The Last Bass Outpost

I looked at the website for Ikebe, one of the big Japanese retailers. They have USA & MIM, but also "Fender Japan" - it looks like they are producing a limited number of instruments in Japan, marketed as "Japan Exclusive." (Confusing given that they supposedly put Fender Japan to rest.)

http://www.ikebe-gakki.com/ec/srDispCategoryTreeLink/doSearchCategory/11020J1F000/04-05/4/1 (not sure the link will work)

Ishibashi even has an MB-SD (Mustang Bass, presumably with the Seymour Duncan pickups that the earlier Fender Japan Mustangs came with?) in black, though it's on hold for someone, but it looks like a brand new one.

http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/80-321631300 (again not sure the link will work)

Ikebe didn't list any Mustangs, only Precision & Jazz basses.

I had an MIJ - white with tortoise pickguard - bought it in Japan while I was living there, around 2004 or so. Only recorded one thing that I can remember - found it to be punchy and rather P-ish:



Here is the entire piece, most recorded with a Tune 8-string - the Mustang only appears in the middle section referenced above:

https://soundcloud.com/hieronymous-seven/next-to-last

Sold it when I moved back to the States, kind of regret it - I really liked it! Would love to have a vintage one but would settle for another MIJ, but not high on my list - in fact, there isn't a list right now!

I got into him in the '80s because I loved Stevie Ray Vaughan - wasn't there an album with both of them playing together? I can't remember. I picked up the Wham of the Memphis Man LP because of SRV and listened to it a lot. I especially liked Wham! & Memphis, and thought the Flying V with the Bigsby was so cool!

I also have zero Prince influence, even though he had a huge impact on many of my friends. I'm 45, so was 12 or 13 when he really hit big. I have tried to like him - I never liked any of the hits, tried to listen to some of the more obscure stuff like the Black Album when it was a bootleg, but to me it always sounded like there was something missing. Other musicians that I respect talk about seeing him live and being blown away, so there must be something there, but I haven't felt it myself.

I had never heard that the term "whammy bar" came from Lonnie Mack! Makes sense - it is reference here in this Gibson Lifestyle article.

Huh. News to me. The silver (chrome?) letter black TRC is a stock item that goes on the 4004L Laredo. Any idea how many were in that run for Japan?

I don't know how many they made. The only reference I have ever seen was on Björn Eriksson's Ric page, which makes reference to a Japanese magazine article about the 4003VPCBJG and 4003VPCBFG of which there were 24 each, but it is unclear if the 4003JGBT was also limited to that number.

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/4003vpcb/4003vpcb.htm

This is the first time I have seen another one!

Hiero, the flats are stock, they even specifically mentioned that when it first was shown at the Messe Frankfurt.

Definitely an interesting move to ship it stock with flats. I assumed Chromes because of the color of the silks but I could easily be wrong.

The only thing I can think of to add is that there was a Fender Japan version produced for a few years in the mid-'80s for the Japanese market, with some version of the humbucker. That's the one that caught my eye, though I never saw one in person. Interesting to see a couple for sale recently on eBay & Reverb.

Are there early '72 Telecaster Basses with the single-coil pickup? Found this "official" Fender article on the Telecaster Bass - better written than I expected, plus there are some nice pictures.

http://www2.fender.com/experience/guitarchive/the-telecaster-bass/

The Telecaster Bass with the humbucker grabbed my attention when I was in high school - I had a Fender Japan catalog/poster that had one on it - must have been around 1985. Never thought I would end up with one!

Would love to see yours when it is fully restored!

LOL - "Thomas stick flat"

I was going to try a make a pass at reading the Japanese - maybe tomorrow