Bassassin

I've been giving some fairly serious thought to having a go at building such a beast. If I do, it might look a little like this: Fretless/lined 5, fretted 4, headless, passive. It'll probably never happen... Jon.

Classic JapCrap - gorgeous. Really must get my old RSB Deluxe II sorted out... Jon.

[quote name='The Legoheads' post='222668' date='Jun 20 2008, 09:31 AM']I would love to find a good 4005 copy as I think they are such a beautiful bass... genuine or not...[/quote] I've never seen a manufactured 4005 copy - although that doesn't mean they don't exist! I've seen a couple of homebrew ones - in fact there was a guy who posted on the old BW board who made one, if I remember, he built the body himself & used a bolt-on copy neck & Rick hardware. He posted it on one of the Rick forums too, thinking he'd get some appreciation - but they promptly tore him a new tradesmen's entrance, and told him to burn it. About the closest thing I've seen in vintage copies is this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shaftesbury-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ250260523648"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shaftesbury-Bass-Gui...emZ250260523648[/url] Which is odd, but hardly a 4005. J.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='222072' date='Jun 19 2008, 12:50 PM']I would have said Teisco: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OLD-SG-SHAPED-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ120274637513QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OLD-SG-SHAPED-ELECTR...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] Another Thunder. Where are they all coming from, and who's buying them? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-A-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ220247927747QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-A-...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] That "SG" shaped thing would have been sold as Kay. Feck knows who made it, though. Thunders - they're everywhere, there's a II & a III on the bay atm, not posting links in case I start a bidding war! J.

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='222102' date='Jun 19 2008, 01:14 PM']You didn't sell that on ebay didja? it looks disturbingly like my Rackenbicker that I bought about 6 months ago....![/quote] I think it did end up on Ebay, but I thought Andy had sold it to someone on here. It turned up on the Bay with a fake Rick trc instead of the original Giannini one. I'll have a dig through the Rickencopy Spotting thread when I get a minute. J.

[quote name='cris the man' post='221948' date='Jun 19 2008, 10:11 AM']im confused , it seems more people are using rickenbaker copies than using the real thing that design is gorgeous however... its a shame how the most popular colour is fireglow , midnight blue is far nicer[/quote] I think that's deceptive - there are a lot more real Ricks about than the copies - but they're a lot more expensive! The old Japanese (and Korean & Brazilian ) ones from the 70s are getting pretty collectable these days, like all the old copy-era guitars, so I think they exercise a degree of fascination for certain people... :ph34r: I've never seen a copy in Midnight Blue - in fact pretty much all of them were Fireglo, Mapleglo or Jetglo - with FG being far & away the most common. Some of the later Japan-market Grecos turn up in more unusual colours - and there's the occasional Aria/Matsumoku in a transparent greenburst - which is odd, but very nice... J.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='221321' date='Jun 18 2008, 12:47 PM']Modified maya: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Maya-Made-in-Japan-1970-Bass_W0QQitemZ270247604810QQihZ017QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Maya-Made-in-Japan-1...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] That's this one 'ere: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21199"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21199[/url] J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='221032' date='Jun 17 2008, 11:45 PM']I've been on the look-out for one of those for ages ...[/quote] [quote name='finnbass' post='221124' date='Jun 18 2008, 09:18 AM']Me too! [/quote] Fight! Fight!! Fight!!! J.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='220956' date='Jun 17 2008, 09:41 PM']Continue my one![/quote] Gah - I've been and gone and started a new one already! J.

I'll start - this is the original Rickenbugger, queen of all the Fakers: It's a Kasuga, made in Japan probably early/mid 70s, exact model & age uncertain. It's a bolt-neck, and is incredibly heavy - which I haven't helped by putting a brass Hipshot on it. Additionally I've made a custom trc (the original was sadly long-gone) and Pickguardian - style pickup surround, and replaced the plain white scratchplate with the pearl. It may be a cheap Jap copy - but I think it's the most gorgeous & unique Rick-shaped thing I've yet to lay eyes on... Who's next? Jon.

I'd have had that off you if I could have afforded it at the time - that's an Electra Corsair - that finish (with the dark stain on the back of the body) seems to be unique to the brand and appears on Electra copies from several manufacturers. This one's a Fujigen - rare enough in the UK, but pretty much unknown in this finish. I really don't know how many we have collectively (I've got 3 - sort of!) but I think we should start a thread in Porn & see if we can find out... J.

JP = probably Japan (maybe "drummers" spell it Ja Pan) but he could still get the listing pulled for mentioning Fender. He'd be better off putting the original neckplate back & selling the Fender one separately if it's "worth a lot" - because ironically JapCrap collectors would prefer it to be as original a possible - and neckplates are often helpful in IDing manufacturers. Similarly the [s]fraudulent[/s] sorry,[i] correct[/i] Fender logo is also an off-putter for collectors. Out of the brands he listed, Maya is the only one that's a [i]remote[/i] possibility - Tokai & Fernandes were accurate enough that he might've got away with his previous listing - and 70s Fernandes copies are virtually unknown in the UK. J.

[quote name='Huge Hands' post='220547' date='Jun 17 2008, 01:01 PM']...but didn't know the term "lawsuit Japanese copy" until I came here.[/quote] Spend 5 minutes looking at old Jap guitars on Ebay and you'll never want to hear the bloody term again (as well as knowing for a FACT that ALL Japanese guitars were made in "The Ibanez Factory". ), however spend time here & you'll find out that there never was a "lawsuit" & the term - erroneous as it is - doesn't apply to Fender copies. See - you just did. FWIW I think he knows perfectly well what his bass is & was just trying it on. If he sells it as JapCrap, it'll do OK - for what it is. J.

Had a reply: [quote]It Seems from the messages I have been getting it is possibly a lawsuit Japanese Copy, I was sold it under the guise of a 72 jazz bass, I asked at the time about the no serial no neck plate and was told it had been replaced, the neck plate on this one is a genuine 72 plate I bought from the states. Obiously I have been sold a 'pup' I am a drummer not a bass player and bought it good faith. I will remove the listing and relist it as such thanx for pointing it out.[/quote] Which I'd say is fair enough, & hope he didn't get ripped off too badly. Although "Nedcallan" strikes me as a very strange choice of user name for someone whose expertise is not with guitars. Cynical me, eh? J.

That's a nice enough Japanese Jazz copy, circa 1970s. However as a point of detail I'd challenge anyone on the planet to accurately name the factory it came from - there were dozens, all producing broadly identical instruments, and the only identifying details on this are common to many of them. If he hadn't bought a dodgy neckplate & bolted it on, I'd be prepared to assume it was a genuine mistake - but it's not, so he's clearly a scamming pikey. Fortunately, the sort of people who are likely to be in the market for a 70s Fender will spot this a mile off, with their eyes shut. Sent him a note, anyway: [quote]I doubt very much that I'm the first person to point this out - but your bass is absolutely not a vintage Fender. It's a 1970s Japanese Jazz copy - impossible to tell what brand it was, but it has many identifying features unique to Japanese 70s copy manufacture - the round-end pickups & Gibson-type nut never, EVER appeared on a Fender. The bridge pickup spacing is too tight and Fenders from this era should have a 3-bolt neckplate. Yours, however, would have originally had a neckplate stamped 'Made In Japan' - which has been replaced with a Fender item - which is curiously similar to one in your recent purchase history. I can only suggest that you amend your listing to reflect what this bass actually is - because otherwise it looks a lot like you are attempting to pass off a counterfeit. Finally, I hope you didn't pay too much for this yourself, these are generally good-quality & collectable instruments, but realistically probably only worth about £175.[/quote] Jon.

[quote name='nick' post='220280' date='Jun 16 2008, 10:50 PM']Bland moi?! [attachment=9702:maya.jpg] [/quote] It's a fair point & well made - but imagine that with checker binding & full width sparkly inlays... And I'll raise you a Kasuga Rickenbugger: [attachment=9715:rbugporn.jpg] J.

If these were about £200 then fine, no complaints, but like the utterly shoddy Indie Rick copy, I get the impression that these are priced in accordance with the high prices of real Rickenbackers, not their actual quality & construction. Realistically, they're not even that convincing to look at. If you have £500 burning a hole in your pocket & want something that looks like a Rick, bide your time & a vintage Japanese one will come up on Ebay, Gumtree, or even your local car boot. At least the Japanese manufacturers made the effort to produce an instrument that actually looked like a real Rick, & also - these are 30+ years old - & if it's lasted that long already, chances are it won't fall apart as soon as you get it home. Jon.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='219807' date='Jun 16 2008, 12:56 PM']Another one - Sakai mean anything? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-AND-HIWATT-AMP_W0QQitemZ230262598770QQihZ013QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-AND-HIWA...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] Nah - another importer brand, just like so many others. The Guru's Guitar Guide has this to say: [quote name='The Guru's Guitar Guide']The Sakai trademark is a brand name of a United Kingdom importer on these entry level to intermediate instruments. The solid and semi-hollowbody guitars have some original designs and designs based on classic American favourites[/quote] I've seen the same basses branded as Zenta & Jedson as well - both importer brands (Jedson is actually J. E. Dallas & Sons - and a forerunner of Arbiter) so still no clue as to who made 'em. J.

You could make the same criticism of any manufacturer who produces a "niche" product - Rickenbacker would probably argue they're not in the same market & have no need to target that demographic. And realistically - it's not as if they're struggling. That Greco's nice, although I do find the unbound, dot-marker 4001s a bit bland. It's odd to reflect that Greco were still selling new Rick copies in Japan in the 90s, and as far as I know, still do. J.

[quote name='neepheid' post='219645' date='Jun 16 2008, 09:29 AM']That has to be the worst placed E tuning machine I've seen for some time. I'd be tempted to string it the wrong way round (a la Hagstrom) just to alleviate the sideways pressure on the string.[/quote] That would be improved greatly just by putting a properly-cut nut on it - the present slot looks like it's pretty much hanging in thin air! Also it looks like the string's wound over the top of itself, rather than the post. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='219547' date='Jun 15 2008, 11:27 PM']Will someone please buy it, if only to stop me![/quote] No - you buy it. That way someone here can buy it off you when you get bored with it, and when I - sorry, I mean [i]they[/i] - can afford it. J.

[quote name='noirpunk' post='219436' date='Jun 15 2008, 08:51 PM']Every company no matter how prestigious has to have entry level products, especially now with todays consumer society. Why not join the competitors in having an import series? It didn't do Gretsch any harm![/quote] I suppose because against all odds, they don't seem to need one. They have a zealous & rabid fanbase who seem quite willing to take the price hikes & waiting lists & just keep buying - have you ever visited the RickResource or official RIC boards? You come away with the impression that most of the membership have 15 Ricks already & buy a new one every couple of weeks. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='219533' date='Jun 15 2008, 11:12 PM']I doubt if this is actually JapCrap, and apologies if it's already been posted here, but this is worth checking out if only for the photo of the headstock. The way the E string goes off the edge of the fretboard is pretty unique ... [url="http://ngvi.ebay.co.uk/vi?ngvi&backtoid=3&ppsp=0&li=1&pdp=0&sspagename=WDVW&dsr=0&item=280234802909&backto=http%3A%2F%2Fmusical-instruments.search.ebay.co.uk%2F_Bass_W0QQcatrefZC6QQfromZR9QQfromZR9QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQfstypeZ1QQga10244Z10426QQitemcondnZ1QQloglZ0QQsacatZ4713QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEFSRCHQ3aSRCH&pass=2GiJs5u4IcYh18npzSa%2FIdy77Ew%3D"]http://ngvi.ebay.co.uk/vi?ngvi&backtoi...Sa%2FIdy77Ew%3D[/url][/quote] I like that - quite unique. I think it's probably a one-off, never seen anything like it before. Needs a new nut & a proper bridge though. J.

[quote name='uptonmark' post='219421' date='Jun 15 2008, 08:37 PM']lemmy`s sound just sounds like he wants to be a guitarist who just got lumbered into playing bass, IMO![/quote] That's precisely the case. Before he joined Hawkwind in the mid 70s, he'd apparently never picked up a bass. He's actually been quoted as saying that bass is played by failed guitarists. Jon.

Here's a thing of beauty from the Land Down Under: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170229452173"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170229452173[/url] This is an Aria-sourced Greco - featuring what geeky collectors call the "Gneco" logo, which puts it in the early 70s. I've never seen a maple board on one of these before, as far as I remember. This is from the same factory/ range as my little restoration project ( [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19592"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19592[/url] ) and also has the same strange edge/binding discolouration. Anyway, it's not quite as original as the seller says - the bridge pup's a replacement, and the knobs look like they fell off a Les Paul... Neither are deal-breakers - that'll be the price - plus shipping & Customs Bumrape Tax. :ph34r: J.