Vintage Japanese Basses (lets make a list)

[iriegnome]

Weren't these made in Russia???

Sekova

 

[Hermans]

Hi.

I bought my Guyatone EB-4 Bass in Oslo, Norway back in 1968. It's, as far as I know, a 1960 model. During the years I have repainted it. (Sorry) But apart from that, all parts but the volume- and tonecontrol are original. E. Hermans

http://eivindhermansen.com/Palbum-gitarer/GT-EB4a.JPG

http://eivindhermansen.com/gitarer/

 

[Turock]

Weren't these made in Russia???

Sekova is MIJ.

 

[CraigG]

You should consider expanding your list into the early 80's as Japan/Matsumoku was still producing some killer basses during that time. I have a Vantage Performer series 900B that is a phenomenal bass.

Link Removed

 

[Marcury]

Well it's an old thread, but since it's revived, I'm really surprised nobody has mentioned ESP. They started as a parts company doing perfect high quality copies. I have a Pbass, that's as good as 95% of the Ps I've ever played.

 

[burk48237]

ESP started as a parts company, but their first finished guitars and basses were American made and Fender custom shop quality. I'm not even sure the ESP of today is the same company. I believe the name was sold in the early eighties.

Crestwood is another Japanese brand we haven't mentioned. As far as collectable. My list would look like this.

Ibenez Musician: The first truly original quality CIJ bass, even though it had obvious Alembic influence it was a great original design.

Early Yamaha BB: Yamaha's take on the Fender P and J started showing up in the hands of Paul Macartney and Lee Sklar. The early ones were neck thru and excellent quality.

80's Tokal Fender copies: ( pre lawsuit )These were better made basses then any of the Fenders from the seventies that collectors are lavishing 1800-3500 on. I would take the sixties J model over any 62 MIA reissue I've played.

Ibenez Explorer, Richenbacher, and Modern copies: Very rare, good quality and at the time (70's) Gibson wasn't making Modern or Explorer basses.

Washburn Status Basses: Washburn had either bought or licensed status from England and did the first low priced graphite neck instruments. I haven't seen one of these in years.

Ibenez Fender copies (late 70's): These were very good basses, I had a P/J with an Ash body and maple board that rocked.

Kawai Alembic copies (early eighties): These were very high quality, and probably better basses then anything coming out of an American factory at the time (I don't consider Alembic a factory)

I'm sure there are others, but these stand out to me for there quality and there place in history.

 

[Johnny Crab]

here's my el maya original which is MIJ and from the early seventies

Looks like this well-preserved 1977 Greco and El Maya were born in the same factory with the same woods & techniques:

 

[A9X]

Washburn Status Basses: Washburn had either bought or licensed status from England and did the first low priced graphite neck instruments. I haven't seen one of these in years.

They're not composite necks, but 3 piece maple NT. Hardware and pickups are Status UK though. I own one.

Agree with your comments on the Musician, Kawai's and the Tokai lawsuit and pre-lawsuit. Only thing I think you should add id the Greco basses from the same era are as good or better than the US basses they cloned.

 

[iamlowsound]

They're not composite necks, but 3 piece maple NT. Hardware and pickups are Status UK though. I own one.

I was going to say the same thing. I knew it wasn't a composite neck because it moved with the seasons. I own one as well, is for sale if anyone is looking for one.

lowsound

 

[TheKingOfDirk]

Sup?

So yeah I'm the noo-est noob.

This is just one of my Kids

1970 Aria Jazz

 

[mark roberts]

I'm looking to start a full list of all pre 1980 Japanese made basses, like Tokai, Vantage... These should be the best bargains out there. Fender clones or any other clones are welcome as well.


The only ones I know so far are:

Tokai J-Bass and P-Bass
Vantage Avenger

Cheers

And then the really nice '69-'70 era of the Ventura
This one is a copy of the Gibson EB-2
They also made ( and I had at one time) very nice knock-offs of the the EB-o and EB-3

 

[burk48237]

They're not composite necks, but 3 piece maple NT. Hardware and pickups are Status UK though. I own one.

Agree with your comments on the Musician, Kawai's and the Tokai lawsuit and pre-lawsuit. Only thing I think you should add id the Greco basses from the same era are as good or better than the US basses they cloned.

I agree, the other one I forgot was Aria, they made a neck thru in the 80's that I think John Taylor of Duran Duran was playing. If you think about it the really hot new basses in the 80's were the EBMM's, Steinbergers and the Yamaha's. Fender was not near the flavor of the month during the 80's.

 

[fenderaper]

"penco" and "conrad" of the univox family make some beautiful knock offs

 

[bugbass]

What about Jarock? Anyone heard about them?

 

[JMDT]

My dad has a Kingston from the '60's. It has a jazz type body and hofner type pickups. Mahogany neck as well.

 

[bigbass94]

Don't forget yakima. I have one of the P copies.

 

[RBrownBass]

As has been said here before, the Tokais are as good as anything Fender put out during the same era. Maybe the same can be said for Greco. I've never played a Greco, tho, so I don't know for myself.

I think Yamaha, Kawai (they were loosely based on Alembic, but were definitely not copies), Aria Pro II (my username) and the Ibanez Musican series deserve special praise for not being copies of other instruments.

 

[pjmuck]

My first bass was a Westbury Track II. When I bought my '72 Fender Jazz (back in '84) I traded the Westbury to a drummer in exchange for a Dr. Rhythm drum machine. I've missed the Westbury so much over the years that I bought one again on ebay a few months ago.

Wasn't Westbury a subsidiary of Marshall or something?

 

[Wesley R]

Don't forget Decca, a short scale that had a deep thump and maintained note definition.

 

[samuelbas]

I own a 70'sYamaha 'Superbass' B1200.
I can't find any info about it on the net, maybe some of you know something about the 'Superbass'-series. The thing is: they are super.