noelk27

Corvo for leather.

Well, Badass invented the aftermarket bridge, err, market, so it had a vested interest in convincing the public of the benefits of high mass. Can't say I've ever noticed an aftermarket bridge making any significant improvement to sound.

Browsed it when it was on eBay. Didn't believe the seller's story about it being a prototype. Thought it looked as though the headstock had been reshaped. The original TSB had a four-in-line tuner arrangement, like this. Generally, the headstock is similar - the little kick before the "E" tuner is right, as is the truss rod cover - but you'd expect to see a rounder end to the headstock. Is the neck 32" scale?

Attached are shots of the cavity of an SB700, dating to '79. Four wires to the mini-toggle switch, etc, etc. When translated, in the Japanese language catalogue for '78/'79, Aria described the switch as a "sprit" switch and described its function as "coil cut". Stacked controls aside, things didn't change between the time of the 700 and Elite I. Edited to add a shot of the cavity of an SB600, dating to '85.

Yes, it is an MB-II in your R60. There were three versions of the MB-II over the time it was in production, but a bass dating to '82 probably has a late first version installed, although if it was made late in '82 possibly an early second version. Here, though, is where I'm getting confused. You seem to be suggesting that the schematic on the GF site doesn't relate to your R60, but I think you're reading it wrong. Take the 700, like the R60, this had four wires running from the pickup to the poles on the mini-toggle switch. That was the same for the first, '78, as it was for the final, '86, versions of the 700. I'm also confused by the suggestion that the mini-toggle switch has three operative positions, not two. The standard "dual sound" switch installed, on the likes of the 700 and R60, was what Aria originally called a "sprit" switch (aka coil tap). When Aria refer to "bright" (up) it means single, and when it refers to "deep" (down) in means double. The other "dual sound" switch Aria installed, on the likes of the 900 and R80, was a "phase" switch. For this switch, down was labelled "normal", and was "phase in", whereas up was labelled "reverse", and was "phase out".

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1341605114' post='1721825']Wonder if this is the other half [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRECISION-BASS-PBASS-ELECTRIC-BODY-red-pointy-pointed-ibanez-vintage-/390437255363?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item5ae7dfb8c3"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item5ae7dfb8c3[/url][/quote] First photo is of a bass body, but all the others are of another neck, also badged "Fender". The plot thickens.

Well, the HM/HMT basses had an overhang, as did some of the Plus models, but those were all 22-fret necks. The likes of the HM/HMT models also had small tuners, but those were all three screw fixed. Given how badly aligned the holes for the tuning pegs are, as well as the holes for the tuner backplates, I'd say it's neither fish nor fowl. Neither a Fender nor Squier. It's getting to be the easiest explanation for the con, saying the "fake" Fender neck started life as a Squier, when it's just fake, period.

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1341525217' post='1720634']Fretless not punk.[/quote] Jah Wobble/PIL

"Ponk Ponk" would be better than the mush masquerading as bass to be heard on the current Garbage tour.

[quote name='Lorne' timestamp='1341358305' post='1717840']Because I've never owned this one I've had 8 of them great basses, I'm not after this one though[/quote] Like me and Yamaha BB's. Currently holding 30+ and looking for more!

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1341338528' post='1717368']When I see something like this on ebay I always wonder WHY they dont put it in a specialist Auction if it's genuine.[/quote] Fees and sales taxes. Ebay's and PayPal's fees are capped and taxes at standard rate.

I must be missing something ... It's rare because?

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1341281185' post='1716385']That's interesting, I always thought they were a manufacturing company like Fender for example.[/quote] It's very common, in Japan, for retail or distribution companies to own or create brand names, and then to engage manufacturing facilities to build using that name. Hoshino Gakki started out as the import/export division of a bookstore, which branched out into importing guitars, among which Salvador Ibanez from Spain, before buying the Salvador Ibanez brand name. This became Ibanez and, over time, Hoshino has engaged Ida Gakki, Terada (operating the Kanie, Higashiku and Shirakawa facilities), Dyna Gakki, Samick and Fujigen Gakki, to build Ibanez branded guitars. Those are just the main facilities in Japan Hoshino has used.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1341265214' post='1716225'][I]t's MOSTLY only their guitars that actually have a big Ibanez logo on for some reason [/quote] On some ranges, perhaps, but many of the guitar lines are treated in the same way as the basses. Anyway, Ibanez is a brand name, not a manufacturer. If you examine the brand and how Hoshino Gakki has operated since the 80s, the ideas for certain designs/models are conceived in-house but the majority are bought in (AFR/Affirma for example). The "by Ibanez" legend appears to have been adopted simply to assist customers recognising Hoshino products.

The Trades Descriptions Act 1968 (cap 29), sec 36(1), is the relevant legislation. Therein it is stated, under the heading "Country of origin", that, "[f]or the purposes of this Act goods shall be deemed to have been manufactured or produced in the country in which they last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change." A significant body of case law exists, and my advice to the OP would be that the sanding, finishing and assembly to which he refers arguable does not meet the "substantial change" test, in that the CNC'd bodies and necks produced overseas are still, after all processing, CNC'd bodies and necks. Should any BCer have complaint with product purchased from the OP's company they should address the matter to Trading Standards local to the OP's registered business address.

What's your definition of "jangly"? For me, I'd be thinking something Strat style set between bridge and centre pickups, not something 335 style (particularly not one with 'buckers). You could look at wiring coil taps for the 'buckers in your Gio. If you're seriously wanting something hollow bodied, try to get something without centre blocks and built with maple. Not science, but the more chamber you've got, the lighter the woods, the thinner sounding the pickups, the janglier it gets.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1341226684' post='1715297']How did I do?[/quote] It's an AKAI "Project Nineteen Ninety-Seven". Both guitar and bass versions were available, when launched in '97/'98, but very few were ever produced. Made in Japan, this is one of the very few that had the digital effects circuit on-board, and is also finished in the least common colour. It, and its guitar twin, reside in my collection.

This ...

On second thoughts I'll not give voice to my first thought.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1340959761' post='1711956']4. Fretless bass - no mention of Jaco even in passing[/quote] "The [fretless] has had a bad rap, synonymous with overindulgence". Sounds like a reference to Jaco.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1340653667' post='1707702']Covers and thumb rest are [i]de rigeur[/i] on vintage instruments though, and add to their value. I'm not fussed, myself. [/quote] Always the first things I took off a bass, and chucked in the bin.