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Potato Owners Club

clavo

clavo

May 12, 2008
68
0
74
South Texas
#1
Seeking new members to the Potato Owners Group.
Since I'm the first member, I guess I'm "one potato".

Apparently Mr. Potato is an actual person who chose to market basses by putting his short-lived brand on unnamed custom built basses from various independent luthiers, then selling them in a small shop outside of an airbase in Korea.
Although instantly labeled cheap knock offs because of their initial purchase price, my Potato is all quality.

My particular model is a neck thru 4 string fretless with brushed aluminum metal gear.

The tone (I judge a bass by it's sound, as opposed to oohing and drooling over the price tag) sustain and overall fit is spot on for a 6' player with big hands.
So.. Any other Mr. Potato owners out there?
Also, if there are any for sale in your area let me know. thanks!
 
#8
Mr. Potato and his leetle friends, Dean Edge "Q6", Hohner Jaz and El Fatso. Mr. Fender Jazz in hard case, awaiting trade for a 5 string sumpin..





"If you gots the bass chops your audience won't be able to tell the difference between MIM, MIJ, MIA, MIK or MIEU...But your wallet will..."
 
#9
Mr. Potato is located (or at least it was when I left last June) just outside the main gate of Osan AB, in the Korean town of Songtan. The Asia Hotel is nearby, where I stayed many times while working at Osan. I can say that I've played some of "his" basses a few times, and they're OK, but nothing special - you can find the same stuff in Nakwon Arcade in Seoul. They weren't very expensive as I recall, and I actually considered picking one up as a souvenir but eventually decided against it. He had some really odd looking designs - one looked like a Romulan spaceship from Star Trek.
 
#10
Never went to Korea. I spent all of '69' a little further south..
In the bass world it takes all kinds. Consumer demand for particular brands drive the price up, and vice-versa.
Yet there are high dollar basses hanging in pawnshops, having first been bought at outrageous prices, then pawned when the owners couldn't find an immediate buyer who agreed on the bass' initial worth.
Does the pawnshop bass lose it's music making abilities, simply because of where it is for sale?
In my time I've held some high dollar basses, now collector items commanding muchos dineros. I've been with some big deal bassists when they've played the hell outta of a"cheap bass"
What does all this mean? It's 90% player, 9% bass. Or vice-versa.
And my amp set-up
Polytone Bass Mini-brute IV - bass @ 11, treble @ 0, no effects, tape wounds
 
#15
lol...probably the smallest club in all of Talkbass.

I do have one- actually a pretty darn good bass with a less than ideal brand name- bought it for $80 from a serviceman who was stationed in Korea .
If you ever do see one, I would recommend giving it a try, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I was paring down my bass collection not too long ago and I had a choice of keeping this bass or a Schecter Elite as they were the two basses that could be compared in terms of features and overall sound- I felt keeping both seemed redundant. Well, this smoked the Schecter. Besides, that name......

Pictures? Ah yes... here.
Screen shot 2016-07-30 at 12.57.47 AM.png
 
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#17
After owning a Mr. potato for a couple days, I can definitely say. What a gem. Sure the finish is a little blemished in some spots, and the nut is made of very cheap plastic that has slots the size of pencils, but after a little TLC she'll be good as gold, and I only paid $150 so I can't complain.

Actually one of the finer playing 6 strings I've played for under $500.

Mr. Potato ftw!
 

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