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Post your vintage Japanese basses
- Thread starter rockear
- Start date
just picked it up, with the original case.
i dunno what year it is
brass nut and knobs, active pre amp
For AUS $150 and two evening's work, I have a very nicely playable sunburst/maple P bass that kicks the pants out of my MIM Standard P & gives my '51 Reissue a run for it's money. The hardware & pickup are original, all I did was shield it with copper foil & give it some fresh wire, new CTS pots & a decent quality jack. The back of the neck has a charming combo of flame and birdseye
Sadly missing the original (no doubt tort) pickguard:
No logo
After a few days research, I choose to believe this is a Matsumoku produced Aria Pro II PB-400SB 'Precise Bass', as I've seen no other basses with the following combination of features:
- 7 screw bridge
- bridge cover
- 3 piece headstock
- 40mm nut
- 6 digit serial number 762644
- 'Steel Adjustable Neck' stamp on neck plate (apparently unique to Matsu)
- yellow:red:black ratio on sunburst finish
The serial uses either the first one or two digits for year of manufacture - since Matsumoku only started using s/ns in '76, and stopped making them in the 80's, this is either a 76 or 77 bass. As I was born in 1976, I choose the earlier year
The chap on the right looks familiar somehow (1978 catalogue):
What it's not (definitely maybe, or not):
I had a near-miss with the Westminster line of Matsu basses, but this never had a pickup cover like the one I've seen.
It's not a Diamond series Aria PB260, as the tuners are wrong. Body's a perfect match though.
It's not an Aria HB - again, they had pickup covers, and the one I've seen didn't have a 3-piece headstock.
Same thing with Greco & Tokai Hard Puncher basses - solid headstock in all the ones I've seen.
I've had one suggestion it was an Emperador, but can't find anything on them. Saw a Jazz once, hardware was rubbish.
c-
I post my Aria HB, ( http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=306388&highlight=aria+pro+club&page=50 )with replaced :
1. Pickup (DiMarzio)
2. Pickguard (original-white)
3. Bridge (original with 3 screw ?)
4. Tuners (Kluson)
I Can't find anything about HB Series of Aria.Not a word on : [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] . !!!!!!
Someone know something about ARIA HB ?
THNX
Picked up this El Degas on Friday.
Circa 1977, seller said he bought it new in '78 and it had been hanging around the shop for about a year, nobody wanted the red one. He upgraded the tuners to Schallers (originals were included), everything else is stock. It has few pock marks here and there, nothing major. Brass bridge and nut. The series/parallel (coil tap?) switch works and adds some interesting tonal variations.
This is my first Japanese bass, my 3 Yamahas were all made elsewhere
Dave
Circa 1977, seller said he bought it new in '78 and it had been hanging around the shop for about a year, nobody wanted the red one. He upgraded the tuners to Schallers (originals were included), everything else is stock. It has few pock marks here and there, nothing major. Brass bridge and nut. The series/parallel (coil tap?) switch works and adds some interesting tonal variations.
This is my first Japanese bass, my 3 Yamahas were all made elsewhere
Dave
Nice to see another El Degas. Here's the El Degas I have on the way to me.Picked up this El Degas on Friday.
Circa 1977, seller said he bought it new in '78 and it had been hanging around the shop for about a year, nobody wanted the red one. He upgraded the tuners to Schallers (originals were included), everything else is stock. It has few pock marks here and there, nothing major. Brass bridge and nut. The series/parallel (coil tap?) switch works and adds some interesting tonal variations.
This is my first Japanese bass, my 3 Yamahas were all made elsewhere
Dave
Picked this one up on my way home from work! Musta been fate!
Serial # L 800686
Made in Japan
Single Humbucker
Nut width between jazz & P
Had GHS Flats on it.
Brass bridge
ash body
one piece maple neck
The pickguard had been cut and a new control plate added. I made a new one out of paduak purchased from Woodcraft. I'm gonna have to make a whole pickguard now. You know how GAS is, but right now this bass seems like all I'd ever need
The tone is bright, but not in a harsh way. Must be the pickup placement. You can dig in and it sounds fantastic. The action is low and the frets are in great shape too. I really lucked out with this one.
Serial # L 800686
Made in Japan
Single Humbucker
Nut width between jazz & P
Had GHS Flats on it.
Brass bridge
ash body
one piece maple neck
The pickguard had been cut and a new control plate added. I made a new one out of paduak purchased from Woodcraft. I'm gonna have to make a whole pickguard now. You know how GAS is, but right now this bass seems like all I'd ever need
The tone is bright, but not in a harsh way. Must be the pickup placement. You can dig in and it sounds fantastic. The action is low and the frets are in great shape too. I really lucked out with this one.
Attachments
Picked this one up on my way home from work! Musta been fate!
Serial # L 800686
Made in Japan
Single Humbucker
Nut width between jazz & P
Had GHS Flats on it.
Brass bridge
ash body
one piece maple neck
The pickguard had been cut and a new control plate added. I made a new one out of paduak purchased from Woodcraft. I'm gonna have to make a whole pickguard now. You know how GAS is, but right now this bass seems like all I'd ever need
The tone is bright, but not in a harsh way. Must be the pickup placement. You can dig in and it sounds fantastic. The action is low and the frets are in great shape too. I really lucked out with this one.
I see you live in Ft. Worth. Did you happen to get that Ibanez at Competition Music off of Lancaster?
Quadzilla
Supporting Member
Never get tired of posting this one, Penco (made in the Ibanez factory) as far as I can tell an early-mid 70s made copy of a 69-70 EB-3. Real MOP inlays, even copied the Gibson crown inlay on the headstock, also had the lever-pull bridge mute which is awesome to cop an upright bass tone. Sounds fantastic, though the tone pots are kinda crap, hand-me-down bass so can't complain, really dig it for some real old school tunes.
I have the same bass. Black 83/84 SQ series Squier. Check out your headstock above and mine below!
We got twins!
I posted this one in the hollow body club, but it belongs here too! It's definitely Japanese, from the 60's, but other than the "Japan" engraved on the neck plate and "Adjustable Truss" on the truss rod cover, there's nothing to identify this wonderful axe. It was originally bought by a friend's father for $49, and he has had it ever since...until now, because he needed cash to save his house and I bought it from him for $100. It's a true hollowbody (no tone block), the single coil pickups sound much fatter than any single coil has a right to, the neck is as thick as a baseball bat and dead straight, but...no name! Please, if anyone knows what this is, email me or post it here and give me a clue!
Attachments
Show your vintage Tokai, Kawai, Greco, Fernandes, Fender JV, Aria, Ibanez, Yamaha, etc... I just ordered this '75 Fernandes FPB70.
I was really wanting a vintage Fender "funk machine" but I couldn't afford the real deal.
Help me get stoked while I wait for this bass to sail across the Pacific!
Does that say "Bunny Olds" on the head?
Aria Pro II SB750JR - 1994 Matsumoku
scored on ebay for 290$ a few years back, added a brass nut, emg actives, and an ABF bridge.
this is my prized possession.
scored on ebay for 290$ a few years back, added a brass nut, emg actives, and an ABF bridge.
this is my prized possession.
1984 Ibanez Roadstar II RB924. Rescued it from a Toronto pawn shop. This bass is very bright!
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