Hoyer shortscale bass, a genuine relic from the late 1960s/1970s

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Ah, damn! I think I would have bid on this eBay UK listing for a vintage Hoyer solidbody shortscale bass had I seen the auction in time. It's a German-made instrument with one of those laminated necks which seemed to be popular on lower priced instruments of that era, and with a nice P-Bass meets Telecaster vibe going on too.

The seller listed this with a starting price of £100 and it eventually sold for £180

G L Wilson

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Vintage 1960s Mark in Dartford Kent, Vox Clubman Bass for South Paws

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A guilty secret of mine is that I do actually quite desire one of these: a original 1960s Vox Clubman Bass, "Made in Dartford, Kent" (England) by Jennings Musical Industries (JMI).

Pre-dating the Italian-built Vox guitars of the later 1960s, the short-scale Clubman Bass was part of Vox's range of "student" instruments. The body was made of plywood, and whilst the neck had no adjustable trussrod it did have a steel bar embedded beneath the fingerboard. [EDIT: According to the Vox Showroom website, it had TWO non-adjustable steel rods embedded in the neck.]

So, if it's such a cheap, crudely made instrument, why should I be interested?

Well, it's just that the Vox Clubman Bass has quite a reputation for playability and versatility. It has that particular sound that typifies an era but yet still manages to sound relevant today. I also quite like the design and used to own a similar Clubman II guitar that was my 2nd electric guitar (I've lost count of how many have followed - I'm sure it's in three figures) so it's partly a nostalgia thing, I guess.

This particular example, currently being offered for sale on eBay UK with a Buy It Now price of £320, is the rarer left-handed version. Whether it sells is another matter; a right-handed example in the more common red finish failed to sell earlier today with a Buy It Now of £399.  I know these instruments are quite desirable amongst collectors and people like me, but I do wonder if perhaps they are being priced a little too highly in today's market.

Note that this example has a jack output socket which is probably a later conversion as from the factory it would have been equipped with a television-aerial type co-axial socket.

G L Wilson

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What is this vintage Japanese (very) short-scale bass?

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Dirk writes:

Hi Gavin...

I'd need your help please to identify this plywood bass, short-scale...

Seems to be late sixties, early seventies, Japanese made...

Tuners changed, rest original...

Fully operating, no buzz, not quite playable got to fiddle out a set of strings.....

So if you or any of your readers could hint me, I'd appreciate highly....

Cheers, thanx and keep your Independence...

Dirk

Hi Dirk, it looks to me like a Jedson. The design is very loosely based on that of the Telecaster. I'm pretty sure these guitars and (very) short-scale basses also appeared with other brand names on the headstock, e.g. Zenta.

There is a similar Jedson bass in sunburst on eBay UK at the time of writing, and it is priced at £165 which seems to be the going rate for these today. Personally, I'd value it at nearer £50, but perhaps some Jedson/Zenta fans out there might like to explain why they are worth more.

The only (minor) claim to fame that these guitars have, as far as I am aware, is that Nigel Planer's character Neil was playing one of these (the six string guitar version) in the stolen Routemaster bus before it went over the cliff in the final episode of the classic BBC TV comedy The Young Ones.

G L Wilson

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Lucite-bodied "Vote for Nixon" bass guitar project

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Here's a real curiosity of a project bass guitar with a crude home-made see-thru plexiglass body, which probably dates to the late 1960s/early 1970s based on the evidence of both the parts used and the Nixon sticker applied to the front of the body. The neck is probably Japanese (the seller claims it's a Teisco but I don't see any particular identifying features to support that), and the pickup looks familiar too although I can't pinpoint where I've seen one before.

Whilst I love old oddities like these, I doubt it'd be much of a player if it was fixed up. I suspect that the Nixon sticker might be worth more than the whole guitar.

Currently listed on eBay with bidding at US $10.50 at the time of writing.

G L Wilson

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Unknown probably Japanese short-scale bass looks oddly familiar

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Guitarz reader David brought this strange little short-scale bass to my attention having seen it advertised for sale on a French website. My immediate thought was that it looks very similar to the Musicvox Space Cadet model (see the 12-string bass version here), but almost certainly pre-dates it. Most likely a coincidence; I believe with the Space Cadet model, Musicvox's Matt Eichen was simply trying to make a "toned down" more conservative version of the Musicvox Space Ranger.

The pickups are also worthy of note, looking very similar to Bill Lawrence units, but may just be lookalikes.

Asking price is €325.

G L Wilson

EDIT: Someone via our Facebook page tells us that it's not Japanese at all, rather it's European, namely an Egmond Tornado bass. However, I've been unable to corroborate this.

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Here's another one to identify, but perhaps more detective work needed than usual!

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I wonder if you could help me. Now I've seen some "can you guess the instrument" articles, but this ones an expert level one. So the story is: A friend of mine gave me some junk old (bass)guitar drilled with holes, painted white (even the fingerboard...yeah). the neck was totally falling apart, so that got lost instantly. The body allthough was in good shape. the original color was white too I guess.

So this was 6 years ago. The body got lost too. I recently became a luthier but all I'm left is the hardware (without pickups). I'd love to rebuild this guitar almost from scratch. Problem is i don't even know what brand the bass was.

I draw a picture of the old body how i remembered it, and according to the leftover parts how it should've looked. It definetly had a scratch plate but i did not recieve that either.

So what I know:

• This was a shortscale bass guitar
• made in 2-76
• control plate is original blue sparkle
• double cutaway body (not hollow)

I'm from Hungary Middle-East Europe so i guess it must be something from either Italy, Germany or somewhere from Eastern Europe. I hope you can help me.

greetings
Gyula Szabó

Anyone? Here's the rest of the evidence for your consideration:

G L Wilson

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Memphis A2 - 1970s Japanese Strat-shaped Junior style "project" guitar

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I've always liked nice simple guitars. A single pickup and just a volume and tone control are all you need sometimes. It's so easy to get bogged down by the confusion presented by a myriad of volume and tone controls, pickup selector switches, coil taps, series/parallel switches, active electronics, and so on and so forth. I guess, for me, it all goes back to the acoustic guitar; you don't get all that kind of nonsense on an acoustic. If you want a different tone then you adjust your playing style. And that's kinda the way I view no-nonsense single pickup guitars such as the one pictured here.

The Memphis A2 is a Japanese-made guitar from the 1970s. It has a short 23 3/4" scale length, a fat Gibson 58 Les Paul-like neck radius, non-adjustable bridge, and a Bill Lawrence blade pickup mounted in the centre position (surely the most sensible location for it on a single pickup guitar?). Despite its Gibson Junior-like appointments, the body seems to have been modelled closely on that of the Fender Stratocaster.

Currently being auctioned on eBay with a starting price of US$79.95, which sounds pretty reasonable for a guitar that the seller describes as being in "project" condition. This guitar looks like it might have potential. Auction ends Monday night.

G L Wilson

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Silvertone 1490 bass by Teisco

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Hi Gavin, I know you appreciate a good bass guitar, so I have attached a couple of photos of this Japanese beauty. It is in the care of my brother at the moment as he has been cleaning it up for a friend. I was up for Xmas and we were admiring, it and wondering what it could be.

However, a short search produced an ID - a Silvertone 1490, made in Japan, and an article in Premier guitar states that: "the last model introduced under the Sears & Roebuck name was the 1490 in 1968. It was the only bass exclusively built and distributed by the Japanese company Teisco".

I've seen many claims about the magic 'Teisco' name of course, but, truth or not there is no denying this one certainly has a great look to it and is in very good condition - unfortunately missing a piece of its stylish split scratchplate/pickguard.

Merry Christmas!

Anthony S

Hi Anthony! It's a nice looker for sure... the design of both the body and the headstock reminds me of Peavey in the 1970s. I wonder if there was any influence there? (I'm thinking that the Teisco may have influenced Peavey, not vice versa). Thanks for sharing.

G L Wilson

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Super short-scale 1960s Teisco EB-100 Bass

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Serious bass players will have to forgive me for I have a strange fascination with these vintage Japanese ultra short-scale basses (the scale length being a guitar-like 24½"). This is a Teisco EB-100 which has been refurbished with new tuners and a lake placid blue refinish, although it still retains its original Teisco gold foil pickup. To me these instruments would suggest using alternate tunings, be they Stanley Clarke "Tenor bass", or baritone tunings. I think they offer a lot of scope for experimentation.

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $330.

G L Wilson

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Prestige 19½" scale electric / child's guitar

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Prestige are one of those interchangeable brand names that we see on Japanese-made electric guitars from the 1960s and 70s. This one is a bit more unusual than most in that it is a diminutive shortscale guitar with a scale length of just 19½". It was most likely supposed to be a child's guitar, although of course - depending on playability - it could be tuned up as a soprano or piccolo guitar. It's a very simple affair, with a very crude bridge assembly, just a single volume control and no tone, and a single pickup (which does appear to be a gold foil unit, still popular with some and raided from cheapo guitars like these for their tone).

Currently being auctioned on eBay with bidding at $19.99 at the time of writing.

G L Wilson

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1965 Supro Oahu short-scale guitar with DeArmond pickup

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With a scale length of 22" and a single DeArmond "Pancake" pickup, this Supro Oahu from 1965 currently listed on eBay could be quite a catch for someone. Stylistically you can see the resemblance to the Supro Pocket Bass, another short-scale instrument popular with collectors of the brand. It's a rare guitar from quite a collectable brand; the seller claims that the pickup and neck alone are worth $350. The Buy It Now price is $475.

The only thing that puzzles me is why the Supro legend is upside-down on the headstock.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Micro-Frets Signature one-off short-scale fretless bass from the early 1970s

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here at Guitarz, Micro-Frets is one of our favourite "forgotten" American guitar manufacturers. We've written plenty about this innovative company before (and their most innovative guitar must surely be the Orbiter) but we haven't previously looked at any of their bass guitars.

This particular example is a one-off Micro-Frets Signature short-scale fretless bass made for an employee of the company in the early 1970s. Note the compensated nut in the above photos, an original Micro-Frets innovation from long before Earvana "re-invented" it and claimed it as theirs.

Currently listed on eBay with a possibly optimistic Buy It Now price of $1,750.

G L Wilson

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Gibson Les Paul / SG Special - very rare 1961 three-quarter scale model

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Here's a rare doublecut 3/4-scale Gibson Les Paul / SG Special from 1961. Note the position of the bridge nearer than usual to the base of the body, plus the extrat length of fingerboard beyond the point where the neck meets the body. According to the eBay listing, which in turn quotes the Vintage Guitar Guide, ther were only 61 of these guitars shipped in 1961.

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $3,000.

G L Wilson

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Custom handmade short scale bass - Alembic meets Danelectro!

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Guitarz reader Paul H. writes:

I'm an old Deadhead, so I love me an Alembic-style bass. This one is weird. Love the rosewood tailpiece/bridge, but I'm not too sure about the Dan-O headstock.

The eBay listing tells us that:

This is a custom/proto-type hollow body bass. It is short (30.5") scale and was made as a test platform by a custom luthier to work on ideas for a line of instruments. The body, as stated, is hollow. It's got massive bracing, so there are no issues with feed back, and the tone (when using the recommended "Pyramid" brand strings) is somewhere between a Hofner and a Guild Starfire. (Listen to the bass on Lucy In The Sky or Baby Your A Rich Man and that will give a good idea what this sounds like.)

The body has a Yellow Heart core, with laminations of walnut, quilted maple and the stunning birdseye maple faces. The neck is a Dan Electro that has been modified with peg-head laminations and re-finished in nitro lacquer. The tuning machines are locking Sperzels. The peghead emblem is a slice of English walnut (the actual nut).

The pickups are Duncan BassLine units. The bridge and tailpiece are hand-carved cocobolo, the saddles are hand-cut brass.

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $1,400.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Kay Value Leader (very) short-scale bass

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This Kay Value Leader bass has an ultra short-scale length; we're talking a guitar-like scale here. It also has an 18-fret neck and a single pickup in the neck position. It's not going to be the first choice of instrument for the modern bassist, but for that certain vintage sound...

With that guitar-like scale I'd be very tempted to tune it "baritone ukulele" style, D-G-B-E (low to high), making it a kind of baritone bass, I'd guess.

This rarer bass version of the Kay Value Leader guitar was made in Chicago circa 1960, and sports a sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, maple neck, and still has its original two-tone chip board hard case.

Currently listed on eBay UK, with bidding currently at just over £100 at the time of writing. Auction ends this coming Saturday. [EDIT: sold for £460]

G L Wilson

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Please help us identify Eric's (probably Japanese) short-scale bass

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Eric writes:

I need some help identifying a bass guitar. Specs: standard sunburst JB/P-body, finger rest (no thumb rest), black block inlays, pickup and bridge covers (missing), machineheads of a type I also found on a Framus (and others), but what triggered me is the pickup. Looks identical to the ones on my Vox Symphonic bass (that has the traditional Vox headstock, by the way - not the F-shape I've seen in catalogues). Vox used similar ones on the Clubman bass, too, but those had 'Vox' engraved, the ones on the Symphonic and this mystery bass are clean.

So... do you know if Vox, or a company that worked with Vox (Eko, or the Japanese firms that made the VG-6 etc), had a bass that might look like this?? Or is this just another nameless Japanese? (No, it doesn't have 'steel-enforced neck' on the neck plate). It sounds fine, by the way, if you - like me - appreciate 'authentic' over 'hi-fi'.

Although I cannot find an exact match, it looks Japanese to me, I'd guess it originated from the FujiGen Gakki factory in Japan because of the hardware used matching that on other of their guitars - I used to have a "no-name" Japanese Tele (similar to this Lero-branded example) which had two pickups that looked exactly like the single unit on the mystery bass. Ultra-short scale, I'd say looking at that photo. Probably more like a guitar scale length, about 25" or so.

But do any of our readers have any more definite information? Please let us know via the comments below. More photos follow.

G L Wilson

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