Odd Ball bass roundup

[Jammin Johneboy]

Well.... gotta put my " Westone Rail " in here , complete with matching soft case :

 

[Tazz]

You know... where you plug the cord into the bass! I was on stage, last song of the night, when the cord fell out of the bass. I plugged it back in and it wouldn't stay. There was nothing to hold it in. The jack itself had just fell apart inside. The crowd started chanting for an encore, I didn't have a spare bass, so we had to think fast. The soundman had another jack in his tool box, but it wouldn't fit inside the bass. The jack that broke was a wimpy piece of chinese junk so the hole was too small for the new jack. We quickly soldered the new jack to the wires and gaffer taped the jack to the outside of the bass. It wasn't pretty but it got us thru the encore.

Got home and traded it in on another bass. It also taught me to have a spare bass with me.

He knows exactly what you mean pal. There are no input jacks on any bass that I know of. You mean output jack. It was tongue in cheek.

 

[JimB52]

HOLY CRAP!!!




HOLY CRAP!!!
I have one of these, but the metal plate and that clear piece of plastic in the headstock was long gone so I never knew what the %&$@ it was!!!!
HAYMAN 40/40!!!!
It has a neck plate with a SN and a graphic that was half scratched off so I couldn't read it.
I paid $100 for it 20 years ago and just assumed it was some poorly assembled frankenbass from the 80's.
This is the first time I have ever seen another one.

What else can you tell me about them?

Mine is a fretless but still has a zero fret, interestingly.
Mine also has a BA bridge on it, but that original bridge looks pretty awesome.

They were designed for Dallas-Arbiter co by Jim Burns. Made from about 1970-74. Then a similar bass was made, sold under the Shergold name, for a few more years. Burns only stayed with the company for a couple years.

The Hayman basses do look as if Ian Waller one early on. I think Sting played a Hayman 40-40 at the beginning of his career.


Shergold Bass

Dallas Arbiter also made the very good and hard to find Sound City amplifiers

Jim Burns also designed the Burns Bison Bass in the 60s.
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[Slevage]

You know... where you plug the cord into the bass! I was on stage, last song of the night, when the cord fell out of the bass. I plugged it back in and it wouldn't stay. There was nothing to hold it in. The jack itself had just fell apart inside. The crowd started chanting for an encore, I didn't have a spare bass, so we had to think fast. The soundman had another jack in his tool box, but it wouldn't fit inside the bass. The jack that broke was a wimpy piece of chinese junk so the hole was too small for the new jack. We quickly soldered the new jack to the wires and gaffer taped the jack to the outside of the bass. It wasn't pretty but it got us thru the encore.

Got home and traded it in on another bass. It also taught me to have a spare bass with me.

Tazz gets it

 

[RickBlair]

I don't know how oddball these are but you don't see anyone using them much.

Rick B.

 

[Bassmanmike1]

I don't know how oddball these are but you don't see anyone using them much.

Rick B.

Sweet! not one, but two original Moserites. My first bass was a Univox Hi-Flier copy. Looked just like your sunburst one. Saved my paper route money for a whole summer and paid $80.00 for it. I was 13 years old. I'm really enjoying this thread. Thanks OP for starting it.

 

[mikefromchurch]

You can easly find a few really famous players of those Kubiki's: John Taylor, Vail Johnson, Stu Hamm.

Which shop had it on consignment?

legends music manteca california. nice little shop

 

[PDGood]

Love this thread!!!

 

[kleingeld]

Me too. Absolutely love seeing the oddballs. Please keep them coming.

 

[MVE]

Ok, here is my Hayman 40/40.
I had no idea that it was a Hayman 40/40 before this thread...Thanks TB.

 

[pudgychef]

WOW!!! That Hayman is something else!! Had never seen one before this thread...very cool!

Lots of cool basses in here - love this thread - keep them coming! (sadly nothing to share)

1971 Hayman 40/40. Made by Dallas Arbiter in England for a few years.
Some cool features- Zero fret, Perspex bridge, 1940s style stove controls
Great P-Bass like tone.
Came with original case and smoked plexiglass covers.

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I have a White one too.
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[Dluxe]

1978 Alex Axe El Matador

 

[Spirit of Ox]

I don't have any oddball basses. I would like an Ovation Magnum and a Fender Performer. I played a show a few months ago and one of the band's bassist on the venue had a green Fender Performer. I played it. It's a very cool MIJ 80's Fender that played and sounded pretty good. Sounded like a trebly Jazz bass. Yeah, very trebly pickups. He used half wounds on it to cut it down.

 

[Camaro69]

Cool thread

 

[GBassNorth]

Very cool thread! I'm subbed.
I have some very rare basses but with the exception of my Danelectro Longhorn none of them are oddball. I almost bought a Vox teardrop shaped bass (Wyman?) and a Mosrite (Ventures) bass a few years ago. Kind of kicking myself for not buying them. Of the modern oddball basses I'd love to get my hands on a Spalt Terminator...

 

[phangtonpower]

I have one of them crazy Ovation Magnums. I've since converted it into a I. Love that thing. Have it strung with La Bella 760FMs. Very unique sounding bass.

Not really too odd, but I also have a Headway riverhead Bass. It's a headless. I've always hated headless basses but when I first moved to Japan I wanted a bass. Something small. Found it for $200. defretted it myself.

 

[Maxdusty]

I have one of them crazy Ovation Magnums. I've since converted it into a I. Love that thing. Have it strung with La Bella 760FMs. Very unique sounding bass.

Not really too odd, but I also have a Headway riverhead Bass. It's a headless. I've always hated headless basses but when I first moved to Japan I wanted a bass. Something small. Found it for $200. defretted it myself.

Is that the Riverhead Unicorn (just about as rare as one)? I have a Riverhead Spector that looks more er ..traditional. Great basses these Riverheads.
Anyway, here's another one I don't have but would love to get my hands on someday.
A Tokai Talbo..aluminum body. A true "metal" bass.

 

[phangtonpower]

Is that the Riverhead Unicorn (just about as rare as one)? I have a Riverhead Spector that looks more er ..traditional. Great basses these Riverheads.

Yup. They pop up on ebay from time to time. Kinda wished I didn't pull the frets out now when I see what they go for. Not much more than what I paid for, but still more. Love it though. Is your "spector"the one with the half the tuners sticking out like a normal electric and the other half like an upright? If I ever find one of those here for a good price I'm buying it

 

[JimmyM]

My contribution...not the black one

Yes, THAT Realistic. Made by Matsumoku in 67 or 68, also sold under the names Univox and Greco, but mine's way cooler because Radio Shack used to sell it

 

[Maxdusty]

Yup. They pop up on ebay from time to time. Kinda wished I didn't pull the frets out now when I see what they go for. Not much more than what I paid for, but still more. Love it though. Is your "spector"the one with the half the tuners sticking out like a normal electric and the other half like an upright? If I ever find one of those here for a good price I'm buying it

That's the Riverhead Jupiter with the two of the tuners at a right angle from the other two. Also a great bass but probably the easiest to find of all the Riverhead basses here in the US.That being relative, of course. They're all hard to find.
My Riverhead has the body of the Spector NS-2 with the curved body front and back-more Spector-like curves than the Jupiter. I haven't seen another one here in the US- body- only other instance I've seen one is in a photo at a Japanese website. Here's a pic of it.