Bassassin

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='468056' date='Apr 21 2009, 07:30 AM']I have an original Japanese one I bought new for £250...[/quote] [pedant]Oh no you don't![/pedant] These were originally made in Korea by Cort, as were all the 80s Hohner Professional range. No idea where the current ones come from, though - apart from Not Japan. J.

[quote name='Clive Thorne' post='468275' date='Apr 21 2009, 11:44 AM']Actually I'd be very careful with acetone - it's one of the more aggressive solvents around, and will dissolve some plastics.[/quote] Actually - good point. Nail-varnish remover is very diluted (with pink scented stuff, usually) and a lot less vicious than pure acetone - which can be lots of fun with expanded polystyrene and naked flames... Don't try it at home! :ph34r: J.

Stickers that have been on for a while (in the case of that Tele, about 25 years!) will often leave a "ghost" mark where the lacquer's darkened around it - there's nothing, bar a complete refin, that can be done about this, but it's unlikely to be an issue with a sticker that's only been on for a year or two. I've never yet encountered a finish that's been attacked by adhesive, but I'd think slight damage could probably be polished out with T-cut or a similar mild abrasive polishing compound. Fortunately the tat I usually find myself cleaning up is invariably finished in bullet-proof poly, which will take a lot of abuse and is usually really easy to get looking good again. I think I'd be a lot more cautious with my approach & methods if it was a nitro or similar delicate finish. While we're talking about stickers - if you buy a stickered-up bass off Ebay (or gods forbid, on here!) and the seller offers to remove them before posting - DON'T LET THEM!!! Unless you want to have to deal with the aftermath of a surface having apparently been attacked with steel wool & a cold chisel. I still wake up sweating... Jon.

Heat it gently with a hairdryer, this will soften the glue and it should peel off easily. Any remaining sticky residue (ooer mrs, etc) will come off easily with some acetone (nail varnish remover, ladies!), which won't damage the finish. For example (excuse the g*it*r!), from this: [attachment=24171:bodyresize.jpg] to this: [attachment=24172:front2.jpg] Jon.

[quote name='Flying Junk' post='467997' date='Apr 21 2009, 12:06 AM']I like those tuners very much but there'd be holes to fill. I quite like these, either the the no. 15s (chrome) or 26s (black)... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-electric-bass-guitar-tuners-No-14-15-or-26_W0QQitemZ130224453640QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item130224453640&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-electric-bas...%3A1|240%3A1318[/url][/quote] I think it's a pity the cloverleaf style only come in 4-a-side. Wonder if these fit the original screwholes? J.

[quote name='Flying Junk' post='467622' date='Apr 20 2009, 04:48 PM']As for picking my brains, go for it. If I can be any help I will.[/quote] You've already answered one question - which was does the Shafty have a lacquered board! My current project doesn't - which is highly unusual for an otherwise accurate JapCrap Rick copy. I'm inclined to think it probably wasn't a Shafty. I'm thinking of replacing the tuners on mine, which are currently the same as yours - despite being a JapCrap addict/anorak I do think they look cheap & quite horrid, and I'm wondering if I can fit a set of these (in chrome or black) without too much modding: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gold-bass-guitar-tuners-machine-heads-2-a-side-No-27_W0QQitemZ140209467519"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gold-bass-guitar-tun...emZ140209467519[/url] I like the pseudo Wavy Grover look, I think they'd go well on a Rick copy. Jon.

Super little basses, had one from new (B2A) since they first came out, it's been my ultra-portable backup bass for nearly 25 years and the only thing likely to stop it doing another 25 is if I: i) drop down dead; or ii) blag a real Steiny. Today is actually National Kick A Womble Day. As is every day. Jon.

Shame you didn't post sooner - there were two complete sets of these old Jap tuners on Ebay which finished over the weekend. They are pretty common, they appeared on loads of Japanese, Korean & even British (Shergold) basses over the 70s & 80s - although it looks like you're sorted out now anyway. Always good to see a bit more Rickenbugger action - I may pick your brains about your bass, as I'm currently restoring a no-brand Rickenfaker which might have once been a Shafty. Jon.

[quote name='WarPig' post='467121' date='Apr 19 2009, 11:59 PM']GAH WHY DO THEY HAVE TO USE SUCH OVERSIZED FONT AND BAD SPELLINGRAMMER!!! *yes, i see the irony in the above sentance. *Edit* Haha Jon did you contact the seller? From the looks of what he added later, you did. [/quote] Not a chance - I kept schtum in the hope of grabbing it for £30! What does it say under my profile pic, eh? J.

Never - always hated to see gear getting trashed (despite being a rabid Who fan), it's nothing but vacuous, f*ckwitted posturing. Jon.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1973-Ibanez-Artist-bass-Rare-vintage-collectable_W0QQitemZ110378783808"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1973-Ibanez-Artist-b...emZ110378783808[/url] All I need now is for my Ibanez Fairy Godmother to scarf up the £750... J.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1973-Ibanez-Artist-bass-Rare-vintage-collectable_W0QQitemZ110378783808"]Holy f*ck.[/url] Right arm/granny available for sensible cash offer. J.

He problems terrible syntax with having is. And he's plainly a snotty, arrogant & inarticulate cock, which isn't helping matters. Jon.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='466009' date='Apr 18 2009, 11:46 AM']Shame eBastids new 'free postage' initiative didn't extend to Musical Instruments... give it time though! [/quote] I take it you don't [s]punt much trash[/s] - oops, I meant [i]sell many quality instruments[/i] on the Bay of Thieves, like wot I have been known to... :ph34r: As if compulsory FeePal ain't bad enough, you're probably right. J.

I'd give him the 99p current bid just for that nice flamey headstock - but the £25 postage is pretty much pushing it over-budget! J.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-bass-usa-custom-shop_W0QQitemZ320361391192"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-bass-usa-cust...emZ320361391192[/url] Not [i]quite[/i] sure where to start with this one. Jon.

[quote name='andy67' post='461051' date='Apr 13 2009, 10:16 AM']I want my old trusted, faithful, reliable and super cool blazer back! [url="http://www.ibanezregister.com/images/BASSES/images-bl/bl800/Ibanez-Bass.jpg"]http://www.ibanezregister.com/images/BASSE...Ibanez-Bass.jpg[/url] secondly, my ATK original with the triple humbucker and j neck pup! [url="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j74/PhoneyPoney/atk1.jpg"]http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j74/PhoneyPoney/atk1.jpg[/url] the above link is a basschatters. made some mistakes in my life but these two were the worst!! andy[/quote] Blazers come up on ThiefBay quite often. But that ATK - I wish I'd had the £99 it cost when I spotted it on Ebay a year ago. Oh well, my loss is... my loss, actually. Jon.

[quote name='Stacker' post='454643' date='Apr 5 2009, 01:22 PM']If RIC sniff that one, they'll get them shut down![/quote] Will they 'eck as like. Despite all their puffing & ranting, it seems RIC have zero jurisdiction over anyone other than US importers & US based auction sites. Even John Birch in the UK have been knocking out Rick copies since the early 70s, & RIC don't - or maybe can't - bat an eyelid. Saein & other Korean & Chinese factories make plenty of them & even the classic JapCrap stuff like Fernandes & Greco was still around in the 90s, for the home market. Anyway, the Shine Rickalikes are about the best of the current copies, that's an old pic, current ones have accurate headstocks, nearly full-width inlays, and they come in some quite attractive colours: [url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2522"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2522[/url] [url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2525"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2525[/url] These have Seymour Dunks as standard, and presumably Saein got tired of waiting for RIC to redesign the original bridge so it worked - so they went & did their own. Jon.

[b]What made you the bassist you are today?[/b] Being drawn to bands & songs with distinctive, upfront bass parts, regardless of style & genre, and incorporating that into my songwriting. And not getting too hung up on technique for technique's sake. [b]Who do you think had the biggest influences on how you play now?[/b] Over the years, probably Bignose out of Rush, but to a large extent myself - creating bass parts for music I compose on g*it*r. [b]Where do you think you want to go from here?[/b] I'd like some level of validation for my band and the quite breathtakingly great music we make. [b]Why do you think you want to go there?[/b] Because I think we - [i]I[/i] - deserve it, and I am naive enough to hope there's still some degree of meritocracy in Art. [b]Do you believe you have a "personality" on the bass?[/b] Yes - I always get a lot of positive comments on my playing, and the role it fulfils in my band. I seem to get noticed more than a lot of bassists! [b]Specialist question: What is it you love about that 1971 P-Bass?[/b] Can't guarantee it's a '71 - we'll have to settle for '70 - '75. But I love the 3-piece quartersawn maple neck, the slightly narrow veneered ash body, the 7-screw bridge, the white plastic trussrod cover, the position dots which end at the 17th fret, the "Made In Japan" stamp on the neckplate, the Ibanez logo on the headstock... you never said 1971 [i]Fender[/i] P bass, did you? Jon.

[quote name='2x18' post='460778' date='Apr 12 2009, 09:00 PM']Shaftesbury Faker [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-196OS-SHAFTESBURY-BASS-GUITAR-ORIGINAL-CASE_W0QQitemZ110376264297QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item110376264297&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-196OS-SHAFTE...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url] Will.[/quote] God damn, wish I'd been at the car boot that just came from. If anyone goes for this, I have a tuner to fit. J.