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Squier Katana Bass

T

TheHulk

Guest
Dec 3, 2014
6
0
34
#1
I have a Squire Katana bass, a short lived model from the 80's that never took off. I'm on the hunt for a hardshell case for it. Obviously it is a very very odd body shape, so I know this will be a challenge.

Would anyone know of a place where one could be found? Or of the dimensions of the bass to see if it would fit in a generic rectangle case?
 

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#8
while I don't have a Katana nor owned one, I did see one a few years back. The case sticks in my head because it was next to mine which was a standard size case and when the case was opened, it had the Katana in it. Just googled it and from pics, it looks like it should fit in a standard rectangular case as long as it doesn't have the foam in it. You'll probably have to use your own padding to get it seated correctly in there (at a slight angle) and not to put too much pressure on the leftmost horn. If the case is dropped on it's end, the full weight of the bass inside will be on that horn so you'll have to make sure it's seated correctly, snug and that there is some weight distribution . I had an LPT80 guitar that got slightly damaged on the horn because it was a little too loose in the case. It's somewhat similarly shaped to the Katana, sort of a Randy Rhoads V not a symmetrical V.

You may want to ask this guy on TBass to see what case he's using- this isn't the custom made they normally come in.

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/the...ders-the-katana-bass-need-advice-fast.563124/
 
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#9
If I were you I would take it by some of your local music shops and try out a few cases, they should accommodate you. You may still have to add some of your own padding as Maxdusty suggested to ensure it's not moving around inside.
 
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#13
tbplayer59 said:
And Katana is an odd name for this since the namesake sword is known for its curve. There's not a curve on this bass.
Click to expand...

As someone who grew up all through the '80s, I can address this seeming paradox.

Looks-wise, the bass is INCREDIBLY '80s…hard angles, lots of pointy bits, Miami Vice White, etc…etc. One other thing about that decade was "anything hailing from Japan is instantly cool". Ninja-movies were all the rage, Honda and Kawasaki motorcycles were as highly sought-out as Sony and Toshiba electronic gadgets and Japan's rising economy (pre-1989 Great Recession of Japan) was firmly fixating the country, along with it's esthetics, in the minds of people who rarely care about what goes on beyond their country's borders. (y'know…Americans!)

So, it comes as no surprise to me that an American manufacturer would produce a highly decade-specific stylized instrument and name it after the epitome of Cool-Ass-Japanese-Culture. :bookworm:

EDIT/UPDATE: And just to further illustrate my point, there's this guy from "Top Gun"…

7ShqM.jpg
 
#19
I'v got one with an original case, I'll measure it when I get home. I had the bass for years without a case then one day a like new case popped up on ebay. Seems unlikely, but being persistent paid off. My back up plan had been to use a 61 key skb keyboard case with custom foam. The katana case is probably 4 inches longer than a normal fender case, the extended headstock really makes this one an oddball to fit.
 

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