love?

 

[Madhouse27]

It’s got a Hondo vibe but a different headstock shape.

 

[Clark W]

Some Epiphone basses had that same bridge...

Yes they did. This is an early model Accu bass before the batwing headstock came out that I bought for $65. Did a little work on it and then threw a EMG GZR Split P pup in it

 

[bholder]

One man's plywood is another man's hippie sandwich, after all....

 

[Sarakisof]

One man's plywood is another man's hippie sandwich, after all....

OK found this on another forum.
Invalid Link Removed
Body seems identical. H 830-S. S probably stands for Samick. As an earlier model uses Maxon pups and different bridge. Then they step up to DiMarzio and those gold silver round characteristic bridges.

So do you think the thread's one could be use DiMarzio's ?

 

[dkelley]

I don’t see how the burst was applied can reveal its plywood, Ive seen Fenders and others with that same sloppiness of a burst finish...

It's where your right forarm sits on the body. That is sanded back into the wood. If it was plywood, you'd see the plywood levels in that area, so they cover it with black paint, unlike on a solid wood (or at least chunks-of-wood) bass.

 

[Rib 13]

My guess is that its Chinese, 90s or 00s before the big CNC wave hit....there are many reasons for me to suspect this but the biggest is the name on the headstock as it became a marketing ploy to use American names like Galveston on their products for western consumers to take interest in them ...they still employ this tool, btw....next time you are in a Harbor Freight, look at some of the brands, like Pittsburgh pipe wrenches

 

[Funky Phantom]

Had that same bridge on an Epi Accubass. Seems like it would be more for picking.

 

[JIO]

Just an observation - the way the black part of the burst covers the forearm relief means it's got a plywood body. Inexpensive bass from the 70s or 80s, likely Japanese. I wouldn't give $50 for it, way better basses available for cheap now.

Late '80s at least - P/J's didn't appear till then. "old" is a relative term...

 

[Sarakisof]

Yeap that's why i put a question mark next to Old..

 

[brianrost]

Definitely 80s MIJ or MIK. As far as the brand, the Asian factories would slap any name on the headstock an importer wanted. It could even have been made for a large music store. While living in Korea in the mid 1970s I owned a bass and a guitar with nothing on the headstock at all. Bought them in the PX for $35 each.

 

[Bleecker]

i have a 90s peavey and its a plywood body thru and thru...because i stripped the thick red paint off of it ...100% plywood.....think it is or was a fury.

Picture please.

 

[Rabidhamster]

OK found this on another forum.
Invalid Link Removed
Body seems identical. H 830-S. S probably stands for Samick. As an earlier model uses Maxon pups and different bridge. Then they step up to DiMarzio and those gold silver round characteristic bridges.

So do you think the thread's one could be use DiMarzio's ?

Absolutely not Dimarzio, seriously doubt Maxon.

The bass in question probably was built by Samick, the plywood body is pretty decent, the bridge is cool because of the mass but the saddles don’t stay put very well and the brass alloy they used often kinda stinks something fierce, so it’s not as good as it appears. Same guys that made the Hondo and Epiphone plywood instruments - they look so similar because they are made in the same OEM factory.

Pickups are almost certainly lower end but might sound pretty good.

Should be a good fun bass!

 

[Eilif]

I've owned a couple Korean plywood body basses, a
Harmony Marquis and Kramer Striker.
They were fine kick-around instruments for bar gigs where violence is a possibility but I wouldn't pay more than $100'ish for a good one.

 

[4dog]

Picture please.

the bummer is ..i cant..i repainted

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Plywood or not, if it plays and sounds good to you, $100 + is not unreasonable. This would be a decent starter bass.

 

[JimmyThunder]

I was once given an 80s B.C. Rich Gunslinger to refinish, that turned out to be a plywood body. The owner felt ripped off when he saw that in there.

 

[Paulabass]

3 or 4 Japanese factories built basses for hundreds of brands. I've seen that bridge on a lot of Hondos, but others as well. I would concur- plywood body. It's def. lower end, but not bottom rung. If it sounds good, play it.

 

[Eilif]

i have a 90s peavey and its a plywood body thru and thru...because i stripped the thick red paint off of it ...100% plywood.....think it is or was a fury.

Do you know which model or have a pic. I've never heard of a plywood peavey. One of their entry level imports I presume? If you have a serial number we can probably nail down the date.

 

[bolophonic]

I parted out a bass with a similar burst headstock and the same bridge with the name V. J. Rendano as the maker. The body is plywood, the neck is pretty decent quality. I used the neck and body separately to build two much better basses. I’d shoot for $50-75 for that. Plywood sounds the same as anything else on a cheap instrument, it’s just very heavy.