Identify This "Jane Doe"??

[TxBluTornado]

Hi everyone..... JUST picked this piece up yesterday .... aside from being dirty, unkept and in pretty rough shape overall, she seems to be a pretty solid Japanese made bass - - - trouble is, I have absolutely NO IDEA of the identity of this little Jane Doe!

I've done hours of research online already and have come across very little in the way of any solid clues to her history / origin.

I did find this post in the forum.... it's not a bass, and the OP believes his / her piece to be some kind of "unfinished project" work having been compiled from pieces of other guitars.... however, yesterday's find would suggest otherwise.... take a look...

http://www.vintaxe.com/boards/viewtopic ... 29c6bcfaf3

On my bass - - as with the other poster's guitar - - there are no markings / labels / logos / etc. of any kind other than the silver plate on the back marked: "STEEL REINFORCED NECK Made In Japan".

Any ideas gang? Seems like everyone is scratching their heads on this one....

It will probably be easier if I link you to my initial post on another forum.... Lots of photos and back and forth banter in the forum thread linked below if it will help... I'm clueless..... (the thing is filthy and the photos are bad, lol) -

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/identi ... oe-785823/

[VintAxe]

Hi TxBluTornado.

The "Steel Reinforced Neck" plate suggests your bass was built by Matsumoku. This plate was commonly used on Matsumoku instruments but I'm not sure the question of whether the plate was exclusive to Matsumoku has ever been settled.

This style of plate was used from the late 1960's to about the mid 1970's so this gives us a rough time frame for when the bass was built.

[TxBluTornado]

Thanks - - trying to figure out if Ibanez put the "steel reinforced neck" plate on the backs of their pieces...... it's that plate that is making lots of folks call this a Matsumoku -- but there are absolutely no other connections to Matsumoku other than the plate, which was really widely seen w/ several manufacturers. - - Folks have hit on SO many different makes ... it's like this thing has a lil' piece of ten different brands, haha.... Still a mystery! lol[/b]