Vintage cheap basses

[Andrew 1976 Ibanez 2353]

Check out my 2 basses on the top forum. I think it is show your bass 19. On page 316.

I do not see what "pages" you are referring to..? Is there a document there to review..?

 

[Andrew 1976 Ibanez 2353]

I guess that doesn't fall under the cheap bass category!!!

you can find those good Japanese "lawsuit era" ('74-'82) basses for under $500 if you look around and stay out of the Music Stores... I got my '80 Greco P-Bass for $375 last year... (the guy had it in the store on consignment for $750).

 

[Bassist Jay]

I don’t know if it’s considered vintage or not but the very first brand new bass that I ever bought was in I think 1989. It was an Epiphone by Gibson Accu bass that was their version of a P bass. Brand new it only sold for $199.99 but it had a string through body and was a much nicer bass than for what it sold for. It was made in Korea and the quality was actually really good. I traded it and one other bass on a brand new 1993 Ibanez SR 400 Soundgear bass. I loved the new bass but really missed the two I had to trade in.

A few months back I found a twin bass of my old one that was a 1992 model. The bass was in surprisingly excellent shape for its age and had very little wear on it. The best part was it was only $89.99 I think? I have really enjoyed playing it and reminiscing about my younger days. I now want to find another Epiphone Accu bass with a jazz set up. If I can find a white one in good condition, I will pull the trigger.

 

[fretter]

Fretter, if the pickup needs rewinding, I can recommend Sentell Pickups out in Sacramento, Ca, highly. He's done a couple of jobs for me and just completed one for a friend and all came out great. High quality work, very reasonable prices, and a helpful family business to deal with.
Sentell Pickups electric guitar pickups
Greg
P.S. To return to the original subject, the old cheap basses I particularly like have all become old, not-cheap-anymore basses (Harmonys, Kays, Silvertones, Danelectros, Supros, etc.). Luckily I managed to score a few before the prices went completely wacky:

Thanks GZboat, I'll send it there, if the new wiring harness doesn't do the trick.

 

[Bass17]

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I love the white one

 

[JIO]

Fretter, if the pickup needs rewinding, I can recommend Sentell Pickups out in Sacramento, Ca, highly. He's done a couple of jobs for me and just completed one for a friend and all came out great. High quality work, very reasonable prices, and a helpful family business to deal with.
Sentell Pickups electric guitar pickups
Greg
P.S. To return to the original subject, the old cheap basses I particularly like have all become old, not-cheap-anymore basses (Harmonys, Kays, Silvertones, Danelectros, Supros, etc.). Luckily I managed to score a few before the prices went completely wacky:

Is the center one a Microfret?

 

[GZboat]

Is the center one a Microfret?

Yes it is, a Rendezvous one pickup that I've owned since 1977.
Greg

 

[Thornton Davis]

My two "Vintage Cheap Basses" that when new (in 1967) were $135.00 for the Model 833 on the top and $120.00 for the Model 743 on the bottom. Cases were additional that varied in price from $13.50 - $39.50 A new Fender Precision back then was approximately $370.00

I love these two classics. I'm looking for a Model 822 which is a full body semi-acoustic pictured below. If you know of one for sale, please PM me.

TD

 

[Flamingo21]

I passed at $300 last week on one of these, MOP logo, super intact and minty: Electra/ Greco/ Matsumoku Jazz Bass

I'm curious if you guys would have jumped on it.

At that price I might have.
But this seller doesn't ship to my country.
Edit: I didn't mean that reproachfully.

 

[Gremson]

I adore the old Japanese import basses. There's been an old Univox hollowbody bass floating around my family for years. My uncle bought it when we were kids. My brother kept it for a while. I had it for a few years and even gigged with it once. My sister has it now, and I think is using it to teach her son how to play.
The neck is twisted beyond truss rod adjustment, and the electronics only work when it's in the mood, but I love that bass. It's the reason I sold my Jazz bass and am now back looking for a short scale hollowbody. I might get close, but nothing will feel as satisfying as that old piece of junk.

 

[Flamingo21]

This was the fretless neck sold with a fretted necked bass in a case that had a space for the 'other' neck. (the one not on the bass) Who would do that today? I love how crazy cool an idea that was.

Oh, yes! I wonder if any original buyer at all, ever went about swapping them regularly.

Tonight's band practice, I'll have the fretless. Then tomorrow morning, worship. Fretted. Later tomorrow, jazz gig.....

 

[Flamingo21]

I am a lucky owner of a great playing and sounding late 60's Orfeus Hebros sovjet bass .

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You've got me so jealous now!

 

[JIO]

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You've got me so jealous now!

I like the ones with the Art Deco finish scheme (the ones I've seen are in blue hues)

 

[Reclaimer]

I love the white one

Thanks! I’ve thought about selling it. Had quiet a few offers, just not to my price.

 

[RobTheRiot]

Those brass-chunk-saddle bridges were on so many 80's basses! I'm a fan of the Electra/Westone stuff! I've never owned one but I did build a bass around a Westone Spectrum LX 80's vintage fretless neck. (this was the fretless neck sold with a fretted necked bass in a case that had a space for the 'other' neck. (the one not on the bass) Who would do that today? I love how crazy cool an idea that was.

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One of the “ones that got away” for me...

Cpl years back on EBay I found a listing for the Electra bass that came with both a fretted & fretless neck in the same case - X695 was it?
It was in MINT condition, original case & everything and listed extremely fairly, I believe $300 was opening price. The price never went up to my surprise, but i hadn’t heard of one before, and I didn’t realize at the time that I wouldn’t see one listed, in anything close to that condition at least, for years to come, so I just let it go.

Every time I think of that one I kick myself for letting it go, because - a) it was just such a cool, unique concept, and a pretty bada$$ bass, and b) I see ppl asking for triple that price for not nearly as clean examples...
Mostly A tho, just be a neat bass to have in the collection..

This is an example.... so cool!

I’ve never actually had my hands on one; if someone here has had one I’d love to hear how it was as a bass, and how convenient it actually was to swap the necks...

 

[JIO]

One of the “ones that got away” for me...

Cpl years back on EBay I found a listing for the Electra bass that came with both a fretted & fretless neck in the same case - X695 was it?
It was in MINT condition, original case & everything and listed extremely fairly, I believe $300 was opening price. The price never went up to my surprise, but i hadn’t heard of one before, and I didn’t realize at the time that I wouldn’t see one listed, in anything close to that condition at least, for years to come, so I just let it go.

Every time I think of that one I kick myself for letting it go, because - a) it was just such a cool, unique concept, and a pretty bada$$ bass, and b) I see ppl asking for triple that price for not nearly as clean examples...
Mostly A tho, just be a neat bass to have in the collection..

This is an example.... so cool!

I’ve never actually had my hands on one; if someone here has had one I’d love to hear how it was as a bass, and how convenient it actually was to swap the necks...


View attachment 3019556

Yah, they are pretty much collectable at this point. The fretless/fretted on the same bass concept has been batted around a few different ways over time including retractable frets and a magnetic fretboard swap. Swapping the necks would need individual set-up unless they compensated for lower action on the fretless neck by making the heal a little thicker. (seems unlikely) It's a really nice neck so I imagine the body/pu's etc also sound good.

 

[RobTheRiot]

Yah, they are pretty much collectable at this point. The fretless/fretted on the same bass concept has been batted around a few different ways over time including retractable frets and a magnetic fretboard swap. Swapping the necks would need individual set-up unless they compensated for lower action on the fretless neck by making the heal a little thicker. (seems unlikely) It's a really nice neck so I imagine the body/pu's etc also sound good.

Yeah, like I said, that’s the one I kick myself for letting go!

Gotcha, so a cool concept with the 2 necks, and great to have the options, but you’re not going to be swapping necks in-between songs! Ha!

I have heard of some of these other ideas too, but I guess none were truly effective, thus the best way to get a good fretted & fretless Sound, if you need to change quick, is probably to have a well set up fretted, and a well set up fretless. Change back & forth at will.

Def not as much fun, or as “high - tech”, and that’s what a bunch of these older Basses were trying to be, but much more practical.

I do applaud Ibanez for realeasing their bass a few years back that had fretted E-G, then a fretless D&G on the same bass. Pretty cool concept too, so you can “solo” fretlessly, but still have a full fretted bass. Not sure how much I’d use it, but much like the charm of many of these old cheap Basses, I love the fact they were willing to step outside the box!

 

[bassmantam]

My Yamaha SB55 is still my favorite bass and I'm back up to seven basses again with two £1,000+ and one £2,500 basses among them. it has great action, a fast neck, superb tones and its comfortable to wear for long periods. I don't play it so much these days, only special gigs with my old band from back in the day as its getting on a bit and I don't want to re-fret. I have been offered money on several occasions by other bassists who have tried it and given phone numbers should I ever consider selling.

I highly recommend the SB55 and SB75 to anyone.

 

[JIO]

My Yamaha SB55 is still my favorite bass and I'm back up to seven basses again with two £1,000+ and one £2,500 basses among them. it has great action, a fast neck, superb tones and its comfortable to wear for long periods. I don't play it so much these days, only special gigs with my old band from back in the day as its getting on a bit and I don't want to re-fret. I have been offered money on several occasions by other bassists who have tried it and given phone numbers should I ever consider selling.

I highly recommend the SB55 and SB75 to anyone.

Those are cool basses!

 

[NMTB]

Although no longer with me, my first ever bass was a '60s Teisco Riviera. I sold the only thing I had of value at that time (a Sanyo rockbox) and bought it from a hockshop some time around 1982.

After 30-odd years of abuse at my hands, it sadly became damaged to the point of being unplayable but I enjoyed the hell out of it while it lasted. Since I had previously stripped the finish and added a design incorporating my now ex-wifes name under the new laquer, the arrival of my current wife sealed it's fate and I put it out on the street (and it was already gone 15 minutes later).

When I originally got it, apart from being strung with black nylon-coated strings, it looked pretty much like this one:

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Update:

I came across a couple of pretty dodgy-quality pics of my Teisco, taken around 2003. Apart from a lot more abuse, this is how it looked when we parted ways around 2011.