Bassassin

Chicken head knobs. Now there's a phrase you never tire of saying. Chicken head knobs. Jon.

Just seen this pop up in "Basses for Sale": [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/257487-peavey-cirrus-usa-4-string-through-neck-price-dropped-again-l550/"]http://basschat.co.u...ped-again-l550/[/url] Which is a timely reminder that the Zephyrs were intended to be affordable versions of Peavey's high-end US made Cirrus models. And apart from the electronics, they're pretty damn close I would say (body shape/styles aside) the popularity of the through-neck design undoubtedly starts with Alembic but it's likely not as straightforward as Aria just knocking off the through-neck method for the SB basses. As far as Aria are concerned, I do know their through-neck PE guitars pre-date the SB basses by a year or so - apart from the construction they're Les Paul derived designs, but it would make sense that Aria decided to build a range of basses with a method they were already using on guitars. Over-thinking a bit further, it would seem likely that the high-end PE guitars were directly influenced by, and intended as direct competition with Yamaha's through-neck SG2000, which dates (I think) from 1976. These were designed in collaboration with Carlos Santana, who like the set-neck Yammy SGs but wanted something denser & with more sustain.... So we can blame Alembic and Santana equally for the glut of stripy guitars in the early 80s, and for the Peavey Zephyr. Probably. J.

[quote name='Ebay Fantasist']By legend the Fullerton equipment was shipped to Japan along with several technicians to set up Fender's Japanese operation. As the equipment, and many of the technicians, had been at Fullerton for the 25 years from 1968 to 1993 the instruments produced were nicknamed 'Silver Series' and this was eventually officially adopted for the initial range produced.[/quote] Seriously? This is some parallel universe he inhabits where "Fender's Japanese operation" was set up in 1993? Words fail me etc. Jon.

I think it is. I think it dates from long before the days of replica logos & Ebay - which might help explain a schoolboy error like putting an early 60s logo on a (purportedly) mid 70s bass. Probably the best - or only - example the artist could find to copy. J.

It's not Matsumoku or any other MIJ. Everything about it says luthier-built, probably a one-off. To me there's also something peculiarly British about it - I don't think it's actually very Alembic-y at all! J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1444325079' post='2882300'] But all of them are highly inspired by Aria Pro 2 SB1000s (and similar models). Were the Arias the original of that style of bass? [/quote] I suppose the whole stripy wood through-neck thing started with Alembic's "Hippy Sandwich" designs in the early 70s. Aria probably did the most to popularise the style by making it somewhat more affordable, and obviously pretty much every other Japanese factory followed suit. As far as through-necks in general go, the original Rick 4000 launched in 1957 - not sure if it was the first, but I don't know of any earlier ones. J.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1444306992' post='2882072'] ....the bridge & saddles are slightly similar to his. [/quote] That's a Schaller bridge - specifically an out-of-production variant of the 3D for use with Gibson-type 2-point mounts. Did JayDee ever use these? The bass makes me think of Wilkes or GB/Goodfellow. Don't think it is, though, probably just the concave end-cut putting me in mind of these. Are there any pics of the headstock pre-mod? Jon.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1444246026' post='2881597'] I just practice with the bass unplugged. It's free. [/quote] Me too, always have. I was starting to think I was weird... Jon.

And boom - just like that: [url="http://www.steamingaudio.myzen.co.uk/gear_pages/vtb_4bs.shtml"]Mania bass[/url] Knackered after all that mental effort. I need a lie down... J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1444307797' post='2882089'] Could the bass in the OP be a Zephyr-alike? Not originally a Peavey? What did the headstock on the Peavey-a-likes look like? [/quote] Pretty sure they were exactly like the Peaveys. So yes, it could easily have been an off-brand. I'm convinced they were being sold under a brand name - something along the lines of "Bass Maniac" but not that, obviously. Will continue to rack my walnut of a brain. J.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1444290497' post='2881836'] [1] Other Zephyrs are available. Avoid the Ford Zephyr, it'll be rather long in the tooth and all rused out now. [/quote] Agreed. Same goes for the Kawasaki Zephyr - try finding one without holes rusted in the tank. Plus it may look like a Z1, but it's really not. I seem to remember Ebay being chock-full of no-brand Zephyr-alikes (that's Peavey, not Ford or Kawasaki) a few years ago, some with more pearl & abalone inlays than sense. J.

[quote]Vantage X-9973, it's extremely rare apparently? [url="https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/extremely-rare-70s-80s-matsumoku-vantage-x-9973-bass-with-hard-case-and-strap/1136392182"]https://www.gumtree....trap/1136392182[/url] [/quote] Another seller just making stuff up to try & punt a decent but unremarkable bass - it's a generic mid-80s Matsumoku through-neck, very closely related to later Westones. The suggestion that it was "designed in the 1970s – 80s era by Matsumoku as their top of the range bass" is completely ridiculous, and he plainly couldn't even be arsed to research the serial number. Or in fact read the name of the bloody thing off the TRC. It's an X99B. It's nice but about £200 overpriced. As I'm sure he'll find out. Call me weird, but I like the Westy Raider better. J.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1444135829' post='2880546'] That is not a 70s P-Bass decal. The one in the pic looks hand-drawn to me. [/quote] Agreed. It's a not-too-bad attempt at an early/mid 60s logo. I'm definitely no expert, but the rest looks pretty convincing. Wonder what went on here? Jon.

Seeing that video is the first thing that's made me genuinely feel a bit sad that they have, by all accounts, knocked it on the head now. Will buy the Bluray - I might even watch this one. J.

Looks like the median is still around the £150 mark, which it seems to have been for ever. Some go for a bit more, some for a bit less and a few proper bargains creep through from time to time. I don't think the daft sods asking £300-odd ever get lucky. J.

Ditto here - I'd like a nice early 70s FireGlo 4001 (with all the vintage bells & whistles) to add to the collection, but I'm not parting with any of my Fakers anytime soon. On balance though, I'd prefer a nice early 70s Fujigen dot-neck - like the one Chris Squire's tinkering with here: J.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1443991146' post='2879339'] It's a stock photo for a start. [/quote] Looks like a naff 3d render to me. Weirder & weirder... Jon.

That looks exactly like the ScumTree one, pre-mods. Does to me, anyway! J.

Never noticed the Schaller bridge. Odd thing to change, the original hi-mass thing on the Zephyr was perfectly seviceable. Those pickups surrounds are ghastly. Look like they're made from plasticene. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1443957097' post='2878911'] So Bill-R wasn't you in disguise, stirring up apathy? Damn. Another conspiracy theory falls apart. [/quote] I don't know whether to be amused or hurt that you would thinks such a thing! I mean... the spelling... the... the... the [i]grammer[/i]! J.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1443953458' post='2878869'] Not a Zephyr, like I said, that has sandwich wings with a contrasting wood colour in the middle that shows up in the forearm cutaway. The wings on this are solid wood. [/quote] I have a C5 with the sandwich construction, but it looks like they didn't all have that: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peavey-Zephyr-Bass-Rare-/261947226019"]http://www.ebay.co.u...e-/261947226019[/url] Clearly the one we're discussing has had some sort of refin, but I'm confident it was born looking like this one. J.

Hilarious thread! Quite sorry I missed participating in this one during my "wilderness years" but I do not think I could have been any more persuasive and eloquent than RigRedX, Noelk27 & Musky were - all to no avail. Wonder why someone would be so desperate to convince themselves and everyone else that their cheap Chinese copy was a particular sort of cheap Chinese copy. Poor Bill-R. I feel sorry for him. And whoever had to wipe up the mess when his head exploded. Jon.

Not in real life but a few pics have turned up, including a very old Aria catalogue I saw somewhere. What I put above though is literally all I know about them. You might find one or two other owners on the [url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/55074615631/"]Vintage Japanese Guitars[/url] ot the [url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/78514186083/"]Rickenfakers[/url] FB pages, but they likely won't be able to add much info! I'm sure they'd like to see some pics though. J.