What Washburn Bass Do You Own (Database)?

[Thundar]

Interesting bass. No info seems to be anywhere including in the 1998 catalog. Hmm--lemme look thru my files and old ads from then---maybe I'll get lucky. I could swear I have heard X-4000 somewhere before, dang it. SP_EB4L might have an idea about this so I hope he sees this and chimes in. Heck, for all we know it might have been made originally only for the Asian market. Glad to see you, Thundar---any other Washie stuff you can share?
You did not see you name and this bass in the database because I started the database only about 3-4 yrs ago or so. But gonna put it in there right now! That gives us 113 models among members now. ALso gives us a new piece of history. I got some digging to do.Whew!

EDIT: Is it active or passive? How many batteries if active? What is the pot and switch info?

Yeah its been a while since I've been back to this thread...LOL! Good luck digging, I did a lot of digging when I first got it.
It is active with one 9V battery, and the switch is a "slap" contour switch to drop the mids and bump the lows and highs. It has a VOL and Treb/Mid/Bass controls.
I will drag it out and make some better pics soon.
Oddly, it is almost a copy of the Cort Curbow models that came out around the same time...here it is with my Cort Curbow 6:

 

[MEKer]

Yeah its been a while since I've been back to this thread...LOL! Good luck digging, I did a lot of digging when I first got it.
It is active with one 9V battery, and the switch is a "slap" contour switch to drop the mids and bump the lows and highs. It has a VOL and Treb/Mid/Bass controls.
I will drag it out and make some better pics soon.
Oddly, it is almost a copy of the Cort Curbow models that came out around the same time...here it is with my Cort Curbow 6:

View attachment 2901045

Yes, that's what you told me back then and I saw this pic when you first posted it a long time ago on the first Washburn Club attempt in 2010 IIRC. You know, Curbow came out with a BBR (black, body, black hardware and red binding)guitar shortly after Washburn did in 1984. Makes you wonder if both companies kind of kept an eye on each other--certainly appears that way even more with the picture you just posted above.

Sounds very interesting for tonal capabilities. Has it seen much time in a band?

 

[Thundar]

Yes, that's what you told me back then and I saw this pic when you first posted it a long time ago on the first Washburn Club attempt in 2010 IIRC. You know, Curbow came out with a BBR (black, body, black hardware and red binding)guitar shortly after Washburn did in 1984. Makes you wonder if both companies kind of kept an eye on each other--certainly appears that way even more with the picture you just posted above.

well, truth is, Cort made guitars and basses for a lot of other companies over last 30 years.

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

How's that Force 8 coming along? Please make sure to post pics and serial number. And a review of how you like the tones. Wish I had a Force 8---maybe some day!

hey MEK! haven’t embarked on the refret yet, but i’ll definitely keep you posted and pist pics when it’s done.

 

[MEKer]

hey MEK! haven’t embarked on the refret yet, but i’ll definitely keep you posted and pist pics when it’s done.

Thanks!

 

[MEKer]

well, truth is, Cort made guitars and basses for a lot of other companies over last 30 years.

No doubt, altho Washburn's manufacture track is well known and were not involved with them. I have often wondered if a Cort bass---I've never even gotten close to one, seems you can't hardly find one---would be something to check out. I saw one model years ago somebody posted about and wanted to check it out but never found it to try, and now don't even remember what it was.

Here is a 1985 Cort guitar in BBR right after the BBR scheme came out in 1984 with Washburn:

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

Thanks!

it lives!!

i got this Force BBR for $50 off Craigslist, and it had been defretted very poorly and the fingerboard was torn up from someone playing rounds on it. Rather than paying $300 to have it refretted, i spent about that much on tools and did it myself. I’m pretty pleased with the results for my first fret job. And i’m happy to have brought a cool and unique bass back from the brink.

 

[MEKer]

it lives!!

View attachment 2902381

i got this Force BBR for $50 off Craigslist, and it had been defretted very poorly and the fingerboard was torn up from someone playing rounds on it. Rather than paying $300 to have it refretted, i spent about that much on tools and did it myself. I’m pretty pleased with the results for my first fret job. And i’m happy to have brought a cool and unique bass back from the brink.

View attachment 2902382 View attachment 2902383 View attachment 2902384 View attachment 2902385

Thanks for the pictures, EpicSoundtracks. I bet you like the tones out of that bass!!
Interesting is that it is a B-8 and not a Force 8 which ended in 1984. Made in the Kasuga factory BTW.
Here is the deal on it, The interesting point to me is that this B-8 seems, to me, to be the last gasp of putting out the beloved Force 40 with the 2 pickups and a different pot, switch+input arrangement, but under the B series name of B-8, not that it makes a whole lot of difference since it is such a good bass.. The 1984 Force 8 BBR officially has 1 pup...either a soapbar or a reverse P. And it has the name Force 8 on the headstock.
That's Washburn for you. I'd have called it a Force 40. But who knows why the name is officially changed. Maybe the Matsumoku factory contract interfered with the name since it is 1985 Kasuga built and Matsumoku was still operating...?? Who knows?
But the fact remains the 1985 B-8 is a splendid bass and I wish I had one. They also were offered with a white body and black binding.

Note: edited the bold words by adding 1984 and BBR to be a little more precise for you..so just you know

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

Thanks for the pictures, EpicSoundtracks. I bet you like the tones out of that bass!!
Interesting is that it is a B-8 and not a Force 8 which ended in 1984. Made in the Kasuga factory BTW.
Here is the deal on it, The interesting point to me is that this B-8 seems, to me, to be the last gasp of putting out the beloved Force 40 with the 2 pickups and a different pot, switch+input arrangement, but under the B series name of B-8, not that it makes a whole lot of difference since it is such a good bass.. The Force 8 officially has 1 pup...either a soapbar or a reverse P. And it has the name Force 8 on the headstock.
That's Washburn for you. I'd have called it a Force 40. But who knows why the name is officially changed. Maybe the Matsumoku factory contract interfered with the name since it is Kasuga built...?? Who knows?
But the fact remains the 1985 B-8 is a splendid bass and I wish I had one. They also were offered with a white body and black binding.

huh! I had always assumed this was a Force. thanks for the info, especially about the site of the build. I was curious, and hopeful that it was Japanese but wasn't 100% sure.

 

[MEKer]

huh! I had always assumed this was a Force. thanks for the info, especially about the site of the build. I was curious, and hopeful that it was Japanese but wasn't 100% sure.

Sure thing. Just got it up in the database list on page 26! OMG-$50---holy crap!! What a score!

 

[Heisenbass]

Thanks for the pictures, EpicSoundtracks. I bet you like the tones out of that bass!!
Interesting is that it is a B-8 and not a Force 8 which ended in 1984. Made in the Kasuga factory BTW.
Here is the deal on it, The interesting point to me is that this B-8 seems, to me, to be the last gasp of putting out the beloved Force 40 with the 2 pickups and a different pot, switch+input arrangement, but under the B series name of B-8, not that it makes a whole lot of difference since it is such a good bass.. The 1984 Force 8 BBR officially has 1 pup...either a soapbar or a reverse P. And it has the name Force 8 on the headstock.
That's Washburn for you. I'd have called it a Force 40. But who knows why the name is officially changed. Maybe the Matsumoku factory contract interfered with the name since it is 1985 Kasuga built and Matsumoku was still operating...?? Who knows?
But the fact remains the 1985 B-8 is a splendid bass and I wish I had one. They also were offered with a white body and black binding.

Note: edited the bold words by adding 1984 and BBR to be a little more precise for you..so just you know

MEK, don’t forget about this babe when it comes to naming Kasuga-made basses

BTW, in the meantime I have swapped the neck PU against a no name soapbar and it sounds great. The old one had > 40kOhm resistance -> toast. Apart from that, IMO, the mid sweep is more usable than on the Matsumoku ones, although it has only one boost level.

 

[MEKer]

MEK, don’t forget about this babe when it comes to naming Kasuga-made basses

BTW, in the meantime I have swapped the neck PU against a no name soapbar and it sounds great. The old one had > 40kOhm resistance -> toast. Apart from that, IMO, the mid sweep is more usable than on the Matsumoku ones, although it has only one boost level.

Oh, yes! Your 1985 B-40EQ! Does it get much play time with you? Maybe one day I'll find one too (at the same time I have the $ to spare!). It would be great to know all the models Kasuga was making for Washburn during their somewhat brief tenure. I should scour my files for any K serial numbers and try to get a decent handle on that. Hmmm....

 

[Heisenbass]

Oh, yes! Your 1985 B-40EQ! Does it get much play time with you? Maybe one day I'll find one too (at the same time I have the $ to spare!). It would be great to know all the models Kasuga was making for Washburn during their somewhat brief tenure. I should scour my files for any K serial numbers and try to get a decent handle on that. Hmmm....

Oh, yes, since I fixed the PU, it does get some playtime at home. Must say, that the build quality is definitely on par with the Matsu stuff and the Kahler style bridge feels better than the regular ones.
IMO, these double-soapbar basses always sound somewhat neutral, especially when active, but then again, this means they fit in a lot of contexts. Currently, my main player is the F8-BBR, since I have swapped the Bass Boomers for TI Flats. Killer.

 

[Greg Waldon]

MEK, don’t forget about this babe when it comes to naming Kasuga-made basses

View attachment 2902647

BTW, in the meantime I have swapped the neck PU against a no name soapbar and it sounds great. The old one had > 40kOhm resistance -> toast. Apart from that, IMO, the mid sweep is more usable than on the Matsumoku ones, although it has only one boost level.

I love the color. Is it maroon? If it is, I could really be a huge Ms State fan. I could have “Go To H#** Ole Miss” painted on the back.

 

[Heisenbass]

I love the color. Is it maroon? If it is, I could really be a huge Ms State fan. I could have “Go To H#** Ole Miss” painted on the back.

Plain red, I guess. Can’t tell more exactly. Colorsight impairment here.

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

CONTROVERSY!

Some of the cats over at the Vintage Japanese Guitar Fanclub on Facebook told me there's no way my Force BBR is Kasuga; one guy seems pretty sure it's Fujigen-built.

BBR discussion

(not sure if you have to be a member of the group to view this thread, but it's a very interesting exchange.)

Me, i'm just happy to have a great bass with an interesting provenance.

 

[AGH]

I just joined (pending approval) the Facebook group to see how @MEKer was right on the BBR discussion.

 

[MEKer]

CONTROVERSY!

Some of the cats over at the Vintage Japanese Guitar Fanclub on Facebook told me there's no way my Force BBR is Kasuga; one guy seems pretty sure it's Fujigen-built.

BBR discussion

(not sure if you have to be a member of the group to view this thread, but it's a very interesting exchange.)

Me, i'm just happy to have a great bass with an interesting provenance.

He is dead-bang wrong. Have him tell you when Fujigen ever built Washburn basses and substantiate it. If he can show me one bass like that and proves it is Fujigen, then I will applaud him, give him kudos, light a candle for him in a cathedral and add it to our history recovery and be happy about it. But...I sure won't hold my breath waiting for it.

I have found so many times that people with wrong Washburn data simply refuse to acknowledge anything other than their unsubstantiated belief. Washburn has a well known manufacturer record that I posted a couple times within this long thread of ours.

The only real historical unknowns currently bothering me are: when exactly did Yamaki drop out of Washburn bass work they started in 1978 (first year of production for Washburn electric instruments)and Matsumoku took over all bass production for them? Matsumoku coming in during mid-1979+Yamaki starting in 1978, well, both did manufacture Washie basses during a piece of 1979. It was --at least for basses--sometime in late 1979( I think) that Yamaki dropped the Washburn contract for any basses, but Yamaki did continue with some of the guitars for a while (again--exactly when did they stop is an unknown altho they they were probably totally out by 1981..??). So there are 2-3 questions right there that I may never find an answer for... Yamaki questions.

Anyway, for this Facebook guy...For starters, I suggest he read "Kasuga apparently made some Washburn models around 1988 or so with a serial number starting with a K and they might have also made some Jackson and BC Rich guitars." which is at Invalid Link Removed Of course the date is wrong because we find the "K" starting with Washburns in 1985 when they were eased in as Matsumoku factory was ending Washburn production contract (going out of business).

Lots of bad info out there about Washburns (don't ever bother with g3 or BlueBook or even VintageWashburn (altho VW does have some good/correct info). Some even say Matsumoku only made Washburns 1979-1980. Some don't mention Matsumoku OR even Yamaki with Washburn at all. And you never even find the iconic Washburn 1981+1982 SB-40 and SB-4040EQ mentioned at all---by anyone---even though I have 3 of them and a couple other members have one too.

For all the badged and contracted instruments Fujigen made (there were a whole bunch), Washburn was simply not on their plate of production.

PS: 1. I have never been a Facebooker so cannot see the discussion you linked for us.
2. Remember you have a Kasuga-made 1985 B-8, not a Matsumoku-made 1984 Force 8

 

[MEKer]

it lives!!

View attachment 2902381

i got this Force BBR for $50 off Craigslist, and it had been defretted very poorly and the fingerboard was torn up from someone playing rounds on it. Rather than paying $300 to have it refretted, i spent about that much on tools and did it myself. I’m pretty pleased with the results for my first fret job. And i’m happy to have brought a cool and unique bass back from the brink.

View attachment 2902382 View attachment 2902383 View attachment 2902384 View attachment 2902385

Just so you have it---here is the 1985 catalog ad for the B-8 you have:

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

this is awesome, @MEKer! thanks. Except now i want ALL those basses!