Bassassin

[quote name='Left Foot' timestamp='1446064945' post='2896679'] Well, thats helpful, ill shut up, turn the computer off, retire from basschat. [/quote] Or you could explain why you think this guy's committing a crime, as I suggested. J.

Explain how you imagine a private individual advertising an item of personal property could possibly be illegal? What criminal offence do you think he's commiting? He can ask whatever he wants for it, and like it or not, his description does not actually misrepresent it in any way. And even if it did - that would not be "illegal". You sound like you've been reading too much John Hall-style propaganda! J.

Nothing remotely illegal about it. Chancers gonna chance, though. Love the skilfully hacksawed headstock. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1445885194' post='2895074'] Your Antoria cost less than 10% of what this Ibanez Blazer is selling for. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-Blazer-Bass-1981-Japan-MIJ-P-Bass-Collectors-/131637860233?hash=item1ea63a5789:g:UjYAAOSwT5tWLjE6"]http://www.ebay.co.u...jYAAOSwT5tWLjE6[/url] [/quote] Incredible. That takes first prize for most optimistically-priced bass, from now until probably the end of all eternity. However if I'm wrong, it should provide me with the motivation to sort out my 1980 Mk1 Blazer, which has been sitting around in bits for, oh maybe about 7 years. Should be able to pay off the mortgage with that one... Yondergo - delighted to hear you got the Antoria, looking forward to seeing some pics. Wouldn't be surprised if you got most of your money back flogging that Badass - the original models are pretty scarce these days. J.

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1445797021' post='2894297'] Yup, gone now though... [url="https://m.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_tb_70vs_deko.htm?o=12&ref=mal_a_12&search=1445796860"]https://m.thomann.de...arch=1445796860[/url] [/quote] £37.50. Arse. J.

I spent a couple of years away from BC, and the Marketplace seems to have changed an awful lot in that time. Aside from sellers' fees (which I have no particular problem with) there's now a hell of a lot more seriously high-end boutique stuff, and what feels like very little variety in the sub-£500 end of the market. Realistically that's the area that's interesting to me, and I'd suspect to a lot of other potential purchasers too. A lot of the sellers also don't seem to be active in the BC community outside the "for sale" section either - you can come away with the impression that there are lot of EU-based trade sellers using BC as an outlet these days. I can't help wondering if that has pushed sellers of more modest gear towards the various FB groups that have sprung up. Jon.

[quote name='super al' timestamp='1445858879' post='2894716'] Bought the guitar in the late 80s from Axe, it was £99.99 I think. As well as a cheap guitar you also got a tiny battery operated amp, a lesson book (more like a magazine than a book) and lesson tapes which I think I still have somewhere. The guitar was black with axe on the body, a mate rubbed it off for me so it looked relic'd. The frets were dangerously sharp on the ends and hardware a little cheap looking (what did expect for £99.99!). Oh, it also had a whammy bar! The Axe drum kit was about £200 for a 5 piece kit so you could kit out a band for about £400. The guitarist wouldn't be very loud though so everyone would be happy! [/quote] A friend of mine had that kit back in the late 80s. The cymbals bent when you hit them! That came with all the learn-to-play stuff too. I bought - and I still have - an Axe stereo chorus stomp box. Very cheap but quite a decent little unit, if a bit hissy. Turns out it's a rebranded MIJ Aria pedal. Jon.

What a bizarre thread! Are we really all stunned and reeling at the shock revelation that an awful lot of popular music is, was, and alway has been, quite unambiguously about shagging? You guys... Jon.

Fair enough - can't find it anyway! J.

Hi John & welcome to BC. You'd probably get a bigger response posting this in the "Bass Guitars" section - plus requests for pics! However, I do remember an "Axe" brand from the late 80s - in fact I have an old Axe-branded chorus pedal, which I think is a re-branded Aria unit, and a friend way back had an Axe drumkit. Which was a bit rubbish, to be frank. I think Axe was a UK importer's budget gear range, and I'm fairly sure they were mail-order only - I can remember ads in the old "Making Music" free magazine. I can't remember specifics about the basses or guitars but I strongly suspect that's what yours will be. Any danger of some pics? Jon.

Excellent - really hope it goes through. I genuinely don't think the guy has any idea of the interest in these instruments. I messaged him (before I posted it here!) to see if he'd be willing to post. He wasn't, but said he'd consider it if the bass didn't sell first time. I got the feeling he thought it was just a tatty old piece of junk, & would be happy to get £50 for it. J.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1445463818' post='2891750'] Tidy-looking Antoria Precision, looks like the more accurate late 70s version & appears to be wearing an original BadAss bridge. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161862243328"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161862243328[/url] Currently at £50, collection only from Derby. J. [/quote] So, anyone here get smart & blag this for an utterly ludicrous £68? I sincerely hope so - but bet you didn't. J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1445717806' post='2893742'] I've been out all day. There was a Thunderbird? Would have been tempted. [/quote] Me too. Been waiting since May for them to come back! J.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1445731990' post='2893800'] Is Johnny Rotten turning into Timothy Lumsden? [/quote] I thought with the specs, he is starting to look disturbingly like Elton John.

No idea where it is, but I think I have an original CMI trc lying around somewhere. I'll have a dig around & see if I can find it, if you'd be interested. J.

I remember them well! Just shows how the price of vintage MIJ stuff has plummeted - a few years back this would've been £200+, this one's been relisted a few times with ever-decreasing prices. I do love these mad old Westies, I've always hankered a little over the Dynasty (sort of a deranged Flying V) in 2-tone glitter. Love the bottle-opener headstock on this one though. A very bad part of me would like to turn up for a Jazz gig with one of these. Jon.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1445686192' post='2893395'] Thanks Jon, nice to have your thoughts (I was hoping you might drop by so to speak). It's funny, the only Yamaha I've owned that felt like this was the 2024, which felt equally solid and well crafted. Serial is 001060. Seller mentioned Nippon Gakki but with 70's MIJs in my experience these things always seem to be a mix of Chinese Whispers and wishful thinking! Have to say I've two 70's MIJ 'lawsuit' copies, this one and a Greco 4001, and both are outstanding examples of, if not improvements on, the P-Bass and Ric respectively. [/quote] Looks like 001060 might be 1977, although that's based on a serial system Yam give for BB series basses. Would seem about right, though. Nippon Gakki (meaning "Japan Musical Instruments", pretty much) was Yamaha's proper company name up to the late 80s, so doesn't give us a specific factory. Not really too important IMO because Yamaha aren't known for poor quality! That's a very nice 4001 copy - but I do have to tell you it ain't no Greco! I think it's one of the MIJ basses that most commonly turn up badged as Shaftesbury - sady as yet no-one knows who made these, but they are uniformly excellent quality, probably more robust or more accurate than either the Matsumokus or Fujigens that were sold labeled Greco. Just a personal opinion, but you do it an injustice by putting a Rick trc on it. J.

Now that's a pretty piece of classic top-quality MIJ! Because Yamaha had their own original designs throughout the 70s copy era, their own copies, like this tend to be a bit overlooked. That sandwich style of body construction is not that uncommon on MIJ builds from this era, and I believe is a lift from Gibson's "pancake" style, which sandwiches a thin layer of maple between two main slabs of timber. I'd think the purpose is perhaps to use a softer piece of timber to mould to imperfections in the surfaces of the halves being glued together - but that's really a guess. I've seen the same thing between the wings & centre of some neck-through builds. It's unclear where Yamahas of this vintage were built - one of the more reliable sources suggests production was split between their own factory and Kasuga Gakki. I have a 1975 Kasuga Rick copy which has an identical body construction from very similar timbers, and the build quality is immaculate. Anyway - bloody lovely! Any serial number or clue to its age? Jon.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1445682028' post='2893337'] Some older Peavey basses feature the same bi-cut construction as well. [/quote] Pretty sure my T-40's neck was made like this - definitely 2 sections but unsure whether it had a glued-on fingerboard though. Hopefully Flat Eric or another T-40 guru will be along shortly to enlghten... I did have an MIJ P copy (unbranded but possibly Fujigen build) with a 2-part neck - but it definitely had a separate fingerboard. Jon.

I'd certainly prefer to pay 1/6 of the money for a genuine 70s/80s original! Jon.

Tidy-looking Antoria Precision, looks like the more accurate late 70s version & appears to be wearing an original BadAss bridge. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161862243328"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161862243328[/url] Currently at £50, collection only from Derby. J.

Just down the road from me. Watching... Jon.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1445435696' post='2891462'] If drums were quitter, would drummers just hit them harder or mike them up? It's an interesting concept. Are drums made to be a certain volume because that's what drummers expect, or do drummers choose loud kits out of some sort of one-upmanship? [/quote] Ask a drummer and I suspect he'll tell you that it's to get the right response, feel, tone etc. And there's probably some truth in that. J.

As has been mentioned - drummer. We have a very dextrous & dynamic drummer, but when he's loud, he's very, very loud. Plus it makes you feel [i]alive[/i]. Jon.

Looks like a lacquer crack running from the pickup surround screw. Could easily be stained/drop-filled with lacquer or superglue to make it tidier. J.