Post your vintage Japanese basses

[FL Knifemaker]

Here's my Axstar. This is the second one I've owned and it's the active version. IMHO, these are the best factory made headless basses EVER made.
I recently picked it up from a local TBer and it's in amazing condition for it's age.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

My old BB! Of 14 basses this has become my new, #1, go to player I need to upload some of my other bass photos to my website so I can post them. I refuse to resize

 

[Dave Vader]

Can I throw my trainwreck Ibanez Roadstar in here as well? Tiny body, huge tone.

 

[Count Bassie]

As much as I can't get it with those Axstars, that's a great color. Actually makes it work for me! And nice Yammy.

 

[Count Bassie]

Can I throw my trainwreck Ibanez Roadstar in here as well? Tiny body, huge tone.

Is that your mod? What p'ups are those?

Here's my Ibanez mod:

 

[FL Knifemaker]

Is that your mod? What p'ups are those?

Here's my Ibanez mod:

Cool!! Nicely done

 

[Count Bassie]

Thanks. Now I just need to get 2 of the same pots in 'er so I can put knobs on!

P.S. The color was shot by Guitargarage, by the way. The pickguard design was a collaboration betwixt us.

 

[Craig_S]

Great looking Squire!

Thank you. It sounds great, too!

 

[fourmations]

hi all

i am currently playing my mates 1990 japanese squier precision bass
and its a lovely instrument,

i know these japanese squiers get kudos and it no surprise
i have a 1989 squier ibanez copy superstrat and its superb

rgds

4

 

[emblymouse]

My old BB! Of 14 basses this has become my new, #1, go to player I need to upload some of my other bass photos to my website so I can post them. I refuse to resize

That BB looks spankin' new! Look out, time warp!!!

 

[FL Knifemaker]

That BB looks spankin' new! Look out, time warp!!!

Thanks!! I love the darn thing. Your Arias have me gassing again

 

[CThompson]

You can't fool us, it's not an Ibanez, it's a Dave.

 

[rockear]

Hey, this thread lives!

I got my Fernandes a few weeks ago. It's awesome. Better than I had hoped it could be.

Very pleased with my transaction with www.music-trade.co.jp as well. They were awesome to deal with.

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[garp]

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1986 Ibanez Roadstar II RB850RV. Perhaps not quite as “vintage” as some of the other basses in this thread, but I still gig with it on occasion.

 

[Dave Vader]

Is that your mod? What p'ups are those?

Long story to the mods, brief version, got the body and original neck off ebay for £25 a year ago, truss rod in the neck was busted, so I got a replacement Pbass neck off ebay, as it looked better than the original anyway (turns out it played nicer too, hoorah!) I threw a kent soapbar in the original pickup hole (bridge side one) and loved it, though not until after I'd stripped off the chokingly thick black sparkle poly finish. Then I played a T-bird a couple of weeks ago, and wanted the two soapbar tone but not the back-angled headstock and slanty body (couldn't put it down in my tiny studio without taking up most of the floor) so I went at it with a router and put in the second soapbar, result, huge tone, sounds more tbirdy than the tbird did.

And after hours of trying to think of a clever and pretty decal for the headstock, I did just scrawl Dave on it with a big permanent pen.

Nice mod by the way, is that a blazer or a roadstar? I think I saw it as a project on another website recently while I was surfing for mod tips.

 

[MoonDoggy]

Mine ain't quite so vintage either, but it's an early example of Tune Guitar Technology's work. It's most likely a 1992 Zi-II 6 string:

And this is my previous Tune Zi-I 4 string (also early-mid 90s):

 

[FL Knifemaker]

Of more than a dozen, this is my last remaining Electra!! I had to tototally rebuild the 80's 18V booster but it was worth it A friend painted the body for me and I made the pickguard.

 

[SamanthaCay]

not my kingston but this is a pic of one just like it i found on ebay. enjoy!

 

[Count Bassie]

Dave, thanks- it's a Roadstar. 80's, don't know the year exactly. Losing all that wood was a consideration (and with TI Flats on it I'm afraid it shows a bit, not sure though), but it's super-light now, and I've installed a jig for the strap-hanger just behind the neck. It causes the bass to hang almost vertically if I want it to, which is sometimes. I find that my wrist doesn't like the extended-arm, palms-up position- my hand starts to go numb. The jig is here:

Kent Soaps, eh? I played a T-Bird recently and liked it quite a lot, it was a new Gibson...

Love the Electra, Knifemaker! There are a lot of cool basses on this thread.

 

[Avalon]

When I think of old Japanese guitars, I tend to think of the unique creations such as the Teisco's and such.

I have search high and low. To date, nobody can tell me who manufactured this 'Avalon'. A single pick up model was sold in the 1968 Harris-Teller catalogs, so this could be '68 or perhaps a year or two later....