Official TUNE Club

[RodRy]

There's not a whole I can say.

Given the centuries long animosity between the 2 countries I doubt we'll ever get the full story

Thanks! It's nice to at least have some history gathered together here! I recall that the earthquake in Kobe was a huge blow to Tune Japan, as it took out a warehouse and I believe some of the production facility. That quake seems to have been the catalyst to even more troubles.

I often wonder if the original company had been able to continue as it was, what would they be doing now.

 

[kodiakblair]

I often wonder if the original company had been able to continue as it was, what would they be doing now.

Probably follow the same path, go bust then reinvent themselves a few years later as a small luthier shop.

There really was no coming back after the earthquake.
Height of the Levinson years, the warehouse would have been stocked with Blades. No insurance payout due to "Act of God", no money from Gary for completed but destroyed goods = no funds to pay suppliers and replaced the destroyed goods. Levinson has to look elsewhere fast for another builder to complete his orders.

With little income from their own line being built in Korea, no Blade contract and mounting debts, I'd have faked my death and disappeared too

 

[Watchootognbout]

Tune Japan DOES have the Phoenix line.
TUNE Guitar Maniac

 

[kodiakblair]

Tune Japan DOES have the Phoenix line.
TUNE Guitar Maniac

They also make their money from PLEK services,re-finish work, pickup swaps and high class Fenders/Gibsons . It's a luthier shop more than a factory.

In light of the Korea/Japan rights of ownership the Phoenix range is quite ironic.
Do folks think Tune Guitar Maniac licensed the brand name from St Louis Music ?

 

[Maxdusty]

There's not a whole I can say
.
As Tune went into the late 80's/very early 90's necks/bodies and hardware were imported from the Korea for assembly in Japan.

The Korean company was Hatsun,part of WSC Music. Now a fairly large concern they supply guitar hardware to OEM factories and their pickup branch (Roswell) build for some large players. The large players include Fender, ESP, Fernandes, Tagima and of course Tune.

Later Hatsun took over both assembly and distribution for Tune.

When Tune in Japan went bust WSC still had orders to complete and continued production. For decades WSC have had the rights to Tune Guitar Technology. It's not a big part of the business and my feeling is WSC keep it going more for nostalgia than profit.

The Tune Guitar Technology in Korea vs Tune Guitar Maniac is a murky area. I only became aware there was a Tune still operating in Japan a few years back, this was after an American living Japan offered to promote the basses in the US.

Obviously he was upset to see his business plan crumble when he discovered Tune in Japan didn't own the name
It was then I started to hear claims of stolen trademarks etc.

There been several claims. In one the original Tune boss passed away having made a verbal agreement with WSC, in another the boss and money had disappeared

Given the centuries long animosity between the 2 countries I doubt we'll ever get the full story

This is most informative. Thank you!

 

[Terramactyl]

Hello Tune Gurus!!!
I have purchased the following instrument:

TUNE (Guitar Technologies)
Serial Number 808209
4 String
Fretless
Natural Wood Finish

I am wanting to know:

Country of Origin
Year of Production
Model Name
Estimated Value
(Any other information welcomed as well)
(Anywhere on the bass where I might be able to find out more info...?)

If anyone has any handy links for information about Tune Basses I am all eyes and ears (as I get super random results when searching the words ‘bass’ and ‘tune’....)

Thankyou all for taking the time to read. Cheers!!

 

[user362432]

Hello Tune Gurus!!!
I have purchased the following instrument:

TUNE (Guitar Technologies)
Serial Number 808209
4 String
Fretless
Natural Wood Finish

I am wanting to know:

Country of Origin
Year of Production
Model Name
Estimated Value
(Any other information welcomed as well)
(Anywhere on the bass where I might be able to find out more info...?)

If anyone has any handy links for information about Tune Basses I am all eyes and ears (as I get super random results when searching the words ‘bass’ and ‘tune’....)

Thankyou all for taking the time to read. Cheers!!

Picture?

 

[Terramactyl]

 

[Terramactyl]

 

[RodRy]

View attachment 3940286

Looks to be a rather nice Bass Maniac standard. 90's vintage? The bridge looks similar to mine, but the control knobs look aftermarket to me.

 

[Terramactyl]

THANKS HEAPS!! RodRy for reply and information. Would you happen to know with a serial number of 808209 what year it is made or where I could find out?.... Also I am super curious if it is a Korean or Japan made?..... again any info? Thanks again!!!

 

[RumbleBot]

THANKS HEAPS!! RodRy for reply and information. Would you happen to know with a serial number of 808209 what year it is made or where I could find out?.... Also I am super curious if it is a Korean or Japan made?..... again any info? Thanks again!!!

I believe that the South Korean ones start with an S so you may have a Japanese build.

 

[kodiakblair]

THANKS HEAPS!! RodRy for reply and information. Would you happen to know with a serial number of 808209 what year it is made or where I could find out?.... Also I am super curious if it is a Korean or Japan made?..... again any info? Thanks again!!!

Neck pocket and bridge say Japan assembly of Korean parts, before Tune imported necks/bodies they had a slanted neck pocket. I'm pretty sure it's been defretted, side dots are not "on the note" but middle of the frets.

 

[user362432]

Japanese is Guitar Maniac, Korean is Guitar Technology.
That might be some early Korean model, probably before year 2000.
Model is TBC4-BB and I believe someone sanded it meanwhile or they did not apply their signature inscription above the neck joint...

 

[kodiakblair]

That might be some early Korean model, probably before year 2000.

I've a Japanese assembled from Korean parts from the mid 90's, same neck pocket as @Terramactyl has.

Says Tune Guitar Technology on the TR cover and it's Japan on the control cover. Logo was sanded off.

 

[RodRy]

THANKS HEAPS!! RodRy for reply and information. Would you happen to know with a serial number of 808209 what year it is made or where I could find out?.... Also I am super curious if it is a Korean or Japan made?..... again any info? Thanks again!!!

Sorry, I don't really know anything about the serial numbers, but I see that several others are giving you good ideas about it.

No matter what, you have a very nice looking bass!

 

[Watchootognbout]

THANKS HEAPS!! RodRy for reply and information. Would you happen to know with a serial number of 808209 what year it is made or where I could find out?.... Also I am super curious if it is a Korean or Japan made?..... again any info? Thanks again!!!

Korean Tune basses numbers begin with an "S"

Japanese Tunes are all numbers or nothing at all.
Seems yours is Japanese.

 

[Terramactyl]

Thanks crew!!! @gebass6 @RodRy @kodiakblair @Tvrtko @RumbleBot ........ between all the posts it seems the general consensus is:

I have a 90’s Bass Maniac Standard
TBC4-BB which is likely a Japanese (no S in serial number) which is possibly made from Korean parts.

Possibly some aftermarket things done such as replacement knobs, sanding of body and possible removal of frets.

Thanks heaps for all your input crew, I appreciate it heaps. Good to know all this info, helps me to build a picture of the history of my newest addition.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[RodRy]

Thanks crew!!! @gebass6 @RodRy @kodiakblair @Tvrtko @RumbleBot ........ between all the posts it seems the general consensus is:

I have a 90’s Bass Maniac Standard
TBC4-BB which is likely a Japanese (no S in serial number) which is possibly made from Korean parts.

Possibly some aftermarket things done such as replacement knobs, sanding of body and possible removal of frets.

Thanks heaps for all your input crew, I appreciate it heaps. Good to know all this info, helps me to build a picture of the history of my newest addition.

Thanks again everyone!

OK, now, How do you like it? What do you like best about it? What sort of music do you like to play?

 

[Terramactyl]

OK, now, How do you like it? What do you like best about it? What sort of music do you like to play?

Well........ I still haven’t even got my hands on this beast yet....... It all started many years ago when my cousin Rob, bought a red Bass Maniac brand new heavily discounted from a music shop... He has an array of basses including a five string Yamaha, a Thunderbird and one of his first ever basses a Samick... I played that Bass Maniac everytime I would visit his house and was absolutley in love with it... I love the active pickup and the feel of the neck and just the overall style and shape of it....... Anywayyyyy....... I play drums, guitar and bass and am a jack of all trades, master of none (defo preference for drums and multi tracking and loops) and in that time have owned a few little scrudly basses and never considered buying a proper one......... Until, I recently have been reunited with all of my old equipment (lived interstate and had all my gear in storage) and have gone through and done a stocktake, selling off gear I no longer need or don’t love anymore.... I sold my fender stratocaster and bought myself a magnificent fender jaguar and it dawned on me I would like to upgrade my bass..... when I started looking at models I remembered that random, kickass bass that my cousin had. I called him and got the model details..... I then began hunting around online but all the Tune Basses I could find were a little bit out of price range..... until....... I found one through facebook marketplace sitting in a secondhand store. Again.... a bit out of my price range.... I called them up, got my haggle on and got it to a price I was comfortable with and locked a deal in..... Then I called my cousin Rob, who works pretty close to the shop to go in and have a look... Overall he rekons it is in great condition so the deal has been done and he now has it with him.... I have a trip planned in September to get down and collect the beast....... anyway, that is the yarn of how I got into the Tune Club......