Matsumoku factory neck through basses compared.

[Alper Yilmaz]

Hey cdef,

You do not own that Oakland bass, do you?

Best,

Alper

This is an Oakland ZXB200 by Matsumoku:

 

[cdef]

...You do not own that Oakland bass, do you?

No indeed; that's Steve "Dude" Barr's, who used to run the Dude Pit board years ago. - I did own an Aria Pro II SB-700.

 

[DanAdams]

This is an Oakland ZXB200 by Matsumoku:

hmmm. It's crazy how they produced so many very similar instruments with so many different names.
I checked, one of these was recently listed but it didn't sell Electric Guitar Bass Oakland ZXB200 Needs Work !!! 10 day NR

 

[DanAdams]

It's no Matsumoku, but I just got this oddball neck through on eBay for $169. ($11 shipping ) it has not arrived yet but it looks like it has just the right spot for my lonely seymore duncan MM pickup to live. *ARIRANG* I hope it's not garbage
VINTAGE ARIRANG 4 STRING SOLID BODY ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR

 

[40Hz]

@DanAdams: I was looking at some Westone Thunders on the interwebs over the weekend, and I noticed that they were almost identical to the Vantage neck-throughs. Apart from the body wing shapes, perhaps the top cutout on the headstock, and the pickups (P/P v. P/J), I don't think you could tell them apart. Couple more picks of my Vantage attached.

View attachment 864206
View attachment 864207
View attachment 864208

-Alex

Wow! That is some looker! What are the controls for that? Especially the toggles. Do they let you select either side of the split pickups or both?I think (IIRC) the Tiesco Spectrum guitars did that. Three split pups where you could use half of one pickup and half of another if you wanted.

 

[Gluvhand]

Here's my '86 Aria Black and Gold II. Bought it new and is my best player.

 

[Abner]

Wow! That is some looker! What are the controls for that? Especially the toggles. Do they let you select either side of the split pickups or both?I think (IIRC) the Tiesco Spectrum guitars did that. Three split pups where you could use half of one pickup and half of another if you wanted.

Thanks. As for the controls, nothing really complicated: typical pickup selector on the upper horn; three knobs are (from front to back) volume, passive tone, and active tone — it is a tilt eq preamp, turn it counterclockwise, and the bass increases as the treble is decreased, turn it clockwise past the center detent and the bass decreases while the treble increases (may not seem terribly useful, but it actually is, and has a wide range of sounds); three lower switches are series/parallel (switches the two halves of each pickup to series or parallel, switches both pickups at the same time), a phase switch for the bridge pickup, and the eq/active on/off (can be run passive without batteries). Oh, and there's a red LED next to the output jack, turns on when batteries are low.

-Alex

 

[rufus.K]

Here's something interesting. There's an old listing of a bass that's virtually identical to mine except it's got a decal on the headstock (the logo on mine is silk screened) that says: Lincoln.

Anybody ever heard of a Lincoln bass?

Here's the link:

Invalid Link Removed

In the meantime, this site has a write-up on this bass's guitar sister. There was one of those hanging next to my bass when I bought it. I almost bought the guitar too but didn't. Went back two weeks later and it was gone. I've always regretted not buying both that first day. It would have been really cool to have the matching set.

Looks like one of the owners added a decal or some artwork to the body. And I have no idea what those two glossy areas on the lower bout are. But here she is.

Link to article here:

Guitar Blog: Memphis MG-300. Made in Japan neck-through guitar from 1979

I had this same exact guitar about 15 years ago. Nothing on the headstock, no serial, no markings, Never knew what it was. Played awesome. SOld it for $350

 

[DanAdams]

Thanks. As for the controls, nothing really complicated: typical pickup selector on the upper horn; three knobs are (from front to back) volume, passive tone, and active tone — it is a tilt eq preamp, turn it counterclockwise, and the bass increases as the treble is decreased, turn it clockwise past the center detent and the bass decreases while the treble increases (may not seem terribly useful, but it actually is, and has a wide range of sounds); three lower switches are series/parallel (switches the two halves of each pickup to series or parallel, switches both pickups at the same time), a phase switch for the bridge pickup, and the eq/active on/off (can be run passive without batteries). Oh, and there's a red LED next to the output jack, turns on when batteries are low.

-Alex

I've never heard p pickup with serial / parallel switching. is the unusual setting useful at all? same question with the phase? I imagine it may be useful only if both pickups are in parralel mode.

 

[40Hz]

I've never heard p pickup with serial / parallel switching. is the unusual setting useful at all? same question with the phase? I imagine it may be useful only if both pickups are in parralel mode.

On a humbucker equipped bass series/parallel has two distinct sounds. I've played a bass for 40 years now that has s/p and phase switching. (Gibson Ripper) IMO, the parallel setting is a better bass tone although the series setting works too. It's more a Fender-ish sound on that bass. The out of phase setting is marginally useful, although it does have its moments. It's not completely useless as some maintain. But it's not something you're going to be using every day. And with today's music, you could do without and probably not miss it too much if at all. (Note: Many Rippers have since been rewired and a more useful "neck pickup only" setting now replaces the original out-of-phase setting at position 4 on the dial.)

With basses equipped with single coils, s/p switching doesn't seem to make as big a difference in the tone. However, my exposure to that configuration is limited. So take the above for what it's worth.

 

[Abner]

I've never heard p pickup with serial / parallel switching. is the unusual setting useful at all? same question with the phase? I imagine it may be useful only if both pickups are in parralel mode.

I think every BC Rich had the series/parallel option, too, and each pickup individually (which I'm not so sure is terribly useful, as in series the total impedance of one pickup will be twice each coil, while in parallel it will be half of one coil, so a big difference with one in series and the other in parallel, one will likely load down the other). One has a louder output (I'm assuming series...), perhaps a little punchier, the other smoother with a noticeable top end presence that the other mode lacks.

As for the phase switch, a lot depends on the relative position of the two pickups. The most obvious effect is canceling of the bass tones. But if you like that midrange heavy tone, a phase switch may be for you.

 

[DanAdams]

OK. I've got several basses that coil spilt their humbuckers. I've still never found a usable sound from any split double coil.
I am not accustom to a split coil p bass being used in anything but the traditional way.

 

[zontar]

There is a Matsumoku forum out there--I haven't been on it for a while--but there are people there who know their stuff and can help sort out what is, what isn't & maybe what might be Matsumoku made.
If you do a search you should be able to find i--I forget the name

 

[Abner]

There is a Matsumoku forum out there--I haven't been on it for a while--but there are people there who know their stuff and can help sort out what is, what isn't & maybe what might be Matsumoku made.
If you do a search you should be able to find i--I forget the name

Good call. The main site is here:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The forums are here:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Bruce Phares]

This has some similar DNA, I think! Matsumoku Oakland XB100 Long Scale

 

[apehead]

@DanAdams: I was looking at some Westone Thunders on the interwebs over the weekend, and I noticed that they were almost identical to the Vantage neck-throughs. Apart from the body wing shapes, perhaps the top cutout on the headstock, and the pickups (P/P v. P/J), I don't think you could tell them apart. Couple more pics of my Vantage attached.

-Alex

What is the nut width of that bass? I don't care for the 1.75" nut width Matsumoku made Aria TSB and SB basses I have from the early days, and always wonder about other brands Matsumoku made from that time period.

 

[Abner]

What is the nut width of that bass? I don't care for the 1.75" nut width Matsumoku made Aria TSB and SB basses I have from the early days, and always wonder about other brands Matsumoku made from that time period.

Pretty sure I volunteered the information for the "List of width at nut" thread:

Vantage VA-900B (1981) – 1.59” (40.5mm)
Vantage VA-900B/FL (1981) – 1.59” (40.5mm)

As you may surmise, I've added a nearly identical fretted version since making the quoted post.

I don't find the width too much, but the neck feels a little "chunky". Not in a bad way, mind you, more rounded than flat (front-to-back). I actually find it very comfortable to play. (The short upper horn and length of the neck, on the other hand...)

 

[wolfmancharlie]

The Westone Forum.com is also very informative.

 

[bholder]

Daion is not Matsumoku. Nor Fugi-gen nor Dyna-gen, but it's late and I'm too tired to track down the maker.

Whoever made them, they're pretty darned great.

 

[Quadzilla]

My '85 Clifton. I believe these were made by Daion. Amazing bass!