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Everything posted by Bassassin
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Poorly constructed instruments of Far Eastern Origin Porn
Bassassin replied to kevbass's topic in Gear Gallery
I've had two of these - been quite impressed with the pickup on both. very authentic & pretty powerful. You'll probably have to shim the neck to get a decent string height - you may find that as well as the massive 6-screw neckplate, there's glue holding it in too - so be prepared for a bit of a scrap getting it off. Don't worry, though, you won't break it! These are the most solid basses I've ever seen, they are massively heavy, and the neck's a weird sort of ply known to vintage guitar geeks as "strip mahogany" - about 90 layers of wood... I'd also recommend a proper bridge - these are fitted with crude 2-saddle things, more agricultural folk-art than hardware! Even if you can get decent action & intonation with it, there are 4 evil, sharp, ragged overlong screws, waiting to take a chunk out of your right hand... Not sure these are technically JapCrap - neither of mine had any country of origin - but one of these was on Ebay a while back described as made in Taiwan - seems it had a sticker. Anyway - you won't find a more robust vintage P copy for £45! Jon. -
1989 Ibanez SR800 Fretless, Japanese, near-new condition
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in Basses For Sale
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Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
Ooh, I'd have been at that like a rat up a drainpipe... J. -
Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
[quote name='Geddys nose' post='240469' date='Jul 15 2008, 11:17 PM']Did anyone get the £95 BIN Aria SB1000? I was half tempted even without the actives installed.[/quote] Err... [i]what[/i] £95 SB1000?? J. -
These are the best-looking current copy imo - have you seen the other finishes? [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=270&view=findpost&p=180460"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=180460[/url] I particularly like the white with tort plate - :brow: and I like the fact they have [i]nearly[/i] full-width inlays. J.
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[quote name='fillerbunny' post='240028' date='Jul 15 2008, 01:59 PM']Any info is appreciated! Thank you and feel free to delete or move my post if necessary.[/quote] That's stunning - buy it! :wub: OK - knee-jerk reaction out of the way - thanks for posting the pics, I've never had the chance to get a good look at a Fernandenbacker before! Going from the catalogue info I have, I think your deductions are right, it's an RRB-80, and it's probably from the early/mid 80s. I think the colour's stunning, and the fact we can see the construction's interesting, too. Lack of a skunk stripe doesn't suggest corner-cutting - Rickenbacker introduced the 4003 in 1979, and it has no skunk stripe, this may be copying that part of the design. However it has the narrow neck pickup spacing (widened to one inch on real Ricks from about 1974) and it also has a toaster pickup - these were phased out on Rickenbackers in the early 70s. It's likely that the pickup & narrow-spaced scratchplate were used here simply because the parts were available. Interesting choice of tuners too - they're either Schaller M4S/Grover Titans (they look identical) or copies of same - they're original, they are on the black one and also on the catalogue pic I have. This solves another little mystery - because I've seen the occasional unidentified copy with these before. I would be fairly confident that this was made in Japan - apart from the colour, it looks identical to the early 80s catalogue examples, and I assume Fernandes was strictly MIJ at that point. What are your concerns about the wood? It's worth bearing in mind that this is a 25-year old bass (or thereabouts), the woods will be seriously well-seasoned by now, and any issues of construction & stability would have shown up long ago. I'm no expert on wood types, but I'd have assumed it's maple, since it's ubiquitous on Rick copies - and very common on MIJ basses in general. Anyway, I think it's gorgeous, if I had the opportunity of getting it (for a sensible price, of course!) then I would, without hesitation. Oh & thanks for the link to the info site - not seen that before. The timelines are interesting, but not strictly accurate from what I already know of some brands - but there are some useful insights. And no problem (as far as I'm concerned!) posting here - I've always felt this thread should be more broadly about discussing Rick copies & genuine Rickenbackers, and would be better off in General Bass Discussion. It's not like there's a noticeable number of Rick copies on FeePay anyway! J.
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Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
I think it's original - the auction pics aren't great, but the one on that bass looks the same - tight spacing, same screw arrangement as far as I can tell. It's quite a strange bridge - a "normal" Fender type has top & bottom pairs of saddles, facing opposite directions, this one's all go the same way. Probably why it's so tight. It's surprisingly common to find misaligned neck pockets/pup routs/bridges on old Oriental stuff - probably because a lot of it pre-dates the use of CNC routers. I've become quite adept at repositioning bridges! J. -
Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
I like that. Very understated. First of all, Hondos are [i]predominantly[/i] Korean - the brand emerged in the early 70s, coming out of the Samick factory. They upped their game quality-wise in the late 70s/early 80s, and some were made in Japan, Matsumoku was definitely used, and some allegedly came from Tokai. It's worth bearing in mind that by this point, the Korean factories were pretty much on a par with the Japanese - so it's really hard to tell which Hondos were MIK & which were MIJ. Matsumoku ones have giveaways, like the MMK pickups, or even Mat neckplates. I wouldn't like to guess about yours - at least you now know the model number (HD850) from the auction. The AB at the end refers to the colour, Antique Brown - yours is probably N - Natural. Yours may never have been "a Hondo" - like most 70s brands, it was just that - the same bass would have been sold with different names, or like yours, unbranded. Speaking of which - your Silver Series logo won't fool anyone! The Ibby logo looks wrong (crap scan/photo, perchance?) and Silver Series Ibanez were [i]very[/i] accurate 70s Fender copies. If it was mine I think I would replace the tuners (Hondo hardware seems to be notoriously rubbish) and probably the bridge & nut, too - the string spacing looks way too cramped for the fretboard. Still - very attractive & unusual bass! J. -
It's one of these: [url="http://www.yamaha.co.jp/product/guitar/eg/database/sb/sb-1c.html"]http://www.yamaha.co.jp/product/guitar/eg/...e/sb/sb-1c.html[/url] And the only other one I've ever seen is one that appeared on UK FeePay about 2 years ago. Don't remember what it went for, probably about £200-ish. I suppose by "very original" he means it's still got all the usually thrown away bits like bridge cover & finger rest, and it's not had a P pickup jemmied into it. And I'd say it's pretty rare, yes. Jon.
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I think it's just Japlish! All of those little Aria Pro abbreviations are like that - I have an RSB Deluxe, which apparently is a "Rev-Sound Bass". Wha? I doubt if there's any difference between Tri-Sound & Thor Sound beyond the sticker - but you could ask on the [url="http://www.matsumoku.org"]http://www.matsumoku.org[/url] forum - someone there will probably know. Jon.
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1989 Ibanez SR800 Fretless, Japanese, near-new condition
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in Basses For Sale
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Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
Weird one, that. Hard to get a proper look, what with the B&Q Exterior Gloss slapped all over the body. Don't think it's Jap/Far East, perhaps another Russian/E.European freak, or maybe German. I'll have a look at Cheesyguitars.com when I get a minute... J. -
"Bass Tourettes" - classic, and absolutely on the nail! There was a local indie band I saw a couple of years back, whose bassist, though technically good (I suppose) played odiously inappropriate slappy-tappy stunt bass through the entirety of each & every one of their 4-chord strumalongs. As well as doing that idiotic spin-the-bass-over-your shoulder-&-catch-it trick every couple of minutes. Knob. I've not seen them around for a few years - probably the rest of the band beat him to death with his 'Ray. :ph34r: Jon.
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[quote name='joegarcia' post='238820' date='Jul 13 2008, 10:47 PM']That really is creepy. 'Her name is Toby.' - Amazing. [/quote] That entire "description" just makes me cringe. What a w@nkstain. Jon.
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1989 Ibanez SR800 Fretless, Japanese, near-new condition
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in Basses For Sale
[quote name='David Nimrod' post='238408' date='Jul 13 2008, 11:20 AM']What a beautiful looking neck... If it wasn't metallic red (I sold a fretless USA Precision for that reason, my least favorite color) I'd have it like a shot [/quote] Ironically - I think the colour's probably why I've hung on to it for so long - I think it's [i]gorgeous[/i], I'm not a massive fan of solid finishes but I've always loved this, & it's so much better in real life! The fingerboard's a lovely bit of rosewood, always thought it would look fantastic epoxied. To be honest - if it had a lined board I wouldn't part with it! J. -
You do need an "all my gear is cheapsh!t garbage" option. Jon.
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I've done this a couple of times - I was in a rock covers duo about 13 years ago, we had backing tapes (on an old 4 track portastudio!) for drums, keys, rhythm guitars. Using a multitrack allowed us to mix a bit for different rooms. My current original band has played a few gigs when we were "between" drummers, using the programmed drums from the original demos, recorded on Minidisc. When we first put the band together, it took ages to find a drummer so we rehearsed like this for months. It really is an incredibly rigid way of performing - and if the monitoring's not great, or you lose it for any other reason - it can all go horrifically tits-up in a nanosecond! :ph34r: Jon.
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1989 Ibanez SR800 Fretless, Japanese, near-new condition
Bassassin replied to Bassassin's topic in Basses For Sale
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[quote name='Jesus' post='238027' date='Jul 12 2008, 04:17 PM']Sorry to thread-jack but don't suppose you know much about the Pro Aria II Rhino do you Bassassin?[/quote] Didn't you build my hotrod? I'm afraid I don't know much about these, Lord, these are post-Japanese production, and unfortunately there's not a lot of info about Aria after 1986, when production moved to Korea. Pity. really, there has been some really good stuff from Aria since then. Your best bet might be to post some pics & info on the "Post Matsumoku Models" board at [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/index.php"]http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/index.php[/url] - there are some very well-informed types over there, whose specialist knowledge of the brand is well ahead of mine. Now - hadn't you better get back to the loaves & fishes? J.
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1989 Ibanez SR800 Fretless, Japanese, near-new condition
Bassassin posted a topic in Basses For Sale
I'm instituting a "use it or lose it" policy with my herd - and this one is far too good for Ebay. So - this 'ere's an Ibanez SR800FL, which I've had from new, bought in 1990, list price was, if I remember, £599 back then. I basically fancied a fretless for mucking about with & recording - and that's all I've ever done with it, in fact it's sat in a case for most of the last 10 years. Time to go, then! Right - the serial number tells us this was built in 1989, at Fujigen Gakki - JapCrap spotters will know this factory built the classic 70s & 80s Ibanez copies & originals, and was the main production source for Japanese Fenders until recently. The body is Alder, according to the original 80s catalogues, the neck is 3-piece maple, rosewood board. It has Gotoh tuners & a Gotoh 206 bridge, which is capable of adjusting in directions as yet unnamed by science. Low-impedance P/J pickups, and an active preamp with master volume, pan, bass boost/cut, treble boost/cut. The photos don't do the colour justice - it's a very deep, lustrous red, much more metallic in real life than the pics. When I bought the bass, it was fitted with rounds, so there is a little marking on the board from being played with the original strings - although no actual wear or grooves. The current strings are, I think LaBella. The only other play wear - if you can call it that - is a slight finger-polishing of the pup covers! The bass has really seen ridiculously little use - no gigs, and only one trip to the rehearsal room - never to be repeated, after demonstrating what a profoundly rubbish fretless player I was... If you've looked at the pics, you'll appreciate that it's not [i]exactly[/i] unmarked, though. [i]Picture the scene - it's late 1992, I'm standing in the living room, my head is suddenly filled with a strange, shrill, screeching sound. What's this? have I suddenly been struck with tinnitus? My brief reverie is interrupted by the sensation of a light breeze on my cheek - I watch helplessly as a small, hard object - a jar of baby food - describes a glittering arc past my shoulder & collides with the front of my fretless bass. The grating, screeching noise behind me rises to a fever pitch, drowning out the dissonant sound of the reverberating strings with vitriol & threats...[/i] A simple, everyday act of domestic violence, triggered, I'm assuming, by my continued existence, my head saved by inept throwing skills, my bass scarred forever. My head would have got better. I've covered the dent (which is above the lower edge of the body, adjacent to the neck pup) with superglue to prevent the paint from flaking, at one point I thought about filling it with successive coats to level it, I started but I sort of lost interest... Anyway, it's filled so it can't get worse & polished over so it blends with the lacquer. Other than this, there are no other blemishes or marks on the bass, anywhere. This is an 80s Japanese Ibanez - these things have a tendency to become sought-after, and fretless SRs are pretty scarce to start with. It's pretty unlikely there are many around anymore that are in as good nick as this. I am looking for [b]£260[/b], I'll post to anywhere in the UK for £15, the bass will be very, very securely packed, with its neck removed. I'm not really looking for trades (the idea's to get the numbers down!) but if anyone has anything interesting, I [i]might[/i] consider it! Jon. -
Excellent score - that's an MC824 (identical to the 924 only passive) and the serial no. makes it August '82. [url="http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=75&now=1"]http://www.ibanez.co.jp/anniversary/expans...id=75&now=1[/url] Looks like it just needs hosing down & you'll be good to go! The bridge will probably clean up better than it looks - is that a lacquered coating peeling off the metal? My best Ibby score was my Roadster RS924 for £80 - just too damn nice to profiteer on, though. Jon.
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[quote name='charic' post='237820' date='Jul 12 2008, 10:10 AM']Pointless and futile? Im always seeing you come to rescue [/quote] Cure cancer? Reconcile fundamentalist Islam with materialistic Western decadence? End world poverty? Invent a non-polluting, renewable fuel source & reverse global warming? Nah. But I can recognise a pre-76 Fujigen Gakki 2388B/DX at a glance. [i]And[/i] tell you what other colours it came in. J.
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I do like SBVs - folk here from the original Bassworld site will remember Mr Arrowhead Guitars (reincarnated on BC as Paul C) went through a rather strange phase of collecting these - I don't know how many he had, but his avowed intent was to collect them all, Pokemon-style: every model and colour permutation! I don't think he quite achieved that - but he had loads, as well as the SBV-500 and its numerous colours, in Japan there were various different pickup permutations, special edition models & feck-knows what else. And then there were the vintage ones... Anyway, with any luck Paul will drop by this topic & post a photo of The Collection, but mine was originally one of his (a duplicate) and look - there it is, being played by a gonk in a dodgy hat: I love mine (must gig it again soon!) but because I have a penchant for maple & blocks, I really want this version: Jon.
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It's funny - Columbus is a bit of a mystery, despite the fact they were so ubiquitous in the 70s & 80s. I have no idea who owned or distributed the brand, or what happened to them. They were featured in the old "Bell" musical instrument catalogues from the 70s, but so were many other brands. I've had 4 over the years - my first guitar was a Columbus SG, bought very secondhand in 1981, and I subsequently had an LP copy too. I had a Jazz copy & currently have an LP, just like my old one, which I'm renovating. Mine were all Japanese copies, but it seems by the mid-80s the brand had gone down the pointyhead/Superstrat route, and was being made in Korea, like most budget instruments were back then. Not sure when Columbus disappeared, I think they were gone by 1990. Sorry I can't be of more help - but it's surprising how little info there is about them. Jon.
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[quote name='charic' post='237687' date='Jul 11 2008, 10:55 PM']I just wana know how captain japcrap knows what they are [/quote] Captain Japcrap is all-seeing, all-knowing... ...and plainly has far too much time on his hands, as well as an eidetic memory for low-end tat! :ph34r: Could there be a more pointless & futile "talent"? J.