After years of wondering...

MagnumForce

Ive finally found out what model my Charvel Bass is. I never really bothered to investigate too hard before, but im happy now. My Dad bought it off some guy about ten years ago, before i ever considered playing, a couple of years ago the ownership transfered to me. After a bit of looking round the oul net ive discovered it's a Charvel 3B from about 1986, id say its around that period because one I found on the net with the Serial Number C608128, is a 1986 model and mine has the serial number C607593, so im assuming means it was manufactured before the other one and they only started making them in 1986. plus the '87 models and onwards had a different placement of the pickup selctor and serial numbers starting with C70, so i assume the first number refers to the year, supported by the fact that they stopped making the 3B in 1989.

But anyway im sure no one really cares, im just happy ive finally found out what model it is and thats its 20 years old. Best damn bass ive ever played, still goin strong after 20 years with not a problem with it, it can celebrate its twentieth birthday on the same day as my own in July.

Patricide

MagnumForce wrote:

Ive finally found out what model my Charvel Bass is. I never really bothered to investigate too hard before, but im happy now. My Dad bought it off some guy about ten years ago, before i ever considered playing, a couple of years ago the ownership transfered to me. After a bit of looking round the oul net ive discovered it's a Charvel 3B from about 1986, id say its around that period because one I found on the net with the Serial Number C608128, is a 1986 model and mine has the serial number C607593, so im assuming means it was manufactured before the other one and they only started making them in 1986. plus the '87 models and onwards had a different placement of the pickup selctor and serial numbers starting with C70, so i assume the first number refers to the year, supported by the fact that they stopped making the 3B in 1989.

But anyway im sure no one really cares, im just happy ive finally found out what model it is and thats its 20 years old. Best damn bass ive ever played, still goin strong after 20 years with not a problem with it, it can celebrate its twentieth birthday on the same day as my own in July.

I dunno throw up a few pics and i might be interested........

MagnumForce

Alrighty, here he is, it's a he because it kicks so much ass, most of my other guitars are shes:

Doctor J

Japanese, yeah?

The sooner people stop being surprised by the quality of 1980s Japanese instruments the sooner prices will skyrocket. They made instruments that were at least the equivalent of their US made peers for about half the price. This is my 80's Japanese ESP. Great, great bass.

MagnumForce

Doctor J wrote:

Japanese, yeah?

The sooner people stop being surprised by the quality of 1980s Japanese instruments the sooner prices will skyrocket. They made instruments that were at least the equivalent of their US made peers for about half the price. This is my 80's Japanese ESP. Great, great bass.

Yeah, evidence seems to suggest its Japanses alright, at least everyone who reviewed it on Harmony Central owned japanese 3Bs so i think it safe to assume this is too. Yeah, just because its Japanese doesnt mean its shít like alot of people seem to think, especially guitars made in the eighties when they cared about quality more than today. This bass plays better than ANY other bass ive ever played, no matter where they came from.

Most of my guitars are Asian made, Maverick X1 handmade in Korea(UK designed), Westone Mockingbird made and designed in Japan, Kramer Vanguard made in Indonesia, Epiphone Firebird VII made in Korea.

Im not sure if my Jackson Kelly is USA or Japanese made though. probably Japanese.

Anyway, they all sound and play great, and are well built. Id probably go for a Asian made guitar over a USA made one any day eighties or not.

Doctor J

Ah I wouldn't say modern instruments are made with an less care, in fact contemporary budget to mid-range instruments are truly stunning compared to what was available when I took up playing (late 80's). There aren't as many Japanese instruments on the market over here nowadays since the likes of Korea, Indonesia and China hve taken over as cheaper places to manufacture (Korea being the modern equivalent of 80's Japan manufacturing - (quality at the right price) and Japan is in a sort of wierd place, making top quality instruments but still with the "jap-strat" stigma founded in ignorance but offering truly pro-standard instruments as good as you could reasonably dream of but still at a better price than their US contemporaries. As Fey can now confirm, current Japanese made basses are top of the line and second to none

In fact, since I sold the Ric and bought the Bacchus, all four of my basses are Japanese, with an incoming Hotwire from Germany, I've no American made basses, nor the inclination to get one. Take that, Charlie Bird

MagnumForce

I was just really talking about guitars made on production lines which produce hundreds a day, quality is often sacrificed for quantity, Id say theres alot more guitars being made today than back in the good old eighties.

BTW, i just realised my afore mentioned Westone Mockingbird guitar is either a fake or one of the new Westone guitars made by the people who bought the name, Original Westone stopped making guitars in the early nineties, and mine isnt that old. Plus it only has the Westone "bird" symbol, not the word "Westone" or the model name which are always there on real ones. Also theres no serial number and to cap it all off, the original Westone company never made a Mockingbird shaped guitar! I had my suspicions since i bought it. But anyway, i dont care it plays and sounds great anyway. So in conclusion, ive actually no idea where it was made.

Patricide

Jap guitars and basses are top notch from what i played, Especially the jap strats there v.good in my opinion.