Tomson Guitars might ring a bell for those familiar with vintage Japanese instruments, particularly if you’ve encountered Mustang-style copies. While Tomson’s Mustang guitars are relatively common, their basses, like this Precision Bass (P-Bass) copy, are a rarer find. Before this particular gem heads off to the shop, let’s dive into what makes these vintage Tomson instruments noteworthy.
For a deeper dive into the Tomson story, you can explore their history here. In essence, Tomson was an entry-level brand in the 1970s, renowned for producing copies of iconic guitars, spanning from Fender (Mustang, Stratocaster, Precision and Jazz Bass) to Gibson (Les Paul) models, as well as acoustic guitars. Primarily manufactured by Suzuki – specifically the Kiso Suzuki Violin Co. – Tomson instruments ranged in quality. While their solid-body electric guitar copies often featured basic designs and generic hardware, some of their acoustic models reached a respectable intermediate level of craftsmanship.
This Tomson P-Bass embodies the spirit of many student-grade guitars emerging from Japan during that era. It’s a solid homage to the legendary Fender Precision Bass, utilizing more cost-effective woods and hardware to meet an accessible price point.
The body of this Tomson bass, like many of its contemporaries, is constructed from laminated wood. Despite this, it faithfully replicates the classic Fender body contours. Laminated bodies can sometimes lead to a heavier instrument, but this P-Bass copy maintains a comfortable weight, feeling well-balanced with a strap. The body’s thickness contributes to a substantial feel and surprisingly good resonance.
The neck is crafted from a generic Asian timber, similar to Philippine mahogany, a common choice among Japanese guitar manufacturers from the mid-1960s onwards. While substantial, the neck profile avoids the excessively thick dimensions found on some early Japanese basses. A glued-on maple fretboard simplifies truss rod installation and ensures consistency across different Tomson instruments. It’s equipped with basic, yet functional, generic tuners and a Fender-style nut.
The pickups are commendable P-Bass copies, delivering a pleasing tone with ample output and frequency response. The electronics adhere to the standard P-Bass configuration and feature components of surprisingly good quality for an entry-level instrument. Even in the 1970s, Japanese entry-level guitars often boasted decent electronics, reflecting Japan’s growing global reputation for electronic manufacturing, which influenced various sectors, including musical instrument production.
The bridge is a standard Fender-style four-saddle design, functioning reliably. Remarkably, this bass still retains its original bridge cover, an accessory often lost to time.
Currently strung with flatwound strings, this Tomson P-Bass offers comfortable action and enjoyable playability. While some fret buzz emerges higher up the neck, it intonates well and sustains notes unless played with an exceptionally heavy hand.
This bass, along with a Tomson Mustang guitar, recently became available in the shop, presenting an opportunity to acquire well-crafted, budget-friendly vintage instruments.
As frequently highlighted in these blogs, these Tomson guitars, now around 50 years old, remain in original condition and play remarkably well. For an entry-level instrument, this longevity speaks volumes about the quality of materials and construction inherent in even affordable Japanese guitars of that era. With proper setup and care, they continue to be playable and enjoyable decades later, showcasing a level of stability and “settling-in” that is less common in many contemporary Asian-made instruments.
