Yamaha SB-1C Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1968)
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Yamaha SB-1C Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1968), made in Japan, serial # 6184, Orange polyester finish, hardwood body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This Yamaha SB-1C is one of this venerable Japanese company's most outrageous looking and best remembered instruments of the 1960s, part of the fancifully styled and varied late '60s SG series of solidbodies. These immediately distinctive and super flashy instruments were by any standard the finest electric guitars and basses made in Japan up to that point. The design is highly original and wildly eccentric, but the instrument is built to a higher quality and design standard than other Japanese electrics from this period, many of which were spotty at best. Yamaha was a highly diversified company but all of their products manifested a commitment to quality and the highest grade workmanship.
The SB-1C was the amateur level but pro quality electric bass, aiming At the same market as the Fender Mustang or Gibson EB-0. It has been called the "Flying Banana" or "Flying Samurai" and other less polite names, but the smooth yet angular body and headstock shapes are certainly unique.
Yamaha the "SG" solid electric line in 1966, having already made inroads in the global acoustic guitar market. The range was distinguished by a visually striking progression of highly asymmetrical bodies, from these simpler style 1 models up through the flagship SG-7. The SB-1C's elongated sculpted horn on the bass side balances a large offset body curve at the other end, with the lower edge sculpted in a sloping curve with no real provision for seated playing! The dynamic but oddball look is enhanced by a long thin headstock reminiscent of a hockey stick and/or samurai sword; strikingly modern for 1966; it would not look out of place on a 1990s guitar!
The SG series not primarily intended for export, but aimed at Japan's domestic market, then in an electric guitar frenzy at levels exceeding even the US. Many Japanese instrumental bands were heavily inspired by the Ventures so the SB-1 inherited some Mosrite-esqe elements, particularly a slim neck with a zero fret and the serial number stamped in the fingerboard exactly as Semie did it in California! The pickup placement down by the neck with the distinctive skewed angle was a nod to Mosrite as well. It is a fairly bright (and microphonic) single coil so even with this placement the bass is brighter-toned than similar American instruments.
The 20-fret maple neck is conventionally bolted on; the truss-rod access point is under a small plate between the fingerboard and pickup. The tuners on the long sloping headstock are individual Japanese machines loosely copied from the plastic-button Van Gents used by Burns in England. A block Yamaha logo decal is on the headstock while the company's tuning fork logo is applied to the molded plastic pickguard.
The SB-1C and its siblings were never officially sold in the US market, so this is a rare find here. This version of Yamaha's budget bass was launched in 1968 at a list price of 19,000 yen and only in production for a couple of years. The colors offered were Canary Yellow, Persimmon Red and Ako Night Blue; this bass' livery may be described as "red" but looks bright orange to us!
The entire original Yamaha SG line was discontinued by 1971, replaced by a line of well-crafted but far more conventional-looking guitars with none of its exuberant style. Despite a wildly eccentric look this is a well-made instrument, at least equal to many European and even some American short-scale basses of the era. This is a very nice example, an excellent player and certainly one of the most distinctive basses of the 1960s visually at least!
Overall length is 44 1/2 in. (113 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a very clean bass overall, an excellent player showing only some light wear. The vibrant orange body finish has some small chips and dings, mostly to the back and sides. The back of the neck is softly worn to the wood in the center and is very comfortable to play. Structurally the instrument is excellent with no visible damage or repair.
The bass is original and complete except the stamped bridge cover is long gone and the volume knob is missing the metal cap, a common situation with these two-stage Yamaha knobs. This is a very easy playing bass with a surprisingly aggressive sound, and is certainly visually extremely striking at least! It lives in a slightly later vintage Yamaha-branded hardshell bass case. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This Yamaha SB-1C is one of this venerable Japanese company's most outrageous looking and best remembered instruments of the 1960s, part of the fancifully styled and varied late '60s SG series of solidbodies. These immediately distinctive and super flashy instruments were by any standard the finest electric guitars and basses made in Japan up to that point. The design is highly original and wildly eccentric, but the instrument is built to a higher quality and design standard than other Japanese electrics from this period, many of which were spotty at best. Yamaha was a highly diversified company but all of their products manifested a commitment to quality and the highest grade workmanship.
The SB-1C was the amateur level but pro quality electric bass, aiming At the same market as the Fender Mustang or Gibson EB-0. It has been called the "Flying Banana" or "Flying Samurai" and other less polite names, but the smooth yet angular body and headstock shapes are certainly unique.
Yamaha the "SG" solid electric line in 1966, having already made inroads in the global acoustic guitar market. The range was distinguished by a visually striking progression of highly asymmetrical bodies, from these simpler style 1 models up through the flagship SG-7. The SB-1C's elongated sculpted horn on the bass side balances a large offset body curve at the other end, with the lower edge sculpted in a sloping curve with no real provision for seated playing! The dynamic but oddball look is enhanced by a long thin headstock reminiscent of a hockey stick and/or samurai sword; strikingly modern for 1966; it would not look out of place on a 1990s guitar!
The SG series not primarily intended for export, but aimed at Japan's domestic market, then in an electric guitar frenzy at levels exceeding even the US. Many Japanese instrumental bands were heavily inspired by the Ventures so the SB-1 inherited some Mosrite-esqe elements, particularly a slim neck with a zero fret and the serial number stamped in the fingerboard exactly as Semie did it in California! The pickup placement down by the neck with the distinctive skewed angle was a nod to Mosrite as well. It is a fairly bright (and microphonic) single coil so even with this placement the bass is brighter-toned than similar American instruments.
The 20-fret maple neck is conventionally bolted on; the truss-rod access point is under a small plate between the fingerboard and pickup. The tuners on the long sloping headstock are individual Japanese machines loosely copied from the plastic-button Van Gents used by Burns in England. A block Yamaha logo decal is on the headstock while the company's tuning fork logo is applied to the molded plastic pickguard.
The SB-1C and its siblings were never officially sold in the US market, so this is a rare find here. This version of Yamaha's budget bass was launched in 1968 at a list price of 19,000 yen and only in production for a couple of years. The colors offered were Canary Yellow, Persimmon Red and Ako Night Blue; this bass' livery may be described as "red" but looks bright orange to us!
The entire original Yamaha SG line was discontinued by 1971, replaced by a line of well-crafted but far more conventional-looking guitars with none of its exuberant style. Despite a wildly eccentric look this is a well-made instrument, at least equal to many European and even some American short-scale basses of the era. This is a very nice example, an excellent player and certainly one of the most distinctive basses of the 1960s visually at least!
Overall length is 44 1/2 in. (113 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a very clean bass overall, an excellent player showing only some light wear. The vibrant orange body finish has some small chips and dings, mostly to the back and sides. The back of the neck is softly worn to the wood in the center and is very comfortable to play. Structurally the instrument is excellent with no visible damage or repair.
The bass is original and complete except the stamped bridge cover is long gone and the volume knob is missing the metal cap, a common situation with these two-stage Yamaha knobs. This is a very easy playing bass with a surprisingly aggressive sound, and is certainly visually extremely striking at least! It lives in a slightly later vintage Yamaha-branded hardshell bass case. Overall Excellent - Condition.