Fender litigation Jazz bass...?

Highlander · June 11, 2010, 10:04:51 AM

Curiosity, this one...

Potentially going to dip my toes and watching some items...

Anyone know anything about Vester...? (I know they folded, that's all) Are they any good...? Fender seemed to think so...

godofthunder · June 11, 2010, 01:38:21 PM

Got a link for us Kenny ?

Highlander · June 11, 2010, 01:57:55 PM

watching this one...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140414794933&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

also this Columbus Jazz...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300434918962&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Both seem to be nicely reviewed when I researched, but anyone got any first hand experience...?

Potentially looking for a cheapie that I can gold-sparkle as a '64 clone...

Dave W · June 11, 2010, 03:54:28 PM

Never heard of Columbus.

Vester was a cheap Korean copy, okay for the price but nothing special. Don't know where you get the idea it was a lawsuit bass, but there is or was a Wiki entry on Vester that was almost sheer fantasy, including a claim that Fender was going to sue them for sounding like a Jazz Bass. Preposterous! There was never any lawsuit, they were just one of many companies over the years that got cease & desist letters from Fender for having headstock shapes or logos that were too close to Fender's trademarked shape and logo. Like the others, they backed down.

I wouldn't advise paying over £50 for one.

Daniel_J · June 11, 2010, 11:15:20 PM

Never heard about any of those, but the all black tummy cut and arm contour on the Vester sunburst patern means only one thing: plywood.

So, I'm with Dave: I wouldn't advise paying over £50 for one.

Highlander · June 12, 2010, 09:15:06 AM

Advice taken... There still is a Wiki page, Dave...

Big_Stu · June 12, 2010, 09:22:28 AM

Quote from: Dave W on June 11, 2010, 03:54:28 PM
Never heard of Columbus.
...........
I wouldn't advise paying over £50 for one.

Columbus were quite popular in the UK in the early/mid 70's. They really were the rock bottom of bad copies, I had a Les Paul Columbus very briefly, it was completely hollow with a thin plywood shell & the pups were actual microphones, you could shout into them!

Highlander · June 12, 2010, 09:47:16 AM

I remember one of my old comrades having a black LP one... cheers for the info, Stu...

I went straight from an EB2 copy to my Peter Cook so never walked this path...

Primary reasons for getting something semi reasonable is for fin practice... something I won't mind making mistakes on, if I do...