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Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting


Bassassin

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[quote name='thedarxide' post='147422' date='Feb 26 2008, 08:41 PM']I'm about to recieve my fifth, and I've only had one two cheap ones. First was an EB-3 copy, really nice, great pickups, but i didn't get on with the short scale. Then a Les Paul, also great. Next Les Paul was cheap. Single coil pickups in humbucker housings, horrible neck. *Third* Les paul was much the same :huh: The one I'm waiting for is a fretless jazz. I bid heavily on the block necked jazz earlier in the thread, but missed out.[/quote]
I've had 3 over the years & seen a lot more - 2 of mine (a Jazz bass & a plywood/hollow top LP) were horrid and the 3rd, a solid mahogany bolt-neck SG, was rather nice. Until I broke it. :) As far as I can tell, at least some Columbuses originate from the same factory as Maya, as do quite a few of the UK importer brand instruments knocking about. Unfortunately most of them seem to be the low-end stuff.

J.

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='147396' date='Feb 26 2008, 07:47 PM']The Washburn 8-string looked quite interesting until I looked at the photo of the back...

Even worse than the one I'm currently stripping for a refin.[/quote]
He is very honest about that though:

"I see brand new guitars being sold for ridiculous prices because they 've been given a "distressed" finish. "Distressed"? This baby is bloody panic-stricken."

:)

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Really very, very little to report at the moment, but this deserves a bit of attention - something you don't see every day, in fact something you don't see any day, ever:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230228804063"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=230228804063[/url]

Pretty, ain't it? And if you're interested in what it really is:

[url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/kasuga/198x/p4.html"]http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-a...ga/198x/p4.html[/url]

Kasuga SCB-900 Scorpion, from 1980-something. These were probably never available in the UK as Kasuga, and the "Pro Martin" name is almost certainly nothing to do with the CF Martin brand, probably Kasuga (or some cheeky importer) trying to capitalise on Kasuga's association with Martin - which ultimately resulted in the Sigma brand.

If you're an appreciator of early 80s original JapCrap, the rest of the catalogue's worth a quick drool, too:

[url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/kasuga/198x/index.html"]http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-a...198x/index.html[/url]

Looks like the Ebay bass has the original hard case, too.

J.

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[quote name='Bassassin' post='150871' date='Mar 4 2008, 09:44 AM']Pretty, ain't it? And if you're interested in what it really is:

[url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/kasuga/198x/p4.html"]http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-a...ga/198x/p4.html[/url]

If you're an appreciator of early 80s original JapCrap, the rest of the catalogue's worth a quick drool, too:

[url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/kasuga/198x/index.html"]http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-a...198x/index.html[/url]

J.[/quote]

Cheers for the catalogue links Jon :)

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[quote name='nick' post='150887' date='Mar 4 2008, 10:03 AM']Cheers for the catalogue links Jon :)[/quote]

Here's the entire site. [i]Wish[/i] I understood kanji!

[url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/index.html"]http://brochures.yokochou.com/index.html[/url]

J.

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I'm swiftly becoming a JapCrap spotting addict!

I hope you don't mind me showing off my finds...

A Kay that looks like a cross between a P and a Rick... the poor soul's bridge needs something done to it thats for sure.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250219285894"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250219285894[/url]

And a rather interesting Shaftesbury Rickenfaker too
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250222341521"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250222341521[/url]

Another Kay, a gorgeous white SG this time
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320223593984"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320223593984[/url]



I do have GAS problems with some of these things... I'd love a Kay for £30 just to whack a new bridge on it, clean it up... put fresh wires in... etc. etc.

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[quote name='allighatt0r' post='151784' date='Mar 5 2008, 03:09 PM']I'm swiftly becoming a JapCrap spotting addict!

I hope you don't mind me showing off my finds...[/quote]
Please do - I can't spot 'em all! :huh:

I like the way some chancer's offered an £85 BIN for the RickenFaker! :) Obviously can't tell when a seller's playing dumb! ;)

J.

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[quote name='Bassassin' post='151786' date='Mar 5 2008, 03:13 PM']I like the way some chancer's offered an £85 BIN for the RickenFaker! :huh: Obviously can't tell when a seller's playing dumb! ;)
J.[/quote]

Brilliant!
I'll have to use that one myself..... ;)

Doing well though at £190 especially considering it's condition. :)

Edited by nick
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Shame about that Pro Martin branded Kasuga - the seller refuses to either divulge the reserve, or consider posting it, even though it has a fitted hard case.

Why do people put things on Ebay when they plainly don't want to actually sell them?

J.

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[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='153672' date='Mar 8 2008, 05:30 PM']More [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-STUDIO-BASS-GUITAR-RARE-IN-GREAT-CONDITION_W0QQitemZ220210300542QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Ibanez[/url], looks lovely. Looks HEAVY!

Pluck[/quote]
That's an ST-924, more or less a bolt neck Musician. I doubt two things very much - that there were only 300 made, and that it cost £600 in 1980-whatever. Also note that the fitted hard case, which will probably only fit this bass or a Musician, is not part of the auction. If you want it, you can buy it separately at an undisclosed price.

Still, an interesting bass you don't see too often.

J.

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[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lovely-Vintage-Japanese-made-Bass-Guitar-Sunburst_W0QQitemZ190203878071QQihZ009QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]No-name P[/url]
Pretty vague description but it's only £150. Anyone recognise it?

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[quote name='barneythedog' post='154065' date='Mar 9 2008, 06:11 PM']Jon, have you any ideas on [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290212327891&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019"]this[/url] (in my neck of the woods with this one :)) ?
It doesn't actually say it's Jap, but it looks quite tasty[/quote]Hard to say, really, the pic's not very clear, but I'm inclined to think it probably is Japanese. The block inlay rosewood necks don't appear on much other than 70s JapCrap, also it looks like it has the little cast-button tuners you see on many a 70s MIJ bass, and I think that's a truss rod aperture with its chrome cover missing... He's put a new scratchplate on, the original would have been tort, and it's also had ashtrays at some point.

So at a guess, this is likely a French importer's equivalent to a Columbus, or similar 70s UK brand. Probably made by Maya/Rokkoman, almost certainly a ply body hidden by the black-edged sunburst.

It's not bad, but don't pay too much. Might be worth asking the seller to mail you a few more pics.

Jono - I think £150's a bit over the top for a no-name, no real description P copy, might not even be Japanese. I'd have the same reservations about the body of this that I expressed about the Jazz copy.

Jon.

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[quote name='Bassassin' post='154080' date='Mar 9 2008, 06:43 PM']Jono - I think £150's a bit over the top for a no-name, no real description P copy, might not even be Japanese. I'd have the same reservations about the body of this that I expressed about the Jazz copy.

Jon.[/quote]

Thought as much, just thought I'd stick it up here in case I'd stumbled across some Eastern gem. Spied [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Old-70s-MADE-IN-JAPAN-Bass-Guitar-Project-49-00_W0QQitemZ140213130787QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]this[/url] too, might scrub up nicely if you stick a new maple neck on it. And a new bridge too.

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Westone 1A leftie [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WESTONE-THUNDER-I-A-LEFT-HANDED-BASS-GUITAR-V-GOOD-CON_W0QQitemZ120231940772QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here[/url] although a "pitch change button" is a new one on me.

And a personal favourite of mine, although not technically Jap "cr*p" as such [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tokai-Jazz-Bass-Jazz-Sound-Made-in-Japan-As-New_W0QQitemZ300205506582QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here[/url]

Edited by barneythedog
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Go on & post it anyway - we don't see too many Vantages in the U of K.

There's a few other things, starting with the obligatory Thestone Wunders:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290206943503"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=290206943503[/url]
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280207695161"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280207695161[/url]

A lovely neckthrough Washburn Hawk series:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180222149248"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=180222149248[/url]

Another lovely Washburn - this time a Force 8:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280207043391"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280207043391[/url]

Now this is really odd, I've never seen one of these before. Shame it's so expensive - a Riverhead Phantom (nearly) headless:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270218354664"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=270218354664[/url]

Aria Pro II RSB Performer - £120 Buy It Now. Well, what are you waiting for? Do what the nice man says...
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280207941719"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280207941719[/url]

Franconia Jazz - I had one of these a few months back - not entirely sold on the idea it's Japanese - the construction materials say Korean to me. Anyway, £100 BIN, it would be better at the £75 start:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190205694320"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=190205694320[/url]

"50s/60s Fender Jazz" - Yeah right. :) The neck at least - and probably most of the rest of it - is from a Fujigen or Matsumoku, mid 70s. Both factories used the 3-piece construction with a quarter-sawn centre section. The £200 start is, frankly, ridiculous:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130205070914"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=130205070914[/url]

And finally, an Aria STB-GT. This one's not a JapCrap, but I love these, gorgeous Precision/Ray hybrid, and a future KoreaDiarrhoea classic:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200206165395"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200206165395[/url]

J.

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[quote name='thedarxide' post='155098' date='Mar 11 2008, 10:35 AM']There's a couple of Aria Pro's on there. I'm not looking anymore, I've bought 8 basses in two weeks.....[/quote]
Aye, there's that SB1000 finishing very soon but at a start price of £360 I'm not surprised there have been no bids.

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