1983 Fender JV Series Stratocaster Review

Aloha!

In my old job I used to go to Japan pretty often, and I always kept my eye out for the holy grail of vintage Japanese guitars as I hit up the secondhand stores. That is the case with the gorgeous 1983 Fender 1962 re-issue Stratocaster we are looking at today. This JV instrument has become my new #1 Strat, hands down.

Now is probably the time to explain the whole JV thing. JV stands for “Japanese Vintage”, and was the serial number prefix for the first series of guitars that were built for Fender in Japanese factories, and they were produced between 1982 and 1984. These instruments were constructed at the Fuji Gen-Gakki factory in Matsumoto, Japan. This was the same factory that was building Ibanez and Greco guitars.

The JV-series instruments have become very collectible, and were built using the original blueprints to be authentic replicas of pre-CBS Fender models. These models usually got the full treatment, including vintage-style tuners and cloth covered harnesses, as well as the original body contours and neck radii. The quality of these put the US made Fenders of the time to shame, and therefore they were not imported to the United States, though I guess a bunch made it to Europe. I found this one at a second-hand store in Japan on one of my business trips, and had to bring it home.

Our subject guitar today is an non-export model Fender Stratocaster, and I am not sure of the model as I have not wanted to take it apart yet to see what is lurking in the neck pocket. This will answer the questions about the model number and born on date, which I will want to know at some point.

This guitar is finished in nice aged burst. When I first saw the guitar and its JV-serial neckplate, I was pretty excited. The shop knew what they had so it was not super cheap, but it was still a better value than what I would have paid on this side of the pond.

I am pretty sure it has the original electronics, but again I will need to take it apart to be sure. It would certainly be nice if it is a higher end model with the cloth-covered wiring and the Fullerton pickups. The neck is very nice. The vintage-style tuners work fine, none are bent and they do not bind. The frets are good, with almost no; the neck is true, and the truss rod works freely.

I believe this guitar is completely unmodified, and I dig the vintage touches like the bent bridge saddles. This one might actually be a keeper - it sure plays well and sounds incredible...

I might be selling a few of my other Stratocasters, so drop me a line if you are interested. They are all pretty nice too!

Mahalo!

1989 Ibanez EX405 Electric Bass Review

Hi there!

I have always had a place in my heart for oddball imported guitars and basses, and the subject of today’s blog post is a fine example. This is an Ibanez EX 405 bass that was made in Japan in 1989, and it is a pretty cool instrument (in my opinion, anyway).

Specs are similar to what you would find in many Fender bass copies that wer made overseas in the late 1980s. The basswood body is carved into a pseudo-precision bass shape with really pointy horns, and covered in a very pretty pearl red finish. The maple neck has a slim jazz bass profile (1.5-inch nut width) and a rosewood fretboard that has 22 medium-sized frets set into it. And, of course, it has a pointy headstock. How could you go wrong?

The equipment list is fairly typical until you get to the electronics package, which is unique as the folks at Ibanez chose to load it up with a pair of passive split-coil P-bass pickups. These are wired through two volume pots and a tone pot, which is fairly intuitive if you have ever played a jazz bass before.

This bass is in great shape, but it is not entirely original. A previous owner upgraded the wimpy chrome-plated tuners and bridge, and changed over to black hardware at the same time. This resulted in a beefier bridge and tuners that work well, as well as a neck plate that is kind amateurishly painted in a nubbly black-ish finish. Since this plate is on the back of the instrument, it does not bother me very much.

The finish is clean, there are not many dings despite the softness of basswood, which give it a total weight of only 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Despite its age there is little fret wear, and it plays very well. As far as tone goes, it ends up being pretty much like a louder precision bass, so there are no surprises here. I dig it because it looks different, but it will probably not be sticking around too long as aside from the looks it does not really stand out sonically. Drop me a line if you are interested!

Mahalo!

1987 Aria Pro II XRB-2A Electric Bass Review

Hi there!

Today we are looking at a bass that is pretty darned close to one that I bought new back when I was in college. This is a 1987 Aria Pro II XRB-2A bass, finished in transparent red over a flamed maple top and back. These models were made from 1987 to 1989, and were some of the last Aria instruments that were made in Japan before production moved to Korea.

If you remember the mid to late 1980s, there was a lot of metal music floating around, and everybody knew that if you wanted to bang heads, you needed a pointy headstock on your guitar. This bass delivers exactly that and more: a Precision Bass body, a Jazz Bass neck, P-J active pickups, AND a pointy headstock. Boom!

I am pretty sure that all of the XRB basses came with alder bodies, but this one is unique and I have never seen one with the figured maple top and back before. But I figure the body is still alder underneath, as it weighs the same as other ones that I have owned - around 8 ¾ pounds. The body is nicely contoured without losing the pleasantly traditional Fender shape.

The body is loaded up with a set of Aria P and J pickups that are powered by a 9-volt preamp. The controls include a master volume control (that can actually be clicked to an off position), a tone knob, and a blend knob with a center detent. The blend knob seems like overkill as there is also a 3-way pickup selector switch. The other toggle switch changes the electronics from active mode to passive mode, though there is no real benefit to this as the tone is about the same in either setting, though it would be handy if the pre-amp battery happens to go dead at the most inopportune time. Maybe the pre-amp is crapping out on me…

My favorite part of this Aria bass is the neck, which is eerily similar to the one on the Fender Jazz Bass Specials. The profile is very similar and easy to play, with a thin jazz profile and a 1/5-inch wide nut. There is clear glossy poly sprayed on the back of the maple neck, and the rosewood fretboard has 21 frets with tiny dot markers (for some reason the marker for the 21st is missing). There are no string trees, as that pointy headstock is tilted back 14 degrees to hold the proper string tension across the nut.

The condition of this XRB-2A bass is amazing, and there is almost no wear and the only blemish is a little cracking in the veneer around the output jack. The bass plays well, but it sounds kind of meh. I like the idea of this bass a lot (and part of that is probably sentimental value) so this one might be a candidate for a pickup change, and I am thinking of going with a set of EMGs.

I will let you all know what happens!

Mahalo!

1984 Ibanez RB630 Roadstar II Electric Bass Review

Aloha!

Today we are looking at a gem of a bass that I recently picked up, a 1984 Ibanez RB630 Roadstar II Electric Bass. This is one of the great instruments that were being built by FujiGen Gakki’s Japanese factories back in the 80s.

The Roadstar II is, unabashedly, a copy of the venerable Fender Precision Bass. Yeah, it has a goofy headstock shape, but the body shape, electronics, playability and sound are P-Bass all the way. For starters, look at the body profile. The basswood body is carved into the distinctive Precision profile, and it is finished in a nice thick and shiny black coat of what appear to be poly. These were also available in burgundy, if I remember correctly.

The body has a 3-ply W-B-W pickguard, and it is loaded up with a “Super P4” pickup that is wired through the expected volume and tone pots. Sadly, the original “Sure Grip II” knobs for these are missing, and they have been replaced with really inappropriate looking Stratocaster knobs. Also missing are the funky “Dead End” boomerang strap pins, as somebody has installed pathetic little strap buttons. Boo.

The fellow that sold this bass to me told me it was a 1983 model, but in 1983 Roadstar basses still had two-on-a-side tuners, and this one has the 1984 style 4-in-line tuners. The headstock is kind of big and ungainly, but at the time Ibanez said it was designed this way to “provide a more balanced distribution of sound vibration.” On the back of the headstock is a set of “Hercules B” open gear tuners. They must be strong, and don't worry -- this is the last of the crazy Ibanez part names I will be throwing at you today.

Like all of the RB630 basses, this one has a maple fretboard, and there are 21 fairly chunky frets sunk into it. Truss rod adjustment is at the heel of the neck, but there is a really nice cutout in the body and pickguard so it is not too hard to get to. Like a P-bass, the neck is pretty fat, and it is about 1/5/8 inches wide at the nut. This is a 34-inch scale bass, and it balances well on a strap, which is good because it is a tad heavy, coming in at around 9.3 pounds.

Other than the changed parts (including that black plastic nut), this Ibanez is in pretty good shape, with not much fret wear and only a dings and chips on the body. 33 years have been pretty kind to this thing. It has a fresh set-up with DR strings, and I is really a nice player. They neck is comfy, and the tone is very good. Oddly enough, the tone knob actually seems to do something on this bass. Usually on P-basses I dime the tone knob and forget bout it, but on this instrument there are actually a few usable tone settings that are either more warm or more edgy.

This thing is awesome, and I have to say that I have never played a bad Roadstar. These basses are one of the last great values from the golden era of Japanese guitar manufacturing. Check one out if you get the chance!

Mahalo!

The Rose Bowl Flea Market

Good day!

On Rex and the Bass, sometimes I refer to the Rose Bowl Flea Market, and it occurs to me that if you are not from Los Angeles, you might have no idea what I am talking about.

The Rose Bowl Flea Market is put on by R.G. Canning Attractions, and is held the second Sunday of each month surrounding the Rose Bowl (home of UCLA Football!) in Pasadena, California. It has over 2500 vendors and over 20,000 people visit it each month.

Most swap meets these days are endless rows of brand new crap that you can buy from Harbor Freight, or are filled with new tacky furniture, clothing and “art”. The Rose Bowl Flea Market has some sellers that bring this dreck, but mostly it is fully of really awesome antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, and most everything you can imagine. The best part is that it is divided into sections, so you can skip the new stuff and go straight to specific areas for vintage and collectibles, antiques, or arts and crafts. Vintage and collectibles is where we always go first.

This means that there is plenty of ripe old stuff to dig through. There is everything from mid-century modern furniture to vintage porn and everything in between. And yes, there are musical instruments scattered amongst the millions of other things you will find out there. The last time I was out there I saw oodles of Spanish guitars, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, violins, trumpets, trombones, drums, amps, effect pedals, and even some Fender, Gibson and Martin guitars. It is definitely worth making the trek up there.

If you want to go, it is open from 9:00AM to 4:30PM and it costs $8 to get in. Admission is $10 if you want to get in between 8:00AM and 9:00AM, $15 from 7:00AM to 8:00AM, or $20 from 5:00Am to 7:00AM. Oh yeah, admission for kids under 12 and parking are both FREE! You can get all of the details for buying or selling at www.rgcshows.com/RoseBowl.aspx

Mahalo!

Memory Lane: Heathkit TC-2 Tube Checker

Hello!

The Rose Bowl Antique Flea Market strikes again. While wandering around there this past weekend I ran into a guy that had a booth full of cool old electronics and musical equipment. One thing that caught my eye was a nice little tube checker, a Heathkit TC-2.

In case you are not quite as old as me, Hath was a company that sold electronics kits from 1947 to 1992. This company’s products allowed everyday people to get access to electronic equipment that they would not otherwise be able to afford. The kits provided everything needed to put the equipment together, except for the tools. Most of the products from this time were put together by hand anyway, so by supplying their own labor there were significant advantages to this approach. The kits were well planned out and the instructions were the best around, so if the hobbyist was careful, everything would go as planned. They had kits for most everything, from ham radios to oscilloscopes, and even computers in Heath’s final years.

So, this TC-2 was originally kit that put together by somebody, somewhere. It makes me wonder about its back-story, and I wish I knew a bit more about where it came from.

As far as application, this would be a fine piece of equipment if you just want to check tubes at home, but for serious audiophiles or high-end amplifier repair you are going to want more. You see, this is a simple emission tester, not an mutual conductance checker. That means it can test for shorts and cathode (or filament) emission only. The meter reading gives a good-bad reading for the tube by testing for cathode emission by subjecting it to test as a diode (or rectifier). So, this type of checker will indicate if a tube is usable and how strong is the cathode emission is. Both types will do a good job testing for shorts and leakage. A mutual conductance checker applies voltage to each element of the tube, supplies bias and a signal to the control grid, and subjects the tube to a more authentic test (like it would be in an actual circuit). It can measure plate current and allows the tech to create matched pairs. The TC-2 will not do this…

This tool is pretty easy to use. There is a roller on the control panel that shows common tubes, and includes information about which connections to make, what load to set, and the filament voltage (there is also a supplemental chart tacked to the lid of the box with information for less common tubes). The user sets filament voltage by selecting a secondary tap of the correct voltage, and the vacuum tube is set up as a diode with all grids connected to the plate. Then at a specified voltage and load, the tube should draw a specific current based on cathode emission. This measurement is shown on the meter. Shorts and opens can be tested by disconnecting the grids or by shorting them to ground, respectively.

The TC-2 is better than most of its contemporary counterparts, in that it utilizes all tube elements in the test (most only used two). It can test nearly most consumer tubes from the 1920s to 1960s including big pin, octal, loctal, 7-pin, and 9-pin miniature. Newer model tubes that cam out after the 1960s can only be tested with an adaptor.

This Heathkit TC-2 is complete, and in very good condition. The original Tolex-covered case still has most of its latches, and the selector drum is still in great shape. It does not even smell funky. I imagine the capacitor might be a bit funky after this much time, and I would check and/or replace it if I was going to put it into use.

I ended up buying the tube checker for a few bucks and gave it to a co-worker who loves old stereo equipment, as we had talked before about how cool it would be to have one, but the old ones were just too big to keep around the sop. I wonder if it works…

Mahalo!

2007 ESP Vintage Four Bass Review

Howdy!

Today we are looking at a cool ESP Vintage Four bass guitar. The Vintage series was introduced in 2007, and it was not a very hot seller for the company. This was probably because they were just too expensive, plus they were saddled with an overdone phony relic look. But in today’s used market they are pretty cheap, and the appearance is the only major gripe I have, as it is a great bass.

For starters, this one is a real live ESP bass, that was made by craftsmen in Japan, not an LTD model put together by little kids in some third world country. And every ESP bass (or guitar) I’ve had has been a great player with no cosmetic or functional flaws.

This Vintage 4 is no exception; it is a super smooth-playing bass, and the build quality is first rate. The neck is spot on with perfect fretwork and a great action, even eight years later.

The body is alder, and it has the traditional Precision Bass shape. As I said, it has a relic look, which some genius in the design department decided to cover in clear lacquer. It looks very contrived.

The hardware is very good, with a Gotoh high-mass bridge and vintage-look tuners. ESP carried over the trussrod adjustment at the base of the neck and no cutout in the pickguard to access it. Again, pure genius. The maple neck also gets the relic treatment, but it is still very cozy. I like the ESP inlay at the 12th fret, which hearkens back to the ESP 400 models that inspired this bass.

The electronics are first-rate, as ESP sourced Seymour Duncan P and J pickups. The wiring and joints are very neat, and the cavity is nicely coated. The controls are two volume pots and a master tone control. The Vintage 4’s electronics work well, too, but then again I have always been a sucker for P/J-equipped basses. I find it easy to get any tone from Motown thump to gnarly loud fingerstyle, and everything in between. This bass can do most anything you need from a 4-string bass, if you can get past the way it looks.

This one was well cared for and the relicing has softened a bit with age, so it does not look quite as bad. These basses originally shipped in a black ESP deluxe tolex hardshell case, which was to be expected in this price range, and this one still has it (though it is a bit worse for wear). That initially high price was probably the real deal-killer for these basses when they came out.

Though the dollar is strong now it was very weak in 1989, and ESP needed a lot more dollars to make the same amount of Yen. The list price for the ESP Vintage 4 bass was a nut-shrinking $2499, and I did not see new ones for any less than $1499 online. That was Sadowsky Metro series money at the time, so you can see why ESP had some trouble moving these. There were a lot better values for your money at the price point if you wanted to buy something new then. But now they are the same price as a used Fender Japan P-bass, which makes them a true bargain. If you ever see one, give it a try – trust me!

Mahalo!

Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars 3rd Edition Review

Como estas?

Any serious collector of vintage guitars has to be familiar with George Gruhn, the owner of Gruhhn Guitars in Nashville, Tennesee. I have done business with him, having purchased guitars from him, and had him authenticate some pre-CBS Fenders over the years. He is the most popular authority on the history of vintage guitars, as well as how to identify and verify the originality of these instruments.

He has shared his knowledge with us though “Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars,” which was originally published in 1992 in collaboration with Walter Carter, who has is also a fabulous guitar historian. It includes acoustic and electric guitars, amplifiers, basses, banjos as well as ukuleles and mandolins. There are specifications for each instrument form the major manufactures such as Fender, Gibson, Martin, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, and even Mosrite.

His book went through an extensive rewrite in 1999, adding a boatload of new information and correcting mis-steps from the first edition. This book was well laid out, and it was easy to find out exactly what I needed to know. After 10 years, he issued a 500-page 3rd edition in 2010 (which I bought), and it appears that the wheels have fallen off the cart.

All of the good information is there, but the way it has been re-categorized is abysmal. The earlier editions were sorted by type (such as bass, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, archtops, etc.), but now it is now sorted by model and manufacturer in alphabetical order, and this makes for some interesting bedfellows. This might be ok if you know exactly what you are looking for, but what if you are trying to IDENTIFY a guitar? Let’s say you have a lonely and unidentified Gibson acoustic, and you are a die-hard Fender guy so you have no clue about what it could be. You whip out your 3rd edition and sift through the entire Gibson section to try and find it. Every limited edition SG, every Flying V, those awful faded guitars, and every one of the half-million variants of the Les Paul. What a pain the butt.

This is not going to cut the mustard, and it pains me to say this, as I really like George Gruhn, but I cannot recommend “Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars 3rd Edition.” Your best bet is to forgo the new information and purchase a new copy of the 2nd edition, which is still available on amazon.com

Mahalo!

Sadowsky NYC Vintage 5 Bass Guitar

Greetings!

Today we are looking at a very nice Sadowsky Vintage 5 bass guitar. As you all know by now, I do not play 5-string basses, so it should be no surprise that this one is not around anymore. But it is a beauty.

Sadowsky NYC basses are built in New York City by Roger Sadowsky’s minions, and are the best Fender-inspired guitars and basses you can buy. Some haters sneer and call them “parts basses”. I say go buy a box of parts and see how well you can build a guitar. Then call Sadowsky and buy the best.

This one was made in August 2000, and has quite a striking appearance. It is finished in ’59 burst with a quilted maple top over the ash body. The body is not chambered, so the bass is a little heavier (8 pounds, 15 ounces) than current production Sadowskys. There is a control cavity and a battery compartment routed into the back of the body.

There is no neck plate on the body, as there are four recessed ferrules in the body at the neck joint. This design saves weight and looks trick. The neck pocket fit is super-tight, and after 10 years of use and transportation there are no signs of finish damage (i.e. cracking) around the joint. The Sadowsky luthiers really do a fantastic job.

The 21-fret neck is very good, and the original frets are still in great shape. The frets are perfectly level and were finished very well on the edges. The trussrod adjusts at the heel, and there is a nice cutout in the body and pickguard, making the process a little easier. The five tuners are very small (for reduced mass), and look a lot like Hipshots.

This bass has its original single-coil pickups and Sadowsky pre-amp without VTC. The four pots control volume, pan, treble boost and bass boost. It has no unusual noises, and sounds flawless.

The overall condition of this bass was very good when I had it, as It had never been gigged and only had some light swirl marks on the body and pick guard. It showed less wear than most any new bass you would find hanging on the wall at your local guitar shop. It played very well and sounded killer, but then again that is really the least I would expect from a bass that cost as much as it did.

This bass came to me a as a trade for another high-end bass that I was having difficulty selling. I knew I would not be keeping the Sadowsky, but thought it would be easier to sell. I was right – this one sold right away for more than I was trying to sell the other bass for.

If you want one of these, it might be time to start saving. A Sadowsky Vintage 5 will run you about $4,000, and it will take at least 6 months to get it built.

Mahalo!

Superhero Approved: 1969 Dan Armstrong Ampeg Bass

Howdy!

Today we are looking at the bass that Wonder Woman would play if she played bass. Well, and if she was real. It is a 1969 Dan Armstrong Ampeg 4-string bass.

These innovative basses were originally built from 1969 to 1971, and are truly the cat’s meow. Daddy-O. Ampeg built these basses (and guitars) in conjunction with Dan Armstrong, who owned a guitar repair shop in New York City. The design he came up with is definitely out there.

The most noticeable innovation is that the bodies for these basses are made of Plexiglas. Supposedly this material gives these instruments unbelievable sustain. But, sustain that lasts for days is not exactly the first thing I am looking for in an instrument. Playability and tone come before sustain for me.

These are short scale (30-inch) basses, but the maple necks are otherwise conventional with 24 frets and rosewood fretboards. The cutaways allow plenty of access to the upper frets for the more wanky amongst us.

Another cool feature of these basses is the interchangeable pickup. These were designed by Bill Lawrence, who happened to share shop space with Armstrong. I have not heard of anybody actually using this feature and swapping pickups around, but it was possible.

The hardware is an odd mixture. Patent Pending Grover tuning machines were used, and at the other end is a bizarre chrome bridge with a wood nut. The pick guard is a hokey looking wood-grained thing, but it is almost co corny that it is good. Plus it matches the stuff they covered the headstock with.

This particular bass is one I owned a few years back. It was unmodified, and had no repairs other than the addition of reinforcement at the output jack on the pickguard (where all of these break), as well as a new output jack.

There were a few scuffs, but they looked like they could be polished out with a plastic cleaner like you would use on motorcycle or race car windscreens.

The frets were in prime shape as it was strung with flatwounds when I bought it. Not bad for a 40 year old bass.

It played very well and sounded great. I had my guy set it up with roundwounds and it had a surprisingly full tone for such a short-scale bass.

If you are dying to get one of these basses, check on eBay, as there is usually one or two of the originals for sale there Ampeg also re-issued these in 2006, so that could be an option for you too.

Mahalo!