steve-bbb Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 i have seen plenty of 6 strings but i must confess this is the first live clip ive seen of a zemaitis bass unless anybody else knows any different [url="http://youtu.be/xrqQTrzeTBE"]http://youtu.be/xrqQTrzeTBE[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Have a look on www.[b]zemaitisclub[/b].com and www.[b]zemaitis[/b]-guitars.jp [i]Some intersting stuff - ancient and modern.[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 interesting - am googling now for a clip of mike oldfield playing that acoustic bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShergoldSnickers Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Pete Cruickshank of the Groundhogs used to play one. There is a photo of him with it in the album sleeve design for 'Hogwash'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Go Plonk!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Here's another Zemaitis previously owned by Ronnie Lane and now with Bob Daisley: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Used by many of the big names of the 60s, 70s and 80s, and always handbuilt by Tony Zemaitis. After he retired, and then passed away, various models were being produced under licence to Greco. Original Zemaitis instruments can sell for big money. Even the Greco instruments had a very high retail price, and have a similarly high resale value. This may be why Greco Zemaitis instruments have been widely faked, mostly by factories in China. Also reports of the Greco ones turning up with faked "Zemaitis" bridges and "Z" headstock plates. Definitely something to be careful of when buying from Asia, or just generally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Be hard to fake the engravings on them, tony had a lot done by purdeys the gunsmiths.....not that they knew that....my dad was head barrel maker there and tony and he were good friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 [quote name='iconic' timestamp='1323417864' post='1463026']Be hard to fake the engravings on them, tony had a lot done by purdeys the gunsmiths.....not that they knew that....my dad was head barrel maker there and tony and he were good friends![/quote] Sure that's what a well-known guitar retailer was thinking when it took in a "Zemaitis Black Diamond" as a part exchange. Later developments would suggest that these are entirely possible to fake, engraving and all. And, with the Greco licensed versions trading/selling for upwards of 150,000 Yen, certain of the highly-decorated versions easily reach 250,000 Yen, and an original Zemaitis in excess of 500,000 Yen (£4,000+), it's easy to see why Chinese labour is being used to do just that. Oh, and, interestingly, another well-known bass player who used a Zemaitis, Darryl Jones (used with the Rolling Stones, on Voodoo Lounge). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorne Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 (edited) I arranged for Tony to build a Zemaitis bass for Bob Daisley around 1992, prbably one of the last Tony built Edited December 10, 2011 by Lorne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 The bass player from The Answer uses one of the Zemaitis bass models. This one if I remember correctly: [url="http://www.zemaitis-guitars.jp/our_guitars/bass/"]http://www.zemaitis-guitars.jp/our_guitars/bass/[/url] Still hideously expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Brian Barrett at The Low End had one for sale recently. Pics of it are now in his sold gallery here: http://www.thelowend.net/gallery/viewtopic.php?t=5597 Phil PS. If you suffer at all from GAS be very careful when browsing The Low End site. Keep your credit card locked away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Modern Zemaitis instruments, including a full range of basses, are available in the UK [url="http://www.theguitarfarm.co.uk/guitarmodel.php?cat=Bass&name=BMF-DCP-BK"]here[/url] (must be related to Ashdown somehow). All made in Japan I believe, and very expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 [quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1323787474' post='1467019']All made in Japan I believe, and very expensive![/quote] Certainly were being made in Japan, under licence to Greco, but I though that agreement had ended, and production had moved outside of Japan. All of the Greco instruments have the Greco branding inscribed where you'd expect to see the Zemaitis branding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toddy Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Many many moons ago,,,seem to recall a Zemmy double neck bass and six string in music ground in Doncaster,,,with an ex Greg Lake (ELP) sticker on it,,, thought it looked awesome........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toddy Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 [url="http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/zemaitis_guitars.html"]http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/zemaitis_guitars.html[/url] Ha ,, found it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbass1 Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 [i]i had one of his metal tops back in the '80's and stupidly swapped it for a PRS. The engraving was done by Danny O'Brien, did he work at the gunsmiths? I went round to his house a few times in the Medway Towns and he showed me the Bi-plane he was building in his garage!!!! A true ecentric and thoroughly engaging personality with his many stories - the one i liked best was of George Harrison leaving a crate of Champagne outside his door in place of the milk with a note asking him to sort his acoustic out 'it's behind the bin'..... [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 just stumbled across another on youtube [url="http://youtu.be/s-c8X52Qg4o"]http://youtu.be/s-c8X52Qg4o[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 [quote name='alanbass1' timestamp='1324664870' post='1476903'] [i]i had one of his metal tops back in the '80's and stupidly swapped it for a PRS. The engraving was done by Danny O'Brien, did he work at the gunsmiths? I went round to his house a few times in the Medway Towns and he showed me the Bi-plane he was building in his garage!!!! A true ecentric and thoroughly engaging personality with his many stories - the one i liked best was of George Harrison leaving a crate of Champagne outside his door in place of the milk with a note asking him to sort his acoustic out 'it's behind the bin'..... [/i] [/quote] I visited him a couple of times as i live about 400 yards down the road - i was a bit dubious as a young 20 something taking my black/maple 70s strat up for some small repairs and setup but he couldnt have been more friendly and helpful - and yes you are right about the stories - had to laugh at the one about him telling pete townsend where to go in no uncertain terms - when PT asked why he refused he told him 'because youll smash it up' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 [quote name='Toddy' timestamp='1324641308' post='1476521'] [url="http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/zemaitis_guitars.html"]http://www.brain-sal...is_guitars.html[/url] Ha ,, found it! [/quote] just read that - did greg lake really trash that heart acoustic?? for shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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