Bassassin

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1073299' date='Dec 30 2010, 11:45 PM']I like it. ...It makes me feel somewhat smug & superior [/quote] Has to be said, it's really well-crafted. Such a waste of effort though. J.

[quote name='munkonthehill' post='1073194' date='Dec 30 2010, 09:52 PM']a dont think anyone really cares what it was to start with,,,we are more disgusted at what its become.[/quote] With all due respect - bollocks! If this had been a 5-year old Squier the worst it would've got is a bit if pointing & sniggering. J.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1073043' date='Dec 30 2010, 07:33 PM']...and you wouldn't be slightly dismayed if someone did this to a 2010 Jazz?[/quote] At the poor taste, certainly. But I wouldn't react as though a sacred relic was being desecrated - it's just a mass-produced bass, there are thousands exactly the same. Different story if someone had decided to do this to a '72 Jazz in 2010, though. That would be incredibly crass. J.

It's ugly, but other than that, so what? A 1972 Fender Jazz was of absolutely zero consequence in 1973, no-one would have thought twice about customising one. Chances are if this one hadn't been modified, it would have ended up chucked in a skip, presumably like 75% of all the other 1972 Fender Js. Jon.

[quote name='4000' post='1072215' date='Dec 29 2010, 10:22 PM']Jon, hence the wink, which was aimed at you.......I know you're on there quite a bit. So am I! [/quote] Far too subtle for me! J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1071904' date='Dec 29 2010, 04:38 PM']Once again, I'm allotting "honorary JapCrap" status to the Gherson brand. This is quite interesting: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1970S-ITALIAN-BASS-GUITAR-GHERSON-WELL-BUILT-GREATSOUND-/320636191805?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aa768043d"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1970S-ITALIAN-BASS-G...=item4aa768043d[/url][/quote] That's a remarkable looking thing. Why are the pictures always so guff for the most interesting-looking basses? I'd love a good look at that. Unfortunately not enough to actually buy it though... J.

[quote name='4000' post='1071515' date='Dec 29 2010, 10:14 AM']They are, however, not keen to talk about fakes. [/quote] Well - actually... In my experience they're generally quite interested - there are a few hard-liners who take a quite alarming level of personal offence, but on the whole if you're factual & constructive about copies, they're largely quite amenable to discussion. I post fairly often on RR and they actually seem to value the knowledge I have, not just because it's useful in telling real ones from copies, but some genuine interest and even a level of (grudging) appreciation for some Fakers from certain members. There's even a (well-hidden) sub-forum devoted to copies now. As far as general Rickenbacker info is concerned, there really is no better place, and on the topic of their favourite instruments, the RR guys are uniformly helpful, informative & very friendly. Jon.

Hi - as far as I know, all of the MIJ 70s copies of the Armstrong have standard guitar-sized 4-pole humbuckers, so it shouldn't be impossible to find exact-fit replacements. You don't see the exact same type too often these days (although vintage MIJ basses with the right pups do come up on Ebay) but you can still get the likes of these: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Emg-Select-Bass-humbucker-pick-up-New-/380303089191"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Emg-Select-Bass-humb...w-/380303089191[/url] Which, fitted in a pair of standard flat humbucker mounting rings, should drop straight into your bass. It would be very useful - not to mention interesting to the vintage JapCrap fans like me - to see some pics of your bass. Is the bridge the Gibson EB-0 type with just a pressed steel bar for a saddle? If you don't mind spending a bit of cash on the bass, a worthwhile upgrade might be something like a [url="http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=326"]Hipshot Supertone.[/url] FWIW the first Ibanez catalogue to feature the 2364B was 1971, so yours is very unlikely to be any older than that - Ibanez didn't really make copy guitars before that. If your bass is an Ibanez I would strongly recommend that you don't modify it irreversibly - 70s MIJ Dan Armstrong copies are very rare & collectable to begin with and Ibanez-branded examples are pretty much unheard-of in the UK. Jon.

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='1071095' date='Dec 28 2010, 04:50 PM']Nice Washburn Vulture in Sweden - is it worth what he's asking? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150536170897"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150536170897[/url][/quote] A bit high but probably not too far off, considering this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Washburn-Force-40-Japan-1983-/110617274059"]considerably more common Force 40[/url] sold for £230-odd. Nice profit margin on that one... J.

Pics please! I'm not familiar with the B-30, but that might be one of the later Korean-made basses. B-20s were from the early 80s, vaguely Explorer-shaped, & like all of the Japanese Washburns , extremely well-made & quite collectable these days. I had one a million years ago & it's one of the few basses I regret selling. Jon.

All the 70s MIJ Antorias were Fujigen - for the most part identical to their Ibanez counterparts, right down to the catalogue numbers. Certainly never seen a Hondo Longhorn in real life, but it's in this catalogue: [url="http://www.bossarea.com/aria/hondo/page6.jpg"]http://www.bossarea.com/aria/hondo/page6.jpg[/url] Spec here: [url="http://www.bossarea.com/aria/hondo/page5.jpg"]http://www.bossarea.com/aria/hondo/page5.jpg[/url] Could well be MIJ as a few of the better quality Hondos were at this point - that said MIK quality was decent by the early 80s, so there's no way to tell from those pics. J.

I'll be interested to see what the Antoria sells for - this is actually the 3rd one of these to come up in the last month or so - the previous two didn't do particularly well, I assume mostly because the sellers were too lazy to either accurately describe the basses or to post them. I strongly suspect this is one of those two, being flipped. The Ibanez is very expensive - I can't see that getting even £300 in a straight auction. Jon.

I played in a rock covers duo in the mid 90s, we used pre-programmed drums. Me & the guitarist both had Roland drum machines (80s relics, a TR505 & a TR707) & we both programmed the drum parts. We also used pre-recorded keyboards & rhythm guitars during solos, so we went out with everything recorded on an old Tascam cassette-based 4-track. At the time it made massively good sense - no need to either transport or pay a drummer. My current original prog band has gigged with programmed drums a couple of times when we were "between drummers" - it's not ideal but was OK, and if push came to shove I'd have no problem doing it again. We often practice like that anyway. Jon.

Funny - I was sure it would be him before I clicked the link. I'm the last person to sing the praises of "stunt bassists" but Dal Farra's in another league. I was lucky enough to first encounter him busking in Barcelona a couple of years ago & was just transfixed - he manages to make what is (IMO) usually a vulgar, cluttered & unmelodic playing technique musical, expressive & captivating. Probably the best & most interesting solo bassist I've heard. Jon.

[quote name='2x18' post='1069463' date='Dec 26 2010, 08:41 AM']Back again as a "Bitsa" [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Daphne-Blue-USA-Fender-70s-Re-Issue-P-Bass-/130468802252?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e608beecc"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Daphne-Blue-USA-Fend...=item1e608beecc[/url][/quote] Another pack of lies (70s replica neck my arse) but not quite as blatant & implausible as the last lot. Are you reading this thread, Mr "Ashcustomaxes"? Stop by & say hi, why not? J.

Shonky as a shonky thing, IMO - look at the backs of the little, tinny tuners, like you'd find on any bit of £80 junk. Doesn't mean it's not a US Fender, though... J.

[quote name='pete.young' post='1068793' date='Dec 24 2010, 03:09 PM']Now here's something you don't see every day - a Greco. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage87-GRECO-RB-model-Bass-MADE-JAPAN-/280607796836?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4155872e64"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage87-GRECO-RB-m...=item4155872e64[/url][/quote] It's in Japan, and they're not that rare there - this one's 1987 and these were still in Greco catalogues in the mid 90s. This is a Fujigen bass, identical to the late 70s revision of the Ibanez 2388B/DX, apart from the binding, which is an unusual 3-ply on this. The 70s Fujigen copies had checked binding & it looks like they substituted 3-ply on later ones. For £600 (excuding postage from Japan & customs thievery) this is a bit of a mess - you'd have to really want the name* & binding. It's grimy, corroded, neglected-looking, has missing screws & there's even a magnet missing from the neck pickup. Twickerman - loads of the early 70s copies have checked binding and toasters, most of them have stereo outs & the bridge pup circuits feature the bass cut cap - so wiring a push-pot as a vintage tone selector would be easy. The only thing I think they never copied was the horsie - but considering most players seem to prefer to bin the pup cover, that's probably no bad thing! J. *EDIT - just noticed, it hasn't even got a nameplate. No reason to assume it was ever a Greco, then.

[quote name='chaypup' post='1068487' date='Dec 24 2010, 08:00 AM']I think I'm going to buy a load of [b][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230566344648&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123#ht_882wt_936"]Westones[/url][/b] and sell them in Germany...[/quote] No need - you can list them at ridiculous prices & watch them fail to sell here, too: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-BLACK-WESTONE-THUNDER-1A-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-82-/250729812795"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-BLACK-WESTONE-T...2-/250729812795[/url] J.

Can't think of anything bass-related I particularly want - but as all GAS-sufferers know, it can strike suddenly and without any warning... On the other hand I've been making a list of everything I have to sell - which is a hell of a lot. Unfortunately, none of it's on anyone's shopping list! Jon.

Elixirs Picato 735 Those cheap ones off Ebay for £4 a set, that sound better & last longer than poxy (& wrapped) Roto Swing Bass. Jon.

Here are the rest of their designs - although I'm not sure that's the right word: [url="http://www.ansirmusic.com/our-basses.html"]http://www.ansirmusic.com/our-basses.html[/url] Although it's hard to think of a sane rationalisation for the underlying concept of these things, I find it hard to believe that it wouldn't be possible to integrate this angled-neck feature into a bass that doesn't look like a big pile of dog sick. And yet here we are. Jon.

[quote name='spinynorman' post='1067185' date='Dec 22 2010, 08:30 PM']I bet I hate them more than you. The only purpose they serve is to fray when you take the strings off, so you can't re-use them on another bass. I really hate it when they extend over the bridge saddle. Also hate the dust they create as you pull them through the bridge. The hideous colour is just the sh*te on the cake.[/quote] +100. Bloody useless stuff, I love the way that if you trim the ends of the strings before fitting them (as I do because sometimes I really don't want 25 winds around the post) this crap immediately starts to unravel & fray & fall off before the strings are even on. God forbid you should ever want to remove the strings to do something outlandish like clean your bass - unless you like your strings hairy with bald patches. However I have found you can use a little bit of Vaseline or grease to stick the hairy frayed bits back down if it's not too far gone though. Just had a thought - wonder if you could burn it all off? Jon.

First rig, in about 1980, was a Selmer Treble & Bass 50w head & matching 2x12 cab (about £30 from a charity shop) plus a home-made 1x12 bass reflex cab. My dad helped me make that & I wish I still had it. Wouldn't want the Selmer (it was sh!te) but they do fetch a few quid these days. At that time I had a shortscale no-name JapCrap LP-shaped bass, bought off a schoolmate for £50, which was actually half-decent. I did a fair few rehearsals with that lot but don't think I ever gigged it - as soon as I got in my first serious band I got a Washburn B-20 Stage series (lovely but incredibly neck-divey) and an HH VS Bassamp 100w 1x15 combo, which had a control panel that lit up green in the dark - epic stuff! These days I have a Gallien-Krueger RB700 1x15 combo & have jut got a Hartke 2.5XL to sit it on: [attachment=66973:GK_Hartke_rig.jpg] And an assortment of elderly JapCrap & slightly odd basses to plug into it. Jon.

Finally got this finished - not had a lot of time for the printed word lately. On the whole, it's an excellent, very well-written & highly entertaining read, Alex comes across as very likeable & affable, even when he's wallowing in the excesses of an insane level of success. Well - [i]mostly[/i]! Thoroughly enjoyed it, in fact he's a good enough writer that I hope he writes more books in the future. Going right back to August, Silentbob's next on the list so I've PM'd him. Jon.

[quote name='minceprince' post='1064070' date='Dec 19 2010, 10:00 PM']Picked up this old warhorse for next to nothing recently. It's pretty battered but that doesn't bother me at all. Was looking for a bit of info on it as I know next to nothing. Anyone help me out? Is it worth anything? It dates '76 judging by the serial number. Was hoping to fit a new bridge to it - can anyone recommend me one that'll fit? Thanks dudes.[/quote] That's an Ibby 2369B/WH. Quite an interesting bass, it's known as the "Tetsu" bass, because Faces bassist Tetsu Yamauchi was involved in its development & subsequently used them. Vintage Ibbys are quite collectable & 70s ones like this are none too common in the UK, primarily because the competing Antoria range were exactly the same instruments (including this bass!) and a lot cheaper when new. This being the case, don't do any mods you can't reverse if you decide to sell it at some point, so if you replace the bridge, use one that will fit the existing screwholes. A standard Fender-spaced bridge should fit, something like a Gotoh 201 should drop straight in. They lack the 2 front holes, but the base plate will cover them. As far as value's concerned, I'd think maybe £200 - £250ish. Vintage JapCrap isn't selling quite as well as perhaps a year or two ago, but the Ibanez brand does still incite a bit of an Ebay feeding frenzy. Jon.