Bassassin

This guy appears to specialise in wonky home-made "originals". Cornwall's answer to WishBass, perhaps?

I read the topic title as "Deplorable String Mute". Thought it was another Rickenbacker thread.

Collection only & £300 start makes it more than the impulse buy it would (probably) need to be but yeah, I'll be watching. They really don't turn up that often but the couple I've narrowly missed over the last year or two have been a lot cheaper than that. I remember trying one of these at The Bass Centre in the 80s, light-years out of my league then in both price & playability. Aesthetically always my favourite headless (didn't know it was a Flyte rip-off when I first saw one!) and almost on my list of Basses I Need To Own. Really would have to be a pink one, though.

Possibly not - maybe try focusing on a small patch in the middle of a particularly cloudy bit. Give it a serious rubbing (matron!), then you should be able to see if there's much contrast with an unpolished bit.

If it's a poly finish, knock yerself out. I've lost count of the number of old, battered basses & guitars I've T-cut to within an inch of their lives, with some genuinely spectacular results with poly. The stuff is bomb-proof, usually at least 1mm thick and IMO takes a shine better than car lacquer. This is a '72 MIJ Jazz copy which someone had tried to relic, and was sanded all over when I got it. I didn't take any "before" pics but there was absolutely no shine anywhere. Took a bit of elbow grease but turned out quite presentable! I would say it's probably a good idea to test out on an inconspicuous area first, just to make sure it'll do what you want. I apply T-Cut with those little circular cotton-wool pads Boots sell in the make-up bit, and polish off with a clean, dry cotton rag. Microfibre cloths work OK too.

I've been involved in writing in most of the originals bands I've been in, and I've always consciously tried to make music I'd want to listen to, or go & see myself - so clearly, yes. I don't think I'd feel the same about covers - I've only played in one covers band, at the time me & the guitarist did that to finance our originals band. What's interesing is that he's just formed a new covers band & sadly I have no interest at all in going to see them!

The very stuff I have. Label on mine's a bit faded now.

Last time I bother to try & make an oblique Python reference!

Never heard of anyone using antique furniture polish on a fretboard, and not entirely sure why you'd want to. I've had the same bottle of cheapo Dunlop lemming oil for 10+ years, used it literally hundreds of times with results I'm very happy with. Still about 2/3 of it left too - the key is don't use much.

Looks blotchy, uneven & messy to me.

Bit of a high start price & as you pointed out, listed in the wrong bit. Mine's a great bass, but very, very heavy!

I could believe he did the "stereo mod"! This thing really scales new heights of functionlessness. Is that a word? Is now.

Nothing wrong with the type of finish - dark stain enhancing the grain pattern - it's just that this looks an ugly, badly-done mass. Quite incredulous that he claims to have paid money to have this done to it!

It's interesting - just had a look at the completed items listings for Thunders and on the whole it would appear prices are dropping - items sold in auctions seem to be around £150 with a good few significantly lower. One or two have sold for for £200+ but you can only assume these people aren't checking current average prices, or are just succumbing to Ebay Madness! Still a lot of them about, and still a lot of bargains out there.

It's a rubbish situation - I've heard about a guy who tried to import a 1981-ish rosewood top Washburn Falcon from Japan. Cost quite a bit, as you might expect. The seller did not complete the necessary CITES stuff and the guitar was duly impounded, and then destroyed. The buyer lost the instrument and the £1000-odd it cost him, with no means of compensation. Some Japanese sellers claim to obtain the CITES export clearance - and they probably do - but as I understand it the buyer also needs to obtain seperate certification this end before it's legit. Not sure how it works & I'd recommend anyone going down the Ishibashi route these days to know exactly what they're getting into! Luckily it only applies to rosewood & other endangered hardwood species - if you're fan of maple boards you shouldn't have much to worry about!

Maybe it was a bargain after all: F*ckaduck!!

Unfortunately CITES affects import of rosewood (even on a 25 year-old bass) and unless both exporter & importer obtain & pay the fees for the correct paperwork - that's exactly what can happen now. I'd be very careful buying any instrument from outside the EU.

Very much hoping someone bites - I have one of these in 99.9% new condition & with original case - I quite like the idea it's worth £400+ ! BTW it's a Roadster, not a Studio.

I fear with that fretboard it'd go straight in the CITES incinerator.

Vile and ruined. Not sure whether to be amused or depressed at the BIN prices that Thunder 1s are appearing at on FleeceBay. In the real world they're still £150 - £200 tops, like they always have been.

Why thank you! Thing is, the Washburn Forces are great basses and pretty uncommon - but they don't actually go for huge amounts when they do turn up. Perfect example is the one Ash has up for £125 - OK the original electronics are gone and it's been chucked out of a window or two, but it's a perfectly useable bass that just needs a little cosmetic attention. I think with the BBRs, the none-more-80s finish probably makes them a little bit less desireable than the more conventional finishes too. I do love them but not too sure I'd want to gig one!

If he seriously thinks anyone will pay £700 for that, he's a loony. The bit about the Kahler being factory fitted is b0ll0cks (it's a string-through body, ffs) and I would think that devalues the bass. Great bass for the £200 it's worth. (edit) - assuming you chuck away the pointless wobble-stick and can source an original black-finish Chushin bridge for it. Which you won't be able to!