Bassassin

[quote name='Paul S' post='1108335' date='Jan 30 2011, 05:18 PM']Does the scratch plate hide any routing or is it just been plonked on? And is it the same neck as the other Mats - 40mm at the nut-type thing?[/quote] There's a bit of a gap around the pup - a couple of mm on the sides & straight across the top of the screw lug - but there are no routes or channels. If I binned the plate on mine I'd buy/make a black surround to cover the gap. Nut width is 40mm. Prices of these are weird - I've seen them go for over £200 but I snagged mine for £60 - admittedly it was a bit of a project. I wouldn't be surprised if this one sat without any bids for a week & then just got a couple in the closing minutes. J.

[quote name='TheGreek' post='1107508' date='Jan 29 2011, 06:55 PM']You've confused "Steinberger" for "Steinberger Spirit" - made in Japan I believe - sort of "entry" version. The Steinberger equivalent of Warwick Rockbass... I may be wrong but if so I invite offers for my 4 string..[/quote] You're wrong about Japan - it'll be China, Korea, Taiwan or somewhere like that - none of the wooden Steinberger spin-offs were JapCrap, not even the Hohner Cricket Bats! Speaking of which, I'd take it off your hands for a tenner, quite like mine & it'd be nice to have a spare! Jon.

[quote name='lettsguitars' post='1108293' date='Jan 30 2011, 04:43 PM']did you make the perspex body yourself? if so how? is it just like working with wood (generally speaking)[/quote] Nah - I just bolted the bits together, plus a bit of painting & headstock-reshaping! Having said that, I have worked with Perspex, not on that scale, just scratchplates, truss rod covers, ramps & such. If you're conscious of the fact it's a fairly brittle material, it's actually very easy to cut, shape and achieve a good finish. With the right tools I think making a body would be quite straightforward. J.

[quote name='Paul S' post='1108193' date='Jan 30 2011, 02:56 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westbury-Track-2-Bass-/250765848308?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a62cf2ef4"]Westbury Track 2[/url] popped up on eBay - I think you are a fan, Jon?[/quote] Definitely - very typical good Matsumoku quality, the tort plate & German carved edge gives it more character (IMO) than similar Westones, Washburns & Vantages from the same factory, and they're fitted with a DiMarzio Model P as standard. Neck dive's not as bad as you'd expect with that body shape & they do look cool as f@ck. The only thing to watch is the 3-point bridge - some of them have a base plate that can be prone to warping & cracking and a replacement (an Epiphone one will fit) can be hard to find & potentially pricey. Apart from that, what's not to like? J.

I've got two placcy basses - an Ibanez EDA900: [attachment=70417:EDA900.jpg] And a see-through P wot I made: [attachment=70418:pink800.jpg] Makes a change from plywood... Jon.

Tail lift is part of the Rick character - it's just something they're prone to. Basically it's a design fault of the bridge & has been this way since the early 70s, when the solid aluminium "gap tooth" tailpieces were discontinued. I think Mr Foxen's exaggerating a bit about the sheet of paper, 2 or 3 mm shouldn't make any difference in real terms, there should still be an adequate break-angle over the saddles to keep the strings securely seated. Of course, a man with replica (and bend-resistant) Rick tailpieces to sell might be prone to exaggerate... Tail-lift's sometimes attributed to overtightening the screws underneath the saddle assembly - this part of the tailpiece sits in a body route but doesn't make contact with the wood so tightening the screws tends to pull the metal down & encourage bending. RickResource guys often recommend a wooden shim in the hole, or a stack of washers around each screw so it seats down tight. Personally I think Rickenbackers choose you - I absolutely love the sound & the look, but have never owned a real one. I have 3 Japanese copies, which were of course quite modestly-priced compared to the real thing, and being accurate copies they have many of the foibles of the original as well as the good things. I suppose this makes me think that I'm paying 4 figures for a bass - I'd really expect to want to play it [b]all[/b] the time - and this isn't my experience with my Fakers! Having said that, if the right Rick came along at the right time I probably would go for it... J.

Used to play along to this when I was learning - that would have been when Strangers In The Night was just out! Just had a go, there are about 10 different live versions on Spotify, and Way doesn't seem to play it the same every time - sometimes he plays the first triplet bit in unison with the guitar & sometimes he doesn't. The clearest one was a BBC in Concert from 1975 - sounds like he plays what KevB put, without the second G: AGF DCA FDC AGFG D Any good? Jon.

[quote name='Marvin' post='1107495' date='Jan 29 2011, 06:48 PM']They only grow on the banks of the mouth of the River Ply hence the name. All real genuine plywood comes from Plymouth, it's a well known fact.[/quote] They must've exported a f*ck of a lot of it to Japan in the 70s, then! J.

Love it - a really striking & imaginative piece of design, really the only thing that spoils it as far as I'm concerned are the messy-looking inlays on the front. Jon.

My first bass was made from wood. From the Ply Tree. Jon.

[quote name='bartelby' post='1107198' date='Jan 29 2011, 01:55 PM']Hmmm, shame not even all that stuff covers his mistakes when playing...[/quote] You can count his clangers by the number of filthy looks he gets from Adam Jones in the course of each song! Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='1106961' date='Jan 29 2011, 07:39 AM']Edit: Headstock of much cheaper Hondo II Professional sold a few days ago actually says "Professional" on it. The headstock in the bass in the first link in this post doesn't. [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290524333124&nma=true&rt=nc&si=3expLSfhf26wtbGKaY2vmVx0M64%253D"]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...Y2vmVx0M64%253D[/url][/quote] It also says "Made In Japan", which realistically is what a Hondo needs to say in order for it to be considered not to be Korean, and probably plywood! That's actually a lovely bass, if a bit beat-up & well worth what it went for. The other one's just your standard Samick-made Korean cheapo, as are the overwhelming majority of Hondos. Pretty much everything else I know about Hondos is already in the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=80013"]other thread[/url] you mentioned. J.

[quote name='Count Bassie' post='1106931' date='Jan 29 2011, 02:00 AM']I was referring to the Hamer 2-Tek that BottomE mentioned- quite a massive piece. But you're right, I actually emailed Schaller for a new saddle piece for my bridge a few months ago- after 30 years it's still the same! Pretty cool.[/quote] Right - didn't realise you were talking about a different bridge! The 3Ds are excellent, I've currently got them on 3 basses, I really don't get the fuss about Badass & such. Sorry for derailing the discussion - as you were! Edit - just checked out 2Tek - looks like you can still get them: [url="http://www.the2tek.com/"]http://www.the2tek.com/[/url] Bloody hell - not what you'd want if you're looking for a lightweight bass! Jon.

[quote name='Count Bassie' post='1106906' date='Jan 29 2011, 12:35 AM']I agree that Hamer has put up some real nice work over the years. That bridge is quite a piece of hardware.[/quote] That bridge is a Schaller 3D. Jon.

Guy reckons the Ebay one's an Egmond, made in Holland. It's rough & ready but I did wonder at the £225 BIN - the Eko ones can push 4 figures! J.

I'd say [url="http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/eko/index/995.html"]Eko 995[/url]. Jon.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1106469' date='Jan 28 2011, 05:18 PM']I've used one of these on a recording session. Nice bass actually. Obviously I wouldn't play it live. Image, y'know [/quote] Ah, y' see, that's exactly why I would - and have - played it live! The downside's the spine-crushing weight & the fact it tends to squeal like a piggy at any sort of volume. Looks nice on the wall though. Eric - love the Seiwa, remember discussing it a bit when you got it. Interestingly I subsequently got a Washburn SB40 Vulture II, which has the same massive bridge. Whipped it off to give the bass a hose-down & there's the verification of the hardware manufacturer, at least: [attachment=70307:chushin_...dge_base.jpg] I must admit I'm cheating a tiny bit with the Talbo - while these originally appeared in about 1984, making them "vintage" enough for this thread, mine's a reissue from about 2000 - and that's only "vintage" on Ebay! Anyway - 1982 Washburn SB40 Vulture II, a bit more obscure than the near-identical Force 40, I suppose... J.

[quote name='Slipperydick' post='1106168' date='Jan 28 2011, 01:27 PM'][i]Nobody[/i][b][/b] heard of em ?[/quote] It's not vintage Japanese & I don't think it's a particularly old bass. No, never heard of Ridgewood, likely a small importer brand, there are literally thousands of them. J.

[quote name='FlatEric' post='1106129' date='Jan 28 2011, 12:59 PM']Aha, this is turning out like a game of cards!! "I'll match your Kasuga, through-neck, probably early 80's and raise you with this . . . . .!" You would need two Kasugas to beat my Electra! Erm, it's just occured to me, you already have one, don't you? P.S - Ref your revious post. . . . . If you only want an Odyssey for the name, I've got a couple of planks that I can scratch "Odyssey" on the head . . . that'll do you then!! Usual address?? [/quote] Electra Outlaw obscure? I don't fink so, matey! So obscure it's famously played by an indisputable Prog titan, and inspires both heinous modifications in surviving examples and lookey-likey custom tributes? Naaah. I've only got the one Kasuga (and it's a not-very-obscure Rick copy) but I still win. And it was one of the scabby planks with "Odyseey" scratched on the top I was after - very generous of you to offer them both! Anyway - one form my own shed: J.

Cheers Paul, appreciate it! J.

The bridges are certainly not the same, but they are from different years & there are some obvious changes. The bridge on the 1st pic is a bent-tin style, while the other one's cast, probably brass. The heel ends of the necks are different too - one's rounded & the other's square. That's actually some lovely grain on the second pic - although as the ad stands, I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. J.