Bassassin

Mine would be a pimped vintage MIJ bass, and would have DiMarzio Model Js, stack knobs, passive electronics, Schaller 3D bridge, maple/blocks and a vulgar scratchplate. In fact it would be this: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:66973] Jon.

Very nice, looks in great condition. Nice to see one with an intact headstock! Jon.

I'd like to suggest at this point that what BC needs is a separate "Underrated Bassists" sub-forum. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/188373-underrated-bass-players"]basschat.co.uk/topic/188373-underrated-bass-players[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/729-underrated-bass-players"]basschat.co.uk/topic/729-underrated-bass-players[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/229211-favourite-underrated-bassist"]basschat.co.uk/topic/229211-favourite-underrated-bassist[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/38636-underated-band-and-bass-player"]basschat.co.uk/topic/38636-underated-band-and-bass-player[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/170386-your-relatively-unsung-bass-hero"]basschat.co.uk/topic/170386-your-relatively-unsung-bass-hero[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/169457-underrated-players"]basschat.co.uk/topic/169457-underrated-players[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/182562-unrecognised-forgotten-bass-influences"]basschat.co.uk/topic/182562-unrecognised-forgotten-bass-influences[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/258277-underrated-bassists"]basschat.co.uk/topic/258277-underrated-bassists[/url] Condition for inclusion: each thread must at some point sing the praises of Dennis Dunaway, from the original Alice Cooper band. Jon.

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1426807097' post='2722333'] That logo looks odd to me. Anyone else? Especially the 's/n' before the serial number. I've only seen that on Chinese Squier neck plates before and certainly not MIJ headstocks. But then I've never researched it so I'm likely wrong. [/quote] I'm cursing my lack of pics now, but I had an A-series MIJ P (long-since sold) with a headstock serial, really can't remember if it had this though. Google shows that the majority of MIJ A-numbers are neckplate stamps, but I did find this thinline Tele: Although this one's CIJ, so would be 90s and presumably Dyna/Tokai rather than Fujigen. Academic anyway, I agree it's too dodgy & too dear. Nice finish & wood though - reminds me of my old SQ Precision. J.

I dunno what it is, but I hope to god I'm not in the room when it hatches... Jon.

I dunno. How do you measure ability/competence? I've been playing about 37 years, am completely self-taught, for about 90% of my musical life have played exclusively my own original compositions, broadly in the rock/metal/prog genres. but I've also played varied covers sets fairly well, I'm not much cop at slap because I haven't seriously played in that style for about 30 years, not great on fretless because I don't use it very often in my compositions, so I don't practice it. I suppose I feel I could hold my own in most bands, playing most styles, given time & headspace to learn/rehearse a set. I'm a rubbish improviser but that's not a discipline that's been important in any of my musical endeavours. Given the opportunity I'd play full-time, but like most people life has tended to get in the way of the few opportunities that have come my way. For a couple of years in the mid 90s, I was in 2 bands & making a living (of sorts) from the covers gigs one of the bands was doing - that's the closest I realistically got. These days my current band, which has existed since about 2000, is pretty much exclusively a recording project. I do miss playing live but am also appreciating the musical freedom of not having to compose/arrange music with a view to it being having to be performed in a specific & restrictive way. But as for "how good am I?" - good enough to play what I want to play. Fortunately, it's not a competition! Jon.

I played bass for two years before picking up a guitar. I wanted to learn guitar as a tool for composition, and have managed to achieve a good enough standard to be able to play whatever's in my head. I don't rate myself as a guitarist (certainly wouldn't dare play it live), but all the guitarists I've worked with have been surprisingly complimentary about my playing. Whether or not it would benefit [i]every[/i] bassist to learn a bit of guitar (or other chordal/melodic instrument), I don't know. If you're content playing covers, arguably it's academic whether you understand why you're playing what you're playing. As has been mentioned, a basic knowledge of drums might be more use, certainly for encouraging cohesive playing. Jon.

Thunder IIs were good quality through-neck or set-neck (depending on year) Matsumoku builds. They're a lot less common than the Thunder I bolt-neck and are fairly sought-after these days. Realistically it should only need a clean and a decent set-up - these were high quality guitars to start with and hardware & electronics, if in good order, shouldn't need upgrading. Some pics & a serial number will help determine what you have. Jon.

Hall does seem to like to rant about what's "illegal". He has claimed in discussions like that one that the private sale of a 40-year-old copy is actually a criminal offence. Fortunately he's pretty harmless as delusional megalomaniacs go, and a reassuringly long way away. Interesting to read through the thread to the end, and find that it was locked after a poster claimed that after several years of finish bleed, the lacquer on his bass actually started to fall off in chunks. The thread was locked before he could post photos. Also interesting to see that RIC's warranty covers finishes for only 12 months - and that the warranty commences [i]from the[/i] [i]date of manufacture[/i]. Plainly Rickenbacker know perfectly well that they are selling shoddy, poorly-finished instruments, and this sham "warranty" helps cover their lardy, All-American arses. As a company, I really don't know how they continue to trade. And I'm beginning to wish they didn't. J.

He's claiming it's an '85 MIJ Fender, it appears to be "A" serial, which would be '85-86, so far so good... I know my MIJ Squiers better than Fenders but I think the same rules apply - the A-serial makes this a "4th generation" MIJ Fender, so MIJ on the headstock rather than the heel should be right for '85. I presume the 3-bolt plate & bullet adjuster are also correct if this is a 70s reissue. However, it's somewhat modded - Schaller 3D & battery box etc. Not too up on 80s MIJ Fender values, but this seems a bit pricey to me considering it's been mucked about with. Jon.

[quote name='bassus_play' timestamp='1426516203' post='2718686'] [url="http://guitarz.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/1980s-era-arbor-bass.html"]http://guitarz.blogs...arbor-bass.html[/url] [/quote] Pretty sure that's nothing to do with Hohner (the name's probably a coincidence) and the content of the article's complete rubbish. And so's the assesment of the bass - those are DiMarzio pickups? I'm aware of "Arbor" as a medium/low-end Korean-made US rebrand from the early 80s, and that's what this bass is, I'm sure. Aaaanyway... Hohner Arbor. These appear to be a sort of stop-gap range between the Japanese-made (Moridaira) Hohners of the 70s/early 80s and the long-lived Hohner Professional range, which kicked off around 1985, and were initially made in Korea by Cort. I think the Hohner Arbors were probably Cort-made too, quality looks pretty decent on a lot of them, and I'd guess they were around from about '83-ish which seems to be when the Moridaira Hohners disappeared. Nice abalone inlays on some of the basses. The brand may have continued alongside the Professionals as a lower-tier range, but I don't really know - 80s MIK ain't my speciality. Jon.

Same bass with a different finish. Not a "Precision Jazz" (wotever that might be!) or an Ibanez rebrand (there's no such thing) but worth a look - still got its ashtrays on so might well be in good condition. Doubt it's a mahogany body on this one though. J.

Hall "worked for the British government"? What have I missed? J.

Two words- do, and it. J.

Yep - the finish is original. This is from about 1980, the headstock is the same shape as the first gen Ibanez Blazers, and these Js were also sold as Cimar. Not sure if they're Fujigen builds though. Body is solid mahogany so it's a bit hefty, the neck is a glued-on fretboard job but utterly lovely - assuming you get a good one. Pickups are weedy round-end MIJ stock, and the tuners are the torque adjutable types used on Tokais & Yamahas. I bought one of these about 10 years ago for £60, intending to tidy it & flip it - the neck was so damn nice it's been my go-to Jazz ever since. It's been pimped with DiMarzio Model Js, Schaller bridge & a vulgar scratchplate - but that neck's the thing. [sharedmedia=core:attachments:66973] Wish I could justify having two... J.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1426156262' post='2714951'] Why can he act the bully boy over here but not in the US? [/quote] Because he's [i]scary[/i] and we [i]let him[/i]. Not going to attempt to revive an old argument, but there is not, never has been, and never will be a Rickenbacker copy that is indistinguishable from the real thing. Particularly not this current Chickenbacker garbage. J.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1425933392' post='2712529'] Blimey - you haven't seen one since then?! [/quote] I've seen a few, but they ain't exactly like buses! Especially not the pink ones... J.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1426070371' post='2713941'] No, my pick up line is, 'HELLO, I'M ON THE SEX-OFFENDERS' REGISTER!!' [/quote] Well, that's what happens when you go on the internet talking about fingering A Minor. Jon.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1426013379' post='2713461'] Greco 'fakers were made by Matsumoku (bolt on necks) and Fuji Gen (through neck). Both good manufacturers. [/quote] Close, but not quite that clear-cut! 1974 Greco catalogue - the top two are Fujigens (the same delightfully inaccurate instruments as the Ibanez, which was from the same production line), the through-neck on the left, bolt neck on the right. The Matsumoku is on the bottom row, it's a through-neck, as far as I know Greco didn't do a Mat bolt-on. The Mat is an incredibly accurate copy (I have one) but is mysteriously cheaper than the rather idiosyncratic Fujigen. Odd chaps, the Japanese. Later Grecos were Fujigen builds, as Kanda Shokai (Greco brand owner) moved all its business to Fujigen - including of course MIJ Fenders. It's worth remembering that Greco is a Japanese home market brand, and has never been officially exported. This means that manufacture of MIJ Greco-branded Rick copies continued well beyond the 70s "lawsuit" era - in fact Fujigen were still making Greco Rick copies in the late 90s. J.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1425996714' post='2713200'] They were on of the few copies that could get the body thickness and headstock pitch angle about right. [/quote] They really weren't. Ever seen one? The least accurate 4001 copy marketed by any Japanese brand. Lovely old basses but f-all like a Rick beyond the basic shape. [sharedmedia=core:attachments:48534] Most vintage MIJ 4001 copies were not concerned with spot-on accuracy, compare them side-by-side and they're different shapes & sizes from each other, never mind a real Rick. And real 4001s were never exactly consistent. And it's worth mentioning that most "Ibanez" copies are nothing of the sort. Jon.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1425912716' post='2712100'] Needless to say I have terrible GAS for one now. [/quote] Me an' all. I tried one of these in the Bass Centre in Wapping (for those with long memories) in 1980-something. Had GAS for one ever since. A pink one, specifically. Jon.

Now relisted. New, improved error-free listing here: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bass-guitar-SB-Humbucker-willy-strong-punch-/201301863127"]www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bass-guitar-SB-Humbucker-willy-strong-punch-/201301863127[/url] Jon.

Never seen an 8-string version before. I'm guessing they never made it to the UK! J.

It's an interesting curiosity nonetheless. The German-carved body looks closely related to the Jedson EB-type basses which come up quite regularly, these also frequently have that shield-shaped neckplate. Beyond that I can't place it - the offset half-oval position markers are unlike anything I've previously seen on an MIJ instrument. The seller talks about Kapa as though it's a known brand. I'd not heard of it, but it turns out it was originally a US-made brand from the 50s/60s which produced affordable instruments, a bit like Kay once was. Like Kay, production moved to the far east by the mid/late 60s and clearly this bass is from that era. I guess the name might justify the price to some collectors (and Kapa must be properly rare in the UK) but otherwise it's well over the odds. J.