Bassassin

Looks ace! I searched everywhere for pink MOTO to make a new scratchplate for my Yam SBV500, couldn't find it anywhere & had to settle for boring red. I'm not a P player but now I might have to get one, just to have a pink plate. NB - there really is a massive unspoken undercurrent of sexual insecurity in this thread, ain't there? Jon.

£40 with 29 minutes to go? Someone's getting a bargain early 80s MIJ P-derivative with Schaller hardware & interesting jazzbucker pickup. Made by ESP, apparently. Jon.

Yep, the Cort's a Cort, probably was badged Kay once, should have a big brass logo'd TRC. I had one of these and it had a couple of issues, most notably an unadjustably high action because the fretboard was so low relative to the top of the body. This is quite common on early MIJ & MIK through-necks and can only be remedied by routing the body to make a recess for the bridge to sit in. I'd think with a lack of fret height this problem would be exacerbated. Plus I'm pretty sure it's a de-fret, I've never seen a fretless one of these before. That Aria's nice but hugely overpriced. Interesting, looks like the DiMarzio was standard. J.

If I do sell the VMJ (which at the moment is looking quite likely) I'm not too interested in profiteering, particularly if I sell it here - I got it in a trade for a different fretless (1984 Yamaha BB400S) so it doesn't "owe" me anything as such. Anyway, that depends on the outcome of another potential trade which is currently in discussion - watch this space. Or any space of your choosing. J.

Same here. This thread's turning into a reunion. Jon.

Apropos of nothing (much), I have a very nice VMJ which might shortly become surplus to requirements. J.

That's been on before, I think. What's worth remembering here is that Greco is essentially a Japanese home market brand, so production of these & other copies continued long after export stopped. The serial number on this one (B000914) seems to suggest February 2000, and the condition (as far as one can see) and modern hardware support this, imo. With later Grecos, production wasn't solely in Japan, and this one doesn't state a country, at least not on the neckplate. The price would be pretty much right for a 70s example in average/good condition, but I'm not sure what a modern one like this would go for on Ishibashi or if Kukkunyan was selling it on here. J.

I'm pretty sure the Ebay one started life painted & bound, like the one in Geoff's pic. Although not necessarily with a skull. A bit of careful work with a heat gun would probably take off the finish & binding, then you'd just have to round off the top edges with sandpaper, then either wax or lacquer the wood. I think that looks great with a natural finish. Jon.

Looks like some basses are like buses. Can't remember the last time I saw a Washburn B20 Stage on Ebay, today there are two: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151355987841"]De-fretted beater with a surprisingly restrained start price[/url] [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251589709597"]Spectacularly rare Yamaki-built 8-string with an eye-watering BIN[/url] I really wanted one o' them 8-strings when I was 18. Not this much, though. J.

I wondered that, but that would be pretty silly-cheap for an SR500, unless it's completely trashed. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-SR500-Bass-Guitar-Mahogany-Levys-strap-/251589481161?"]He's relisted it again, at the same price, on a 30-day listing[/url]. I'm voting "delusional". Jon.

I think that's started life as a Teisco or Kawai, probably mid/late 60s - something a bit like [url="http://www.mark-cole.co.uk/teisco/Images/literature/ad1-64_66.jpg"]the one in row 3 in this pic[/url]. Could be fun if it doesn't go for too much - that mudbucker's going to be loud! Jon.

Great bargains for whoever snagged them, but really if you're too lazy to pack up & post a bass, it shouldn't be too surprising when you get next to bugger-all for them. Not that I'm in any way bitter that everything I like the look of seems to be 300 miles away & colection only... Jon.

I own lots of basses from utterly cheap to a little under a grand (that's RRP - I am a gyppo so I never pay full price!) and my no.1 cost me £60. It's a late 70s MIJ Jazz copy, and is the best-playing & best-sounding bass I've ever had my mitts on. Alright, I've spent a bit on electronics & hardware (maybe another £60...) but I struggle to see how laying out an additional £900-odd would have got me something better. Jon.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1404316717' post='2491544'] Was Kim Mitchell not Max Webster or with them. I'm sure it was them that supported Rush on Hemispheres or Farewell tour ?? Dave [/quote] Max Webster & Rush were very closely connected - remember this? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMM6Bhwpy0M[/media] Both bands set up together in the studio & knocked this out live - absolutely immense! Jon. (edited for better-sounding clip!)

That's a Tokai SD402, as in this 1986 catalogue: http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/vol12p4.jpg As for value, they're not exactly common, which means you might have to wait a while before an avid Tokai collector turns up & pays silly money for it. Which could happen. If you just want a nice 80s MIJ guitar, Tokais from this era were very, very good. Jon.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1404086984' post='2489222'] Allegedly Japanese-made so I'm going to post it here [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marlin-Idol-PB-26-vintage-bass-guitar-Teisco-Kawai-Japan-60s-short-scale-rare-/151341751929?pt=Bassi&hash=item233cabde79"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item233cabde79[/url] It looks vaguely like one of those Russian 70s jobs, but prettier. [/quote] Seen one of these before, and they are definitely MIJ. This comes from an era when there were a lot of pretty out-there Japanese designs, before they realised the money was in copies! Quite cool in a bizarre way but not for £850! J.

That's weird - the links you've posted are both just giving me the front page of the catalogue! The one I posted is working for me, (MC series on the right, passive MC824 in the middle of that group) but here's a direct link for the image: [url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/65/6.jpg"]http://www.ibanez.co...ersary/65/6.jpg[/url] The Ebay one's a fairly close copy of the 824, very similar control layout apart from edge-mounted jack & toggle switch on the Ibanez. J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1403912365' post='2487773'] Is the bass in this video a real Musician then? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnejLmQGYhg [/quote] Yep - looks like an MC-824, like the one in this catalogue: [url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=65&now=6"]http://www.ibanez.co...cat_id=65&now=6[/url] The Ebay one has the wrong headstock profile, 3-part rather than 5-part neck, sandwich body wings, wrong hardware (OK, that can be changed, but there'd almost certainly be bridge & tuner screwholes visible) and peculiar surrounds around the pickups. The pups are the only bits that look like genuine Ibanez parts. Anyway, the seller's pulled the listing - too bad, I was going to suggest you should buy it (you're in the market for a fretless, aren't you?) so we could dissect it & try to find out what it actually is! J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1403854370' post='2487039'] Is that a real Ibanez logo on the headstock? It looks a bit hand made to me. [/quote] 'Course not - the bass is a Musician copy, someone's stripped the headstock face (no doubt to remove the original logo) & presumably stuck Letraset on it, or something. I'd guess the face would've originally been stained to match the body wings, in fact I think you can still see the remnants of the stain still in the grain. A real Musician would have had a veneer to match the body. J. .

Fretless Ibanez Musician [b]copy[/b]! [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-Musician-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-1980s-/131226139499"]http://www.ebay.co.u...s-/131226139499[/url] Now that's a weird one. No idea what it actually is, seller says it's MIJ but I'm not sure. Never seen pots like those before on anything, wiring looks tidy enough to be original. Still, £225 BIN if anyone fancies a pretty unusual lookey-likey. J.