Bassassin

That's a beautiful burst over a simply stunning grain, you don't appreciate that at all with the plate on. Clear plate ftw. Jon.

[quote name='jono b' post='161785' date='Mar 22 2008, 01:14 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Ibanez-Bass_W0QQitemZ280211041730QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Ibanez Rick-a-like[/url]. Taken off and then re-listed. Looks nice but the start price is a bit high.[/quote] I don't know why it's been relisted - the original listing didn't mention the "R" word, so it seems likely this one will go too. Start price is insanely high - realistically it might finish around there if they were lucky. It looks in pretty nice condition - although the chrome on the bridge is totally shot. Also I'd be very wary about how much filing's been done to the saddle slots - the last one I saw in the flesh had had this done - to no avail, the action was still unplayably & unadjustably high making it little more than a very pretty- and expensive - ornament. J.

[quote name='barneythedog' post='161724' date='Mar 22 2008, 10:57 AM']Is it just me or do some of these look familiar?[/quote] The Kay P's a relist - reserve not met, and I'm guessing it won't be this time, either. Three of 'em look pretty familiar to me because I've owned identical ones - in fact I have a no-brander Jazz, identical to the Maya (complete with funny little Tele pups) sitting in my "to do" rack! So now I know who made it.... J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='161487' date='Mar 21 2008, 04:26 PM']And the prices just get higher and higher ... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1977-GRECO-Japan-custom-shop-PROJECT-SERIES_W0QQitemZ330221590497QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1977-GRECO-Japan-cus...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] That's just outrageous! Can't see him getting many bids, but I've been wrong before... In fairness, it looks in ridiculously good nick for a 1977 bass - if he's honest about how original everything is - but I'd bet any money he imported this from Japan & likely paid about £200 for it. Rickenbacker's price hikes won't exactly be helping to keep vintage JapCrap affordable, and I have an unpleasant feeling there'll be more turning up with shonky Rick trcs on, ripping off the unwary. J.

Here's a few worth a sniff: CMI neckthrough Rick: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300208944075"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=300208944075[/url] Lovely Shaftesbury Ripper copy - never seen one of these on the Bay before: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220214885649"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220214885649[/url] Aria Pro II The Cat factory fretless: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180225712089"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=180225712089[/url] J.

Very nice through-neck Jetglo, CMI branded: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300208944075"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=300208944075[/url] Still trying to get the seller to tell me whether it has twin rods & stereo outs, so I can guess who made it. He's insisting it's an Ibanez, made for Chicago Musical Instruments (who once owned Gibson, don'cha know) and obviously, he's completely wrong on both counts. I think it might not even be JapCrap... J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='160530' date='Mar 19 2008, 10:26 PM']Tempted by that TSB-350. Anything I need to know before deciding whether to bid?[/quote] I don't know about any issues with these - and this one looks in very tidy nick. Good comprehensive description, the guy's had it for at least 15 years so presumably it's an accurate description too. If you could get it for not much more than the £125 start, that'd be a pretty damn good score, imo. But do make sure you get the original knobs with it - those Strat ones look 'orrible! J.

[quote name='lwtait' post='160525' date='Mar 19 2008, 10:17 PM']there has to be something on ebay to suit your needs... a wesley or something... for that price its never going to be a brilliant bass so i'd go more on what you like the look of most. also, have you thought about an old ibanez or cheap japenese copy from that sort of era, i dont think they reach much higher than £100 (i may be wrong, ive never really been interested in them).[/quote] You won't get any vintage Ibanez for £100 on Ebay - these are getting pretty collectable, and the same goes for JapCrap copies in general. If I wanted a cheap P, I'd take a punt on one of these: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110222463010"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=110222463010[/url] For that money, I'd expect it'll need some serious setting up, but it looks like the body's solid timber, & if the neck's OK you could replace all the hardware (if necessary) & still be under budget. Jon.

Just sit out the nerves. Two minutes after you step onstage they'll be gone. Jon.

[url="http://www.overkilldesign.com/products.php?productid=13"]http://www.overkilldesign.com/products.php?productid=13[/url] Dear god - is this an official Fender commode? Jon.

One or two - I'm finding the "new & improved" Ebay search system a total pain in the arse & am sure I'm now missing all the ineptly listed stuff I used to sniff out! Oddly-intonated Jazz with Ronseal refin, collect only, £40 start: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320227653071"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320227653071[/url] Aria Pro II Super Twin - bass/g*it*r twin neck. Really don't see many of these: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130205374180"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=130205374180[/url] Kay ten-ton P copy: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290214535268"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=290214535268[/url] Very nice Aria Pro TSB-350: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140216249008"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140216249008[/url] Hohner P copy - quite possibly 70s JapCrap rather than the more common Cort-built Hohners: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290214633991"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=290214633991[/url] Ibby Blazer/P copy hybrid - a first-run Blazer neck on a no-name P body: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180224945786"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=180224945786[/url] Ibanez 2388b/DX Rick copy - very expensive & collection only: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280209699962"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280209699962[/url] J.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='158731' date='Mar 17 2008, 12:50 AM']I'd give him £100 for it , we'll see. To think that 10 years ago you could get this kind of thing for about £25-30 in junk shops up and down the land. How times have changed. [/quote] £180's waaay too much for that - it probably wouldn't get that even on a particularly mental Ebay day. In fact, the fact it's a lefty would probably mean it would go for less than average price, from what I've seen. It's still worth keeping your eyes peeled for a £30 bargain, particularly at car boot sales & charity shops, and even on Gumtree. The general public (bless 'em) are blissfully unaware of the current collectability of JapCrap, so there are still deals out there. J.

A very tidy-looking Ibanez 2388B/DX - and it bloody well should be for that price: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280209699962"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280209699962[/url] A very florid description - "elm body, mother of pearl/ebony binding & nickel silver tuners"? J.

Agree again. £100 - £150 sounds about right - but have a close look: this one is, I think, ply - Mayas came in quite a few flavours & this one's the lower end of the scale - not crap, but a few budget features - ply body, 2-saddle bridge, cheap tuners etc. These are the same (same factory as far as I know) as the rather more common Columbus jazzes, and some of these aren't great. The bottom line is have a really good look & play before you hand over your cash, if you can. If you're going to mod/upgrade (sacrilege! ), bear in mind that the pickups on these are not a standard J size or shape, and therefore neither are the routs. They have rounded ends & are both the same size - so you may need to do some woodwork to make different pups fit. Jon.

[quote name='allighatt0r' post='158363' date='Mar 16 2008, 11:57 AM']Thats not just crap, that's AmeriCrap! There's a big difference between JapCrap and AmeriCrap, and that's JapCrap is actually good. Isn't this made by that idiot that had a big battle of hateful comments on youtube? I like how he calls it "Professional", I don't know what professional would ever use that.[/quote] I don't think it is that bass - I think there's some little factory in Indonesia turning out knockoffs of the some of the one-offs (to be polite about them) that turn up on the web. Remember this? [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=12882"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=12882[/url] Plus the spate of shonky-looking Ritter wannabes which popped up a year or so ago. J.

I'm another bedroom g*it*rist - I'd say 90% of my writing is done on guitar. I have written on bass, but I often struggle to compose other instrumental parts to go with basslines - whereas the other way around, I can come up with what I like to think are creative & complementary lines. I went through a phase in the early 90s when I wasn't gigging at all, just writing & recording - probably about 5 years, thinking about it - and I was pretty much exclusively playing guitar at that point, only picking up the bass when I needed to record it. It's somewhat different these days though - my writing's been going through a somewhat fallow patch for the last 18 months or so, and I'm rusty as feck when I pick up a guitar now! I messed around with keyboards a bit in the 80s but never really developed any proficiency to speak of. Jon.

That's a [i]hell[/i] of a lot of money for a badly made, bodged-together piece of crap like that. Jon.

Chancellor, James, Zender, Myung were all 90s (Mike Dirnt's technically 80s!) - and I saw Muse supporting Skunk Anansie in 1999... Tricky decade so far, there have been some great new bands, but no bassist has yet made much of an impression on me. I was going to say Martin Mendez from Opeth - but he first recorded with them in '99. /Gives up. Jon.

That is stupid cheap, though - you could take it to bits & make a profit flogging the parts... Not that I'd ever do any such thing... Jon.

I quite like the ornate-ness & attention to detail, this sort of thing is not what fashion dictates that basses should look like - and that's +1 for me. I don't like the fact that the photos are so busy showing the fancy inlays that you can't tell with any certainty what [i]shape[/i] it actually is! And no pictures of the back. At all. I'd also concur that this is not a £500 bass - £200 and under would be fine - this is a generic no-name, made in China/Indonesia/wherever cheapo under all the ostentatiousness. This has way more class, imo, and is significantly cheaper, shame about the crap pics, but these are stunning in the flesh: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200206165395"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200206165395[/url] Jon.

This topic came up a couple of months ago - there were some good tips for DIYers: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9776"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9776[/url] Still haven't done my Peavey 5 yet... one thing at a time. Jon.

Geddy Lee (Rush) Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper Group) Jean Jacques Burnel (Stranglers) Lemmy (Motorhead) Steven Severin (Siouxsie & The Banshees)

Go on & post it anyway - we don't see too many Vantages in the U of K. There's a few other things, starting with the obligatory Thestone Wunders: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290206943503"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=290206943503[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280207695161"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280207695161[/url] A lovely neckthrough Washburn Hawk series: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180222149248"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=180222149248[/url] Another lovely Washburn - this time a Force 8: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280207043391"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280207043391[/url] Now this is really odd, I've never seen one of these before. Shame it's so expensive - a Riverhead Phantom (nearly) headless: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270218354664"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=270218354664[/url] Aria Pro II RSB Performer - £120 Buy It Now. Well, what are you waiting for? Do what the nice man says... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280207941719"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280207941719[/url] Franconia Jazz - I had one of these a few months back - not entirely sold on the idea it's Japanese - the construction materials say Korean to me. Anyway, £100 BIN, it would be better at the £75 start: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190205694320"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=190205694320[/url] "50s/60s Fender Jazz" - Yeah right. The neck at least - and probably most of the rest of it - is from a Fujigen or Matsumoku, mid 70s. Both factories used the 3-piece construction with a quarter-sawn centre section. The £200 start is, frankly, ridiculous: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130205070914"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=130205070914[/url] And finally, an Aria STB-GT. This one's not a JapCrap, but I love these, gorgeous Precision/Ray hybrid, and a future KoreaDiarrhoea classic: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200206165395"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200206165395[/url] J.

[quote name='barneythedog' post='154065' date='Mar 9 2008, 06:11 PM']Jon, have you any ideas on [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290212327891&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019"]this[/url] (in my neck of the woods with this one ) ? It doesn't actually say it's Jap, but it looks quite tasty[/quote]Hard to say, really, the pic's not very clear, but I'm inclined to think it probably is Japanese. The block inlay rosewood necks don't appear on much other than 70s JapCrap, also it looks like it has the little cast-button tuners you see on many a 70s MIJ bass, and I think that's a truss rod aperture with its chrome cover missing... He's put a new scratchplate on, the original would have been tort, and it's also had ashtrays at some point. So at a guess, this is likely a French importer's equivalent to a Columbus, or similar 70s UK brand. Probably made by Maya/Rokkoman, almost certainly a ply body hidden by the black-edged sunburst. It's not bad, but don't pay too much. Might be worth asking the seller to mail you a few more pics. Jono - I think £150's a bit over the top for a no-name, no real description P copy, might not even be Japanese. I'd have the same reservations about the body of this that I expressed about the Jazz copy. Jon.

AKA Jon, who is currently bemused at failing to notice this thread nearly a year ago, and reeling violently towards shock-induced panic at the realisation that come May of this year, he will have been attempting to play the Electric Bass Guitar for thirty years. A self-proclaimed "depressed optimist" Jon shows disturbing signs of compulsive behavioural archetypes, which manifest themselves in a number of ways, most of which are unsuitable for discussion on a family-friendly forum. One particular trait is his voracious hoarding of what he mock-disparagingly describes as JapCrap - a class of musical instruments ordinarily manufactured in Japan in the 1970s and 1980s, Jon seems to feel he has some kind of mission to preach the questionable "virtues" of these instruments, a role he performs with a near-religious manic fervour. The BC community tolerates this eccentricity in the sort of way a kindly passer-by might tolerate a gin-soaked tramp, reeking of stale piss & vomit, trying pathetically to sing and dance in the hope of being tossed enough loose change for a fresh bottle of white spirit. Jon is a founder member and co-composer in Maya29, an original rock/prog/metal/goth/covers/occasional Rush tribute/freeform jazz band, his roles being bassist/backing vocals, recording/mixing/mastering engineer, artwork & website designer. Maya29 have played numerous gigs in the UK, Ireland & Europe over the past 7 or so years, and not one single band member, past or present, has ever got laid as a result. Jon is looking forward to a secure future as a drunken, piss-soaked tramp, shouting at disgusted passers-by, because he cannot dance. J.