Maybe you've heard of the '60s and '70s "Lawsuit Era" when most Japanese guitars were blatant copies of American designs? Well, apparently that lasted through the '80s, especially when MIJ brands found inventive ways to copy designs by smaller names who didn't have the resources (and legal teams) to fight distributors.
As an example, here's this FB-IIB electric bass made by Kawai in 1990. It is essentially a wannabe Alembic Spoiler. It has a similar neck-through design with a five-ply neck. The Maple body has Zebrawood wings on the top and back, and the overall vibe/style of the body is right out of the Alembic playbook. Despite the ambitious specs, this bass shows high-level workmanship, and it's a well put together instrument that plays nicely.
This FB-IIB features two low-impedance pickups and an active preamp system, once again following the forward-thinking Alembic designs. Each pickup has independent volume and tone controls, and a three-way switch selects the pickups. Then, each pickup has a three-way "Pickup Character" switch that navigates between Cut, Boost, and Normal. Thes active system is powered by two 9v batteries, which are housed in the control cavity on the back.
Although 1990 is practically vintage these days, this Kawai FB-IIB is in nice shape all around. Each pickup is missing two screws, and there is a finish blemish on the headstock that makes it look white across the peghead overlay and Eagle inlay (see photos). All-around play wear isn't too bad, the worst is some rash around the control vanity of the back and the bridge is tarnished. The setup has approachable low action. The bass isn't exactly lightweight (9 lbs 13.5 oz), but you won't get this sound from some featherweight. More importantly, the neck feels just right and the body contours are comfortable on a strap.
This 1990 Kawai FB-IIB includes a plain hardshell case. For hardware, it has good quality tuners and a high-mass brass Badass-style bridge, once again borrowing heavily from Alembic's style and creativity. The scale length measures 34" and the nut width is 1-5/8". Great player!