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Isimy!!! - Help please!!!

#3
Sorry sorry, coming !!

MY GOSH !!!! That one is WAY cooler than mine !!

Looks like the same era, year, style in general and probably had the same hardware.

Mine is the flying-V version of that and I would kill to have the explorer version, holy cow !! :hyper:

I have the image at home. If you need it for any reason, let me know.
 
#5
LajoieT, you own the explorer Tak there ??

Tak will respond if you send them info and a photo on that. A tech there got right back to me and said he had not seen anything from that series in years. He mentioned they were solid mahogany, Japanese made and were around the price you mentioned which to me is a bargain. Mine had EMG's which the player who first bought it had installed.

If you EVER decide to get rid of that bass, let me know. I would love to have a collection of them !!!! Always wanted something to collect.
 
#6
Yea it's mine. Got it as a HS graduation present in 1986 from a local music store (West Springfield MA) that doesn't exist any more. As mentioned, in my tinkering days treated the bass VERY poorly and was sort of wondering if it was in any way worth it to sink any money into restoring it. One of the knobs broke and of course I just threw it away. Now I can't find any that match. They were barrel type knobs like this:

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except they are black with red numbers, I can find black with white, but not red (matches the binding & dots). I've also misplaced the cavity cover (had the SN# on it if I remember right :crying: :crying: ) and truss rod cover. The pickups are the originals, no idea who made them but I'm sure they aren't EMGs, just 2 standard looking P-types (a bit rusty from my humid basement.) I always wondered about the wood and mahogany would make sense since the dings on the corners do show a rather dark wood underneath. And I like that it's possibly neck through, I was never sure and you can't tell because it's painted but I always assumed that it was probably an inset or glued on neck. I had also lent the bass to a friend of my little sister so he could use to record a demo for his band. He had always thought it was better than the bass he was playing at the time (I forget what he was playing but the band, Moriah or something like that, moved to LA and became Powerman 5000... go figure...) and when he had it some of the fingerboard dots started to fall in so the filled them in with epoxy (kinda poorly, air bubbles and all but I can't complain, at that point the bass just had 2 volume pots.

If I were ever to consider getting rid of it I'd certainly give you a first crack seeing how you're the first person since I've bought it who didn't say "Takamine doesn't make solid bodies, that must be a fake!!!"

I also had sent an e-mail to Tak about it but never heard a reply. And if I remember correctly (doubtfull) their web site said something about having their mail server delete any messages with attachements so don't bother sending. Would you happen to still have the address of the tech? I've always wondered if there was a model name or number that this thing had or what not. I don't remember there being any kind of user manual or anything like that when it was new (but I was young and probably just tossed it if there was... :bawl: :bawl: )

MAN do I have a tendency to get long-winded... Thanks for the info and all!!
 
#7
Hey no worries, cool to see some interest on these very short lived basses.

They entitled mine, the Arrow GB4. I've enclosed the images again. I still can't get past that bridge. What a mess mine is. Unfortunately, I don't have the tech's email address. I just emailed them directly from their website describing the bass. Same pickups and everything were in both of our basses. Around the same time you received your's my buddy bought his at a local shop here in Virginia. I think he might have paid $450 for it and sold it to me for $150. He knew I had liked it since the 80's just for collecting reasons. Funny, the guy you lent the bass to goes off to PM5000 and the guy that sold me the bass is now one of the world's top tri-athletes. He does not even play anymore but was a killer player.

Sorry I don't have more info. Again, if you decide differently down the road and retire it as he did, please let me know !!

Thanks LajoieT !!
 
#8
That is a RIOT!!! I LOVE IT!!!! :hyper: :hyper:

I think you only think mines cooler than yours 'cause you're used to it. I feel the same about yours!!! I almost wish one of us was interested in selling or we could locate some more. These things really should be together but I'm too fond if it to get rid of it... If that ever changes I'll be sure to let you know!!!

Everything but the shape looks identical, Same tuners, same bridge (yea nightmare, MAJOR dust collector too - impossible to clean.) Full red binding (Painted on mostly) and dots. It's hard to tell in the pics but I'd bet that the paint on yours is a satin finish also right? That was one of the things that drew me to the bass at the time. It wasn't all glossy-shiny. Looks like yours may have been better cared for than mine, but your knobs look like they have white numbers??? Did your friend change them or did it come with white?

I'm going to have to try that Tak Web site again. Maybe one of these days we can find a Get-To-Gether somewhere between VA and MA and bring these two monsters together for a day!!!
 
#9
Man, this is a riot indeed. It's like getting two family members or two people together that have not seen each other in a billion years. Ha, "man, how you doin ?? I haven't seen you since the fret install bench back in Japan !! Geez, that must have been '85, '86 ?!?! Someone played the crap outta you man !!" LOL !!

At the very least, I should add a page for these two to my personal website for historical reasons and just in case someone out there might part with their's or know further info.

Mine actually has gloss on it which looking at an instrument like this, it only makes sense to have a matte finish like your's. The neck definately is pure gloss and the binding and inlays are so cheap. Though I'm a lefty, the nut flipped over on this one easily and I can change it back pretty quickly. It will be a wall hanging for sure someday.

When the EMG's were added, that is when the knobs must have been changed. They are the average black diecast knobs that are on most basses.

This is hilarious !! Thanks for the info and photos !!
 

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