spinynorman

I'm pretty sure this the hardest I've ever seen the members of a bass forum have to work to convince someone they need a new bass. It usually goes like this ... Q: My bass sounds like crap, what should I do? All: Buy a new one! Q: Right, I'm off to the shops.

Sounds like you probably don't have a current Vintage model - I think the quality has been more variable in the past. One simple test is what it sounds and feels like unplugged. If it sounds and feels dead I'd look for something else.

[quote name='noisedude' post='132192' date='Feb 1 2008, 08:37 PM']Hmmm .... interesting stuff. I've been looking at a 5-string Rebop but part of me wonders whether I should save a little extra to do it properly and get a Euro .... any thoughts, Spector owners?[/quote] I've recently bought a pre-2004 Rebop 5. If I did a review of it, it would say pretty much the same as is said here. It's fantastic to play, the neck particularly is superb. I love it. My advice would be, if you have a big hang up about bolt on vs neck through, or if you can get the extra money easily, then maybe get the Euro. On the other hand, if you'll have to wait a while to save up, I really don't think you'd be disappointed with the Rebop. (Only caveat, I don't know what the new ones are like, but the specs don't look that different, except probably a nicer body finish.)

Sorry, bidding is over, but you never know, they may have more. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WIDE-NECK-ONE-NECK-GUITAR-AND-BASS-COMBO-2-JACKS_W0QQitemZ190191742413QQihZ009QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Double neck[/url]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='133930' date='Feb 4 2008, 10:03 PM']In all fairness I'm not sure that this is actually JapCrap: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Franconia-Short-Scale-Bass-Guitar-Old_W0QQitemZ320214732819QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Franconia-Short-Scal...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] Potentially KrautCrap or a copy thereof, I suppose. Any idea what it is?[/quote] "Instruments previously built in Japan between 1980 and 1985. The Franconina trademark was a brand name used by a UK importer. The guitars were generally entry level to mid quality copies of American designs. Source: Tony Bacon and Paul Day, The Guru's Guitar Guide." Just seen someone's supplied the same information on the auction.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='129004' date='Jan 27 2008, 11:38 PM']Nice looking through-neck/brass hardware Cort, Korean, probably branded Kay, no postage: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120216053300"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=120216053300[/url][/quote] I had one of those when I first switched to bass. With a new bridge and DiMarzios it played pretty well.

Sennheiser HD465 here, also good.

Recently had similar experience with Ashdown, with a Mag 300 head that was intermittently not working. Tech support guy (not MB) seemed very helpful, head came back from them with a £68 charge, but no details of the repair. When I emailed them to find out what the problem was, I got a report that said "bench tested, no fault found". Despite it having failed twice in setups where backup amps worked fine, they won't shift off "there's nothing wrong with it". While it was away I bought a Hartke 3500 that works, so I gave up the argument.

I don't think it's GAS, it's all been a completely logical progression ... Need bass in a hurry. Buy Korean thing from friend for £100. Join something called The Dude Pit. Discover one bass isn't enough and the Korean Thing is a deeply despised Kay. Really want a Fender but don't have the money. Buy Ibanez Jazz copy with Hiscox case. Sell Korean thing for small profit. Need EB3 for Jack Bruce impression, but don't have the money. Buy old Jap EB3 copy. Have some spare cash. Find Epi Elitist EB3 on eBay at good price. Sell Jap EB3 copy for small profit. See Fender MIJ Precision on eBay at give-away price. Can't resist. Who needs a Fender copy when you've got a real one? Sell Ibanez Jazz copy, but keep case. Finally admit Jack Bruce impression is unconvincing, sell EB3. Like the idea of a Thunderbird, but without the thin neck and stupid price. Find good deal on Gibson IV. Desperately need 5-string for more modern repertoire, find cheap Vester on eBay. Like 5 strings, but Vester neck too thin. Find Spector Rebop 5 on eBay. Sell Vester at a loss :-( See, totally logical and entirely justified. Not GAS at all.

The German Bach reseller runs auctions on eBay. [url="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/bachguitars"]http://stores.ebay.co.uk/bachguitars[/url] If you look at their completed auctions they accept quite low best offers, for example 140 Euro against a 229 Euro BIN on a 4-string 51 precision copy. Definitely worth trying to do a deal. When they've run non-BIN auctions the prices have been low, so don't expect much resale value. I don't have one myself, but people who do on other boards say they are well made.

[quote name='OldGit' post='130693' date='Jan 30 2008, 02:28 PM']Ha ha how many guitarists does it take to change a lightbulb?[/quote] None: The keyboard player does it with his left hand. or One: He holds it and the world revolves around him. (and I admit I stole those )

[quote name='seymourfluid' post='130357' date='Jan 29 2008, 11:12 PM']Oh, and if there's a keyboard player in the band sack it.[/quote]

All the above is good advice. Also, if there's a keyboard in the band, particularly if the player has a heavy left hand, try to get as far away from it or its amp as you can. You need to be loud enough to compete with the bass drum, but don't get into a volume war with the guitarist/s. As OldGit says, you can use the tone controls on the amp to help you cut through with tone, with upper mid or even treble, rather than being physically louder. I had the same instinct as you, to add more bass, but it is likely to be the last thing you really need. Don't be surprised if the tone that sounds great with the band and audience sounds absolutely awful when you're setting up.

Korean 1980s neck-thru with no name on it. Like a Vantage Performer, but someone told me it was most likely a Kay.

There's a black active Vester on eBay that looks like it's going to go for about 50 quid. I've got one in white and its not bad at all if you don't mind a narrow neck. It's about the same width as a 4-string p-bass at the nut.

It's in the Rare and Vintage section of their shop. Actually they've put it up before, some time ago. Didn't sell then, for some reason I can't explain.

In case anyone's still awake in here. Current herd Fender MIJ Precision Gibson IV Spector Rebop 5 Gone but not forgotten Vester OPR 1335EQ 5-string (neck too narrow) Tanglewood SJB Acoustic Epiphone Elitist EB3 (could dive for England) Ibanez 2365B (Jazz copy) Frankenfender ("Signature" Jazz body and Allparts neck) Unknown Jap EB3 copy (nice) EKO Manta (dead as a corpse, only deader) 80s P/J neckthru made in Korea, similar to Vantage but probably Kay.

That's a relief, I'm glad I asked that before I spent 20 quid on a cable. Except that if I push the mono jack in all the way it cuts out, it only works if the jack is slightly out, whereas that doesn't happen with a stereo jack. Possibly I have a worn socket?

I've just bought a Spector Rebop5 and thought the jack was a bit loose in the socket. Then I had a look under the covers and realised it is a stereo socket. After a bit of Googling, looks like that is quite common for active basses. Then I looked for cables and found a Planet Waves stereo instrument cable, but it's stereo both ends. I'm assuming the active input on my amp is mono (Hartke 3500). So I'm confused now. What is the point of having stereo output from an active bass, how do you use it for best effect, and what do you do for cables?

This shouldn't be crap, but it's not in the best condition [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GRECO-86-THUNDERBIRD-BLACK-Japan-Made-Bass_W0QQitemZ350012256684QQihZ022QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Greco Bird[/url] And a [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/60s-JEDSON-Tele-Style-Bass-Made-in-JAPAN-Lovely-Cond_W0QQitemZ170183334080QQihZ007QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Jedson[/url] And wasn't someone looking for a [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SG-EB3-Japanese-Vintage-Copy-Bass-with-Slotted-Peghead_W0QQitemZ250203577391QQihZ015QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]long-scale EB3[/url]?

If you have a problem you can write to them. Address, Mr Woo, Bejing, China (OK, I made up the Mr Woo part).

[quote name='Rammsteinbrit' post='115178' date='Jan 7 2008, 01:51 AM']Thanks for the Info Norman! Looking at those pics, they all have the old Ibanez writing on the stock, mine says Antoria, so is my one a bit...rare'er? ....or is it just a pile-o-sh*te? Payed £206 for it....Ripped off or Fair? Thanks in advance... Darby[/quote] Rare is the most overused word on eBay, after lawsuit. I'm not an expert on this, I just got interested in these Far East brands for the same reason I guess you might be, cos I owned a few. As far as I can tell, Antoria basses from the 1970s were the same as Ibanez, just imported into the UK by a different distributor. The thing that affects the price with these is recognition and sellers are increasingly associating Antoria with Ibanez, which ups the recognition factor, and hence the price. If you search the completed listings for "Les Paul Bass" you'll see a Shaftesbury of the same vintage went for £220 today, so I think you did ok. I hope you like it, let us know how it turns out.

Antoria guitars were imported into the UK from Japan by John Hornby Skewes in the mid 70s. Model numbers were the same as the equivalent Ibanez, what you've got there looks like a 2350B, somewhere around 1973. Quality of vintage Ibanez was more variable than the "lawsuit" hype would lead you to expect, but the Jazz copy I had for a while was nice. Some links [url="http://www.ibanezregister.com/cpg148/displayimage.php?album=1816&pos=0"]http://www.ibanezregister.com/cpg148/displ...=1816&pos=0[/url] [url="http://www.break-even.org/ibzscans/1973EZ/73-2-15.jpg"]http://www.break-even.org/ibzscans/1973EZ/73-2-15.jpg[/url] [url="http://www.break-even.org/ibz70/1970/bass.htm"]http://www.break-even.org/ibz70/1970/bass.htm[/url] (scroll to bottom) [url="http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/discus/messages/13/9654.html?1196123127"]http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/discus/mes...html?1196123127[/url] [url="https://store.bluebookinc.com/Downloads/Category.aspx?product=4&id=35"]https://store.bluebookinc.com/Downloads/Cat...uct=4&id=35[/url]

If it's money you're after, I'd have thought either a wedding/function band or a tribute band. Depending who you're a tribute to, you might be able to get away with not being that good.

I'd try something very riff-based and repetitive, like Black Night by Deep Purple, Sunshine of Your Love by Cream, almost anything by Free. In fact if you get the Free Live album the bass is so prominent it's amazing the rest of the band didn't strike in protest. For blues/rock, Red House by Jimi Hendrix, Crossroads by Cream, Long Grey Mare by Gary Moore, Stormy Monday by Leslie West. Any version of Johnny B Goode and Mustang Sally. For all of these you ought to be able to work out something that fits, even if it's not exactly what's on the track. Another thing you could do is download a copy of Guitarpro software, which you can try free for 15 days, and download some gp tab files from the related site. The great thing about that is you can adjust the bass volume in relation the other instruments, hear the bass only, or mute the bass. You can also watch the drum track, for example, rather than the bass, so you're not tempted to cheat. Most of the transcriptions are pretty good, though you'll find a few bad ones (and correcting those is a good exercise). [url="http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php"]http://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php[/url] [url="http://www.gprotab.net/index.php"]http://www.gprotab.net/index.php[/url]