Raslee Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Picked up a 1970's Antoria Jazz bass on eGay for £112 - fancied something cheap that i didn't mind leaving in the back off my camper at festi's and something for a bit of campfire jammin with a battery amp, lots of booze etc. Well....to be honest I'm totally blown away with how well it plays and feels, very warm vintage jazz sound and nice neck too......And according to the seller this bass has history too as it was frequently gigged by some known talented muso in the North UK who fled to a hippy commune in the USA-name unknown though. So failed again in finding a rat bass for parties but instead got a vintage fake that fakes it far too well and sounds to nice to trash, let alone the history and age! Anyone else know much about Antoria's or have played one/ play one? I heard they were made in Japan and copied Fender, Gibson etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 [quote name='Rasta' post='518821' date='Jun 19 2009, 08:17 PM']Picked up a 1970's Antoria Jazz bass on eGay for £112 - fancied something cheap that i didn't mind leaving in the back off my camper at festi's and something for a bit of campfire jammin with a battery amp, lots of booze etc. Well....to be honest I'm totally blown away with how well it plays and feels, very warm vintage jazz sound and nice neck too......And according to the seller this bass has history too as it was frequently gigged by some known talented muso in the North UK who fled to a hippy commune in the USA-name unknown though. So failed again in finding a rat bass for parties but instead got a vintage fake that fakes it far too well and sounds to nice to trash, let alone the history and age! Anyone else know much about Antoria's or have played one/ play one? I heard they were made in Japan and copied Fender, Gibson etc.[/quote] Jon's the best man to ask really, but from what I've gathered these were made by Fuji Gen and are also to be seen branded as Ibanez. Pics from the Ibanez catalogue [url="http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1974/09.jpg"]here[/url] and [url="http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1974-2/18.jpg"]here.[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Nice, I'm watching this one on ebay. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antoria-Jazz-Bass---original-1970s_W0QQitemZ220436135505QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090617?IMSfp=TL090617184004r32524"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antoria-Jazz-Bass---...617184004r32524[/url] Doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 [quote name='beerdragon' post='518855' date='Jun 19 2009, 09:15 PM']Nice, I'm watching this one on ebay. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antoria-Jazz-Bass---original-1970s_W0QQitemZ220436135505QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090617?IMSfp=TL090617184004r32524"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antoria-Jazz-Bass---...617184004r32524[/url] Doh![/quote] i saw that earlier and thought is it worth upsetting the wife for ? I'm really diggin the Antoria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Yeah but once it goes over £27 i'm out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Like Musky said, yours is the same bass as the Ibanez equivalent, built by Fujigen Gakki, who were responsible for MIJ Fenders. I was watching that one & you got a bargain - a little while back these were hitting £200+. Yours is one of the very early ones, it's identical to the version in the 1971 Ibby catalogue: [url="http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1971/13.jpg"]http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1971/13.jpg[/url] Chrome trc & black-button tuners disappeared in subsequent versions. You'll notice that there's no logo on the catalogue bass, that's because these are factory stock-shots & it's thought the model numbers are factory designations too - which makes your bass an Antoria 2365B! I could tell you lots of boring stuff about the Antoria brand - but I'll keep that to myself, unless you're actually interested! Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 (edited) Lovely bass there & at not a bad price :wub: I have a 70's Antoria 335 copy. Great guitar, love it. Edited June 19, 2009 by nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raslee Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Bassassin' post='518884' date='Jun 19 2009, 09:48 PM']I could tell you lots of boring stuff about the Antoria brand - but I'll keep that to myself, unless you're actually interested! [/quote] thanks guys for the info, yes please do tell me about Antoria, i am interested! Thats great to see the picture in the catalog and yes mine is identical. I've been trying to roughly date mine but cannot find any serial numbers or anything however i have not taken the neck off as off yet. I guess its early 70's ? I have altered the action slightly now to get the intonation in and its still very low if not the same/better than my USA Fender 75 reissue. The Antoria wiring may well need looking at though because when both volume pots are full on it drops in volume and has a 'bridge only' jaco kind of sound. With the bridge pot rolled back though i get a very lovely warm jazz sound which my Fender does not make quite as good. The tone knob on the Antoria however doesn't seem to do a lot, only very slight change. Hey Jon, just checked out your myspace as i check out other B/Cer's music every now and then to enlighten my ears -i dig your vibes man! I'm a big Gong/Ozrics fan so love trippy prog vibes! Edited June 20, 2009 by Rasta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozbass Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I've found Antorias to be a bit variable over the lifetime of the brand, however, some of the earlier models are superb (I think you have one of these). I'm really rather envious. I used to see an Antoria Strat appear in A1 music in Manchester throughout the mid '70s (I think it came in and out a few times) - the finish was a fabulous, hypnotic salmon pink and the instrument looked cared for but vintage at the time. I'd love to know where that is now - I couldn't afford it as a kid and couldn't play it now, but it's one of those instruments that stands out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Lovely old Bass!!! My first guitar that played *really* well was an Antoria Les Paul Black Beauty with Tree Of Life on an Ebony fretboard. I was young - I was stupid - I sold it........ But I wish I still had it!! I've seen a couple go on Ebay over the last 4 or 5 years, but not at prices I could afford. By the way, I have a spare pickguard that might fit that if you're interested!! Postage only - as a welcome to the 'Antoria Club!' [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=51936"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=51936[/url] Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 There is a forum on Antoria, you may have already found it. It's relatively new, but has potential [url="http://antoriaguitarsite.co.uk/"]Antoria site[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 [quote name='nick' post='518893' date='Jun 19 2009, 09:59 PM']Lovely bass there & at not a bad price :wub: I have a 70's Antoria 335 copy. Great guitar, love it.[/quote] my mates dad had one of these and constantly badmouthed it. everytime I offered to buy it and he backed down seriously, a great guitar there that I still wish I'd prized out of his hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Looks wicked! Pickups look great as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Before they'd invented the term GAS, I was suffering for one of these in the 70's. Antoria had a really good rep at the time. And now, of course, they're just re-launched the brand-name... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bidd Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 (edited) I realise I'm bringing up an old thread, but just last night the singer in my band offered me an old Antoria P Bass, that was passed on to him by someone else. Anyway apparently this bass was owned by Smokey's (or is it Smokie?) bassist. Would it be right to maybe give the bass a whole upgrade, and maybe complete a trio of Jazz, Precision and Musicman type bass in my possession, or just leave it as a piece of history (even though nothing can be verified, who owned it, or even if it was ever used during the Smokie era) Edited October 8, 2010 by Bidd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 [quote name='Bidd' post='981484' date='Oct 8 2010, 12:31 PM']I realise I'm bringing up an old thread, but just last night the singer in my band offered me an old Antoria P Bass, that was passed on to him by someone else. Anyway apparently this bass was owned by Smokey's (or is it Smokie?) bassist. Would it be right to maybe give the bass a whole upgrade, and maybe complete a trio of Jazz, Precision and Musicman type bass in my possession, or just leave it as a piece of history (even though nothing can be verified, who owned it, or even if it was ever used during the Smokie era)[/quote] Update it, play it, for these things were made to be played, not gawked at. And more importantly, Smokie were a pile of w*** (and they did that cock awful single with CHubby Brown) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 I picked up a secondhand one in the 70s. After owning a ten quid Vox and an Avon EBO copy, this was my first proper bass. I covered it in stickers and had a DiMarzio P-Bass pickup fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Just as a point of interest, the bass in this post was eventually owned by me for a while & I off loaded it back on the 'Bay last month for £250. A percentage of that money went to Cancer Research but I mention it as it shows that the OP had a bargain & the new owner is happy as anyone with his new bass... he is using it in a Jimi Hendrix tribute band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 To resurrect a pretty old thread, I've just acquired a mid 70s Antoria Jazz from evilbay and I too am really amazed at the tone that emerges when you plug it in! It's a weighty beast and the body looks to be mahogany or some similar wood (too red to be alder or the like) but has been re-finished black in the past. It's going to be restored to whatever wood was there in the first place. I've got the original bridge and pickups, however both have been upgraded at some point for a Wilkinson bridge and Fender Japan p/ups. The neck is sweet and the binding perfect. Here's a pic as it emerged from the packaging. [attachment=120690:Antoria Jazz 1975 03.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gub Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 (edited) Love my 70s jazz , great old bass's ! The action is so nice and it plays better than my fenders ! here it is [attachment=120708:215.MOV] Edited October 11, 2012 by gub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 I had an Antoria Jazz bass copy from new at the beginning of the 70s - it was in a sort of walnut colour, with rosewood board, blocks and binding on the neck - the only thing non Jazz copyish about it was the pick ups, sort of mini humbucker looking things with flat chrome covers. It sounded great - came with black tapewounds and I actually learned to play on it. I moved to Rotosound rounds eventually - I recall the bridge pick up was nowhere near as powerful as the neck one. I replaced it with a new Stingray in the late 70s and sold on the Antoria eventually - I would love to have a go playing it again! Does anyone know what model it would have been? At the time, Antoria were considered the best of the copies available, and later ones looked/felt like the real thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Well it's been to have the black refinish removed and underneath we found this after removing a bit of ply top and bottom. Not solid, but not unattractive either and still sounds fantastic! [attachment=122529:Antoria Jazz 1975 05.JPG] [attachment=122528:Antoria Jazz 1975 06.JPG] [attachment=122530:Antoria Jazz 1975 08.JPG] Plus Kiogon made me a rather splendid stacked knob jazz setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gub Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Looks nice , worth gettin the black off , loads better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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