Bassassin

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='834825' date='May 11 2010, 10:49 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1983-Greco-4001-S-McCartney-model-bass-guitar-VERY-RARE-/130390772125?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e5be5499d"]Greco 1983 Paul McCartney Model[/url] Looks good. I'm expecting it to go for a fair wodge of cash.[/quote] Gorgeous, that. I do wish people wouldn't p!ss about with reserves though - what's the point? J.

Hard to say because PF series Ibbys don't come up that often - but if it's all original (and I mean [i]all[/i] of it, right down to the knobs & switch tip) then this seems a fair price. Being Scumtree, the seller will likely be open to haggling so £350 isn't unrealistic. I can't be sure from the pics but the pickups might not be original - I'd expect to see covers on Super 70s from this era. Vintage Ibanez like this are becoming collectors' toys these days and it's worth bearing that in mind - no irreversible mods if you ever wanted to sell it on. Anyway pics & specs here: [url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/45/1.jpg"]http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/45/1.jpg[/url] Jon.

You have a better chance of this working if you use a 24-fret neck - the extra frets effectively make the 12th fret position further away from the neck/body join, which will give you 5 or 6 more cm to play with for your bridge positioning. The downside of this is (if it works) the likelihood of a very neck-heavy instrument. Whatever you do, measure up carefully before you start buying parts or trying to put stuff together! Jon.

I've never seen one of those branded as Sumbro before - they're usually unbranded or labelled Zenta or Jedson. No idea who made these - they're very early copies, possibly late 60s, and don't have any manufacturer-specific traits I've been able to identify. One of my first JapCrap tart-up jobs was the guitar version of this, which I still have, & it's a nicely-made & somewhat quirky little plank. I'd quite like a matching bass - but £220 for this is fruitloop, about £100 over the odds on an optimistic day and about 75% more than I'd consider paying. Plus he gets an automatic 15% deduction for his "Ibanez Factory" bullsh!t. Where does he think he is? Ebay? J.

[quote name='bigthumb' post='833595' date='May 10 2010, 08:53 PM']Ha ha! Just been watching too. Terry Trent Derby or what ever his name was, bass player had a funky looking Thumb.[/quote] That'll be Cass Lewis, presumably. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='832367' date='May 9 2010, 05:15 PM']What is an Azumi bass? I can't find much information on them. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Azumi-Victory-Bass-guitar-Super-rare-/180504789979?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a06ec83db"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Azumi-Victor...=item2a06ec83db[/url] This is local to me and if it were interesting, I could pick it up. Except, that I'm not sure that it is sufficiently interesting for a £200 starting bid. Looking at this page, the guitars look a bit like a "me too" effort copying Matsumoku style, but not as good. [url="http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_vintage_guitar_dating_a3.htm"]http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_vintage_g...r_dating_a3.htm[/url][/quote] Azumi was something to do with Chushin Gakki - a light engineering firm turned guitar factory, as far as I can find out. This looks familiar - I think this has been up before, & it's pretty expensive considering it's a basic P-derived design & has been majorly refinished. If it was £100 (ish) BIN it might make an interesting player, but Azumi ain't exactly a collectable brand, considering there's only half-a-dozen people who've heard of them. J.

[quote name='Alien' post='832643' date='May 9 2010, 10:49 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Peavey-Bass-Amp-Mk3-XP-300chs-Black-Widow-Speaker-/270573745144"]Mk3 head and a BW equipped Megabox[/url] Worth a punt surely? A[/quote] If it goes for anything like the current £75 bid then yes - I'm currently using the same head into a BW115 and it rocks - stupidly loud for 150w. Jon.

Or make your own from a bit of scaffold pipe & half a P pup, plus a bolt with a hole drilled through it for a tuner: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBqRfzAIUf8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBqRfzAIUf8[/url] He sometimes slaps on it using the spanner he tunes it with. Jon.

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='831870' date='May 9 2010, 12:51 AM']Looks a nice one at a decent price. Another black binding one as well. Aren't they meant to be rare?[/quote] There aren't any black-bound copies, as far as I know, certainly not from the 70s era because there were no black-bound 4001s to copy. This is the same "modified" one that's popped up a few times in the last couple of months: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4001-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ270563145415"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4001-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ270563145415[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4001-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ270568782343"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4001-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ270568782343[/url] And old Uncle Ash is trying to flip it for a poxy £50 profit - or more like £15 after Ebay Tax. It must be a total dog. J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='831657' date='May 8 2010, 06:32 PM']Aria Pro II Primary bass. I thought this looked a bit newer than the 1970s, but I've found quite a few references to them. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Primary-Bass-/130389528637?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e5bd2503d"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-Primary-...=item1e5bd2503d[/url] E.g. here: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450199"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450199[/url][/quote] The serial number he gives would date it to '78, if it works like a Fujigen number. I've seen serials like this a few times on Mats & I think they're the same. Aria certainly did make copies into the 80s for the Japanese home market (there are a few 80s Jap catalogues [url="http://www.geocities.jp/guitarofworld/AriaPro2Catalog.html"]here[/url]) so it's likely they were around all the time Matsumoku was making guitars, and might or might not have been officially exported. Nice Primary, you don't see very many of those. J.

[quote name='MuseMatt' post='831433' date='May 8 2010, 01:54 PM'](mkay, doublepost..) It's saved I got me a nice Sandberg Precision and treated the Ibby to a set of new strings to make up for threatening it (A)[/quote] Nice one! It'll love you long time now! J.

Buy a bass from [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showforum=19"]here[/url]! You'll get loads more bass for your money! Jon.

If you do a bit of digging there are some interesting factoids floating around regarding the MII Sunns - which of course may not be entirely accurate! Apparently the Sunn brand was EU - only, the same guitars were Squier II in the US and are fairly sought-after. I also read that it's rumoured that early bodies & necks were surplus MIJ production. This sounds like Ebay [s]bullshit[/s] hype and I take with several large mouthfuls of salt, but there's certainly a huge discrepancy between the excellent quality of the necks/fretwork/bodies & the frankly rubbish hardware. Anyway, I'm hoping a Sunn Mustang P will turn up a the local car boot for a tenner. And if I wait long enough, it probably will... J.

Black nylon Dunlops, 1mm, not the Tortex ones because they don't flex and can snap if you're heavy-handed, like me. The springier nylons give a lot more feel than a rigid pick and I'd say a slightly more full & rounder tone. Jon.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='829974' date='May 6 2010, 07:51 PM']Now I remember these back in the day & they were Squier's budget range. £130 is a bit hopeful or am I missing something? [url="http://www.josaka.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24895"]http://www.josaka.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24895[/url][/quote] About half that would be nearer the mark. The early ones (with the Fender-shaped headstock & Sunn amps type logo) are seriously undervalued for how good they are, if the Strat I had was anything to go on - one of the few guitars I regret selling. Jon.

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='828975' date='May 5 2010, 09:08 PM']Granted, the spelling may be down to Dyslexia. Now i feel like a snidey c***.[/quote] I don't think the seller's a native English speaker, judging from the sentence construction & odd phonetic spelling. Great big fiddle though, that. Jon.

Seller says this: [quote]I don't know where it was made as i bought it off of a friend... It plays well and really looks the part.[/quote] Which doesn't exactly sound like he thinks it's the real deal. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='828528' date='May 5 2010, 03:25 PM']Sold before I could ask "will this fit my Cimar?[/quote] That's silly cheap for one of these - and yes, they do fit JapCrap Fakers - got one on my Kasuga and I'm after a black one for the Fireglo Frankenbugger. Mine is brass & incredibly heavy - if I'd seen this (which is aluminium) I might well have bought it & sold my old one. J.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='828055' date='May 4 2010, 11:51 PM']Ahhh I think I posted the link to the gumtree ad for the zzb anyway, its a guitar (forgive me) but look at the price! [url="http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/22/58056522.html"]http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/22/58056522.html[/url][/quote] That's demented! I've seen these a couple of times on Ebay & would've thought £250 was a bit nearer the mark. You'd have to really want the Vox logo too - this is identical to a [url="http://www.whitstableguitars.co.uk/Westbury%20Standard%20Black%201.jpg"]Westbury Standard[/url] apart from the headstock, don't think it has the sexy German carve, either. Westys are fantastic little guitars & go for around £200. Or £60 from a charity shop if you're me. J.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='827984' date='May 4 2010, 10:42 PM']A shameless plug for my defretted Aria ZZB Deluxe [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140404850462&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...=STRK:MESELX:IT[/url] Took it apart yesterday to give it a good clean. and added a shim to the neck pocket so that I could adjust the action at the bridge - with the frets gone, the saddles couldn;t go low enough for reasonable action Cheaper here if anyone wants to make an offer by PM[/quote] Now that looks strrrrrrangely familiar! Or could it just be a bizarre coincidence? Best of luck with the sale - give me a reason to kick myself! J.

[quote name='TheDisparities' post='827733' date='May 4 2010, 06:32 PM']This is a fair comment. I shall ask around my local shops and see what they recomend also. If I have to shim, I would prob end up with the Gotoh but we'll see [/quote] They'll likely recommend the most expensive bridge they stock/can get! Shops aren't on the whole staffed by experts (despite what they might want you to think!) - they're staffed by salesmen. I still think if you're heart's set on a BA though you should have one - sod what all the pragmatic old miseries (me included!) think. J.

Squier bridge - exactly the same as any other bent-tin Fender type, surely? Neck shims are frequently an essential part of correct setup of any bolt-neck bass or guitar, saying you're not a fan is like saying you're not a fan of setting intonation & adjusting the truss rod! But if you really want a BAII, go for it, don't let people talk you out of it, it's your bass. Just don't expect miracles for your £70+. And do expect to need a shim. [quote name='Davo-London' post='827562' date='May 4 2010, 03:30 PM']Here this should lighten the load. This was my contribution to the debate. [url="http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/1963478/1"]Fender versus Badass II shootout[/url] Really, at the end of the day, don't bother. Apart from the sonic debate, they don't look right. A lot of famous bassplayers who own Jazzes and Precisions have not changed their bridge. Think about it. Davo[/quote] For those that haven't DL'd the clip, the BAII sounds broadly quite weak & undefined compared to the stock bent tin on several of the recordings. Davo - did you raise the pup to compensate for the increased string height? Jon.

Well, it's your bass & you can do what you please with it. But I doubt you'll find much support for butchering a rare vintage bass among JapCrap fans. J.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='827089' date='May 4 2010, 08:20 AM']I have a Schaller 3D 4-string in the drawer that I'd part with - if interested give me a shout.... G.[/quote] Someone give Geoff a shout - these are excellent bridges. I'd have it myself but I already have a spare waiting for the right project! J.