Bassassin

It might do. But it's not. There's some speculation these might have been Japanese-made but there appears to be no supporting evidence beyond 'stripy = Matsumoku'. Which is, of course, nonsense.

I kind of like it, nice to see a body style that owes nothing to anything else (that I've seen, at least) and it looks like it's been well done. Wouldn't pay £400 though.

It's a Camac, made by Eko in Italy. It's a blinged-up variation of Eko's BX series. These were 80s (obviously!) & very influenced by the styles of the time https://www.fetishguitars.com/eko/eko-the-final-years/eko-camac/ Brandoni Guitars in Wembley bought up all of Eko's old stock when they closed, and interestingly still have these advertised as in stock, either as neck/body or fully built bass. This one's probably a Brandoni bass, as it doesn't look 30+ years old. Should mention that I'd rather like one of these...

Was front row at a Steven Wilson gig a few years ago, right in front of Nick Beggs, which was nice. At the end he lobbed a handful of pluctrums at me (not sure if it was in appreciation or irritation) - I was minded to chuck them back at him, but I never. Think I've got three of them somewhere.

The one with the best aerodynamic properties, if it has canards to generate additional lift that would be an advantage.

What's this then - Stunt Bass Olympics?

If you can post clear, detailed pics that would be very helpful. I have not seen a Suzuki-branded Rick copy before, so it would be good to get a look at yours. There were actually two separate manufacturers called Suzuki, although established by the same family - Grand Suzuki was a brand of Kiso Suzuki Violin. Best known for acoustics, like many factories they produced good-quality electric guitars & basses during the 70s & 80s. If you use FaceBook, this is a great group for Rick copy enthusiasts, and they'd be fascinated to see another new brand/manufacturer of these come to light. https://www.facebook.com/groups/78514186083

These days, if you say you're a vegan you'll get arrested and thrown in jail.

Yeah, but Status or Warwick?

And still doesn't appear to have any clear or verifiable connection to either Mr Stevens or Warwick other than a sticker and err... nothing.

It's snobbery based on the fact budget instruments were typically plywood. Curiously, it's much less common now, your £100-odd (well, pre Br*x*t they were) Harley Bentons & such will tend to have solid timber bodies. On the whole your neck, pickups, bridge & strings don't give a stuffed rat what the plank underneath them's made of. 'Tonewood' zealot outrage incoming...

That's a stunner, always had a bit of GAS for one of these, having had an RSB Deluxe II from new - my first Matsumoku, sem-retired now due to incurable corkscrew neck syndrome. Big fan of the control flexibility on my RSB, which has the same setup as the SB Special - the most versatile passive bass I'd heard until I played a Peavey T40. I've heard the 'only 1000 made' suggestion but I'm a bit doubtful - they're reasonably common of you regularly peruse Ebay listings, in fact I'd say a bit more so than RSBs.

I think it's a consequence of a composer having an idea they really like, but which lacks the substance to be developed into a full/good song. I should know, I do it all the time. Accidental prog...

That's amazing for all the wrong reasons. Could almost have been me, after I worked out how Mark King did that machine-gun triplets thing. Assuming my next thought had been "wonder how I can make my bass sound like a box of springs & ball bearings being chucked down the stairs".

Quick Ebay search brings up plenty from sellers in China. You might have to wait a week or two but they're not exactly expensive! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JB-Jazz-Bass-Guitar-Bridge-Pickup-Cover-Protector-Silver-Plated/253110888255

You'll want Jazz bass specific covers - those are for a Precision. The bridge cover needs to be long enough to cover the pickup, and the neck unit is a little narrower as it doesn't have to cover a split pickup.

I can only assume this guy came into a substantial amount of money & decided to invest in vintage & rare guitars - have read he doesn't actually play. He's well-known for eye-watering pricing, especially among Yamaha SG fans, many of whom feel he's intentionally bought up a vast number of these guitars in order to deliberately inflate the prices. And succeeded, it seems. For that reason he's understandably not well-liked in sections of the vintage MIJ community. The only dealings with him I've had was after I posted on an SG collectors group about trying to find an 80s SG1500, had a bit of spare cash & I'd wanted one for 30-odd years. I was bombarded with pushy PMs trying to get me to part with £2500+ for one of the five that he owns! Eventually managed to find a nice one for about 1/4 of that price.

I was never a punk, but probably more into that music when I first started reading Sounds. Bushell's constant championing of what to me looked like skinhead thug bands, at a time when skinheads were best known for kicking the sh!t out of punks & anyone else they didn't like the look of, probably helped push me away from that scene. Was a relief when he cleared off to the redtop gutter press.

Agreed - in different ways they were the scene's breakthrough bands. However I was a Sounds reader pre-NWOBHM and I'd say the catalyst for the entire scene was a Geoff Barton review of a gig (not sure but probably at the Soho Soundhouse), featuring Maiden, Angel Witch and (I think) Samson. I'm pretty sure that review was where the term itself was coined. At the time Barton was pretty much the sole champion of metal in the otherwise agonisingly hip UK music press, and if you were in any way interested in the denim & leather side of music - as a fan or as a musician - Sounds was what you read. Sounds, and Radio 1's Friday Rock Show (TV on the radio!) became the focus of grassroots-level metal bands all over the UK and the coverage that Barton & Tommy Vance gave those bands created a UK-wide movement, of sorts. Bands like UFO, Priest, & Motorhead tend to get lumped in with the scene but weren't really part of it, although Motorhead's success & industry-outsider attitude made them seem closer to the grassroots bands. I was a fan as well as trying to get a band together at the time, in 1980 when the scene was properly happening it definitely felt like something you could be part of.

Thanks - and great detective work! For anyone with a passing interest in this stuff, the 'sold' gallery at https://best-vintage-guitars.de/sold.html is a great resource for comparisons, ID and (usually) accurate basic age/manufacturer info. The galleries for individual instruments are stunningly detailed too - an indispensible bookmark if you have any interest in old MIK/MIJ stuff.

One of those basses I always liked the look of but never got around to picking one up. Now I really wish I had - before MIJ/80s stuff became sought after these were going for under £100, like most other headless types. I think Westone was, initially at least, a Matsumoku house-brand, so good quality was pretty much guaranteed. One day I'd still like a Rail, Super Headless, Thunder II/III, Quantum...

Only two - bass & guitar - with anything approximating competence, and that's debatable. I can drum a bit, enough to work out parts that (I hope) sound like what a proper drummer would do. If I had time/opportunity/motivation I could probably get to a gig-able standard. Been noodling around on keyboards a bit recently for a recording project, first time in a lot of years, can still just about manage a simple right-hand melody & single note left. Helps if it's in C or Am, and I'd hardly call it 'playing'!

Who's going to tell him? (I am also the owner of a Kasuga.)

Forty Six & 2, from Ænima. Lovely, straightforward bass part - and who doesn't like a bit of genetic mutation before teatime?

The one I'd grab in a fire is this: It's a 1980-ish MIJ Jazz copy, branded CSL. This was a £60 pawn shop find which I'd intended to clean up, restring & flip for £100 profit, if I was lucky. Looked like this when I brought it home: When I sat down, tuned it up & played it, unmatching 20-year-old dead stings & all, I couldn't put it down. Simply the nicest bass I've ever played. I've had it around 17 years now and it's evolved to the point everything's changed apart from the neck, body & tuners. I have a frankly silly number of basses but it's my go-to, feels more 'right' than anything else I've ever played.