Bassassin

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1466583792' post='3076909'] My first-ever bass was a CMI SG copy in cherry, but... this may be a [i]little [/i]heavy for me. And crap. [/quote] This is a late 70s (post "lawsuit") Matsumoku build - I very seriously doubt it's crap. Most CMIs were built by Chushin Gakki and were largely at the low end of the MIJ copy spectrum, with ply bodies, microphonic single-coil pickups and usually less than stellar hardware. On the whole Matsumokus (which can be positively ID'd from the "Steel Adjustable Neck" neckplates) were good quality, particularly later examples. This has plain headstock profiles and TRC shape, which dates it to around 1977 or later so it's likely to be as good as bolt-neck 70s Gibson copies get. I'd say for what it is it's a serious bargain. It's completely original with no swapped pickups or hardware, looks in very in good condition for a 40-year old instrument and would cost a hell of a lot more if it said "Aria" on the headstock. Sadly no use at all to me - apart from for making it easier to show the guitarist what he's supposed to be playing! Jon.

Went for £91. Silly bargain, hope it was someone here. J.

And another 24 hours left on the auction. It won't sell for fifty quid, will it?

Unashamed Beggs fan from the first time I heard Too Shy - thought the song/band were rank but great bass part. The first slap line I ever tried to work out, which makes him to blame for me trying to shoehorn dodgy, badly-played & inappropriate slap riffs into far too many unsuspecting rock songs back in the 80s! Quite pleased he's found his niche as go-to prog bassist, as most of what he does these days is a lot further up my street than his best-known band. He also has his own band/project [url="http://themutegods.com/tmg/"]The Mute Gods[/url] - to be honest I found their album a bit inconsistent, although he does claim his intent was to showcase all sides of his compositional ability, including his pop roots. A few to many saccharine ballads perhaps, but the standard of playing from everone involved (including the immense Marco Minneman thumping the tubs) makes it worth a listen. Jon.

That's really cool for a P derivative! I've seen the Sanox name before but they're not too common. Got an idea it's a EU importer brand name & they were probably made in various different factories, Unlikely it's from the "Fender Factory" (which would've been Fujigen at that time) but not impossible. At least they didn't say the "Ibanez Factory". Might have a ferrule like that, I'll have a dig around. Do you have the others & the missing tuner? Jon.

I would have played it. Broadly, a booking's a booking as far as I'm concerned. We've played more ill-organized, unpromoted gigs to the soundguy and a stray dog than I care to remember - but at the end of the day, at worst it's a free rehearsal. However, if for whatever reason, a decision is made to blow a gig, for me it would have to be 100% democratic, with the assent of the entire band. Situations like this risk bands looking unprofessional & therefore jeopardising their reputations, and also risk creating schisms within the band. Speaking as someone who's been involved in booking gigs (in the past my band did a lot of gig shares & arranging our own nights) word does spread, and you soon learn which bands are reliable and who to avoid.

Although I'm the main composer in an original progressive rock band, I'd still say bass first - and it's the only instrument I'd take onto a stage with me. Also the first instrument I learned to play and the only one I pick up & play for the joy of it. However for me it's not the best compositional tool, and through necessity I'm a reasonably competent guitarist. At times when I haven't been in a band, I've predominantly played guitar and really only picked up the bass when a recording needed it. In the past I've dabbled with keys but not really in the last 15 years or so. I can drum a little, which is useful when writing but my recorded drum parts are all sequenced. I've fronted bands before, but singing these days is all just backing vocals - I can hold a tune, but my voice redefines "unremarkable"! Jon.

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1465939013' post='3072355'] Blimey, if that caught fire, it would burn for days... [/quote] And the fumes would put you in intensive care.

No problem - most people call me much worse! Anyway, if you bought it new in the mid-90s, that at least clarifies what it's not! Very likely it's an Elite/SB-R reissue rather than a completely different model. There's an Aria SB owners Facebook group which might be helpful: [url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/196371477217872/"]https://www.facebook...96371477217872/[/url] J.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1465898298' post='3071891'] The Cadavers had completely upped their game by the time of the big gig - it hardly seemed like the same band on stage from a performance PoV. Pity that on the evidence of the two tracks shown they don't actually have any memorable songs. [/quote] The song they performed at the gig was a cover - Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People". I thought it was a pretty dire version and was surprised that they went through. J.

If it's an SB-R80 or Elite II, it's a later, post Matsumoku bass. Might be a different, later model with similar configuration. Either of the aforementioned would have 2x co-ax V & T & rotary selector. Control knobs were a different type and there should be a dateable serial on the headstock. Also the pots in a Matsumoku-era bass would be full size. Tonybest - did you buy it new in 1990-something? Lovely bass btw. I have massive GAS for an SB-R80. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1465666028' post='3070104'] Loved the show, and great work by The Caffreys (well done Michael), but it left me wanting to know more about the Acid-Bhangra-Rock outfit from Peterborough, Kissmet. At their initial piece of the show when they were rehearsing I thought they sounded great, really interesting, original, and a great beat. At the Sheffield battle of the bands their version of Sunshine Of Your Love was strictly UK pub rock ... well-played and they're clearly a good band, but all the bhangra was gone and with it the originality. What was that all about? [/quote] Exactly my feelings about Kissmet - and finding myself really a bit put out by the focus on covers. Isn't part of the entire point of the show that these are original "part time" bands making their own music? NB quite happy to make an exception for The Caffrey's rather excellent re-imagining of Don't You Want Me. Not sure if that makes me a hypocrite, but I do feel the best covers are interpretations, not imitations. J.

Ibanez SoundGears are very light - I've had 3, and my current one (SR500) is under 7lbs. The very skinny necks can be a bit marmite though. Logically though, headless is the way to go if you're OK with the look. Jon.

Vaguely remember these from the Olden Days, but several problems suggest themselves to me regardless of the (questionable) validity of the concept - primarily the numerous variations in Fender headstock shape and type/placement of tuners & screwholes. Plus given a bit of brass & a few tools you could knock one up yourself in an hour or two. If you really wanted to. Also can't help wondering - what's in a name? D'you think Leo Quan's finest would still be with us now if he'd called it a FatAss? Jon.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1465657157' post='3070019'] And the clack is horrendous when slapping. [/quote] That's interesting. Are you sure the strings aren't hitting pickup poles?

I get a lot of Jazz Clack - and for me it's all about hand position. On a J I tend to use the neck pup as a thumb anchor whereas on some other basses I play a lot closer to the bridge, where string tension feels higher, and get a lot less clack. Same thing happens if I use the bridge pickup on my J, but I don't find it as comfortable. My playing style is pretty much hamfisted bludgeoning so the clack fits right in! Jon.

Surprisingly good show - just thought it was a shame that they only aired viciously edited versions of the performances - and too many covers! Delighted to see Bombskare doing well, have seen them a good few times, they are an outrageously good & entertaining live band. Back in the early 00s my band got involved organising the live music for the Meadows Festival in Edinburgh & booked Bombskare as closing act one of the years. Mandy Clarke's a great bassist, she used to play in a 3-piece absurdist prog band called Stepdads, gigged with them a few times. Jon.

I remember these (and other Mazetis) being sold new on Ebay about 10 years back - wasn't sure about the headstock but I liked the neck construction & inlays. They were about £150, I think. Jon.

Can't help feeling £65 + postage is a bit over the odds for a bunch of low-end, unfinished parts of hit-or-miss quality. Anyone who's just motivated by curiosity about how a bass works would be better off spending £30 on a car-boot P copy and a screwdriver. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1464364147' post='3058897'] Of course! I've often seen cars advertised as having detachable wheels ... [/quote] If others had set wheels (or wheel-through), they probably would! Typically loads of the old catalogues for MIJ stuff describes bolt-necks as "detachable", that's probably where the terminology in this ad comes from. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1464362763' post='3058876'] [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#000000][size=4]"The Grantson had a [/size][/color][color=#ff0000][size=4][b]detachable neck[/b][/size][/color][color=#000000][size=4] and rosewood fingerboard."[/size][/color][/font] [font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][color=#000000][size=4]WTF???[/size][/color][/font] [/quote] Bolt-on, innit? J.