Annoying Twit

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROCKING-BETTER-Tokai-Bass-/230472739525?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35a93eeac5"]"Tokai " Rockinbetter[/url] I emailed Tokai UK some time ago, and they told me that Rockinbetter guitars were not Tokais.

[quote name='Shambo' post='834197' date='May 11 2010, 01:31 PM']I've just reported the item to ebay, telling them the seller refuses to complete the transaction and has asked for more money. I don't think just leaving negative feedback will have the desired effect. He has zero feedback ATM and I suspect I'm dealing with a child, (his user name is m***o95 and I think the 95 might refer to the year he was born).[/quote] Have you paid for the item via paypal? I've heard of cases (don't know if they are urban legends or not) where someone complained that a seller refused to sell. But, as payment hadn't been made via paypal, the seller reported the buyer as a non performing buyer, and had the negative feedback removed. On ebay forums the standard strategy seems to be to pay by paypal immediately that something is won at a cheap sum, and keep on paying every time the buyer is refunded. That way, when there's a dispute, there's a bit paper trail showing that the buyer attempted to pay for the item.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='833549' date='May 10 2010, 08:23 PM']Were there any Japanese basses that were NOT made by Matsumoku, then? [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/88/58409888.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/88/58409888.html[/url] And what a truly Godawful name, too.[/quote] Que? This advert seems to be hinting that this Sumbro bass was made by the Fujigen factory. Although, a bit of internet poking around suggests that unlike the CSL instruments, Sumbro weren't made by Fujigen. Not Matsumoku though. Some Sumbro guitars were rebranded Rokkoman products, a page says. Sumbro is a contraction of Summerfield Brothers. CSL stands for Charles Summerfield Ltd. I think Edit: More here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=41538&st=0&p=412334&#entry412334"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry412334[/url]

Thanks Jon, as always. Too much to do right now to research this one a bit and see if it's actually notable, reasonably priced (I suspect not), etc. I'm getting tired of everyone always describing anything Japanese as "rare" though. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SD-Curlee-Bass-RARE-MIJ-/320529910094?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aa112494e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SD-Curlee-Bass-RARE-...=item4aa112494e[/url]

Does this now classify as a "bitsa"? And is an "Allparts" neck really likely to be better than a Fender neck? Or only better than a bowed Fender neck? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Precision-Blue-flower-bass-heavily-modified-/320529958631?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aa11306e7"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Precision-Blu...=item4aa11306e7[/url] [quote]For sale Fender Blue flower bass (heavily modified) originally MIJ possibly 90's Original MIJ blue flower Fender body(only Fender made these) has been routed to accept P/J Kent Armstrong pickups. Original sub standard bowed Fender neck has been replaced with a superior allparts P bass neck with aged finish & appropriate Fender decal. Original 2 saddle bridge contraption has been replaced with a high mass fully adjustable bridge. 1 x Vol ,1 x tone + pickup selector.There is a battery compartment in the rear that is now defunct but could be used if you wanted to fit active preamp but I've never bothered.[/quote]

What is an Azumi bass? I can't find much information on them. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Azumi-Victory-Bass-guitar-Super-rare-/180504789979?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a06ec83db"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Azumi-Victor...=item2a06ec83db[/url] This is local to me and if it were interesting, I could pick it up. Except, that I'm not sure that it is sufficiently interesting for a £200 starting bid. Looking at this page, the guitars look a bit like a "me too" effort copying Matsumoku style, but not as good. [url="http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_vintage_guitar_dating_a3.htm"]http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_vintage_g...r_dating_a3.htm[/url]

Thanks Jon. The pictures of the Primary are small, but it looks to be in very good condition for a 70s bass. Speaking of 70s basses, yet again an Ibanez Artist bass sells for £10 more than my maximum bid. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140403325388&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBUAA:GB:1123"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...EOIBUAA:GB:1123[/url] But, given that this has happened twice recently, and that I'm in no hurry, it gives me some sort of confidence that I'll get one some day some how.

Aria Pro II Primary bass. I thought this looked a bit newer than the 1970s, but I've found quite a few references to them. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Primary-Bass-/130389528637?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e5bd2503d"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Primary-...=item1e5bd2503d[/url] E.g. here: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450199"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450199[/url] [quote]My 80's Aria Pro II P (Primary) Bass is the BEST P Bass I have ever played.[/quote]

Sold before I could ask "will this fit my Cimar?

Possibly a Shaftesbury the seller says. I wouldn't know, but I'm looking forward to seeing if Jon and others can identify what it is from a not very good description and a small photo. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/rickenbacker-copy-bass-guitar-Stagg-hard-case-/260595757612?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3cacb7b22c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/rickenbacker-copy-ba...=item3cacb7b22c[/url]

The Maya Jazz looks IMHO a lot nicer than this precision, possibly a bitsa? I wonder how the owner knows it's Japanese, or if it is. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-copy-Japanese-vintage-bass-guitar-70-80s-/300423348703?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item45f2a081df"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-copy-Japanese...=item45f2a081df[/url]

[quote name='FlatEric' post='825308' date='May 2 2010, 08:18 AM']Don't know what sort of music you are into but with the right strings on, these basses have a great Piano-like tone. If you want Thud Thud, it's not this one.[/quote] I mainly want one of these because it's the bass I had when I first played bass, in my mid teens. It was second hand when my Dad bought it for me, but only by a few years then! The sound, and everything else, is secondary really.

[quote name='pete.young' post='824907' date='May 1 2010, 03:13 PM']Someone please rescue this nice old Maya precision - I don't need any more basses! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-MAYA-PRECISION-BASS-GUITAR-70s-/110525297980?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19bbd2353c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-MAYA-PRECISI...=item19bbd2353c[/url][/quote] "Precision"? Shurely shome mishtake?

IMHO the stripey neck continuing into the headstock looks quite sophisticated to me. I'm not saying the neck is high quality, but it's the kind of look I could easily imagine on a high end bass. So, I'm not surprised to hear about the Kubicki bass. Not having a brand on the headstock ruins it a bit thought

I quite like the stripey neck on that one.

If I get it for my bid, I'll be prepared to ignore a few differences. While there is some "character" to the finish, I didn't spot anything too tragic. Did I miss much?

That looks a bit like a poor man's Aria Pro 2 SB1000. Not an exact copy, but a similar looking bass. Not that I'm intending to bid on it, but I'd be interested to read comments on how good these are.

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='822903' date='Apr 29 2010, 12:01 PM']Comes to something when you have to rebadge Korean crap as japcrap... I know these are great guitars (the old Jap ones) but why did they have to start getting expensive and collectable? So many I turned down for £25 back in the day.[/quote] A while back there were a glut of Westone Thunder basses, quite a few selling for less than £100. If we take inflation into account, that's probably comparable to much less than £100 "back in the day". Oh, and If I can go all six string non-bass on everyone, the Westone forum's collective jaw dropped when someone sold a Westone Spectrum 6 string on ebay for a BIN of £15! Cheap postage too!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140403325388"]70s Ibanez Artist Bass[/url] Yeah, I'd like this, and have bid £305 on it. But, fundamentally even though I'd like to have this, not quite enough (not yet anyhow) to pay the £500 or so it may well go for. Over to you Flat Eric? PS: If anyone's wondering why I'm being open about my bid amount in front of potential competitors, just say that I wouldn't be if I thought I had a realistic chance of winning Edit: These had an ebony neck? Edit2: by "neck" I mean "fretboard" of course

Is this likely to be MIJ? [url="http://leicester.gumtree.com/leicester/21/57814821.html"]http://leicester.gumtree.com/leicester/21/57814821.html[/url] Not that I really want it, but I'm curious. I suppose when the value of the SD pickup is factored in (a quarter pounder?), it's a good deal.

Truss rod cover was originally on @ £40, then down to £30, but now up to £50! [url="http://leicester.gumtree.com/leicester/17/57791917.html"]http://leicester.gumtree.com/leicester/17/57791917.html[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stunning-Vintage-Aria-Pro-II-SB-1000-Bass-Early-80s-/260593778979?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3cac998123"]1980s AP2 SB 1000 for £950 starting bid[/url] Anything special about this one I'm not familiar with, or is this a very, very, high price?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VOX-White-Shadow-Fretless-Bass-1985-NO-RESERVE-/160428421400?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item255a477118"]Vox White Shadow Fretless[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WESTONE-THUNDER-1A-LEFT-HANDED-BASS-L-K-/120562128042?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c121014aa"]Left handed Westone Thunder 1A[/url]

Just out of curiosity, is the Fender Jazz bass you compare it to a US, Mexican, or Japanese bass?