Mystery bass! Help me ID this thing!

[godofthunder]

This came into the H.O.G. on trade, pretty cool early 60's no name bass. No one there knows just what it is. It kind of reminds me of something Harmony or Kay may have made but so far I can't find anything like it. It still has the music store sticker on the headstock but no brand. The pickup is dead The tail piece is a modified mandolin tailpiece..............weird. Any help in ID ing it and the value would be appreciated.

[godofthunder]

We have a winner, it's a Multivox

[amptech]

The pickup is dead

I´ll be rewinding a pile of old pickups in January or February.

If you bought the bass and don´t already have a pickup-guy, throw it in and I´ll rewind it for free if you pay for shipping.

These early singlecoils are usually quite easy to rewind, as long as the bobbins are not made from paper.
Nice bass!

[godofthunder]

Wow what a generous offer! I would like the bass it depends on what Bruce at the HOG wants for it.

[amptech]

Wow what a generous offer! I would like the bass it depends on what Bruce at the HOG wants for it.

Can´t be much. The pickup doesn´t even work, dammit

[godofthunder]

 Ok so it's a late 50's USA Multivox. Bruce offered it to me for $250, for once I thought I'd be sensible and pass so I left the bass at the store and to the fates. Then I discovered I had the $ in my paypal account and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a 1950's USA made electric bass. I am goint to give the electronics a going over to make sure the pickup is or isn't dead.

[godofthunder]

 Anyone know who makes a set of long flats with no windings? I need something for my '58-'59 Multivox. There is no truss rod on this bass and along with the dinky tuners it just can't take rounds. A .100 or so E string would be nice. From the tail piece to the nut it is 36 1/2". Thanks in advance!

[Dave W]

You mean without silks? I don't know. Is this 30" scale? You might check with LaBella about their Beatle Bass flats set. It's long enough for the Hofner with tailpiece, and the diameter at the silks is small enough for Hofner tuners. The only thing is, the overall length isn't as long as usual so you don't have a lot of windings around the small tuner posts. So if you call them to ask about it, be sure to ask the overall length as well as the winding length. I once bought a set for my Coronado and found that they were perfect for the tailpiece to nut distance but weren't long enough to reach the G string post on a 4 inline headstock.

[godofthunder]

Yeah I mean the silk wrap. Its long scale, with regular long scale strings the silk wrap goes over the nut past the first fret.

[Pilgrim]

The Labella Hofner set is 32" scale to allow for the trapeze tailpiece.  Don't forget you can always trim the silks off the string at the nut if needed.

Juststrings.com lists the gauges of all their bass strings, so they make it easy to find options. The Labella Beatle Bass flats are .050-.100 http://www.juststrings.com/lab-760fhbb.html.

These Deep Talkin' Flat extra lights are .039-.096:  http://www.juststrings.com/lab-760fx.html. (These are 34" scale but they probably have them in other lengths.)

[rahock]

Their is such a thing as extra long scale also. I need a set for my string thru  51 Fender P RI.
Rick

[Jeff Scott]

What's with the finger joint at the neck attachment tongue?  Is there evindence of a break/damage on the backside of it?

[patman]

I use the extra long scale dadarrio ground rounds on my upright...no silk

[godofthunder]

What's with the finger joint at the neck attachment tongue?  Is there evindence of a break/damage on the backside of it?

The body has a 1/8" cap on the front and back I presume the core is all finger jointed bits and pieces. I was surprised to see that as well.

[godofthunder]

The Labella Hofner set is 32" scale to allow for the trapeze tailpiece.  Don't forget you can always trim the silks off the string at the nut if needed.

Juststrings.com lists the gauges of all their bass strings, so they make it easy to find options. The Labella Beatle Bass flats are .050-.100 http://www.juststrings.com/lab-760fhbb.html.

These Deep Talkin' Flat extra lights are .039-.096:  http://www.juststrings.com/lab-760fx.html. (These are 34" scale but they probably have them in other lengths.)

Those Deep Talk'n extra light flats sound like the ticket! I am going to order a set tomorrow. Thanks !