Tune Basses - Anyone Here Play One?

[fivebass52]

I've always been fascinated by these basses; they have some very interesting body shapes, and, are played by some of the world's best bass players... Anyone here own one/have owned? Is so, thoughts? I belong to the Tune thread on Talkbass.... seems that there is a Japanese factory, and a Chinese factory as well.... one day I'd like to own one... https://www.talkbass.com/threads/offici ... t-24256731

[pjmuck]

What an annoying company to try to research. You try to Google, "Tune, Tune bass, lefty Tune) etc. and you come up with articles and videos on how to tune a bass. (P.S. good luck trying to research the company Vintage too).

Anyway, I found their website. Some nice looking instruments, but how prevalent are lefties? The only person I know who owns a lefty Tune is Arni (From leftybassist.com), so I've never played or seen one otherwise.

[fivebass52]

What an annoying company to try to research. You try to Google, "Tune, Tune bass, lefty Tune) etc. and you come up with articles and videos on how to tune a bass. (P.S. good luck trying to research the company Vintage too).

Anyway, I found their website. Some nice looking instruments, but how prevalent are lefties? The only person I know who owns a lefty Tune is Arni (From leftybassist.com), so I've never played or seen one otherwise.

Here's the link to the Chinese website... https://www.tuneguitars.com/

And the Japanese site.... http://www.cc.rim.or.jp/~tune/tune/tune ... ducts.html

[Carmine]

I've never played a Tune (bass that is )... but I do have an SGC Nanyo Bass Collection SB501LH, and it is indeed a fine instrument... which I suppose only factors into this conversation via the unofficial theory/opinion going around on Talkbass that SGC Nanyo Bass Collection's goal was pretty much copying elements of what Tune was doing with the Bass Maniac design (but I've never been able to officially verify that)...and ultimately building a reputaton as a great brand in their own right, which subsequently led to them being copied by others as well...what's that they say about imitation and flattery?

Built in Japan, the original SGC Nanyo Bass Collection was a series that added features and component upgrades at each level: the entry-level 300 Series; the 400 and 500 Series; and the top of- the-line 600 Series. However, only the 500 series offered a left handed version- the SB 501. The SB 501LH featured that distinctive trademark narrow head stock shape, a lightweight contoured body, heel-less 34” scale hard rock bolt-on maple neck, unmarked Ebony 24-fret 2 octave fingerboard, two-per-side black Gotoh tuners and bridge. Tone shaping for the P/J pickups was provided via an active SGC EQ with Volume, Balance, Treble Boost/Cut, and Bass Boost/Cut controls. Retail price for the SB 501LH was $1295 , and sold new for around $995 (see attached price list below).





Per The Blue Book of Electric Guitars: "These original Bass Collection basses were built by the Japanese company SGC Nanyo, and offered a variety of configurations, from the entry-level 300 Series, the 400 and 500 Series, and the top of- the-line 600 Series- the higher the number, the more features and component upgrades. All models were prefixed “SB” followed by three digits: “01” (fretted) “02” (fretless) and “05” (five-string)... According to the 1993 price list, retail prices ranged from $659 for the SB 301, to $1195 for the SB 501, to $1650 for the SB 615. The SB 401 last retailed for $995, and sold new for around $700 (the “new” price is what most retailers would sell it for with all standard discounting and minimum advertised pricing policies that may have applied). Today, an SB401 is worth about the same- between $650 and $700- which is a nice return for a Japanese instrument, considering most imports from the 1990s aren’t worth half of their original retail price today. Based on the online reviews I’ve read these basses indeed play like “buttah!” I’d certainly consider this a treasure, considering how well it plays and how high the resale value has held.

[glefty5]

Well I’ve got two 4 strings and my holy grail five string which I will never ever ever sell and they are brilliant Basses! I have a natural 4 string with 25 fret neck, which is probably made in Korea and a Japanese made 4 string in black, as is the five. I also converted an old four string into a five string with a custom-made neck which is back in Australia with original Alembic JJ pups that I replaced with Bartolinis that I would consider selling at some stage, after Covid allows us to actually access our goods and mail them abroad so if anyone is interested in acquiring one, drop me a line here. I’m still living in Japan for the next few years so anything you crew need to know from here, just buzz me!
Cheers, fellow lefty bro/sis posse

[fivebass52]

Well I’ve got two 4 strings and my holy grail five string which I will never ever ever sell and they are brilliant Basses! I have a natural 4 string with 25 fret neck, which is probably made in Korea and a Japanese made 4 string in black, as is the five. I also converted an old four string into a five string with a custom-made neck which is back in Australia with original Alembic JJ pups that I replaced with Bartolinis that I would consider selling at some stage, after Covid allows us to actually access our goods and mail them abroad so if anyone is interested in acquiring one, drop me a line here. I’m still living in Japan for the next few years so anything you crew need to know from here, just buzz me!
Cheers, fellow lefty bro/sis posse

Nice! do you have pictures to post? Would like to your Tunes, especially the 5-string...

[fivebass52]

And thanks to Carmine for the interesting slant on the SB models....

[pjmuck]

What what do you know, there's a lefty for sale right now. Straight from Moscow:

https://reverb.com/item/35366576-tune-b ... and-90s-bb

[screambasses]

What what do you know, there's a lefty for sale right now. Straight from Moscow:

https://reverb.com/item/35366576-tune-b ... and-90s-bb

In Soviet Russia, Tune plays you.

pete

[fivebass52]

What what do you know, there's a lefty for sale right now. Straight from Moscow:

https://reverb.com/item/35366576-tune-b ... and-90s-bb

In Soviet Russia, Tune plays you.

pete

Good thing I don't have the extra cash at the moment! Would be fun to say "I bought this bass from Russia"! Would have to check for "bugs" though, right?

[Jeroen]

You've got the E and G strings strung wrong
These headstocks were designed with straight string pull in mind, with two regular tuners and two upside-down tuners - because the tuning posts are designed to only hold tension in one direction.

[Carmine]

Ah, you’re right, thanks Jeroen! I’ve never had any problem holding tension, it works fine- but I’m definitely gonna switch ‘em now.