Tonika Bass USSR

How can we not?
Including the fact that it looks absolutely horrible,this is why not.
Soviet-era Eastern Bloc Basses (Orfeus, Tonika, Jolana, Cremona, Ural, etc)

 

Quite easily, since I've actually had a couple of these in my hands a few decades ago.

For $15, I could be tempted to buy it and hang it on the wall, just to remind myself of how great the instruments I currently own are in rare moments of doubt. Other than that, it's firewood. At best.

 

their spud ugly factor is part of the appeal, that Russians wanted to be rocket rollers is pretty cool too, kids just wanna have fun no matter what else is trying to ruin it. I find it interesting tho that their guitars didn't get the heavy handed brute force overkill which was a Russian trademark before technology became more advanced. just think if there had been money for greater ideas and manufacturing!

 

Hi Rick

When you want a bass from Russia,

get the real thing!

may the bass be with you

Wise

 

$238. ($149 price plus $89 shipping.) Probably $(extra) for customs.

 

for those of you on acid, thats a Thunderbird

 

I think I read somewhere that it's against the forum rules to call a bass ugly.

This bass is so un-pretty, that on a scale of 1 to 10, it's a negative number. But it's not ugly; just so Russian it makes my brain hurt. The O.P mentioned it reminded him of Texas; somehow it made me think of those laxative TV commercials with the odd pictures of someone's inner workings.

It's strange though. I'm a moderator on a switchblade knife forum, and from time to time somebody will start a thread with way too many pictures of "Russian prison knives". Trying to imagine prisoners being allowed to make flick knives is hard for me to swallow. But the point is, they're so freakishly styled I ask myself "How can another human being possibly think that looks good?" They don't just look foreign, they look absolutely alien. What is it with those guys?

But as a builder I can see how much skill and effort went into making them, not to mention time. That's what staggers me.

There are some strange people out there. I can see how some would be afraid they'd bomb us.

Tom
View attachment 3435733
"Comrade! Build me knife part scaler, part rolling block rifle receiver, part lower intestine, or die trying!"

 

Pssssst: Eastwood makes a reissue of this Tonika thing =0)

 

Have they? I flipped through their online catalog quickly and The Airline shares the character of the Soviet designs but I'm not seeing a similarity to the OP's photo.

tbh I kind of like the looks of the Tonika in the OP. The "so awkward that it loops all the way around back to being kind of cool" style is right up Eastwood's alley, so I'd love to see them take a whack at this.

 

Could have been a short run:

Eastwood Tonika bass 2017 black / red | The Emporium

 

They would. For $400+ they sell a copy of the $37.50 Airline I got from Montgomery Ward in the 60's

And who's the war hero with the balalaika, Keith Richards?

Tom

 

I love it but I just don't have the room for any more basses I won't play onstage anymore

 

It's called bass-balalaika. Here's a video!

 

I can go out and get a pretty slamming steak and cocktails for that kind of money.

 

Mine is quite playable. And the strap button slides in and out

Нбд (NBD USSR Content)

 

Ouch! It doesn’t look like it works.