This Moridaira MB-2 is an early Japanese Jazz-style bass, most likely made in the very late 1960s or early 1970s. It belongs to a period before many construction details had settled around the familiar Fender-style formula. The six-bolt neck joint is one clue to that different approach, alongside the rounded single-coil pickups, vintage open-gear tuners and slab-style nut mounted against the end of the fingerboard. A strongly figured tort-style pickguard and an original-style Moridaira Musical Inst. Co. Ltd. Tokyo Japan label on the neck add further period character.
The instrument has a 3-tone sunburst finish, rosewood fingerboard with block inlays and binding, and passive two-volume / tone controls. Its construction and hardware are noticeably different from the more familiar Japanese Fender-style basses that became common later in the 1970s. The hardware, electronics and pickguard appear consistent with the instrument’s age, and the wiring looks old and largely untouched in the control cavity, as far as can be seen.
The bass has a warm, deep, woody response with a strong acoustic feel, and a comfortable, stable neck. At approximately 4.5 kg it has some substance, while the brand-new Pyramid Black Tape Nylon strings suit its softer vintage character. The original finger rest is included.
Inspection & research notes
Inspection notes record that the neck is stable and comfortable to play, the electronics function correctly, and the instrument is in very good overall condition for its age. The visible finish wear is light; the original-style hardware shows oxidation and patina.
The available Reverb documentation dates this example most likely to the very late 1960s or early 1970s; the available evidence does not support a more precise year. The neck carries an original-style Moridaira Musical Inst. Co. Ltd. Tokyo Japan label. No serial number is supplied in the available documentation.
