1979 Hyak Birdseye Bass

[hammer]

What appears to be a pretty nice Hyak with real pretty birdseye. I'd be real interested if I hadn't just purchased a Moonstone.  https://lowendbassshop.com/product/1979-hyak-birdseye/

[dela217]

I was looking at that one too.    I bet it weighs a ton.

It's a long scale, so I'm out of the game.    Looking for medium and short Hyaks if they exist.

[edwardofhuncote]

It's a beauty. I bounced a link to it to a couple folks who I knew might be interested. 

Interesting that this one has fewer graphite layers than my fretless. I wonder how the neck releif is?

[KR]

Greg, what type/scheme is the onboard electronics on this bass? Series-like, or something else? What type of tone does it produce?

[dela217]

The sound is Series like, but darker if that makes sense.  A tone that is difficult to describe.   A bit more nasal.   Not as much treble as an Alembic.   The pickups are not single coils, but stacked coils to eliminate hum.   8 coils per pickup 2 per string.  + and -  36 volt system.   Separate power supply, 5 pin like the Alembic.   

[edwardofhuncote]

The electronics function basically like Series or Anniversary would... two volumes, two filters, Q switches, pickup selector switch, 5-pin and 1/4" outputs.


Agree with Michael, not exactly Alembic, but a very, very pure and clean sound. I have described mine as 'dry' for lack of a better descriptor. It lacks the warmth of my older Distillate, which is what it most reminds me of otherwise. Darn-tootin' close.

[KR]

Thanks for the replies. It's a cool bass.

[keith_h]

The one Hyak I have played had a different neck profile than the Alembic classic taper. I can't say if it was typical for Hyak basses or not but I found it to be more of deep D shape and it was not comfortable for me to play.

[dela217]

I have owned 5 of them, not all at the same time.     I have probably played a dozen or so of these instruments.  There was a music store where I live that kept ordering these.    They would call me when new Hyaks would come in for me to check out.     I find that all of the necks were quite different.    My first one was super long and the neck was fat like a baseball bat.   I did not care for that one at all.   

I dig the one I have now.   Thin neck, medium scale.    There are not many of these bases, so I would be surprised if they had a 'standard' size neck.

[hammer]

Ended up recently purchasing one of these at a Heritage auction.  Not as nice as the one I started this thread with as its not Birdseye maple but still a nice find that cost me a fraction ($1400) of what the Birsdeye was going for. I honestly didn't think I would win with the bid I put in. It looks to all be original and other than quite a few cracks in the fretboard that I repaired with ebony dust and black superglue, it appears to be in great shape. Long scale with Cherry body and purpleheart top and back. Finish isn't even checking and its was as quite as a mouse when plugged in. I did have a scare when it was delivered as when I returned from work that day (which was rainy and 38 degrees) I found that FedEx had dropped it on my uncovered front port and it was sitting there in the cold and rain.  Luckily no damage was done other than to cardboard.

[KR]

Post some pics when you can.

[dela217]

I used to own that bass.   I got it from the original owner back in 1979 or so and kept it until 2001 or thereabouts.  I traded it and another Hyak for an Alembic back then. 

It’s the only one I’ve ever seen with that inlay on the back.   I bid on it too for the sake of reminiscing, but you outbid me.   Does it still have the original Hyak electronics on board?    From the pics the knobs have been changed to stacked knobs.  When you can post pics of the inside.    Thanks!  Michael