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Vantage Owners Club

#101
Just discovered this club. I do t remember what model this is as I gave it to my kid for a while and he lost the truss rod cover, among other atrocities to it. Anyway I’ve been slowly getting it back in shape to play again. Actually it’s playable it just needs some electronics work.
upload_2021-8-15_17-18-51.jpeg
 
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#102
Ketbass said:
Just discovered this club. I do t remember what model this is as I gave it to my kid for a while and he lost the truss rod cover, among other atrocities to it. Anyway I’ve been slowly getting it back in shape to play again. Actually it’s playable it just needs some electronics work.
View attachment 4370902
Click to expand...

VP-820B? (VP-825B looks very similar, but I think the 825 has a carved top.)
 
#104
Guess I should add my bass to this thread for posterity. I actually replaced the bridge with a proper black one recently as I had a someone wanting that P bridge.

I've been thinking about looking to trade it from a short scale and one that doesn't have that hard edge on my forearm. Wish t had the comfort cut

20210323_0041282.jpg
 
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#107
Here's my high school bass, a 1980 Vantage VS650B. I used this bass to learn (to advanced beginner, is that a thing?) and play in my high-school jazz band & in a couple garage bands. While I was away at a college internship, my brother loaned it to another student who graduated and moved away - I was pretty distraught as I loved it (even though it was cheap - I had no idea who Matsumoku was at the time, or that this was one of the first CNC basses ever made).

PF020004.JPG


Fast forward twenty years or so, and I get a box at my front door - my bass! A total time warp, it had my strings, my picks, the stickers I put on the case - everything. It had been stored, untouched as far as I can tell until the student connected with my brother through social media, and asked if he wanted the bass back. I've since filed the grooves in the bridge to get even action across the strings (the bridge has the characteristic bend) and mounted the upper strap at the heel of the neck to balance it better, and started trying to learn again 40 years later.

Question for this group: I have two places where I can play, and would love a second bass so I don't have to schlep this one back & forth. I think the second should be a medium scale so I'm not trying to learn on two different neck sizes, should I just get a second Vantage? Or should I get a newer, medium scale bass? Or just get a long-scale, and stop over-thinking it?
 
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#108
kineticdg said:
Here's my high school bass, a 1980 Vantage VS650B. I used this bass to learn (to advanced beginner, is that a thing?) and play in my high-school jazz band & in a couple garage bands. While I was away at a college internship, my brother loaned it to another student who graduated and moved away - I was pretty distraught as I loved it (even though it was cheap - I had no idea who Matsumoku was at the time, or that this was one of the first CNC basses ever made).

View attachment 4770129

Fast forward twenty years or so, and I get a box at my front door - my bass! A total time warp, it had my strings, my picks, the stickers I put on the case - everything. It had been stored, untouched as far as I can tell until the student connected with my brother through social media, and asked if he wanted the bass back. I've since filed the grooves in the bridge to get even action across the strings (the bridge has the characteristic bend) and mounted the upper strap at the heel of the neck to balance it better, and started trying to learn again 40 years later.

Question for this group: I have two places where I can play, and would love a second bass so I don't have to schlep this one back & forth. I think the second should be a medium scale so I'm not trying to learn on two different neck sizes, should I just get a second Vantage? Or should I get a newer, medium scale bass? Or just get a long-scale, and stop over-thinking it?
Click to expand...

I love reunion stores :)

If it were me, i would buy something different just to have some diversity.
 
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#115
Abner said:
Now you need one more with black pickups. :)

Just curious, do you notice any differences in sound between them? (Assuming you have the same type of strings on them all.)
Click to expand...

I'm partial to the creme color ;)

There is a slight variation between them, but not much.
I used to gig with one in EADG and one in BEAD, both with D'Addario XL170, and noone could here any difference
in neither sound or volume.

You could (and i have) play around with strings, setup and pick-up height and make them sound
really different.
 
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#116
A soon to be member of the Club here... I went to my local pawn shop over the weekend, and to my surprise, the was an old Vantage hanging there. The price was good, so I slapped it on layaway until I get the rest of the funds together. Overall in really good shape, neck looks really straight. Only question will be the truss rod, but the shop has a return policy if it's toast. I'm trying to identify what I'm getting. Visually, it is almost identical to this one:
Link Removed

Again, this isn't it, just one like it. It has nothing on the truss cover, and the knobs on it are like P bass knobs (guessing a swap). The other difference is the neck plate doesn't say Vantage. It has Made in Japan, Steel reinforced neck, and a serial number. Anyone hazard a guess as to the model? Could the neck plate be non-original?

Also, the bridge has the (not uncommon as I understand it) issue of pulling up in the center. The action is still decent on it, but I'll want to replace it. Anything out of the ordinary about these bridges, or should any 3 point do the trick?

Thanks!
 
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#118
Bassguy61 said:
A soon to be member of the Club here... I went to my local pawn shop over the weekend, and to my surprise, the was an old Vantage hanging there. The price was good, so I slapped it on layaway until I get the rest of the funds together. Overall in really good shape, neck looks really straight. Only question will be the truss rod, but the shop has a return policy if it's toast. I'm trying to identify what I'm getting. Visually, it is almost identical to this one:
Link Removed

Again, this isn't it, just one like it. It has nothing on the truss cover, and the knobs on it are like P bass knobs (guessing a swap). The other difference is the neck plate doesn't say Vantage. It has Made in Japan, Steel reinforced neck, and a serial number. Anyone hazard a guess as to the model? Could the neck plate be non-original?

Also, the bridge has the (not uncommon as I understand it) issue of pulling up in the center. The action is still decent on it, but I'll want to replace it. Anything out of the ordinary about these bridges, or should any 3 point do the trick?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Probably an early VS600b. Here is a sold Reverb listing with good pictures to compare:

Vantage VS600B 4 String Bass Guitar Free Shipping | Reverb
 
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#119
Regarding the Vantage 960BA that I posted about earlier, I was unhappy with the gap on each end of the pickups due to a mismatched rout for non stock pickups, so I fabricated a pair of brass pickup rings to improve the cosmetic appearance of the bass.


This is how they turned out:

20230516_163123.jpg
20230516_163325.png




BTW, I do have this bass listed in the TB classifieds. It turns out that I can't physically play a 6 string very well because the neck is too wide for my small hands.
 
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#120
Okay. so I got my new (old) bass home today. I have a few questions hopefully someone can help answer. There are some things about this that are different than the pictures you normally see. First is the headstock...
upload_2023-5-27_14-11-54.jpeg


This is the first one I recall with the script running that way and with out the big "V" on it.

Next is the neckplate:
upload_2023-5-27_14-13-11.jpeg


Again, most I have seen have the "V" somewhere on it.
I guess the question is, do I have a legit Vantage? I can't imagine there having been copies of them. They are great little basses, but not exactly high dollar collectibles. Shy of the bridge needing replaced, it plays and sounds good.
One other question... What should the scale be? I was thinking 32", but when I measure from the nut to the saddles, I get 33 inches. If I go 32", it comes to just past the front bridge post.

Thanks so much. I hope someone can help clear up my mystery!
 
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