Art,
This was not too long ago. I would think 5 years or less. I was in touch with the seller on ebay and he did confirm it was my old bass. I think he should have mentioned the finish on the back of the neck too, but didn't.
Back when I bought and sold it, I paid $750 for it with a Buy It Now on Ebay. I sold it to someone in New York who kept in touch with me who really wanted one. He would keep in touch with me regularly because he knew I had a Hyak and I actively searched out others.
After I decided I could not live with the finish on that bass, I called him up to give him first refusal. I just could not make a profit on it. I would have felt guilty! After all the bass had no power supply, incorrect case and a worn finish.
When the bass showed up on Ebay a couple of days ago, I immediately made an offer on the bass. It also had a 'make offer' option. Then when I realised it was my old bass the seller graciously rejected my offer and someone bought it.
I sometimes regret not swapping out the electronics in that Hyak for my electronics when I had it. But I know I would not be able to live with myself after that too! The electronics on that bass were really special. To my ears the tonal characteristics on a Hyak are unusual. When a chord is plucked, I notice that the secondary note is louder than the root. That is something I grew to expect with all Hyaks. This bass was different. The sound was more even. Also gone was the squawking of the filter controls. Art, I am sure you know what I'm talking about! It was dead quiet as the controls were used. When I looked inside, The circuits were a newer version than mine.
