three

Wow, thanks - I’ll take a look. This one hasa lovely story with it!

Thanks Chris,

it’s yours - more in the morning!

Just says pbv on the box could be alnico of ceramic (10 or 11k respectively). Ceramic would be slightly brighter - not much in it

Thanks but the truth is I’ve no idea - I’ll try to find out

Thanks gents - a very lovely bass!

3 hours ago, Quatschmacher said:

Great price on a great pedal. 

Thank you - a very impressive unit!

Completely new, boxed and unused/uninstalled Kent Armstrong Precision Bass (Vintage) pickup.  These have an excellent reputation - take a look at web reviews and youtube demos.  Includes pickup covers and mounting screws.  Cloth-covered wire.  I can ship this in the UK for £40 (or it can be collected in central Birmingham or Manchester for £36).

MXR Bass Octave Deluxe in very good cosmetic condition (and perfect working order).  Bought from here around 6 months ago for £100, so a bit of a bargain.  You can read all about these all over the web and some great demos on Youtube.  Impressive tracking with twin growl and girth controls - extremely versatile.  The mid control can be very useful too to help cut-through in noisy situations.  The unit is in exactly the same condition as it arrived with me.  Some minor surface scratching on the base plate and a few tiny chips in the paint.  Overall, very good condition but minor signs of use.  This can be collected in Manchester or Birmingham (for £70) or I can ship in the UK for £5 (so £75 in total).  Any questions, please just ask.  

On hold and probably sold - that took all of 20 minutes!

Gorgeous Antoria EB3 copy from around 1971 - slotted headstock with pearl Antoria logo, 34" scale - almost unplayed and in astounding condition.  Supplied with the original case and all the case candy (very early '70s woven strap, two psychedelic pearl plectrums - with holes in the middle - and a lead that took me back a long way!)  All of this lot is in incredible condition - time-capsule really.  I bought this some time back without reading the description properly - I thought it was short-scale.  There's a lovely story with the bass too (I won't bore readers here).  There is some extremely minor play-wear (just micro surface finger nail marks) but this is like going back in time to music shops of the early '70s.  The bass sounds great and works perfectly.  I removed the bridge cover and part of the mute assembly but it's in the case.  Original strings are there too but I re-strung with D'addario nickel 40-100 rounds.  Apologies for the images, this is a gloss cherry finish but there was almost no light when taking pictures.  No trades thanks and collection in Manchester or Birmingham much preferred.  I may be able to ship to the UK at cost but will need to source a box.

Gorgeous Fender P (Japan) from around 2000 in Capri Orange - my favourite of the International Colour series and an incredibly cool '70s vibe.  I had a Slazenger tennis racquet cover in this colour back in the day - loved it then and love it now.

This is a Fender Japan PB70US thus has the US pickup.  Build quality is superb and the weight and balance make this an easy player over an extended period (best I can get for the weight is around 8.7lbs). 

The bass is in very good condition indeed and only on close inspection it becomes evident that there are a few minor bruises.  These are just indentations and nothing has broken the (gorgeous) paint job.  All the hardware is in excellent condition.  The neck is lovely (1.625" nut so B width) and reassuringly robust but with quite a flat and slender profile - fairly effortless playing and no fighting with neck dimensions - it feels very 'natural'.  The neck has a slab rosewood board (dark, rich chocolate colour with nice figuring if not really a '70s feature) but I've seen a few such boards on Japanese 70s Ps - worth a look on Pinterest or similar.  Actually fairly desirable to me - I prefer these over veneer boards. 

The bass was in fantastic order when it arrived with me but I've effected the following changes:

BBOT bridge replaced with Hipshop Kickass in nickel (massive improvement for me in terms of adjustability)

Silver pickguard screws replaced with black - in keeping with the original international series aesthetic

Pro set-up (with the new bridge) with D'addario 40-95 nickels - still zingy, clean and almost new

The bass plays extremely well - low action, fantastic intonation (you'd hope so) and a fast, slick neck.   The tone is very much '70s P from thick thump to open loud growl (the tone control is very effective).  The look - if you like this kind of thing - is very cool.  The '70s TV logo is a thing of beauty to me.

The bass will be supplied with a very decent Warwick Rockbag padded bag.  All original parts are also included in the sale (screws, bridge and I think there's a thumb rest but no ashtrays).  Collection is from Manchester or Birmingham or I should be able to ship at cost in the UK (though I'll need to source an appropriate box).  No trades thanks and the price is fixed - actually a bit of a bargain considering what I paid for the bass and what I've spent on it subsequently.  In sum, an extremely cool bass in great overall condition - looks fantastic, plays beautifully well and sounds superb. 

Thanks all for the very lovely comments and PMs.  The bass remains available - I'd prefer UK collect/delivery or shipping (ease and safety) though I can ship, very well-packed, to Europe if necessary

14 hours ago, ianrendall said:

Quite! Class D has its benefits but there is a lack of personality to them. It can’t be just me that’s noticed a small rebellion away from Class D back to Class Heft. 

I’ve joined it! A Hellborg 500 (50lbs), then Geoff’s TE mk iv 250 (40lbs) and a DB750 (80lbs in its case). Worth every ounce. I’d love to add Geoff’s SMX. Brilliant seller (bent over backwards to help me collect) and this 300 looks super clean

Fantastic clean and powerful amps - lovely eq and first rate build. Cheapest I’ve ever seen one! Surprised this is still around

Thank you very much all - much appreciated. Unusual but lovely instruments. I should say that at pitch, the string tension is a little higher than on standard scale basses. That said, I have this tuned D G C F so the tension is more than comfortable (I play 30-90 gauge on 34" basses) and it suits much of the music I play - I frequently work with a soprano guitar player. Incredibly easy to play and very good fun!

A beautiful Marleaux Sopran bass in fantastic, almost mint condition.  These are really quite rare and quite special.  Tuned an octave up from standard, there's a beautiful piano like quality to each note (a characteristic that extends to chordal work).  Can be used with an octave pedal to achieve standard bass tones (though works best with a high quality unit - Eventide etc.)  I discovered these last year and now have two - this is overkill, of course, so this one (with by far the best finish and and least signs of use) is up for grabs.  Build quality is stunning - everything you'd expect of a custom hand-built from Marleaux.  Some specs (taken from the Marleaux site):

• 3 piece maple neck - 4 string - separated with Wenge.
• 6 point bolt-on neck
• matching headstock
• rosewood fretboard with 24 frets, 57 cm (22.44") scale.
• Burl poplar top (gorgeous figuring) on two piece figured walnut body with ergonomic shaping
• passive
• single humbucker from Delano
• black from ETS/Schaller
• Strap locks

Neck measurement

• Scale:       570 mm / 22.44"
• Nut:         40 mm / 1.57"
• 12. fret:   50 mm / 1.97"
• 24. fret:   55 mm / 2.17"
• Bridge:     54 mm (2.13")  / 18 mm (0.71") each string

Excellent condition with only very minor playwear - essentially (a) a couple of tiny indentations on the rear bottom of the bass near the side jack socket - it wasn't possible to photograph these - there really are small, and (b) some string-end scrapes on the headstock from re-stringing (there when I bought the bass).  I've had this for around 9 months and imported it last year at a total cost of £930.  It's been a revelation but I don't need two and I'm going to take a big hit on this - so no offers or trades please (I do feel that £775 is very cheap for an instrument of such quality).

I've re-strung with D'Addario baritone strings.  These are cheap and OK but don't have the same fundamental and complexity as the specially made strings for this bass (the original set is included in the sale).  New strings are available via Thoman for around £20.

Incredibly good fun, light and extremely easy to play.  This had me playing things that I wouldn't normally contemplate (and enjoying it) within an hour - quite addictive really and so easy to carry around.  The original, dedicated gig bag (Warwick Rockbass with Marleaux branding) is included in the sale, as are the hex keys.  I don't have the original paperwork/receipts etc.  Take a look at http://marleaux-bass.com/marleaux-bass_consat_sopran.html for further details.

The bass can be collected in Manchester of Birmingham, or I can ship to EC countries (it's a rosewood board so I don't want to fall foul of CITES).  Any questions, please just ask.

Looks lovely - high quality parts probably worth more than the asking price

On 26/03/2018 at 10:38, dood said:

Close string spacing?

Apologies - lack of clarity! Down-tuning to A - floppy, flubbery mess

i tried it - didn’t work at all!

To start, I’ll admit I’m not a massive Wal fan. I’ve played loads and owned two customs (‘90s and Herman period). I like the thought of them more than the reality but don’t have the emotional tie - for me, Wals have been somewhat mythologised (though I don’t doubt that for some owners they are truly the ultimate bass). I’d have a look at a Spector Shorty. Relatively light, outstanding ergonomics and playability, and build quality to rival pretty much any boutique bolt-on (including Wal). A variety of pick up and pre combinations too. Wals do have a distinctive tone with their in-house pickups and filter pre though there are ways to emulate this (at least get close) if Wal tone is crucial - Alembic SF2?

I've used the Hiscox liteflite large bass case - there's a link here: https://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/hiscox-standard-bass-guitar-hard-shell-case-std45ebp.html

A very good case and big enough for pretty much any bass (including semis)

Absolutely love these - great active circuit and Fender's first as the seller suggests.  Build quality is excellent on all that I've played.  Prefer the blue and white (the CAR is prone to orange peel effect).  This one looks intact apart from the noted changes/mods.  Fantastic basses but incredibly HEAVY - I haven't played one that hasn't been anything other than a beast - no problem if your shoulders can take it.  I even removed the lovely thumb rest from mine (saved a few ounces).  Good luck - I'd love this but sadly too heavy for me

Lines 1 & 2 sound like a hyperbolic claim, though in my view, one that is not far off. Fantastic ‘50s sci-fi aesthetic and unbridled power. The original ‘heft’ amp

One of my favourite Fender colours and a period in which Fender was producing some great basses. Sounds like a very good price to me

Absolute bargain IMO - I had a Spitfire plate on a Limelight Jazz - a thing of great beauty.  As good as it gets in the aftermarket plate sector