Bassassin

Some pics of the bass you're talking about would definitely help. With many of these basses it's straightforward to ID a manufacturer from build details. As it happens there were at least two. The most common & more accurate ones are Giannini: More rare and definitely more weird - and IMO a bit more interesting for it - is Finch:

Back in t'mid '80s, my gateway into the dark and demented world of slap was Kajagoogoo's Too Shy, I learned some basic techniques by plonking along on my completely inappropriate Washburn B20. I got to meet Nick Beggs a few years ago after a Steven Wilson gig, and had the opportunity to gently rebuke him for being directly responsible for me cluttering and clattering dozens of otherwise perfectly good songs with sloppy, badly-played and entirely unnecessary slap lines. I think he was faintly amused.

Very nice - had a sneaking bit of GAS for one of these for a while. Think you're right it'll be a Matsumoku, headstock & trc look mid-70s to me, with any luck the pickups will have date codes. Earlier versions have offset position dots, open-book headstock & arrowhead trc, & Maxon 8-pole single-coil bridge pickup. This one looks like a proper humbucker which is probably why it's a bit gutsier than the neck unit, which is probably the usual single-coil. Not sure but I don't think there ever was a proper MIJ Mudbucker. The Model 1980 in this Aria blurb looks like a close relative: https://vintagejapanguitars.com/1971-aria-catalogue/

Missed it - but Eastwood will now forever be FASIWOON to me. Anyone else remember the Squier listed as a 'Squizz'?

Aria reissued their old Mosrite types a few years back, 34" scale, fitted with J type pickups & under their old Aria Diamond label: Interesting to see this new one's a closer reissue, 'correct' shortscale and more accurate looking pickups. As a vintage MIJ nerd I am amused by the use of a Univox-style font for the logo - the Univox-labelled Hi-Fliers are somewhat more sought-after than the old Arias!

Aria's Sarzo sig (the SB-RSZ) appears to have been a Japan-only rebranding of the SB-ELT, from 1989-ish. Pretty sure RS himself never played one, all the pics of him with an Aria look like a Matsumoku-era SB Elite II. I have an ELT and an '83 SB Elite B&G - the later bass is quite different when you compare them side-by side - slimmer neck, thinner body horns, different proportions. Electronics are completely different too - a simple v/v/t layout + 2x microswitches, as opposed to the stacked pots & rotary selector of the SB-Elites & SB-Rs. The RSZ & ELT definitely appear to be the same bass - can't be 100% but it even looks like the same image in both brochures. Anyway, I'll stop cluttering up a Peavey thread with gratuitous Aria guff! Lovely pair of Sarzos, @BassManGraham!

Br*x*t bonus - it's now...

Wanx Norton.

I really couldn't say...

You say that like it's a bad thing! The most hilarious (and 100% maddest) bike I had was a Yammy TDR250 - basically a proto-supermoto with a 50bhp TZR twin stuck in a lightweight street trailie chassis. Would have another in a heartbeat. If they didn't go for 7 grand these days. Not sure what the bass equivalent would be - maybe a dayglo Ibby Soundgear, if it had a knife-edge powerband, spent half its time with its nose in the air & would happily chuck you through a hedge if you weren't careful.

The 'Argos' thread in OT made me wonder if this qualifies as properly pointy: Vester Argus Always thought these were genuinely great-looking basses, 90s or early '00s I think. Rare as anything. Can't believe I passed one up on here for £99 about 10 years ago, due to being brutally skint!

I think I remember reading that he's regretful...

You're doing it wrong! This is a Geddy Pee!

It's an apt comparison - it had occured to me but I never really thought it through. Two iconic US brands, both broadly creating quite brash & ostentatious products, with technology & design sensibilities those of a bygone era & relying on tradition & reputation (deserved or otherwise!) to maintain a niche, dedicated market. Latterly both brands succumbing to the inevitability of having to modernise their products. Just a bit, under the surface and not so's you'd really notice. I've never owned a Rick or a Harley - however I've always loved the look & sound of Rickenbacker basses and have a number of accurate & not-so-accurate Rick copies. On the other hand, I've never wanted a Yamaha DragStar, Honda Rebel, Kawasaki Vulcan, Suzuki Intruder or any other H-D knockoff - Harleys & H-D style bikes always strike me as slightly embarrassing weekend toys for midlife-crisis bank managers & financial advisors* cosplaying as badass bikers - and in no way suited to the realities of UK roads! *Apologies to any Harley/ cruiser-owning financial advisors. To be clear, one of my best mates is a 51 year-old IFA who rides a 1998 Honda Hornet 600. I think he quite fancies a Harley...

Never was a fan of the pointy/droopy headstock on an otherwise conventional-looking bass, just looks like a mismatched bitsa. However - proper out-there 80s pointiness: hook it into my veins! My first 'serious' bass was one of these: Washburn B20 Stage. Sold it to buy something you could slap on, a somewhat less pointy Aria RSB Deluxe II. Always had GAS for an Iceman or a Westone Dynasty. Maybe a Raider in one of the 2-tone glitter finishes. Or an Aria ZZB in blood splatter...

The pre - Kaja Beggsy, circa 1979. Tells you all you need to know. Kasuga EB-750 from '75-ish, if you were wondering.

Depending on the bass, I'm quite partial to a bit of pimpage. Usually reversible, but not always. A few victims examples: My no. 1 bass is a 1980-ish Japanese CSL Jazz copy, which I picked up for £60 from a local pawn shop 20-odd years ago: Schaller 3D bridge, DiMarzio Model J pickups, stacked controls, black pearl plate & lots of T-Cut. Bought this to hose down & flip, ended up being the nicest-playing J I ever picked up, and the one I'd save in a fire. Next - simple but effective bling on my MM V7 fretless - clear acrylic scratchplate & replacement knobs: Still haven't ruled out reshaping the headstock to Tele-style... This one goes beyond mere pimping into full-on butchery. Denizens of the builds folder may already be familiar with this particular exercise in nightmare fuel: It's a cheapo Ebay thing called a Wesley Europa, picked it up for £100 brand new. neckthrough, active, 2-way truss rod, quite a nicely made thing but with a finish on the back that fell off after 2 or 3 gigs and a misconceived headstock. Languished on the to-do pile until last summer (full uncensored story here), on reflection my Laurus-esque headflap wasn't quite the aesthetic improvement I wanted, so it'll have a second appointment with the hacksaw as soon as it's warm enough to work in the garage...

Always liked these. Stylistically a little bit influenced (especially those inlays!) by the Aria Pro SB-Elite II Sarzo played:

Pretty colour, pretty eye-watering price. Woul quite like this as an unrouted body/neck project, maybe for £150 or so. Apart from than massive housebrick heel. Why do all Chickenbackers seem to have that?

Bitsa. Borked MIJ 70s Antoria J neck on a random veneered pancake body. Blank, elongated neckplate & bridge with front screws say Korean. Overpriced by about £120.

Thought I'd seen that before. Gets a passing mention & a pic in this thread: Genuine rarity turning up in Crack Converters. What a world...

Even better than the real thing.

That'll cost you £80 & a bit of sandpaper, assuming it's a refin.