Bassassin

Looks like "cracked slightly" translates as "snapped in half"! If it was me considering spending substantial wedge on this, I'd want the repair checked & verified as solid & stable by a reputable luthier - and I'd want a big discount off the asking price, too! Jon.

No idea how he is on the Fender generica - but "Westone Quantum - made in the USA"? O Rly, as that owl used to say. I suppose it makes a change from "the Ibanez Factory". And £500? Jon.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='655149' date='Nov 15 2009, 01:25 PM']The nice MIJ EB copies do come up, Kasuga & Matsumoku definitely are worth a look as well as Fujigen. I'll flag 'em if I spot 'em. J.[/quote] And this might be one here: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260507883079"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=260507883079[/url] CMI - branded EB copy, the pics don't give much away but CMIs on the whole tended to be decent quality. They sourced from a number of factories, I can't be sure but a 6-bolt plate might point to Moridaira. Body's not plywood, so that's a good start. The insanely high bridge does kind of suggest it's in need of a decent setup, though. J.

Ishibashi links tend to do this - this one might work for a minute or two: [url="http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/ubox.cgi?T=syosai&sline=3174&print=1&keys2=sakae%40ishibashi.co.jp&tid=list3"]http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/ubox.cgi?...p&tid=list3[/url] Anyway, the pics aren't great & I can't read Kanji, but this looks like a fairly faithful modern 4001/4003 copy to me, bolt-neck, accurate hardware, which most modern copies don't have. The title just describes it as "4001 Type", and I can't read what's on the headstock. Not sure what's happened with the control layout, though. Good price - but Ishi prices often are for 'Fakers, because they've continued to be made for the home market despite becoming largely extinct in the West since the 70s. Shipping & customs might smart a bit. J.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='656990' date='Nov 17 2009, 02:05 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-pro-II-RB-4001type-80s-Paul-McCartney-NTR-Goodcond_W0QQitemZ300368094718QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item45ef5565fe"]Aria[/url][/quote] That's fascinating - never, ever seen one of those before. This has a set neck, unbound body & dot markers, and has a typical Matsumoku 3-piece neck, rather than the usual skunk-stripe. Jap market only, clearly. Bloody hell, just when you think you've seen them all... J.

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='656285' date='Nov 16 2009, 07:29 PM']looks like a Hondo II to me - I thought Ibanez were thru necks?[/quote] No that's an Ibby - or at least made in the Fujigen factory, which made Ibanez back then. Check out the full-width glittery inlays, finger rest & narrow bridge pup surround. Up close it has checker binding, like the pre '73 Ricks these were based on. There were bolt-on as well as through-neck Ibbys, here's a 2388B bolt-on & 2388B/DX through-neck side by side: [url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/1/6.jpg"]http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/1/6.jpg[/url] Easy way to tell them apart is the big Mudbucker on the through-neck. Most Ibby 4001 copies are like these, but on later ones the design was updated to have more modern/accurate (ie generic) Rick features, and they lost all the cool bits apart from the binding. I'd [i]love[/i] an early 2388B/DX with the sparkly inlays, mudbuckers, chunky tailpiece.... :wub: J.

[quote name='Paul_C' post='655492' date='Nov 15 2009, 10:20 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270485168732&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp3907.m38.l1313%26_nkw%3D270485168732%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...%3D1&_rdc=1[/url][/quote] Now that is somehow just dreadfully, dreadfully wrong... :ph34r:

Might be time to start properly updating this thread again. J.

[quote name='SteveK' post='654455' date='Nov 14 2009, 01:43 PM']You mean, rather like this...[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPKDS5QP0Tc"]TOTP[/url] That's one devilishly handsome bass player, don't you think? Still got the bass. Anyone know where I can get the electrics looked at?[/quote] Wonderful song - to the extent my band recorded a cover of it a few years ago - and it's actually [url="http://www.myspace.com/maya29band"]up on our Myspace[/url], if anyone's interested. You'll be glad to know the tragically ugly bassist didn't abscond with your bass part though! Also met Hazel a few years back when she was performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. Lovely lady. Jon.

[quote name='spinynorman' post='654965' date='Nov 15 2009, 02:21 AM']Oh, I hate seeing that catalogue page. To the left of the 2350, the 2345B, I had one of those. I sold it when I bought a Japanese Epi Elitist EB3 and then wished I hadn't. That Ibanez was the nicest shortscale I've played. I'd really like to find another one.[/quote] The nice MIJ EB copies do come up, Kasuga & Matsumoku definitely are worth a look as well as Fujigen. I'll flag 'em if I spot 'em. J.

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='655085' date='Nov 15 2009, 11:39 AM']...just sounded a bit too thin through the Marshall superlead head I was using at the time (oh how I wish I had kept that!) But I reckon you got yourself a bargain. Do it up and keep it as a spare.[/quote] Well, if we knew them what we know now... Including why your Hondo sounded thin - like all 70s Rick copies, it will have had a bass cut capacitor wired into the bridge pup circuit, just like the real ones. Bypass that for loads more low-end. J.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='654292' date='Nov 14 2009, 10:16 AM']He told me that it's not all covers bands... so you might not have to plumb such depths [/quote] Even better! Set One will be the 45-minute concept piece then! J.

I've never actually owned a Hondo Rick copy, but there's a few folk on here who have & do. However I know a bit about 'em. This is mid - late 70s, Korean-made (Samick factory) and probably has a plywood body. Beyond that, they're pretty much identical to bolt-neck Japanese copies, and if you get one with a good neck (which you presumably have), you're onto a winner. Unlike the current crop of Rick copies, hardware & electronics on most of the vintage ones were pretty much identical to genuine Rickenbacker stuff. What's wrong with the electrics, exactly? If everything (pups, pots, switches) works it might just need a bit of a squirt with switch cleaner & a few dry joints soldered. There are Rick 4001 wiring diagrams suitable for a stereo copy at the [url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Rick%20maint.htm"]Joey's Bass Notes[/url] site, which is an excellent resource for both real Ricks and copies. The latter unintentionally - Mr. Vasco is a bit of a curmudgeon about Rickenfakers... If you decide it's not worth the effort, I'll happily give you double what you paid for it, dodgy electrics & all! Jon.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='654640' date='Nov 14 2009, 04:46 PM']I did do, it got to the point where I didn't want more basses in my house. All about the messaging pick up only ones and saying " will you unbolt the neck and post it for £20?" now.[/quote] I still look but I can't remember the last time I bought anything off Ebay. Good local indoor car boot ftw. J.

Mad as a badger. What's it for? Jon.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='654584' date='Nov 14 2009, 03:52 PM']I spotted that. MAybe its a cunning plan to catch people that search 'giuter' and such...[/quote] So you do that too, Oli? "Base", "Japnese" and "copie" as well... :blush: Jon.

[quote name='spinynorman' post='654180' date='Nov 14 2009, 12:55 AM']Just web search, so take it with a pinch of whatever you have to hand and wait for Jon to tell us how much is likely to be true. Bradley was the house brand of Veneman's Music Emporium in Rockville, Maryland, replacing the Kapa brand, when the factory in Hyattsville closed down. The Veneman family lived near Bradley Boulevard in Bethesda and Koob Veneman liked the name. Bradleys were made by Fuji Gen Gakki and probably also Matsumoko, Aria and other builders around the Nagoya, Japan area. Bradleys ranged in quality from starter instruments to very high quality, depending on when and where made. In the 70s and early 80s Bradleys were imported from Japan. Later on in the 90s, the guitars were made in Korea. The company and store's inventory was purchased by the Guitar Center chain in 2000, who then converted the Rockville store into a Guitar Center. There may have been more than one phase of Bradleys - earliest were Matsumoko sourced with pearloid script logo, later from unknown source with black decal script logo, including Fender copies with plastic saddles, then in the 80s either black or gold decal, and fret markers were stick-on dots. [url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Bradley/Jazz+Clone/10/1"]Reviews of Bradley Jazz Bass on Harmony Central[/url] [url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Bradley"]Bradley Guitar Reviews[/url] [url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/brand/Bradley"]Other Bradley Bass Reviews[/url] [url="http://www.jvguitars.com/showproduct.pl?id=1112988402"]And here's the inevitable one made in the Ibanez factory[/url] Sources [url="http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=152280"]http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=152280[/url] [url="http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-649/f/Bradley-Rickenbacker-4003-Bass.htm"]http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-...r-4003-Bass.htm[/url] [url="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_April_24/ai_61614362/"]http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EI...24/ai_61614362/[/url] [url="http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-649/f/bradley-electric-guitar.htm"]http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-...tric-guitar.htm[/url][/quote] Could all be gospel - why not? All Bradley is/was is another of the thousands and thousands of generic importer rebrands there were in the 70s. We certainly had enough here in the UK - Avon, Columbus, Grant, CMI, Shaftesbury, Arbiter, Jedson, Eros, Sumbro, Saxon, Grantson... The list goes on, and that's not including the likes of CSL & Antoria which during the 70s actually [i]were[/i] "from the Ibanez factory" - these were built by Fujigen, sourced through Ibanez brand owner Hoshino, and often identical to their Ibanez counterparts - apart from the name & the price tag. And by contrast, the big giveaway of the ordinariness of the Bradley brand is the one "made by Ibanez". It's not - it's a generic plywood EB-0 copy, from the same source as the low-end tat labelled Avon & Columbus over here. I had the same bass labelled Grantson, cost me £25 from a car boot. It wasn't very good. As for the £600 Jazz, I stick by my earlier assessment - looks OK, maybe worth a couple of hundred, can't positively ID the factory - but it doesn't have typical Fujigen or Matsumoku traits, which would be odd considering it's a generic mid-70s Jazz bass copy. I'd be more inclined to think it's from one of the 30-odd other known factories which were making Fender copies at the time. Anyway - enough of that. Norman's Antoria LP is much nicer & more interesting - I've never encountered the bass version before with an Antoria brand (it's the same bass as the [url="http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1973-3/15.jpg"]Ibanez 2350B/DX[/url] - except this one has the later "post-lawsuit" headstock design. Thinking about it, I don't think I've seen a Fujigen LP bass with this headstock before. Of course it reminds me of my second-ever bass - an unbranded medium-scale black LP-alike, which I bought as a wreck off a school mate. Hope someone from BC gets this one. Jon.

Accommodation? Food? Money? Cheers for that, Mr Blob - definitely worth a look, and would give us a chance to exercise our seldom-used covers set! Jon.