Interesting Kawai bass on Craigslist

[Denis]

A Kawai, never heard of 'em. Kind of spiffy looking though.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/msg/2420145070.html

[fealach]

F2B, I think?  Played one once, it was a well put together Alembic copy (minus a few frets).  Fairly chunky neck IIRC, and the example I played sounded pretty boring, but even so a good candidate for upgraded electronics.  I've seen them listed for hundreds more than that on Ebay, don't know if they actually sold though.

[Dave W]

Made by the Kawai Piano Company. They got into the guitar business when they bought Teisco (crappy 60s guitars, IMO) but after a few years their own stuff was pretty good.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Weren't they made in the same plant that produced Ibanez Musicians and Roland basses?

[Freuds_Cat]

My first guitar was a Kawai acoustic. Back in about 1977. Payed $25 second hand for it. That was a very accurate estimation of its true value. At least I got what I payed for

[Dave W]

Weren't they made in the same plant that produced Ibanez Musicians and Roland basses?

Could have been. Teisco had a factory, it wasn't just a brand name, and supposedly some Ibanez models were made there.

[Freuds_Cat]

Teisco were taken over by Kawai in 1967.  Before that Teisco started manufacturing mics, amps and lap steel guitars in 1946. 1952 saw their first acoustc guitar and '54 their first solid body electric. According to Wiki "Hound Dog Taylor famously used a variety of these Kawai-era Teiscos, which he bought at his local Sears department store".

For info on Kawai basses check this out:

http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/pages/kawai_bass.html

Kawai bass guitars sold in the US from late 1985 until 2000.

The model of the one on Craigslist is a FIIB



Details:
Neck-though bass with active electronics. The through-neck is 5 pc. laminated Maple and Mahogany with a 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard. The bodies were 3 pc. laminated Maple/Maple, Mahogany/Maple, Maple/Koa and Maple/Zebra. There were also a small number of FIIB basses that came in Black, Pearl White and Candy Apple Red. In the early 1990's, FIIB basses became the FIIB110KS and were available only with a Maple/Koa body although other finishes were available in Japan. Other changes included the elimination of the heavy brass bridge in favor of a Schaller 3-D4 bridge with the strings attaching at the end of the bridge rather than coming through the body as before. The electronics remained the same on all FIIB basses. The pickups are a Kawai design P-Bass type with built-in pre-amps and require a 9 volt battery for each. The pre-amps control the "tone character" switches for each pickup. In the center position the bass is essentially "flat." The other two switch positions provide combinations of cut and boost at various frequencies. The amount of cut and boost and the frequencies are set by the factory and can not be changed as the pickup is sealed. The tone controls are passive. Most FIIB basses have a traditional 3-way toggle pickup selector although, some early 1985 and 1986 FIIBs used a 3-way rotary pickup selector.
FIIB Wiring Diagram: http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/PDF/fIIbwiring.pdf
FIIB Controls: http://www.kawaius-tsd.com/PDF/FIIB%20controls.pdf

[Freuds_Cat]

Just be aware that these basses have appeared on ebay on more than 1 occasion in scams.

[jumbodbassman]

Got mine off feebay about 12 years ago. 

Well built bass.  Little neck dive,  very nice relly thin really straight neck.  22 frets.  String spacing somewhere between a fender and a gibson,  very like alembic - pretty much stright ,  doesn't fan out as you get towards the bridge llike on on fender basses. string thru bridge. Pickups are ok,   little on the trebley side,  medium strength , very clear and clean almost sterile sounding.  good modern 80's sound.  Strange in that there are 2 batteries but only a passive tone but  active switches.  Poor man's alembic is what many have called these,  which is clearly where they were trying to go as this body is somewhere between a series 1 and the stanley clark body style.  overall well made bass.  If i were to really use it as a main bass I  would probably replace the pups,  maybe even pup in alembic sopabars....