Bassassin

[quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1382557854' post='2253725'] Holy necropost! But seriously did we actually get to the bottom of if they were an Ibanez copy or if they were the factory that made the SR for Ibanez who decided to do their own etc? Can any one shed any light? [/quote] No and no. Realistically the Ibby SRs are pretty much a copy of [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/189847-tune-japanese-basses-anybody-know-much-about-them/"]Tune's Bass Maniac[/url] range which appeared in the mid/late 80s. It was a pretty influential design and quite a lot of early 90s stuff took cues from Tune, not just Ibanez. As fot the factory of manufacture, early Ibanez SRs ware made by Fujigen Gakki in Japan and then subsequently in factories all over the place. It's possible the same factory that made Vesters also made some SRs but the design's a coincidence, really. If I remember rightly Vester attracted Fender's attention not just because of the highly influenced logo but also because of their range of copyright-infringing, P, J, Tele & Strat clones. Vester Argus is still on my GAS list, if someone's got a cheap one. Jon.

But I'm rejoining the financially debilitating world that is BC. I have GAS cramps and my bank account's panicking already. Oh god. Anyone want to buy some rubbish old Japanese basses? J.

Not at all. I like a low-ish action & tend to dig in, so it's become an inevitable component of my sound! There's a big difference though between an enthusiastic clattering-off-frets sound and the choking & buzzing you get from a poor setup or if frets need dressing. Jon.

Seen a couple go through in the last 5 or 6 years, in fact it might well be the same one doing the rounds. Anyway, missed one that went for about £120 a few years ago. I think it looks great but I ain't paying no £275. Jon.

[quote name='squire5' post='1225597' date='May 9 2011, 09:35 PM']Just for the record,this bass sold for £255.[/quote] Incredible. There are some terrifyingly stupid people out there. J.

[quote name='Wil' post='1225318' date='May 9 2011, 05:20 PM']Teisco?[/quote] No - Teisco was Japanese, not Taiwanese. And some of them were half-decent, too. J.

"Terrible Old Kay Cheapo"? People pay good money for these now, dunno why. [i]edit:[/i] [url="http://www.guitar-museum.com/guitar-24600-1960-s-Kay-Bass-Guitar-Model-K-1B"]To be more specific...[/url] Jon.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1224449' date='May 8 2011, 08:12 PM']That looks mighty like the Fernandes [url="http://www.fernandes.co.jp/others/catalog/1987/045.html"]JBR-45[/url][/quote] It does, doesn't it! It seems Fernandes have at different points been made by Kawai & Tokai, so that's probably a bit of sneaky factory re-badging going on there. J.

[quote name='hairyhaw' post='1224312' date='May 8 2011, 05:45 PM']Jon, where were the MIJ Fender's made? I've got a '94 MIJ Jazzmaster and it's pretty stunning in terms of quality.[/quote] I think we need a Jap Fender FAQ sticky for this one! MIJ Fenders & Squiers were made by Fujigen Gakki, from the earliest ones in 1982 up until 1996 when their contract expired & production was moved to Tokai & Dyna. Fujigen Fenders exclusively carry the MIJ label while Tokai & Dyna are CIJ. There are some pre-96 CIJs around, presumably because Fujigen alone couldn't meet production numbers at that time. I have read that Japanese Fenders are again being sourced from Fujigen but I don't know if that's confirmed. Anecdotally, Fujigen was chosen to make MIJ Fenders based on the replica-level quality of the Greco-branded Fender copies they produced - it's no coincidence that Fender Japan is operated by Kanda Shokai, who own the Greco brand. In fact it's also rumoured that the first production run of MIJ Fenders actually began production as Grecos! Kanda Shokai undertook to cease manufacture of Greco copies as a condition of getting the Fender contract, so it's quite possible that this is what happened to the final Greco production run. J.

£135 for an MIJ Tokai (even a recent one) is a steal. As far as the "Fender factory" idea's concerned - sort of. Tokai Gakki have their own manufacturing facility in Japan and along with Dyna Gakki, they manufacture CIJ (not MIJ) Fenders. According to what I've read, Tokai-built Fenders are home-market only so you won't find many over here if that's true. Like most big-ish brands, Tokai outsource production of their budget ranges to Korean, and probably Chinese & Indonesian factories, but the premium stuff has always been built in Japan. I'd say your bass is worth a good few bob more than you paid, so if you do change it, don't do anything you can't change back one day! Jon.

[quote name='markstuk' post='1223593' date='May 7 2011, 07:48 PM'][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l11BFb-ddU"]Die so fluid[/url] I'll get my coat :-)[/quote] That'll be Grog, aka Georgina Prebble, then. My band gigged with DSF a few years back so I've spent several hours in her company - she's a total pro and a thoroughly charming & delightful person into the bargain. Plus there are no pics or videos that do her justice. Jon.

[quote name='desmondpot' post='1219814' date='May 4 2011, 01:10 PM']Yup. That's right. The center screw uses the existing hole. The two that need drilling fall nicely between the existing holes. 3mm bit.[/quote] Sorry - that's not right unless the 3D design's been modified recently, which I doubt. I've fitted Schallers to 3 of my Fender-style basses, what they have is 3 main screwholes & 2 "pilot" holes about 6mm or so in front of the main ones. The pilot holes align with 2 of the originals and allow you to accurately mark & drill for the new ones. I suspect if you just used the original holes you wouldn't have the saddle travel to get the intonation right. That said, fitting a 3D is dead easy, and they're better-made, more versatile, more compact, better looking, lighter & cheaper than a FatAss II. No-brainer as far as I'm concerned! Jon.

Very good - not seen anyone attempt that classic fee-dodge for a while. Surprised it's not been pulled already. Jon.

Just got a nice MM-type pup from David, absolute gent & a pleasure to deal with! Jon.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1220800' date='May 5 2011, 11:13 AM']Looks like a less funky and more expensive version of my daisyrock [/quote] That's much more like it! Still on my GAS list. Jon.

It's essentially just a slightly differently shaped EB-3, surely? Incredibly loony pricetag for a simplistic & inevitably limited-sounding bass, which doesn't even have the distinction or interest value of being old. Jon.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1220476' date='May 5 2011, 12:15 AM']Where are these basses made?[/quote] FGN = Fujigen Gakki, probably best known for MIJ Fenders from the early 80s to late 90s, & pretty much all Japanese-made Ibanez & Greco from the 70s onwards. Fantastic quality instruments whatever the badge, personally I'm a little disappointed the FGN bass range is so conservative & anonymous - some of their guitars are jaw-dropping. Jon.

I think there are some articles out there about the whole Yamaki/Daion/Joodee/Yamada etc link-up & what the relationships between the brands & companies were. I'll have a dig around later on & see if I can find them. J.

Daions weren't made by Matsumoku - like Chaypup says, Yamaki appears to have been the factory. There's some confusion possibly based on the closely related early Washburns - these were originally sourced from Yamaki but it seems around 1982/3 production of the same models moved to Matsumoku. If you compare the two, the level of attention to detail on the early ones is almost anal - check out the brass ring board inlays (which you'll see on early Washburns & Daions, as well as identical hardware), grain-matched & lacquered wood control cavity covers etc. My first expensive bass was a 1981 Washburn B20 Stage Series, the thing was a work of art. I presently have a Matsumoku-made Washburn SB40 from a year or so later, and while it's a beautifully made & very playable bass, the level of detail & finish is a lot more standard than my old Stage. Anyway, vintage Daions are incredibly rare, particularly over here - in fact I don't know if they even had a UK importer - and when they do come up tend to be wildly expensive. Jon.

Very good link, but yes, predominantly acoustics. It's worth remembering that acoustic guitar manufacture was the background of most of the Japanese factories prior to the "copy era" in the 70s, and most guitar factories jumped on that bandwagon. There are a good few electric guitars & basses there but you do have to dig! Jon.

Total bitsa, and quite a curious one at that. As has been pointed out, the pups are (unmatched) 80s Aria units but oddly enough, the neck's off one of these: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/bass/a-100_200.html"]http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/bass/a-100_200.html[/url] Having seen 'round the back of one, they sometimes have a 6-screw plate like this bass too. These basses appeared with many different brand names so it ain't necessarily an Aria neck but it's fair to say there's a connection. They're roughly early/mid 70s. No idea what the bridge is from, it's a tad too wide for the string spacing the neck needs IMO, and isn't aligned spot-on. The body looks quite nicely made - perhaps a bit too nice for a garden shed job - and I'd say it's been part of a different bass, looks like there are holes for another bridge visible just in front of the existing one. Could be a nice little bass if the neck's a good one - even more so if it doesn't get many bids. Jon.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1218599' date='May 3 2011, 02:09 PM']Nice one Jon. Let's hope she can erase all that other stuff (incl. the bit about it being a real Fender) and just have your contribution up.[/quote] I imagine she'll use my contribution but if an Ebay item's had a bid, I don't think you can edit the listing beyond adding comments at the end. Also just because I do know what it is (and you lot probably think I know what I'm on about!) doesn't mean it holds much water in Ebay Fantasy Land, where everyone's an expert. Worth a go though. FWIW I said this: [quote]Hi - your bass is an early 70s Japanese copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. I'm a collector of these instruments and can tell you yours was made in approximately 1971 at the Matsumoku factory - the neck plate inscribed Steel Adjustable Neck was only used by Matsumoku. These instruments are actually quite rare & becoming collectable these days, Matsumoku was regarded as one of the best Japanese factories, and despite some of the comments you've had, this is a good-quality instrument, as were many of the Japanese copies from the 70s era. The Fender headstock logo has been added by a previous owner (this is very common with these old copies) and it would originally have had a brand name such as Aria, or a UK importer's name like Eros or Kimbara.[/quote] J.

Thought it would be a good idea if someone who had a clue contacted her and told her exactly what it is, rather than bickering about what it ain't. So I did. J.