Yamaha Samurai

morrow · August 13, 2020, 09:05:40 AM

I had my eye out for years , hoping I might see one . I didn't want to buy one from Tokyo or Australia .
And then one popped up in Toronto .
Guilty pleasure .
I tend to use shortscales these days , but most of my bass playing was on upright or longscale bassas . This is a re-issue from around 2000 , and it is 34 in .
This might be the ultimate Japanese surf bass .

Pilgrim · August 13, 2020, 10:19:22 AM

Oh, YEAH!!!

I like it!!

ilan · August 13, 2020, 03:34:21 PM

Great looking bass!

I'd love to get one day a late 60s SB-5A/SB-7A Flying Samurai (31.5" scale), but prices have risen sharply to $1,000-1,500.

morrow · August 13, 2020, 04:55:28 PM

I was under the impression mine was a medium scale when I bought it . The originals in the mid 60's were . But the reissues were 34 , and mine is definitely a reissue .
I mostly play shortscales now .
But I'm enjoying it .
Did a gig with some old friends a couple of weeks ago , the band does a lot of instrumental classics and the Samurai was the perfect thing . ( it's really just a very funky Japanese take on a Jazz bass that kinda resembles an upside down Ric)
Strung with flats , used a pick for the surf instrumentals .
The perfect thing .

morrow · August 13, 2020, 06:22:23 PM

Ilan , this set recently sold from Toronto , same seller that sold me my Samurai .

BTL · August 13, 2020, 07:06:10 PM

Those are so cool...congrats!

amptech · August 13, 2020, 11:44:03 PM

Quote from: ilan on August 13, 2020, 03:34:21 PM

I'd love to get one day a late 60s SB-5A/SB-7A Flying Samurai (31.5" scale), but prices have risen sharply to $1,000-1,500.

Same here, actually looking for a 2A. But yeah, prices are going up.

Chris P. · August 14, 2020, 04:30:25 AM

I usede to have a real '60s one. I bought it online and when it arrived the whole bass was much smaller than I'd expected! Great bass though. Sold it some years later, cos it didn't get any stage time.

There's a blue one with matching headstock in an Amsterdam store, but way overpriced, IMHO.

ilan · August 15, 2020, 11:51:41 AM

Quote from: Chris P. on August 14, 2020, 04:30:25 AM
There's a blue one with matching headstock in an Amsterdam store, but way overpriced, IMHO.

De Plug maybe? Peter likes the odd stuff.

Chris P. · August 16, 2020, 06:14:21 AM

De Plug, yes!

ilan · August 16, 2020, 12:40:48 PM

Two or three years ago, my last visit to Amsterdam. We were shooting a docu in Wuppertal, Germany, were done a day ahead of schedule so we drove to Amsterdam for some fine dining and vintage guitars.

amptech · August 18, 2020, 12:10:11 AM

Quote from: Chris P. on August 16, 2020, 06:14:21 AM
De Plug, yes!

Spent my entire vacation budget there on the first day once.. great shop!

Pilgrim · August 19, 2020, 03:07:43 PM

Quote from: Chris P. on August 16, 2020, 06:14:21 AM
De Plug, yes!

I'm not sure whether I'm happy or sad that I didn't know about that place when I was in Amsterdam. A missed opportunity but probably saved me a ton of money.

ilan · August 20, 2020, 01:26:27 AM

It's not CME or Norm's, Peter likes off-the-wall guitars and little amps, no 6-figure 'bursts.

morrow · August 20, 2020, 06:43:04 AM

Those are the places I love . But I love to see a couple of classic pieces there too ...

We had a little vintage shop in Halifax . There were always a bunch of musicians around here so there were always things popping up . Mostly Gibson/Fender . The odd big old Gretsch . But after almost twenty years it closed.

Much of the stock would wind up on eBay . But local buyers always had the first kick at things . I have a number of regrets from not buying things there .