Musky

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200183461592"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200183461592[/url] I've not seen a Bronco looking like this before - it seems to have a Musicmaster body. The colour and pickguard are pure Musicmaster, and I've not seen a Bronco with a black pickup. The musicmasters had a black pickup with the polepieces exposed as well as a four saddle bridge, but the picture isn't good enough to make them out. The neck appears to be a very early Squier Bronco example, though very different to most Bronco's or even Musicmasters. Interestingly, the Bronco and Musicmaster most likely came of the same production line in 1997.

I don't really collect basses but still seem to have acquired 8. I play in a 60's garage/garage punk band so I really ought to have something that fits the vibe, but the the only genuine 60's bass I have is a '68 4001S. I've got a Jolana Kolorbas and an Epi ET 285 from the 70's which sort of fit the image, but I actually use an Aria CSB300 for the band. Ugly as hell, but I figure which a bit of modifying will look quite similar to Italia's take on a Supro. I'm still kicking myself for not bidding on a battered Burns Sonic bass that went for about £130 on the bay last year. The ones that got away...

Yeah, it's quite difficult to know were to stop really! [url="http://www.myrareguitars.com/1960guitars.html"]<a href="http://www.myrareguitars.com/1960guitars.html" target="_blank">http://www.myrareguitars.com/1960guitars.html[/url]</a> - not mine unfortunately. A friend picked up a Phantom from the States (off Ebay) a couple of years ago for £400 delivered (albeit with a humbucker at the bridge), so there are bargains to be had. [attachment=4186:Vox_Phantom.jpg]

[quote name='Jebo1' post='105868' date='Dec 18 2007, 12:32 PM']My 60's Garage collection includes: 1963 Danelectro U2 Bass 1959 Danelectro U1 guitar 1967 Fender Coronado in Sunburst 1966 Fender 12 String 1966 Fender Jazz Bass 1965 Gibson Melodymaker. They're all original, and all for sale at the moment. I'm going to lend them my mates garage band and see what they come up with! Perhaps they'll be inspired by them![/quote] Wow, fantastic! I was trying to guess what an ultimate garage band collection might consist of, and figured Danelectro and Fender would have to be in there. Would have liked to have seen a Vox of some description in there as well though.

[quote name='Jebo1' post='105848' date='Dec 18 2007, 11:52 AM']I'm currently putting together a perfect mid 60's garage band guitar and bass collection... Well, I've done it now.[/quote] Sounds interesting - any pictures?

[quote name='Beedster' post='105742' date='Dec 18 2007, 08:54 AM']Link doesn't work for me? Chris[/quote] Try this one Chris - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Unique-mid-70s-fretless-Fender-precision-custum-bass_W0QQitemZ330197144981"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Unique-mid-70s-fretl...emZ330197144981[/url] Interestingly it seems to have Fender rather than the Schaller tuners you might expect to see with that serial number. And is it just me or does that strap button look in the wrong place?

Just a thought, but there are some pictures on rickresourse of an Aria CSB 300 fitted with Grovers. Now comparing them to my own CSB 300 they look pretty much identical as far as the sizes go and might be a direct swap. So it might be possible to pick up a CSB300, swap out the tuners and replace the ones on the Aria with a cheap set - modding the Aria wouldn't really devalue it and they sell fairly cheaply anyway. You could probably pick up the Aria for the same price as a single vintage Grover anyway. If you'd like the dimensions of the Aria tuners give me a shout.

[quote name='ahpook' post='104784' date='Dec 15 2007, 10:06 PM']totally in agreement - i use both active and passive basses and use overdrives all the time. i don't think you can say that active basses don't work well with overdrives...i get good sounds with both. ymmv of course[/quote] I think this issue is specific to fuzz pedals rather than overdrives or distortions. Though like cheddatom says, you might like the sound - in his post tayste described it as kind of synthy or gated.

[quote name='tauzero' post='104126' date='Dec 13 2007, 10:53 PM']I thought for that price it would be rude not to have it... [/quote] Cracking buy! What was the bass by the way, or do you not know (or even care!) yet?

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='103789' date='Dec 13 2007, 11:46 AM']i was under the impression it also depended on whether you were using a fuzz with a silicon or germanium circuit. One works alright and apparently another one doesn't This thing about high/low impedance and fuzz pedals. If you run a fuzz after a buffered pedal, are you not getting a low impedance signal anyway?[/quote] I don't really know - the first I knew about this whole issue was Tayste's posts. But the way he explains it, fuzz pedals need a [i]high[/i] impedance signal to work at their best, regardless of type. Just like an active circuit, other pedals put out a low impedance signal - hence the reason he's getting some buffers made up.

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='103774' date='Dec 13 2007, 11:24 AM']works grand with my stingray[/quote] Yeah, I think it's a case of what kind of sound you're looking for. There's a sticky about an impedance buffer Tayste is having made to overcome the problem.

Just a thought, but if you're using the Dean with a fuzz you're not going to get good results. Active electronics and fuzz don't mix.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='103035' date='Dec 12 2007, 02:03 AM']We can now add "bolt-neck Rick copy" to the Fresher KnowledgeBase: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280183149355"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280183149355[/url] Wonder who made that? The pics aren't giving anything away. J.[/quote] That one didn't last long. Though putting 'Rick copy' in the title probably didn't help - maybe he thought RIC didn't know their basses are sometimes called Ricks.

[quote name='danbanbass' post='103028' date='Dec 12 2007, 12:44 AM']hi musky, had a look there appears to be no stamping on the pickup etc and no extra holes on the body as you describe, what do you reckon its worth as is? I also found a big metal plate underneath the pickup the same shape as the hole Thanks Dan[/quote] It sounds pretty much as though the body isn't actually fender (not '73 anyway), though there's always the possibility that it's been resprayed covering the holes. I would have expected to see the wood unpainted on the bass side of the neck pocket as well. The pickup bottoms should look like the ones [url="http://guitarhq.com/fenddiff/gray_bottom_pu.jpg"]here,[/url] though the lack of a stamp doesn't necessarily mean they definitely not original. As for value, it might well fetch more for the parts. The neck alone might be £3/400 with the hardware (which appears to be original, what I can see of it) included if it's in good nick. The bridge is worth £25 or so. Perhaps £70 for the neck plate. Without knowing what all the other parts are it's impossible to guess, but probably not a great deal.

Interesting. The pickguard, pots and wiring aren't original - neither's the bridge, though you probably knew that. The pickup should either be dated or have a code on it, but it's looks pretty much that this is a '73 bass. A quick check reveals that - surprise surprise - Fender did mess about with neck codes for whatever reason, which would make the neck completed on 21st week of 73 on a Monday. I can't make out any holes for a bridge cover in those pictures. Under the guard there should be holes for the pickup cover and holes below the strings for a thumb rest.

[quote name='BB2000' post='102440' date='Dec 10 2007, 10:40 PM']Have you ever seen a documented case of this? Fender's take is that 'Fender® branded instruments have not and will never be made of plywood'. I've assumed that this meant instruments with Fender on the headstock, but it's not a very clear statement.[/quote] There was a post on either the Fender Forum or tdpri.com by a guy who'd had a Fender from new that was plywood - pictures included. It caused quite a stir, with various theories put forward, but the guy insisted it was genuine Fender and owned since new. Still, I'm not sure that counts as documented.

That serial dates it to about 1973 (I say about because Fender weren't particularly systematic in their serialization). The neck code makes it a Precision with rosewood fingerboard. The last four numbers give the date - 21= 21st week, 1 = year (1971), 3 = 3rd day (Wednesday). Only Fender didn't apparently start using this system until 1972, which makes yours something of an oddity - not unusual for Fender. You mights like to look at the codes on the back of the pots and check the numbers against the info given at [url="http://www.provide.net/~cfh/pots.html"]http://www.provide.net/~cfh/pots.html[/url] for a confirmation of the dates.

[quote name='Davetbass' post='102379' date='Dec 10 2007, 08:46 PM']I bought a white Squire jazz in 87 and it was a great bass. Difference to this one was a thin piece of brass banding that ran from the bridge pick up to the bridge. Think thats how they were made originally in the 60`s though feel free to correct. Sure it was £300 at the time..... I`m not sure about pulling out of the sale because someone has not listed it properly....might be held against you [/quote] Sounds like that was a Japanese model most likely with an E serial number - a JB355. It was very different to the Korean model in that it was a 60's reissue. With regards to the plywood issue, it's pretty much impossible to guess without dismantling it. Squiers turned up with ply bodies from 1987 through to the mid-nineties. The Silver Series from japan had the odd plywood body and even some US made Fenders have been reported. This could be a great bass, regardless of it's construction and what it says on the headstock. The only problem lies in other people's perception of it's worth, and the inevitable effect on it's resale value.

A Zoom B2? Or the 2.1 if you think you might have a use for USB? Lots of amp and FX models, plus the usual effects and, errr... a drum machine. And of course a tuner. Well within your budget. Bear in mind that tuners built into multi FX are usually pretty basic - they actually work ok, but often don't have all the LEDs for seeing how close you are to the note that dedicated tuners usually have. For live work, when tuning is something you want to be as hassle free and quick as possible, I'd still spring for a stand alone tuner.

I've got to agree with wateroftyne - well over the going rate I'm afraid. It's not early eighties either - 'S' serials turn up on Korean Squires around 1988/9 (the serials are a bit of an anomaly in Fender's usual dating of Far East guitars). If you haven't paid for it yet, I'd say that's grounds to withhold payment. EDIT: He doesn't say it's early eighties, does he. Doh!

Looking at some of the stuff the guy has been selling, there's no sign that catherineh has stuck in any other bids on his auctions. In fact he's got several comments in his feedback about what bargains his auctions have been (99p selling price with just the one bid), so there doesn't seem to be any sign of shill bidding from other accounts either. There's no accounting for what is going on in someone's head when they put a bid in - maybe they are following the logic that if someone will stick on an extra 6p, someone else might put on an extra 11p. And another bidder might take it up to 55p (because the 50p mark is a logical staging post in low value auctions) - as in fact you did. So she outsmarts everyone by putting in a bid of an extra 99p - it's only 99p, right? Why not round it off to the whole pound? Because thats the start of the whole process again, and maybe she only wanted to pay a fiver plus the 99p she thought she might need to outbid all the others adding random amounts. Or maybe 99 is just her lucky number. Whatever the case is, I haven't seen anything that suggests shill bidding.

Hi there - welcome to the forum! I had no idea Hofner were doing these, and the briefest of looks on google doesn't seem hopeful for them being available in the UK at the moment. However, about a year ago there was a real spate of people on the boards (or rather another incarnation of it) buying and raving about the quality of the Harley Benton BeatBass - [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_beatbass.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_beatbass.htm[/url] It's a Hofner copy and, best of all, it's dirt cheap!

I loved the non reverse thunderbirds looks, but then I'm a sucker for quirky looking basses. I might have been tempted to buy one of the Epiphone versions if they'd got the headstock right and did have the P/J pickups. That Fernadez just looks wrong though.

There was a thread about this recently - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7619"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7619[/url] I don't tend to mind if people want to use my amp, as long as they've bothered to get in contact first. It's taking the mick to just turn up and expect to use someone else's gear without checking it's OK. But then I don't own a nice old Ampeg.