Ibanez epiphone slothead?

[Dave W]

To me it looked like a sloppy tape job on the edges of the headstock, especially inside the slots wher black had leeched into to where it shouldnt have been.  Granted that could have been amaturish from the factory.  But the more disturbing thing to me is I've never seen an Epiphone headstock logo with a (R) Registered trademark at the end of it.  Especially on 70's instruments that could well have been made in the same factory.   That to me reeks of pulling a logo off the internet and making a decal out of it. 

All that and the fact he's asking twice what an electra would sell for gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Putting an Epiphone logo on an Electra bass would be like putting an Agile logo on a Squier. It doesn't make sense. Besides, if this was a Japan-only item, who knows what different logos they may have used. And even if it is a replacement, there's still no reason to believe that it wasn't an Epi to begin with, especially since most Epis were made in the same factory as the Electras.

https://reverb.com/item/1834041-1972-electra-tri-tone-2261-bass
https://reverb.com/item/775575-vintage-1970-s-electra-eb-3-lawsuit-bass-guitar-w-gig-bag-made-in-japan
https://reverb.com/item/1027439-vintage-late-60-s-early-70-s-crown-eb-3-style-bass-teisco-electra (Crown brand - same bass)

Notice that all three are "listing ended" which means they didn't sell, despite being priced lower than the current listing.

[66Atlas]

Well, I'd say the seller has reasons to think an "epiphone" branded bass is worth well more than an Electra or Crown which is exactly why someone would be motived to change the logo.   A few hours worth of work and at $200 bass is on reverb for $650 (originally $800)  Whether he's the one who paid too much for it or he's the one who changed it he's looking to sell it for 3X what an electra would sell for.  If he was asking $200 (which is all its worth either way) then I'd be inclinded to agree with you.  But the effort he puts into marketing it as a legit "rare" bass calls the thing into question.