LeftyJ

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1352474021' post='1863560'] The alnico magnets were the ones that go in the original Stingray 4's. They started off putting in alnico pickups in the Stingray 5's when production started on them in 1988, but swapped to ceramic a few years later. The ceramics apparently give the bass a grittier, harsher tone but with the Ray preamp in there the difference to my ears is negligible. Ceramic magnets are cheaper to manufacture too apparently. [/quote] [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1352484300' post='1863770'] Yep what risingson said The Alnico has a darker moodier edge to my ears, if I am doing something upbeat and poppy I'd go for the ceramic, the ceramic is easier to settle into the mix too ime. I like both and could finish my gigging days with either [/quote] OK, then I think my SR5 suits me best the way it is now. I play in a modern female-fronted metal band and prefer an agressive and tight tone with a slight midscoop and sharp attack, and my SR5 works great for that

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1352418623' post='1862955'] I have an Alnico equipped 2010 and a last of the Ceramic pickup 2007, love em both in their own ways! They really can do everything or at least everything I have ever needed Enjoy [/quote] Cool! Can you elaborate a little about the sonic differences? I have a 2003/2004 model so I guess it must be ceramic too? How do the two compare?

[quote name='andypowe11' timestamp='1351897015' post='1856834'] @LeftyJ, One other thing... if you look at the image top right on the 1981 catalog page that I refered to above - see [url="http://s93105080.onlinehome.us/Ibanez-Catalogs/catalog/1981/12.jpg"]http://s93105080.onl...log/1981/12.jpg[/url] immediately above "24-fret models" - you'll note that the fretboard on that bass is also very dark. That said, the bodywork on that bass doesn't seem to fit other Roadster models on that page so this image might well be a red herring ?? [/quote] The picture in the catalog you're referring to is of an Ibanez Studio bass. The only thing it has in common with the Roadster is its bodyshape. I agree with FlatEric, it looks like a custom job. I noticed the truss rod cover too. Whoever did it did a nice job though.

I had to replace the jack on my first TRB once as well. At some point it just wouldn't properly make contact anymore and I would briefly lose my signal once in a while. I'm not a fan of those enclosed jack buses. If it keeps spinning, check if the original rubber ring on the outside and the toothed bushing on the inside of the cavity are still in place. Those should squeeze the jack in place when tightened.

Cool! I picked one up for a friend recently and had it stay at my place for two weeks before I was able to get it to him and played around a bit on it. I'm lefthanded and the bass was not, but still I got a pretty good feel of what it's like. I really liked it, it's light, has a great neck, and even with the passive electronics you can get a huge range of tones out of it thanks to those two push-push pots that split the humbuckers. Great instruments, very much underappreciated. I really have a thing for old MIJ Ibanez stuff. I have two Musicians, a Roadster and two early ATK's and all of them are fantastic basses in their own way.

It does look like one of those Squiers indeed, with the black fingerboard without position markers (ebonol on the Squier Active Deluxe Jazz Bass). Most of the modifications done to it aren't too hard or expensive, except maybe the 12th fret position marker and the dot at the 5th fret, so who knows. The Squier might actually be 'worth it' (i.e. you don't go about investing hundreds of Pounds in upgrading a bass that originally cost close to nothing and is basically a turd. Those Squiers are actually pretty nice). - front routing added to accommodate the control plate; - pickguard added; - black hardware instead of the regular chrome; - position marker added on 5th and 12th position; - Fender-logo added.

Could you post some pictures? I'm a bit of a vintage Ibanez nut and your post made me curious. As far as I know, no Roadsters were made with any other fingerboard wood than maple. This includes the fretless versions. So if the one you're selling has a darker fingerboard, it may have been modified by a luthier which in turn may have some effect on the (collectors) value of the bass.

Cool thread! I've owned two Japanese lefty TRB5II's, one in amberburst and one in transparent blue, and they were great instruments. Very comfortable, very tough, incredibly versatile and they sounded great. The only thing was the trimpots in the control cavity had me puzzled for a long time before I finally found out what they did: the humbuckers operate as singlecoils with a humcancelling phantom coil, and with the trimpots you could control the output level of the phantom coils. Turning them up fully, the pickups would operate as full humbuckers. Turning them all the way down, they would just operate as phantom coils. Cool feature! Its effect on the tone of the instrument was subtle, yet definitely audible. Really cool basses! I should have kept the amberburst one. It was my first serious bass, after playing on an old plywood Condor Jazzbass-copy for a short while to find out if bass was my cup of tea at all and I absolutely loved every bit of it.

That headstock and the very short body horns make me think of a Westone Spectrum. Don't know which one, can't get a clear view of the body. Edit: At 2:06 I see a pickguard and a regular splitcoil pickup. That rules out a stock Westone Spectrum. Might be customized though.

When I saw the control layout at 2:44, it struck me this must be a slaughtered Ibanez MC924!

Too bad they don't include the Bullet. I've always liked those, they look great and are very comfortable. I've had a Bullet 5 fretless for some years. [IMG]http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f74/de_slager/my_custom_sandberg1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f74/de_slager/my_custom_sandberg2.jpg[/IMG]

Yes, I know Trujillo didn't comission the refin and modifications. I'm not a fan of either Pastorius or Metallica, and while I do applaud the fact the bass is still being played rather than locked away in a museum, I too think its current use is somewhat inglorious. Was the bass returned to the Pastorius family yet?

It gets a lot worse. You know what this is? It once looked like this:

[quote name='HADGE' timestamp='1349783753' post='1830394'] [b]Forgot to say a special thank you to lefty for telling me about a ricky on gumtree ,i bought it and the guy gave me the bill of sale for over £1400 and told me he only played it 3 times and i believe him because its that good so thanks lefty i owe you one mate.[/b] [/quote] Cheers man, you're welcome! Glad you like it. That price was an absolute steal compared to what these usually fetch! 799 for a lefty is really really cheap, considering their rarity and having been out of production since 2010.