Official TUNE Club

[pjinserra]

Would like to join the club....I own a MIJ Somnus Zi-II 4 string and a MIK TWB-43. Lots of interesting info on this thread.....more history than what's out there from the Japanese and Korean companies producing the basses.
Thanks, Paul

 

[Evilvince]

I'm in with this TWB43 qp, i receive it last thursday...
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[conebeckham]

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Not a great pic, but that's me and my baby.

 

[conebeckham]

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Here's another..

 

[Watchootognbout]

These two Tune TWB63's are my "Brown Girls.The bass in my left hand with wood knobs is fretless.It is one of two TWB63's that I bought back in '07.(The second was bought in '08 and then sold to GC in '09)I defretted this bass myself in 2012.The fret slots are filled with styrene plastic.The fretted on the right with gold knobs,was bought in Feb this year.The fretless is Ovangkol/Mahogany with Wenge knobs.The fretted is Walnut/Mahogany with gold knobs and Hipshot Ultralight tuners to minimize neck dive.The fretless will get the Hipshot tuners later.Both basses look similar,but have quite different sounds.


The fretted's sound is bright.While the fretless has that punchy low mid "burp"And of course,that fretless "Byowww"I use both pickups on the fretted,while I keep STRICTLY to the bridge pickup on the fretless.While they seem to be identical,the walnut fretted is a bit more on the reddish side and has a "dashed" grain pattern.The ovangkol fretless has wide,dark bands.


But the fretted has a minor problem,that the fretless doesn't have.This bass has a buzz that doesn't go away when I touch the strings.RF?Loose ground?Bad pickups?The cavity has shielding paint.Has any one had this problem with hum from their TWB?How did you remedy this?


I've seen WooSungChorus's site that sells Tune BT6 pickups and parts.But apparently you must buy the minimum quantity of 20 pickups?!?!There must be some misunderstanding!I will take the bass to a repairman in hopes that it may be a simple fix.If the problem is with the pickups,I may have to absorb the cost of new pickups from WSC.Unless someone has a Tune BT6 bridge pickup they'd like to part with?

 

[warnan]

guys i need your help.
I got a blade pbass and it has a preamp that really like tune preamp. If anyone who got a zi model with trim pot eq adjust please help.
I emailed Blade guitars they said it is a prototype and no record left......I believe blade bossa tune share the electronix, so i ask for your help. please

 

[TuneGuitar6string]

Would like to join the club....I own a MIJ Somnus Zi-II 4 string and a MIK TWB-43. Lots of interesting info on this thread.....more history than what's out there from the Japanese and Korean companies producing the basses.
Thanks, Paul

Hey man first post is my bass a japanese or korean (it looks alot like yours) and do you know what model of bass i have or how much it's worth?

 

[iuserneim]

i had this tone synchron a while ago.

 

[RickC]

Hey man first post is my bass a japanese or korean (it looks alot like yours) and do you know what model of bass i have or how much it's worth?

That's a MIJ Zi-II 6. Had one just like it but in padauk; still miss that bass

/rick

 

[Dan Knowlton]

I was talking about Tune basses with Dan Altilio over the weekend. He was the importer for Tune basses from Japan and sold me the Bass Maniac that I was stupid enough to sell. He also gave me some extra literature that I need to scan and get posted.

Dan K.

 

[pjinserra]

RickC is correct. You bass is a Made in Japan Somnus Zi-II. An exhaustive search through Google threads (and nested links therein) will eventually lead you to a few catelog cuts that show your model of bass......pretty obscure and hard to find.....like most of the older MIJ Tune basses. I love the tone on my Somnus Zi, and it has a very streamlined neck that is great for playing funk and jazz. Have fun!

 

[Evilvince]

My two TWB43 , one qp, and one walnut
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[Watchootognbout]

O.K.I shielded the electronics and pickup cavities with copper tape.But I still have a buzz from the bridge pickup.It used to be both.The bridge ground is connected to the bridge and goes to a five pin bus connecter.(Small bus on the left.Is this normal?)This buzzing doesn't go away when I touch the strings,but it does decrease at a point when I rotate in a circle.Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I was just comparing the electronics of both of my TWB63 basses and I noticed something I didn't see before.The pickups in the fretless have THREE leads(First pic)Two hot,one ground.I presume!


The pickups in the fretted have FOUR!!(second)


One of the wires in the fretted's wire group has thick black insulation(see the loops?) and it's shares a connector slot with another wire!(second)Hmmmmm!I had just assumed that both basses electronics were exactly alike!Has anyone noticed this in any other TWB's???

 

[LagBox]

Does this have a small half moon shaped chip near the bridge. If so, I owned this once.

Whoa, I totally missed this. I can't find anything half moon-shaped. It has a crack in the finish between the bridge and the bridge pickup right along the edge of the neck.

 

[tommy_the_cat!]

Hi fellow Tune players!
I'm looking to move on my TWB43, as much as I love it, new musical adventures await. Only problem is, I have no idea what sort of price I should sell for.
I purchased it in 2008 (possibly '09) in Australia for, if my memory serves me correctly, about $1500 case included. However this was a massive mark down from the original price of roughly 2k. I can't find any photos of other TUNEs that share the same colour as mine, which leads me to believe it's MIJ that had been hanging around for a while before I purchased it.
Here's a few snaps, I don't have photos of the case at the moment, but it appears to be the same as the lovely current ones.

 

[kodiakblair]

Well folks my wait is nearly over.I'm finally getting a Tune.

Back in 86 I saw the Maniacs reviewed in a magazine and feel for a fretless,extended fingerboard with piezos.
Couldn't afford it then and I've never seen one since I don't even know the model number. Ended up buying a Washburn ABT B-20 that was
almost there,really should have went for the ABT B-32.

Gave up on ever owning one and could never really justify buying a Tune,I work away a lot of the time. Then on Thursday I spotted a TWB-4Z
on the bay going ridiculously cheap but I got my times wrong and missed the end of the auction.Lucky for me it never sold so I emailed the seller
and said if he re-listed and put a Buy It Now I'd jump at it.

Got email this morning to say it was back up, it's bought, ships Monday and I'm like an expectant father again.

Photos when it arrives.

 

[Watchootognbout]

For any and all who have been looking for replacements for TWB63 pickups.I have found a possible candidate.The Bartolini G66CBJD B1/T1.Check 'em out.They're just a bit longer than the Tune B60 pickups.Tune is 5.125.The Bart G6 is 5.570.

If you click on the small dimension diagram at the bottom left it will open a picture file that says "Woo G6bass" at the top.That must mean it's a replacement for WSC or Woo Sung Chorus pickups.(Tune) Invalid Link Removed

This guy has a TWB63.He has the G6 Bart in his bass.

To any and all who may need replacement pickups for your Tune basses!Here!Invalid Link Removed

 

[kodiakblair]

Sorry gents I must have forgot to post. So far I've only managed a couple of days with the Tune as I'm working away.

But here it is

30 years was a long time but worth the wait.

 

[STCBass]