Bloodaxe

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='746964' date='Feb 16 2010, 10:35 AM']Have you seen the "Jap**** Spotting" thread pinned at the top of this forum?[/quote] Yes... ?

[quote name='BassBunny' post='746874' date='Feb 16 2010, 09:16 AM']Might be a bit more than "Nowt. Nisch. Nada. Pas d'une Fève. Nicht eine Wurst." The pots used on the active electronics may not be suitable for using passively. That said at around £2.50 for a CTS Pot and a few pence for suitable capacitors, it ain't much.[/quote] Fair point if it's truly "active". I based my costing on the SB-1000 "actives" which is just a unity gain buffer with conventional pots. If the Laser series has low value pots then the conversion cost could rise as high as £10. Eine Kleine Bradwurst then. Pete.

Graintastic! Thankfully I'm Skint... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-SB900-PRO-2-BASS_W0QQitemZ180469225101QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a04cdd68d"]Series 1 Aria SB-900 in Walnut[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB1000-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ270530655254QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3efce23416"]Series 2 SB-1000 in Padauk Red[/url] although the statement that the actives "need slight attention" does rather worry me. Top whack opening price too. This looks good too... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-fretless-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ120529218180QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item1c1019ea84"]Fretless Laser Electric Heritage[/url] Mid '80s but with the earlier style tri-laminate neck.

[quote name='chrisd24' post='746609' date='Feb 15 2010, 10:20 PM']...with that in mind (and the fact that it mainly sits in its case doing nothing) i was thinking of putting it up for sale, what would be a fair price for something like this?...seems a shame for it to sit around and not be played, and im sure someone out there is a fan of these (apart from yourself of course) [/quote] There's a passive one on the 'bay at the moment... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-1980s-Aria-Pro-II-Bass-Guitar-gig-bag_W0QQitemZ220552949102QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3359faed6e"]XRB 2[/url] currently at £51 with a day & a bit to go. It'll give you a guide as to what the market might stand. The later ones (Magnas etc) don't generally go for a lot tbh, I'd be surprised if this did over a ton. Pete.

[quote name='Doddy' post='746374' date='Feb 15 2010, 07:43 PM']I only have one word to say [b]Dick.[/b][/quote] [quote name='silddx' post='746375' date='Feb 15 2010, 07:43 PM'][b]Blimey.[/b][/quote] I hereby give due notice that I am sequestering these two words for Exclusive Use as my Porn Name. [quote name='Thatguy59' post='746425' date='Feb 15 2010, 08:04 PM']Good call I'd say To Quote maddude in the first post [b]"but when I tell them how far I believe a Fender Jazz neck can go up a colon they soon back off." Maybe we should get rid of all his beliefs about how high it can go and show him for real...[/b][/quote] [quote name='TRadford' post='746440' date='Feb 15 2010, 08:12 PM'][b]I think a precision would be more appropiate. A jazz is getting off lightly.[/b][/quote] Does Lorne take requests? His headstock collection has potential.

[quote name='daveybass' post='746332' date='Feb 15 2010, 07:19 PM']How much would it cost to convert though?[/quote] From Active to Passive? Financially? Nowt. Nisch. Nada. Pas d'une Fève. Nicht eine Wurst. About 10 minutes with some wirecutters & a soldering iron.

[url="http://www.ariaguitars.com/int/00int_main/archives_ebass02.html"]The Aria Archive pages[/url] [i]imply[/i] that these are Korean. There's also a poor quality [url="http://www.ariausa.com/Archive/cp_arianp_1987_12.html"]1987 Catalogue Scan[/url] here. As Jon rightly states, 1987 marks the end of the Matsumoku plant - although precisely [i]when[/i] it actually closed seems to be rather elusive (it was ownedby Singer & they were having financial difficulties.) Exactly what got made where in this transitional year is open to debate. I used to own a Korean-built Magna Series 5 string & it shared several design features with your XRB - notably the "conventional" pickups, "bent tin" bridge & the small dot markers. I don't see any string trees, does your headstock have a backwards slant as well? Also, is the neck painted or clear coated? The nearest thing to the XRB in the [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/temp_pages/nikki_cats/86/whole_enchilada_inside.jpg"]1986 Catalogue[/url] are the RSB/Straycat models which have a very different flavour - pointy horns, soapbar pickups, die cast bridges, larger dot markers etc. - all of which shout Matsumoku. My money's on yours being a 1987 Korean-built example. Pete

[quote name='Tech' post='746013' date='Feb 15 2010, 03:56 PM']i'd be all over that if i didn't have a room full of guitars already! my room-mate might castrate me if i attempt to bring more bass in here.[/quote] Surely one more won't notice! Every bassist should have a "Mat" for a bit IMO.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='746052' date='Feb 15 2010, 04:26 PM']It went for £670. It failed to sell before with a reserve of £600. I bet the owner's pleased.[/quote] That's not bad at all. I was guesstimating the combined value of the Trace & the Zooom at around £150 or thereabouts, so £500-ish for a seemingly rather nice SB-900 with a branded case. Gives me some hope for mine (apart from the fact mine's a common as muck colour with boring grain, it's dinged up, missing its original knobs, has been re-wired & I don't have a branded case!). Pete.

[quote name='Tyron' post='745014' date='Feb 14 2010, 05:36 PM']Perhaps I'm just getting too old, grumpy & suspicious! Tyron[/quote] No shame in that, "Suspicious" is a very good state in which to approach E-Bay. Pete.

There was a lot going on back then. Some of my faves... John McCoy with a fine half-head of hair: I've posted this blazing performance elsewhere, but what the heck.

It didn't leap out at me as being dodgy. I'm watching with interest to see where it finishes. Oh, it's a 1980 (ish) SB-900 in Walnut finish. Through neck, Passive, twin 4-wire humbuckers, Series/Parallel, & a coil tap for the back p/up. V V T & a 3-way p/up selector switch. I've got one, it's a fantastic instrument. Pete.

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='743981' date='Feb 13 2010, 01:53 PM']Not here... Had 2 PMs & 2 notifications. Firefox 3.5.7 & Yahoo Mail. Pete.[/quote] & Today? Double Notifications! How Odd.

[quote name='mancunianfox' post='743987' date='Feb 13 2010, 01:56 PM']Don't do what I did last night and forget to prime the the enclosure before spraying the top coat or it will look rubbish. If you use a primer first most finishes will look ok.[/quote] Correct primers are essential for a durable finish. [url="http://www.hammerite.com/uk/products/ps_special_metals_primer.html"]This stuff[/url] sticks to just about anything - including aluminium. The only downside to it is that it doesn't come in spray form & doesn't brush out that well. Stickier than a big stick with "Stick" written on it. Pete.

Fretless? Nice tone, pokes through.

Not here... Had 2 PMs & 2 notifications. Firefox 3.5.7 & Yahoo Mail. Pete.

[quote name='BassJase' post='740537' date='Feb 10 2010, 12:55 AM'][url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html[/url] Check it out, 1985 Aria for £130, need selectrics sorting out but bargain price! Not sure if its still available or not but it was only posted Tuesday so maybe...?[/quote] If it is, its a snip - despite the electrical problem. IIRC the pre-amp in these isn't epoxy-potted, so a repair ought to be fairly straightforward. Even if it isn't, it's a simple mod to go passive - a Matsumoku P/J don' need no steenkeen' acteevs! Three piece laminated maple neck too.

[quote name='alanbass1' post='739709' date='Feb 9 2010, 09:39 AM']Need some love for Rory Gallagher - when in full swing hard to better.[/quote] He's quite right you know... Mark Feltham, Gerry McAvoy & Brendan O'Neill are still at it as 3/4 of Nine Below Zero...

Boogie = Voodoo. Fact.

[quote name='TGEvans' post='707517' date='Jan 10 2010, 11:46 AM']Some good links guys, Thanks. Becoming a bit obsessed with this now. As far as playing live with a pick is there much difference eq wise? I know the tone will be different [b]but will I need to alter my settings much?[/b] I sound dumb now! Or would I be better getting a separate eq so that I can switch between fingerstyle and pick?[/quote] No-one seems to have chipped in with this.... I find that I get a volume drop switching from fingers to pick mid set. Not a huge amount, but just enough to warrant considering some kind of modest boost arrangement. Tonal differences can be minimised/accentuated by picking over the end of the neck or shifting down to the bridge. Pete.

[quote name='redstriper' post='735655' date='Feb 4 2010, 11:36 PM']Hi Pete, Gad to know I'm not the only UK Flite fan - do you use just one on it's own? I'm thinking of ordering another without the driver to save shipping weight and fitting an Eminence 3015LF, which is the same driver I already have in mine. Steve.[/quote] One's enough for my needs! More than loud enough [i]and[/i] I can get it all on the 'bus. Pete.

[quote name='51m0n' post='735281' date='Feb 4 2010, 05:13 PM']But in your fat ole tube hifi you arent going anywhere near breakup anyway, cos that would start to make the sound less crisp everytime, and more and more compressed. Thats exactly what happens when you push bass hard into a big lead sled tube amp. [b]Great for rock bass, rubbish for hifi![/b][/quote] You've patently never heard Bach's Toccata & Fugue in Dm through a '69 Marshall head & a pair of WEM 2 x 15s. (The 1971 Daniel Chorzempa transcription, obviously) [quote name='skankdelvar' post='735473' date='Feb 4 2010, 08:15 PM']On arrival in Blighty, these pineapples would then be bartered for, say, sprouts, cabbages or [b]coconuts[/b], which would then be used on the return journey [b]to[/b] Hawaii.[/quote] My dear Mr Delvar, I really must protest at this manifestation of hearsay and rumour from one normally as erudite as your good self. The Coconut is, as ane fule kno, 1: Quite voracious (owing to it being indigenous to the Malvern Hills) and, 2: [i]Very[/i] secretive. As such it is madness, Sir, [i]madness[/i], to propose transporting it in the company of the Wily Sprout, which is well-known for its Republican Views and its ability to foment unrest. Such a move can only result in the End of Civilisation As We Know It, and possibly even the Overthrow of The Monarchy! And as to this fanciful notion that such a place as this "Hawaii" actually existed... ...that was a Convenient Fiction perpetrated by that Scoundrel Drake to cover up his turning Left out of Plymouth. His "Circumnavigation" was a complete fabrication to account for a year-long absence which was actually spent on a [i]massive[/i] bender in the stews of Newquay. How long should one boil a Coconut for? My copy of Mrs Beeton appears to be rather remiss in this department. I am, Sir, as ever, Respectfully Yours, etc.

[quote name='redstriper' post='421706' date='Feb 28 2009, 02:23 PM']I have the 1x15 and I wonder - is anyone else in the UK using them, or am I the only one?[/quote] You're not alone, & mine's a keeper I'm afraid. Pete.