Bassassin

...Which contains no actual explanation, so appears to be nothing but random rules-for-the-sake-of-rules. Gumtree's owned by Ebay, so wtf is the difference?

I like both, although I think the original 2x2 batwing was best! I like the 80s 4-a-side, always thought it was an elegant shape that complemented the body - but I might be biased because it was my first Aria. Shame the modern RSBs don't have quite the same shape, slightly spoils otherwise great-looking basses.

Trying to remember how many I've had - can't remember a single bad one, tbh. I've had 3x 80s MIJs - SQ and A-serial Precisions and an E-serial Strat, which I still have. 2x MIK - a Strat, I couldn't trace the s/n from, a bit lower-end as it had a ply body, but still a fine player. Then an E-serial Young-Chang built Bullet, which was proper lovely & regret selling. In relation to that it's worth mentioning I have a Fenix (Young-Chang) Strat, which apart from electronics & hardware, is the same thing as the Squiers from the same era. IMO it's a nicer player than the E-serial MIJ. And finally I did have an Indonesian VM fretless Jazz - another pretty much flawless stunner which I only sold because I got a different fretless & couldn't justify both. So - has anyone actually had a crap Squier?

Post it anyway. Then we might get a plausible explanation of why Gumtree & similar links aren't allowed. Been wondering, ever since they were banned.

I disagree. Most people would assume "Big Balls" is quite unambiguously referring to the size of Bon' Scott's testicles, whereas if you read the lyrics carefully, it's actually a celebration of joyous high society occasions involving revelry and dancing.

I've got an RSB and an SB Elite B&G (same as Cliff's) - they're the same shape. Apart from the headstock...

The biggest question is - what the hell's going on in someone's life when it's easier to list a hacked-up lump of scraggy plywood on Ebay than it is to lob it in a skip?

Odd that the topic header says "Aria RSB Deluxe 5 string" then, innit?

5er RSBs seem to be very rare - in fact the only one I ever saw in the flesh was a brand new example in the big Rose Morris shop in Denmark Street, shortly after it opened in 1980-something. First 5-string I remember seeing for sale, and of note to me as I'd recently bought an RSB Deluxe II. Did see one come up recently - can't remember where, although chances are it's the same de-fretted one the OP saw.

For a home-built bass that the seller is quite openly describing as a luthiery practice project, this is interesting, well thought out and actually attractive. Not going to be buying but I do like it.

Grants Music was clearly a distributor as well as a retailer - how do I know this? I bought my Grant-branded nasty shortscale starter bass brand-new, from Unisound Music in Chatham, Kent. Unisound, along with other local music shops stocked a range of Grant-branded guitars & basses, so it's evident Grants had a dealer network to which they could have distributed other brands they dealt with. I think it's reasonable to think they might have been sole UK importer for Odyssey Guitars, and if other evidence points to Scotland that would support that idea.

With the average-but-OK open-back 'phones I use with my lappy, it's audible all the way from 21Hz (with the volume cranked) until it disappears into my tinnitus at 12kHz. What's odd is if I just let the test run, I don't hear it above 12kHz, but if I manually drag it back (causing the audio to pause), then I can hear it up to about 15. Might try it with some decent studio cans tomorrow.

That's this guy again. Check his completed listings, he's a serial offender. Hurts guitars, too.

Sold for £240, it seems. So £150 used Squier VMJ + £10 can of B&Q nursery paint = £80 profit. Sound.

As I've been "fingered" as @FlatEric's co-conspirator in this thread - and I encouraged him to start it - I probably should chime in! I don't own an Odyssey (and don't seriously expect or want Eric to give/sell/trade me one of his!) but find these stunning instruments. I've told the story a number of times about spotting one on my local Gumtree (only a guitar, don't worry!) for £30, while I was away from home, and it inevitably having just sold when I got back. It was priced like that because it was a bit neglected, and the seller assumed it was "some cheap old Japanese thing". Anyway, I kept the pics, just to sob over: I only hope whoever picked this up knew what it was & restored it, as I would have. And maybe gave the fella an extra tenner... Anyway - what's interesting (to some) and runs the risk of dragging Eric's thread off-topic before it even properly begins, is that, MIJ nerd that I am, it has come to my attention that back in t'day, when it were all just trees - there were in fact Japanese copies of the Odyssey basses & guitars. These were made by the Moridaira company and sold under their prestigious HS Anderson brand, just like Prince's MadCat Tele copy wasn't: That's probably enough MIJ picspam, particularly considering this is meant to be a thread about Canadian basses. These are based on the Mk II Odysseys, which have a revised bodyshape from the original. I'm sure Eric will post a pic or two of his other Odyssey for comparison. Have I mentioned before that I've wondered if the reason I have GAS for one is because "Atilla Balogh Odyssey" sounds like it should be a prog concept album? Probably...

...

Now you come to mention it - I'd say it's exactly the same shape. Chances are it's a generic style Samick used for all their Fender-derived designs at the time. I'd bet money that the gold sticker on the neckplate is a Samick model number too. There are Hondo-branded Samick LP copies with a German carve around the edge. Wouldn't be remotely surprised if it turned out this same bass was sold with other brand names.

Never seen one of these before - very interesting, cool looking thing with quality parts. I'm a sucker for a German carve, too bad it's just a 1x P, would be sorely tempted if it was a P/J...

Strongly suspect it's a Squier VMJ with a new scratchplate & a set of Strat knobs, as well as the Halfords refin.

Loving the attention to detail, like being too lazy to remove the ferrules when you rattlecan the headstock! Plus, a refin's always improved by some twonk taking a belt sander to it, right?

The pics are rubbish - can't really work out what's going on. Is the acrylic bit the neck/fretboard & tuner assembly, and the body's a strip of aluminium bent to the vague shape of an ugly guitar? Looks like an interesting concept that's unattractively & shoddily executed. Speaking as someone who's typically drawn inexorably towards see-through things that light up in the dark, I will make an exception for this.

Oh no, not him again! FWIW it is - or was - an MC824. 24 frets.

Atilla Balogh was a Canadian luthier & part of Odyssey Guitars. His basses & guitars were made in the late 70s/early 80s, in fairly small quantities, but had international distribution. http://jedistar.com/odyssey/ The fact that Grant's in Edinburgh sold them (which I didn't know) helps explain how a tatty example of an Odyssey guitar turned up on Edinburgh Gumtree a few years ago, for £25. The seller thought it was "some cheap Japanese thing". I missed it. The MIJ Odyssey copy was made by Moridaira Gakki, a manufacturer whose house-brand was the fairly well known Morris brand, but who also built 70s/early 80s Hohners, Lotus (in the US) and HS Anderson, amongst others. They're best known for making Prince's Hohner-branded MadCat Telecaster copy. I suspect the Odyssey copies are rarer than the real things.

Absolutely loved Blood Sugar and it was a massive part of the soundtrack of my life in the mid 90s. As someone who was quite fixated with slap in the 80s, and tried to incorporate it into the rock bands I played in at the time, to hear Flea doing what I'd tried to accomplish so incredibly well was quite inspirational. Never really connected with anything the Chilis did after Blood Sugar, they seem to meander between over-commercialised and self-parody these days. Was going to say exactly that - phenomenal playing and a great contribution to a mind-meltingly creative concept album. Really miss The Mars Volta.

Actually no - the GOBs would have been Fujigen, same factory that did Ibanez & later, MIJ Fenders. The GOBs always struck me as being a variation on the Ibanez Musician design. Crossover between 70s & 80s Greco & Ibanez models & designs was quite common, as they shared the same manufacturer. Fight you for it! I've only ever seen these pics, which turned up on a FB group devoted to Moridaira instruments. There are also pics of a guitar version - both of them sold under Moridaira's high-end HS Anderson sub-brand: The bass has a model number - HS-OSBii - on its 24th fret inlay.