LukeFRC

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1348433063' post='1813650'] Basschat and many other fors hold the MIJ Fenders in very high regard. All I was saying is that they are good, but worth no more than usual. Hype comes to mind. [/quote] I prefer the necks to a lot of MIJ basses to that of MIA - and back when the yen was weaker a japanese bass at half the price of a USA was a good move. The top end japanese stuff is very very good- using US pickups and good woods. Some of the cheaper stuff... is well... cheaper. What they do have is consistency, you hear a lot about quality controls of US and mexican stuff - but less of japanese stuff. Do they compare to the top end US stuff? Nope, I've got a soft spot for the AVRI series, they are very nice. At the moment to buy a japanese bass new isn't that much cheaper than a US bass.... so which would I go for? US has to be!

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1348427148' post='1813523'] The strings also felt too tight (does that even make sense??), and i found it quite hard to play. It did[i] look [/i]fabulous though. [/quote] obviously not an original, but my JV seems to have less tight feeling strings than other '57 P basses I've played too. It gives it a certain tone. But.... how and why is it?

I still want an ACG

plus music like most things is something where the nicer you are, and the nicer you are to work with then the better you do generally. You say you "could" act friendly and professional. I suggest you lump it and just be nice and smile and don't let it get to you and learn the habits that mean when you are 40 you will be a good guy and musican to work with rather than a grumpy old fart

don't worry about it. It saves you money. At some point (and for me it was linked to my hair starting to disappear at a young age) you go into music shops, they are nice and friendly and throw basses at you to try- and if you ask to try the £3000 bass they have they say "of course" - then you realise you don't have the money to spend on all these nice basses.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1348355290' post='1812777'] I'm not saying preCBS fenders are bad quality, just that there wasn't any craftsmanship involved and the whole production process was very pragmatic. If anything their pragmatism probably adds to their appeal. But the point you make about the poor quality of the seventies Fenders causing people to reconsider older instruments is a good one too. [/quote] ironic really- so much electric guitar and bass design and construction followed the fender "craftmanshipless" direction rather than the more crafted direction Gibson were going back at the time - the irony being I guess is that modern music has been defined by these instuments and the way they are produced. There is an irony in people then going back and making "crafted" versions of the same mass produced basses! The whole point of the design was to be cheap and easy to make in a factory... and now we can go out and get a exquisitly crafted hand built version of the same thing too.... bit daft really

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1348337869' post='1812587'] Ha ha - mine's the 12" remix. :-) CB [/quote] that's not what she told the rest of us afterwards

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1348353774' post='1812760'] People don't seem to allow for inflation and other variables. [/quote] I had noticed this!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1348345025' post='1812687'] This thread TOTALLY reminds me of a man dressed up in a Nemo costume: [/quote] is that warwickhunt?

CMI were a brand from some company... the same guitars could be found with CLS branding... and imnotbassassinbutprettysure came from the factory that made cimars... so there is a link to ibanez there. This looks late 70's - ply body probably heavy - and for under 80 i would consider it. Bare in mind that a vintage modifed squier is about £150-180 secondhand and i've just stuck up a japanese BB300 for 120 in a hard case... and no this isn't such a great deal unless it plays great.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1348236677' post='1811246'] Excellent thread - I shall be interested to see pictures of the finished bass. And unfortunately (and noting your comments about making it clear in the build it's a repro - I'm sure there are others not so alturistic when big money is involved), it scares the hell out of me thinking about buying a pre CBS - although I also know quite a lot of the recognition points on these basses. [/quote] says pre-CBS on the headstock init?

My dream bass, forgive me if I don't advertise its presence! Not fender though

Tonight I could very easily be persuaded to let my JV go -so I can get something that just popped up on ebay.