eldegas.com

In the past month I managed to aquire a couple of white label basses.



On the left is a Vibra shortscale and on the right is a Sekova beatle bass. Not much info available on either brand.

Both need some cosmetic attention and new strings. The Vibra has a non stock bridge and is missing the bridge cover. The Sekova is missing the headstock logo and pickguard and has non original knobs and jack plate. Price was right though.

The Vibra looks to be a Teisco product and I think Sekovas came from Kawai, Teisco and other factories depending on the model. The pickups are the same on both basses

I turned up this page while searching Vibra guitars.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/sho ... ?t=1414419

Interesting quote

The label says model 60(I think) and in small at the bottom says a product of B&J

Anyone we know ?

Another link.....

http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Make ... s/20.shtml


Dave

B & J got around!

I have no idea how many white label brands they imported in N America in total. I guess I should look into that some day

Nice scores.

Indeed. Very interesting.
I've also come across the Vibra brand recently; an acoustic. What struck me at the time was the typeface used. It's called Vivaldi and was used by Matsumoku on their Vantage line of guitars in the 80's: http://www.matsumoku.org/models/vantage ... 2/pg1.html.
I don't know for certain if there's a connection but it is suspicious!

ElDave,

Just to point out that your vibra bass was sold with about a doozen name on the headstock... Yours would be model A100, I have 2 like yours... 1 under the Aria name and the 2nd ....(dont quite remember...)

Here is an Aria link to the Aria version... These are considered not being made by Matsumoku but from another supplier linked with Teisco since these were available in all related names to Teisco also...

http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/ca ... 1.jpg.html

P.

The bass man has spoken!
And believe me he has a house full of 'em!

Still, it's interesting that they'd use the same font style for Vibra as Vantage did...were they copying Matsumoku or just being "trendy"? The Vibra's I've seen have been very good quality builds.

The manufacturers back then put out some lines of instruments that ended up with a myriad of white label brand names on them for the importers, but manufacturing wise we almost the same across the board (unless the importer ordered them with something different). The same practice goes on today with overseas manufacturers that sell to white-label importers.

It's tracing/guessing which manufacturer was responsible for your white-label branded product that is half the fun of owning them, sometimes.

ElDave,

I was looking over your Sekova bass and realized that it has the same TRC shape that my Pyramid Viola guitar has... Might be a coincidence but you never know. I was never able to find info on it... will research Sekova a little. Heres a link to my guitar:

http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewto ... it=pyramid

P.

Thanks for all the comments and info guys, Ive been busy this summer and haven't been too responsive lately.
It hasn't kept me away from kiijii though.

I picked up this Ventura 2100 hollowbody (EB2 copy) a month ago. It just fit within my "I can buy any bass I want as long as it costs $100.00 or less" constraint.





It needed a few things (bridge saddle, strings) and has had a couple of so-so separation repairs, including one by me. I already had a bridge saddle as the bridge and pickup are same as my EB0 copy. Also missing the "string cover / hand rest" thingy. Somewhere there must be a big pile of these things.
It is in nice "3 foot" condition, the triple-bound neck is gorgeous and plays very nicely. It has a 3 position switch instead of the EB2's "bass boost" button, it does nothing other than hum in the first 2 positions so it stays on position 3.




Then a couple of weeks ago this popped up 5 blocks from my place.





It's an Ibanez 2388B circa 1973-74. I found a catalog reprint on the web that indicates there were 2 models of this bass those years. The 2388DX was neck-thru construction, stereo output and had a different pickup in the neck position. The 2388B is bolt-on neck, mono output and both p'ups are of the same construction. This one is all original except for the missing bridge p'up cover.

It was one of those "he who hesitates is lost" moments. This is now my most expensive instrument. So much for "any bass as long as it's $100.00 or less". I do agree with the seller that if I ever get tired of playing or just looking at the thing I'll have no problem getting my money back out of it.

The fretboard on these early ones is interesting, it looks to be epoxy coated and the fret markers are what I would describe as "crushed abalone in epoxy" and run the full width of the neck. I also love the checkered binding, like on pre'74 Ricks.





Dave

I like that Ibanez. It uses those silver exposed-pole humbuckers that you see on some of the MIJs from that era, which aren't exactly authentic on the Ric (but are much more out of place on my El Degas Jazz bass copy ) but I'm sure will give a nice growl nonetheless (if they perform anything like the ones on my Jazz copy).

Nice basses Dave!

I just got me a an Aria EB2 like you but a little older version... Mine is from 1966-68 based on the previous owner. Mine was missing the original bridge also but was real lucky since one was posted on ebay at the same time... It should be coming in today!... I did not take pictures of it yet but these were from the add:





I paid a little more compare to your $100 bass mono...lol How I wish they were all $100! You got yourself a great deal on that baby! Very nice looking.

Your Ibby is amazing....Love the Rick copies and yours is also original with those pickups..The seller was telling the truth about the fact that you will not lose out if you decide to sell... They seem to have no problem selling... I would love to get a El Degas version like Charles ... Have to say, More El Degas show up in Ontario and west of it...Hmmm....Lucky buggers...

Enjoy your new toys! Thanks for the pictures...

P.

I have the same Ibanez. It is a model 2388/S 1977. My bass has an interesting story.

Around 1978 the bass was stolen at my home. A few weeks later I found it on a music store. The insurance paid 600$ for it, I bough it back for 200$. I immediately recognized it because it had a little imperfection on it. However they changed the white plastic with the Ibanez logo. They replace Ibanez by Mann. Mann is a cheap replica of the Rickenbacker 4001. Ibanez is a good quality replica.

I'm looking for high quality pictures of the Ibanez logo in many angles, ideally without strings. I want to ask a machine shop to build a new plastic with the logo as close as the original as possible . I don't know how I could had live so long with Mann on it.

I have a picture but I don't know how to post it .... I'm not that good with those stuff. I tried to click on Img , didn't work...

Francois wrote:I have a picture but I don't know how to post it .... I'm not that good with those stuff. I tried to click on Img , didn't work...

Follow the instructions here
http://www.eldegas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=49

That's a crazy story... glad you got the bass back plus a little green in your pocket