Cheap Japanese Basses

[Rocker949]

I am very puzzled about how some cheap Japanese basses such as Teiscos are sometimes being sold for so much now.  Unless this is some kind of nostalgia craze, I don't understand how something like a Teisco is sometimes being sold for as much as $2,500.  There is one on gbase for that right now.  At GuitarCenter in the vintage section there is a Teisco being sold for $2.000. 

[rahock]

Wow, I had no idea I was so out of touch 
Back when I was starting out in the mid 60s,brands like Teisco and Crestwood (my first bass) were rarely even sold in music stores. You were more apt to find them in a department store for around $40 to $99. Some of the more cut rate  cheezy music stores that were likely in a mall or something would have a pretty good supply but a most medium to first class stores would carry few to none. They were stocked with Gibsons , Fenders ,Guilds , Mosrites and the cheaper line of Eko and Framus, Hagstrom etc.
Again, I must be out of touch, but I don't recall ever getting my hands on a Teisco I'd be willing to shell out anywhere near $2,000 for.  Hell, $200 would be a stretch.
Rick

[Dave W]

I think that's crazy. They're not good instruments. And they aren't rare either, although many were tossed because they were just junky.

Asking price isn't selling price. They're probably just looking for a sucker.

[Rocker949]

Here is an example of what I'm talking about on EBAY. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Teisco-Del-Rey-EB-200-Electric-Bass-Guitar-1960s_W0QQitemZ180336295990QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item180336295990&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

I'm not saying asking such a high price for a Teisco is all that common; most of the time they are much less.  But outrageous prices like this are sometimes out there now. 

Note:  I have updated this.  The new listing has the bass for $50 less than the earlier one.

[Dave W]

He must have accidentally added an extra zero to the BIN price.

[rahock]

My first bass was pretty much the Crestwood version of that Teisco. The Crestwood had the same body style, pickup and controls configuration. Mine had a lot more chrome though, the pickguard ran all the way down to include the volume ,tone controls and the cord input and it was all chrome. So were the pickup covers. The chrome content on that bass was on par with the chrome content of a 58 Oldsmobile and the weight was probably pretty close too .
I bought mine used , but like new, with some POS amp for about $100 in 1966. I don't think it was a very good deal but it looked like brand spanking new and I thought the chrome was cool.
In conclusion, it was a turd. Unlike most turds, this was a turd that you could polish, and polish it I did, but it was still a turd. If my great powers of recollection and knowledge of turdology are still in tact, the Crestwoods of that era were a cut above the Teiscos. It would likely be a small cut above because it's pretty difficult to make a judgement call on quality when comparing one turd to another
Rick

[Rocker949]

I found a review of that bass in BP magazine.  The reviewer says it's worth $150.

http://www.bassplayer.com/article/retro-rama-1960/nov-08/90135

[nofi]

bass player quit being relevant a long time ago,  imo. their philosophy seems to be that every player wants to be a 'complete' bassist like will lee, etc. and to do that you have to buy all the gloriously reviewed crap in there mag.

[Rocker949]

I'm not trying to promote BP, either.  I haven't subscribed to that magazine in years.  But the point I was making is that the reviewer was giving a more accurate estimate of what that bass is worth:  $150, not $600.  As for magazines, I really liked "Bass Guitar" magazine which went out of existence in 2007.  I have all the issues.  If I ever do subscribe to BP again, it will be because I'm desperate and because it may be better than nothing. 

[rahock]

Of all the cheapo basses of that era, the one that was pretty popular and you never see anymore, is the single pickup Crestwood that cost $40-45.
I had the more expensive two pickup model that cost about double , but it didn't sound as good as the cheapo single pickup. A lot of pretty good bass players started out on these, along with a Silvertone  piggyback amp with a single 15 . It was of the cheapest start up rigs you could get that actually didn't sound too bad and cost around $150 for  bass and amp. It gave you sort of a Gibson EBO/Fender Bassman  sound . At least that's what we told each other .

The one cheapo that was actually good was the Dano, but  where I grew up, there was nothing in the world that was less cool than playing a Dano guitar or bass. I'm not sure why that was, because I would really like to have one now I guess it had something to do with how far you can stick your head up your ass at age 13 or 14
Rick

[Dave W]

I hear you. The Silvertone Danos sounded good but it was uncool to play something your folks bought from a Sears catalog. Well, at least without a bag over your head so no one could recognize you. 

[nofi]

i had one about 25 years ago, about the time david lindly had made it hip  to play cheap(then) guitars. it was a light bass with  good tone but the tuners and what passed for a bridge were awful. i don't see how the guy in nrbq played one for so long. as usual i kinda' wish i still had it.

[Pilgrim]

I remember my brother having some cheap copy of a violin bass back in the late 70's.  As I recall the pickups were ghastly.  I didn't realize then that you could actually change parts on an electric bass.  If I had it now it would be fun to play with.

[Dave W]

Some people still don't understand that you can change parts! So much the better for those who do.

[rahock]

I remember my brother having some cheap copy of a violin bass back in the late 70's.  As I recall the pickups were ghastly.  I didn't realize then that you could actually change parts on an electric bass.  If I had it now it would be fun to play with.

Eko violin basses were huge in  60s in this area. They weren't that great and they weren't that cheap but they looked cool. Ekos had a nice small neck and for young players that fit the bill. For kids who had some money( more than me) Eko and Framus had the neck going for them, the sound was pretty mediocre but they were something that felt good for a young player as opposed to an expensive big necked Fender. Everyone wanted a Hofner but they were very hard to find  and only the rich kids could afford one.
Rick