Bassassin

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1389894701' post='2339276'] I`ve always liked Rickenbacker basses but the way they do this type of stuff, I doubt I will ever buy one now as I wouldn`t want them to get any of my money. [/quote] An increasing number of people on here think that way. The only Rick I'd consider would be an old 4001 that pre-dates Hall's Rickenbacker International Corp. Preferably one with checked binding, full width inlays, exploding wavy Grovers, toaster.... J.

No - you don't need a new/better bass. What you need is a [i]different[/i] one. Or preferably, several different ones, in a permutation of scale lengths, pickup layouts, string numbers, weight distributions, construction materials, circuitry types and fingerboard types. And colours. Lots of different colours. But if you must to limit yourself to a single bass, you really can't go far wrong with a Jazz. Jon.

[quote name='tonyf' timestamp='1389862581' post='2338687'] Re the T-Cut on the neck, was it already glossed/sealed or was it just the wood? [/quote] It's an ebonol board, which I understand is a resin/paper laminate material, so I presume the finished surface is the resin itself. T-Cut is my go-to polish for a lot of different instrument cleaning & renovation jobs - I strongly recommend it it on scruffy poly lacquer, scratchplates & other plastics. So after trying it on an inconspicuous area (heel end of the board) I went for it. It's a very mild abrasive and there is potential for making a mess - you don't need much, I use just a dab from the inside of the lid. Mike - doubt very strongly that I'll part this, there doesn't seem to be much point! Glad you like the Yam, but it is a hefty brute and that's my main reason for parting with it - I'd like a fretless I can gig with! I have a T-40 as well, makes my back hurt just looking at it! J.

Well - yesterday (14th) actually, but I've fancied one of these for a while: Did a straight swap with BC member alcytes for my [url="http://www.maya29.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/yambb/BBfrontfull.jpg"]1984 Yamaha BB400S fretless[/url] - the Yam was a great-playing bass & ticked the right vintage JapCrap boxes, but was ridiculously heavy and had a Precisionish character that I just wasn't after. I did wonder for a while if I'd done the right thing, but after getting my hands on the VMJ and giving it some light fettling, I'm proper happy! It arrived in a hefty tweed case & suffering from some slight earthing issues which I had already been informed of. It was also wearing a Badass II, which I found I didn't have the right hex key for, so simply to get it playing better, I stuck on a Wilkinson BBOT from the parts bin. This sorted out the hum, too - looks like the earth wire hadn't been making contact. At some point it had been strung with rounds and there's some light marking on the board - on a whim I attacked the neck with T-Cut, which reduced the marks & as can be seen, brought out a lovely gloss on the board. It's not quite epoxy-shiny but gives it a nice slippery feel. I did have the ulterior motive of using the neck for a J project, using a body I've had for ages - but now I'm not sure, this is a sweet little bass in its own right, & it would seem a shame to part it. Jon.

Well, Captain Twit - I'm here to tell you that yes it is (as far as I know depending on the year) a Fujigen, and also that £100 for an MIJ SR is an absolute steal. Well done that man! If I remember right, an F at the beginning of the serial's Fujigen - at least that was the case on my 2 early 90s SR800s. I think this one might be a bit more recent based on the hardware & serial number style, but I don't know if later MIJ SRs were built in other factories. Anyway, great score and just goes to show all that lowballing can pay off. If you still have 70s Artist GAS - you've probably already seen this: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-Artist-Bass-Guitar-/261371159257"]http://www.ebay.co.u...r-/261371159257[/url] Jon.

Matsumokus were easier to spot up to the mid-70s, when they bore "Steel Adjustable Neck" plates. Most of these had a serial number, and these appear to be completely random & don't give a year. Subsequently a variety of different plates were used as well as several different serialisation methods. The number on yours is consistent with Mat serials from the early 80s, where the first digit indicates the year - hence 1981, which would be about right. Looking at that, and the 3-part neck I'd be 90% confident that your bass is a Matsumoku. I don't associate plates/serials like that or that type of build with Tokai, plus there are confirmed Hondos with "Product Of Matsumoku" plates. From my perspective the suggestion of Tokai (or any as yet unidentified builder) making Hondos is entirely anecdotal - the MIJ Hondos I've seen look like Matsumokus. I have a Westbury Track 2 bass which has a similar plate to yours, except it's stamped Made In Japan, rather than stckered. The serial number's the same style and there's nothing else on it - however there's no suggestion (even from Matsumoku/Westbury forum geeks) that Westburys were made anywhere else. Identical basses turn up with both "Steel Adjustable" and "Product Of" plates. Understanding these old instruments is part archaeology & part detective work - none of the factories, importers, distributors kept any kind of record & most of them shut down decades ago, so there's usually nothing much to go on other than remaining relics & a few old catalogues. Matsumoku's way better documented/understood than lesser-known factories & brands like Kasuga, Maya, Chushin, Moridaira & so on. J.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1389708341' post='2337071'] I've got one of these, with the original pickups, there seems to be some doubt whether it is a Matsumoku [/quote] I suppose unless it says "Matsumoku" on the neckplate (and a few Hondos do) it's hard to be 100% sure. It seems MIJ Hondos were either Mat or Tokai, the examples of these I've seen have features in common with a number of late 70s/early 80s Mat basses including Westburys, Vantages, Washburns and even some early Aria Pro models. Matsumoku made several different basses with double cut bodies, 3-part quarter-sawn necks, DiMarzio pickups & 3-point bridges - the Hondo strikes me as a variation on a particular type they were making at the time. J.

Very odd - looks right up BigRedX's street. Bet he's already got one! Jon.

Did a straight swap with mike - my Yamaha BB400S fretless for his Squier VMJ Fretless. Very happy with how everything went, Mike's a top guy to deal with and I'll happily do business with him again. Jon.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1389689392' post='2336855'] The brother they are selling for isn't a bass player? Why buy a bass. It's like buying a car........when you can't drive. [/quote] Some people seemingly buy instruments just to have something interesting or "cool" - looking sitting around in their home. I have a Lace Helix bass (retail about £800) which I picked up for less than £200 on Ebay. It had never been played, still had the protective plastic on various components - the seller wasn't a musician, had just bought this because it was unusual-looking and he thought it would look good in his flat. At the moment, there's a guy trying to sell a R*ck*nb*ck*r (no link for obvious reasons) which looks like it's had a hard life as an ornament, the seller says it's never been played or even tuned. I'm increasingly fascinated by this phenomenon - if I can find a way into this market, I could make a fortune with some of the rotten old tat I've got lying around... Jon.

It was either a Columbus, or the same bass with some other name, so not a Matsumoku. Opinions vary about Columbus - the ones I've had were OK but not wonderful - and I'd say £150 was a tad optimistic. J.

A lot of Top Twentys were rebranded Teiscos, made in Japan, so unlikely to be more than cosmetically similar to the Kays, which I think started appearing 10 or so years later. For anyone with a genuine interest (or a morbidly perverse curiosity) about these crude & faintly disturbing instruments, there is, as there is for any slightly unsavoury personal predilection, a website: [url="http://www.mark-cole.co.uk/teisco/"]Teisco Twangers[/url] J.

I like it - would prefer to see it in the flesh though, can't really get my head around some of what's going on in the photos. On the whole I liked it a lot better when it was [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RMI-Expression-5-String-Bass-by-Mark-Ramsay-Design-/141143764878"]£250 cheaper[/url]. Jon.

Might be more appropriate to relocate this thread out of the Marketplace and perhaps sticky it in the Bass Guitars section purely for reference. Question for personal clarification - can we still post pics of owned instruments that are not for sale? Not sure about the breadth of JH's litigious hissy-fit! Jon.

Shame he's changed the logo - makes it look shonky. Never had a 90s MIJ Squier but I've had a late 80s A-serial, very nice bass. Jon.

[quote name='hoiho' timestamp='1389443431' post='2334176'] 1970s EB-0 copy, in central Scotland, for £100. [url="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152149210477431&set=gm.579612698785958&type=1"]https://www.facebook...98785958&type=1[/url] [/quote] Looks like all the JapCrap anoraks were wrong all along, and all they had in Japan was one big Ibanez factory badging up the same things with names like Avon. Gawd. Reality: Not Fujigen, nothing like Ibanez, made from plywood & tin, cheap at the time, worth about £30 from your local car boot tomorrow morning. Take the Avon badge off & it's suddenly worth twice that. I've joined the group, though... J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1389437136' post='2334092'] Columbus bass. With a case and amp, but still £350 looks just a bit steep. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Columbus-Bass-Guitar-Case-Amp-And-Speaker-/121252286311?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c3b330f67"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1c3b330f67[/url] [/quote] That seller's been having the same sadly unrealistic dream for a few months - check their completed listings. And Carlsbro Cobras really weren't very good! Overpriced instruments being constantly re-listed can be interesting. Locally there's been someone trying to sell a Pearl Les Paul copy (70s, MIJ, probably Matsumoku replica-grade) for about 3 years! It started at aboout £500 and has now reached £200 - if/when it gets to £150 I might go & have a look. J.

Actually, looking again, I don't think they are - the keys are a different shape and not "faceted" like this type. Normally you see the Shergold-style and on earlier instruments, the black plastic type, which I'd assume to have been phased out by the early/mid 70s. I have a vague idea that I've seen a different style of closed-back, cast-key tuners on a few basses. I'll have to have a dig around & see if I can find decent photographic evidence. You're right about Fujigen using those pickups - they appear on most of their early 70s basses, replaced by more accurate types as the basses became more authentic. Other makers did use them - they even turn up on Korean-made Hondos from time to time - but I'd tend to lean towards Fujigen on a nice looking J copy like this. The pickups were Maxons, actually single-coils with 2 rows of poles, some of them are very high-output - I have one in a Rickenfaker that's around 14k if I remember rightly. J.

Missed this thread at the time, but some interesting assertions/opinions being expressed! I have two Westburys - a Track Two and a Westy Standard guitar. Normally I'd say Noelk27 is the man to listen to in terms of this era of MIJ instruments, but his view here doesn't concur with my experience. Pickups are DiMarzio, as several respondents have already said - afaik they were across the range. While build quality isn't as stellar as, say SB series Aria Pros or the high-end Washburns, they are far from being tat - bodies are solid timber, mahogany according to the catalogue, iirc, hardware is mostly decent - apart from that 3-point bridge which bends & cracks after a few decades' string tension. The Track 2 & Track IV are, despite being aesthetically similar, entirely different basses. The 2 is a simple, bolt-neck, slab body design while the IV has a carved arch top and set-neck construction. I'd assume (having never played one) that the IV is somewhat heavier, and as that extra weight's in the body, maybe a little less prone to neck-dive. Anyway, for good measure, here's my Westbury Synchro Pair: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:64632] Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1389355942' post='2333174'] Thanks for the info on your Cardinals. Interesting looking El Maya here. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/El-Maya-Ibanez-active-bass-made-in-Japan-1981-/271364720733?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3f2e99085d"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3f2e99085d[/url] [/quote] That's a very interesting El Maya, since most of it's an Ibanez RS900 Roadster. Not going to say too much because I'm pretty sure the seller's a BC member, but given that the El Maya neck has an extra fret over the RS900, it's likely struggling to intonate properly. And £350+ is a [i]lot[/i] of money for a [s]bodge[/s] bitsa. He has another very rare & interesting MIJ bass for sale though: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Polytone-Contempo-B-bass-ultra-rare-Mij-like-Ibanez-artist-/271364652076"]http://www.ebay.co.u...t-/271364652076[/url] I've only ever seen pictures of these before, very striking bass, love the inlays but not too sure about the headstock. Curiously enough though, the exact same bass was sold branded as El Maya, with a neck ever-so-slightly exactly the same as the one bolted onto that poor Ibanez. Whatever can it mean? J.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1389311397' post='2332858'] Hopefully Jon will be along soon to put me right. Edit: Actually I think the tuners might be the plastic topped ones they used in the early 70's, rather than the rectangular ones I first thought. So maybe it is a Fuji Gen after all. [/quote] Happy to help! Those tuners are the ones with the cast chrome buttons, which turn up on Japanese basses from pretty much all known brands & manufacturers - although not usually on Fujigen Fender copies, it's true. A lot of hardware on early/mid 70s MIJ stuff appears to be Gotoh, and I have seen a NOS set of these in a Gotoh box. As for the bass - it's a Status alright, although nothing to do with that nice Mr Green: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:73542] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:73543] From a Jedson catalogue which is probably circa 1972. This might well be a decent JapCrap J if it sells for sensible money. Jon.

Bit late to this thread but... Geoff, you're maybe thinking of CSL, some of their guitars & basses were from the same factory as Ibanez & Antoria, because CSL was house brand of Charles Summerfield Ltd, at the time UK importer for Ibanez. Those tree-of-life Fujigen LPs were gorgeous and are very collectable now, whatever brand's on them. CMIs were a bit of a mixed bag. Like a lot of UK brands they had a several different quality levels in their range and they sourced from several different factories, probably based on who was doing the best deal at the time. Most of what turns up tends to be the lower-end stuff (probably because they sold more of them) and while not awful, they're low-to-middling quality, similar, if not the same as Columbus or Avon. CMI didn't only come from Japan, either - I had a CMI-branded Ned Callan bass a few years ago, BCer Razze06 has it now. Jon.

[quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1389287132' post='2332418'] Someone had to point this out! [/quote] The fact the hamfisted shop gonk was also calling it an "input" kind of says it all... Jon.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1389229722' post='2331781'] Oh, I see. English isn't your native language then. [/quote] Indeed. Born & dragged up in the Medway Towns ("tahns" mush, innit) but effected an escape some 26 years ago. I don't know what the hell they speak back there but it certainly ain't English. J.

Fair play - that Model P's worth twice that! J.