Univox bass - quilty pleasure??

[jumbodbassman]

Anyone out there have univox basses but are embarassed to be seen with it.  i have several univox basses and they  play  pretty good but would  NEVER bring them to a gig.  Most are short scale which is one reason,  but really its because it is a univox.  I remember Univox as the cheap knockoff builder in the 70's but some of the models where pretty good.  Especially if you  change out the pickups.

[Pilgrim]

I enjoy playing this Univox hollowbody in public! I gig with short scale basses a lot.  In terms of finish and build quality, it's right up there with many of the basses I own.

The pickups are nothing to write home about, but I'm considering installing a pair of T-bird pickups in this bass rather than in the EB-0 I bought.  I also need to clean up the electronics a bit after 40 years....

[jumbodbassman]

i have that same bass but not in such nice condition.   most of the black single coil soapbar pickups are microphonic at this point in their evolution.  i have a few hi flyers with other pickups that they used ( a white/tanish humbucker,  and a schaller pickup that's creme  with double row of allen type screws like dimarzio basspickups.  i also have a few overgrown hofner like basses with scroll tops.

I have been tempted to put some darkstars in that bass like yours.  it would probably sound huge but too many projects ,  too little money and time...not sure the if the holes are too big for the DS's.

i will have to get some pictures up

[nofi]

it should not matter what you play as long as you Can play. i blame bass player magazine among other things.

[patman]

NOFI hit it on the head...

[Basshappi]

i blame bass player magazine among other things.
+

[Pilgrim]

By the way, what's a "Quilty pleasure?"  (See thread title...)  Does it leave DNA evidence?

BTW - there's nothing wrong with Univox.  They were built in the Matsumoku factory which had a solid reputation for quality.  the story I've heard is that Gibson sent their techs over to train the folks there.  Epiphone, Aria and Lyle are some of the other brand names built in that factory.  If you watch auctions for instruments of similar design, you'll see that similar pickups and other identical items tended to show up on Epi, Univox, Aria and Lyle interchangeably during the late 60's and 70's.

[nofi]

if you still can't get past the univox name eastwood guitars makes a nice copy of the univox hi flyer bass for about 400 bucks. they also make a nice semi hollow like pilgrim's.

the remark about bass player mag is that they are basically a catalog pushing the latest and the greatest gear with little regard for good stuff from the past. the advertising dollar is king.

[Dave W]

Old friend of mine played a triple humbucker Strat style Univox guitar on stage every week for a long time. It was never a premium brand, just a good value. Workmanship was good, hardware and electronics often could use upgrading but were still usable. Like Eastwood today. I sure wouldn't be embarrassed to play one in public.

[nofi]

back in the 60's there was a stigma attached to japanese guitars. you either played a fender, gibson, rick or guild. the japanese stuff imo wasn't very good. then punk, new wave and david lindley made it hip to play off brand stuff and the asian suff was improving all along until it became a non issue for many players. that's my take on it fwiw.

[Pilgrim]

Back in the 60's and 70's some of the import stuff was truly bad.  The bodies and necks were OK, but the pickups and electronics (and sometimes the tuners) were just awful. 

Some imports were decent and less expensive then the US instruments, and the Matsumoku instruments fell into that category.  Of course, there were also the Japanese clones that resulted in US lawsuits.  To this day, there are Univox and other Rick clones that appear on Ebay, and the sellers have to be extremely careful with their wording to avoid Rick having their auctions pulled.  Rick is quite vigilant.

The imports coming in from Korea and China today are far better instruments than the real cheapies from the 60's and 70's.

[Basshappi]

My first bass amp was a 30 watt Univox.

Pilgrim - Drop some Thundertrons in there!

[Pilgrim]

Pilgrim - Drop some Thundertrons in there!

That would be great - but then I'd have more money in the pickups than I do in the bass!

[Basshappi]