Bassassin

[quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1413208813' post='2575821'] The neck pocket looks like a handy place to keep your supermarket trolley pound coin. [/quote] First thing I noticed. Best thing to do would be to yank it upwards & bung your quid in the other side - that might help sort out the trademark 70s Fender wonky string alignment... Jon.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1414183770' post='2586976'] Probably the least desirable Gretsch ever made in both it's bass & guitar versions. [/quote] Gretsch in "bass I'd actually consider playing" shock.. I'd be all over that if it was £150. Jon.

Looks similar to what might happen if someone with negligible woodworking skills took a hacksaw & a rasp to their headstock. Hmmm... Jon.

Never owned, or played a JV, but like most vintage MIJ there would appear to be an awful lot of unsubstantiated mythology surrounding 'em, much of which seems highly contradictory. Like, for example, the story that the very earliest JVs began their trip along the Fujigen production line as Grecos. When Kanda Shokai (owner of the Greco brand & half of Fender Japan) did the initial deal with Fender USA, they were hastily re-badged as JV/big Fender/small Squier, as part of the deal was the cessation of production of Greco copies. This might or might not be true, but it would make the "most accurate copies evvar, meticulously made from Leo Fender's original hand-drawn blueprints" etc seller spiels a little bit implausible. JVs - and all subsequent non-US Fenders & licensed derivatives - only existed because Fender were crapping themselves at the money they were losing to superior, affordable foreign copies. They were less concerned with making museum-quality replica-grade reproductions than clawing back some revenue/market share, and they did the deal with Kanda because Greco was the brand they were losing the most sleep over. Apropos of nothing, my old '84 SQ Precision was the most beautiful, playable & best-sounding P I've ever had my mitts on. But then, I don't particularly like Precisions. Jon.

Good to see a couple of pics, looks tidy enough for its age. Hondo brand history here: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hondo_%28guitar_company%29"]http://en.wikipedia....itar_company%29[/url] & copypasta of my response to your original post: [quote]I don't think any Hondo Rick copies were MIJ. Apropos of nothing, for the sake of pedantry, AFAIK all early Hondos were Korean (made by Samick), but some later models were MIJ, in an attempt to move the brand upmarket. Anyway, the Hondo 4001 copies are (unfortunately) a cut below their MIJ contemporaries, featuring ply bodies & slightly lower quality hardware. However, these are collectable basses and if in decent nick & well set-up, perfectly useable. As far as value's concerned, that's a lot harder to define & I'm not even sure we should discuss it on BC, given the policy regarding Rick copies. There is a Facebook group devoted to "Rickenfakers", which has several BCers in its membership. This would be probably be a good place to get more info. Jon. [/quote] Interesting the Wikipedia link claims MIJ manufacture for some models from the mid-70s. Not sure about this but if so, quite probable that the UK importers didn't distribute the higher-end models over here. JHS, like all UK importers of the era, sold different quality ranges under different names/brands - they had Zenta at the bottom, going up to Kasuga at the top, Hondo was low/middle. No question your mate's bass is MIK, though. Jon.

I don't think any Hondo Rick copies were MIJ. Apropos of nothing, for the sake of pedantry, AFAIK all early Hondos were Korean (made by Samick), but some later models were MIJ, in an attempt to move the brand upmarket. Anyway, the Hondo 4001 copies are (unfortunately) a cut below their MIJ contemporaries, featuring ply bodies & slightly lower quality hardware. However, these are collectable basses and if in decent nick & well set-up, perfectly useable. As far as value's concerned, that's a lot harder to define & I'm not even sure we should discuss it on BC, given the policy regarding Rick copies. There is a Facebook group devoted to "Rickenfakers", which has several BCers in its membership. This would be probably be a good place to get more info. Jon.

I've had a few Satellites, ironically the only decent one was a P copy which I picked up for £40 purely because it had a DiMarzio fitted. Neck like a treetrunk but otherwise surprisingly nice. Got £60 for it once I swapped the DiMarzio out... J.

[quote name='wotsy' timestamp='1413927578' post='2583827'] £150?! Was that not an Antoria version? [/quote] It was. I kick myself repeatedly every day for not grabbing that one when I had the chance... Jon.

Gawd - this again. The parts of the description relating to it being an "Ibanez" are a load of rubbish: [quote]...an Ibanez due to the shape of the headstock. If you compare it to other Ibanez basses of the era (circa 1980) it is indeed identical.[/quote] It's therefore "identical" to instruments that do not exist. Ibanez ceased to retail any copies around 1978, and none of their subsequent original designs had Fender-esque headstock shapes. I'm not an expert on Tokai, but there appears to be nothing whatsoever to suggest this has anything to do with them. Or any other Japanese manufacturer of the era. It's a very pretty bass & looks to be well-constructed (nice to see a copy with maple neck that doesn't have a stuck-on board) but this is more likely to be Korean/Taiwanese/Chinese and less than 10 years old than it is to be 80s MIJ. Sorry for going off on one, but I'm frustrated that sellers are still resorting to the "Rare! Lawsuit! Ibanez! MIJ! L@@@@@k!!!!!" nonsense to sell random unidentified instruments. And that punters still fall for it. Jon.

Highly, and in a demonstration of unbridled & undiminished optimism, he's been listing this at that price for about the last 6 months. Along with a £250 Hondo P copy & a £199 Satellite P... Jon.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1413321101' post='2577201'] I'm sure there's a man in Edinburgh knows just how to sort a meddled bass [/quote] Link: [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/eros-eb3-electric-bass-guitar-blonde-bombshell.-deep-and-twangy./1084582419"]http://www.gumtree.c...ngy./1084582419[/url] Not for me because a/ it's more than twice what I'd pay, & b/ I've recently moved to a smaller gaff & can't move for unsold basses, guitars & music gear... So no new gear for me for a while. Unless a £50 Balogh Odyssey turns up... Anyway, looks quite nice, I think it's a post '76(ish) Matsumoku judging from the smooth headstock shape, & it probably would've originally had an 8-pole Maxon single-coil in the bridge position. I think both pickups have been replaced - the old Maxon Mudbucker-alikes are narrower & squarer than the neck unit on this. It looks like whoever's fitted the new pups has made slightly shonky-looking mounting plates to cover the original routes & screwholes. J.

Just to remind - a chap on here's been trying to shift a Thunder II since April. Last time I looked he wanted £90 for it: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/235553-westone-thunder-ii-in-pearl/page__view__findpost__p__2435151 He won't post it & it needs some work but I have no idea why someone hasn't snapped this up. J.

Interesting pic of the gentleman concerned's home studio: [url="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTI4MFg5NjA=/z/PosAAOSwR0JUNFdJ/$_57.JPG"]http://i.ebayimg.com...JUNFdJ/$_57.JPG[/url] Looks like he's developing a taste for the more eclectic - on the wall behind him it looks like a Thunderbird, what might be an RD, what I'm pretty sure is a very early Rick 4000, a very old sparkly Hagstrom, Ampeg Devil and what I think is a Meazzi Jupiter bass, or maybe a modern Italia Mondial. Hopefully it's only a matter of time before he discovers JapCrap & I can flog him a Tokai Talbo, Kawai Sleekline, Washburn Vulture II, Westbury Track 2, Kasuga Scorpion, Aria RSB deluxe II.... Jon.

Can't imagine why anyone would think that was a good idea. But then it's surprising what some bloody idiots will do to a perfectly good Precision... [sharedmedia=core:attachments:45167] Jon.

Just bought a beautiful MIJ Kasuga/Pro Martin from Steve - immaculately presented, very well packed and next-day delivery. A total gent and I'd do business with him again any time. Jon.

In Soviet Russia, bass guitar slaps you! ....sorry.

Does look in nice condition, and that would've been a very realistic price when the MIJ market was a bit healthier than it is now. Mine was £50, and a proper fixer-upper! Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1411116792' post='2556550'] [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Columbus-Vintage-Jazz-Fretless-Bass-1970s-Japan-/111467028981?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item19f3f3e1f5"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item19f3f3e1f5[/url] Fretless Columbus bass. Though overpriced. [/quote] Korean, plywood, early '80s. Half that price would be a bit optimistic! J.

Nice early Integra with the old Matsumoku-era SB style bridge. You've still got £750 change,though. J.

This bass has Steinberger-licensed hardware, the same as used on Hohner B2, B2A & Jack basses. These were manufactured by Cort, who also used the same hardware on their own-brand basses. It seems most likely that this is either a custom build using Cort hardware, or was manufactured by Cort themselves. The guy's probably claiming it's a Steinberger because the hardware will have "Licensed By Steinberger" on it! It's a pretty cool-looking bass, but £200-£300, not £900. Jon.

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1410267583' post='2547645'] I messaged the seller to clarify what it was and they said it was a custom build. Pic of back showing through neck construction attached. [/quote] I reckon it's a Hohner B2A modified with body wings & a veneer on the front covering the original pickup routes. I quite like it. J.

Clearly not a Steinberger, looks like a one-off projecty thing made with Hohner hardware & (possibly) neck. The seller's probably calling it a Steinberger because the Hohner tuner/bridge is licensed from Steinberger, & says Steinberger on it. Shame there aren't more pics, I'd be interested to know how the neck's attached, since Hohner Jacks & B2s are through-neck. I think it's quite a cool little bass. Jon.