noelk27

There was one of these on sale here last year. (In fact, I think there were two!)

Disappointing ... Thanks for bursting my bubble, Cetera (lol).

[quote name='Bassassin' post='746345' date='Feb 15 2010, 07:25 PM']Apropos of nothing, early Matsumoku serials, eg on the "Steel Adjustable Neck" plates, appear to be random & not dateable.[/quote] Yea, if there is a key to the code for deciphering 70s and 80s APII serial numbers then it has been lost to the mists of time. (Although I could have tried to say that in less prosaic terms!)

I don't know much, but when it comes to Aria and strings I've got no need to resort to Google.

Six digit serial numbers date from the 70s, covering '71 through '80. Seven digit serial numbers date from the 80s, covering the period '81 through '90. The first digit gives the year. Yours is a seven digit, starting 7, making it a 1987. There weren't many models in the XRB series, but what ones were manufactured appeared between '87 and '89. To the best of my knowledge these were manufactured in Japan, although Aria did move a large portion of its production to Korean at this time, '87 onwards.

The CAT Bass was the final iteration of the second version of the RSB (Rev Sound) series. Before being branded as The CAT, the series had also been known as Rock Solid. By way of dates, the first version of the RSB series appeared in 1979, the second version in 1983, and The CAT in 1986. There were a number of The CAT models, utilising either P/J or J/J configurations, and passive or active electronics (the active models featuring bypass switching as opposed to the phase reverse switching of the earlier RSB models), one volume and one tone control, with a three-position pickup toggle switch. Bodies were mostly alder or basewood, with maple necks and rosewood touchboards. I owned an active The CAT model, which was a solid if unremarkable performer, although a comfortable bass to use with a slim, fast neck. The sound was less characterful than previous RSB and other APII models - not having the mid range focus that you'd associate with earlier APII models.

If I were you I'd just buy the Tribute. I say that as someone who has owned G&L product manufactured in the USA, Japan and Korea. These days, it's pretty much only snobbery that has someone opting for US product, unless they have a custom option that only G&L USA can provide. So much more flexible than an MM SR5. There'll be a little decision paralysis when you first start out playing it though, but with a little time you work out which tonal options work best for your sound.

[quote name='thebeat' post='742988' date='Feb 12 2010, 12:34 PM']Wel,l if there [i][b]was[/b][/i] something wrong with the original design, it took him bloody long enough to realise it. I'm another who thinks the 'bent piece of tin' does the job just fine ...[/quote] Well, CLF's original concept for both the Precision and StingRay was through body anchoring, where the bridge assembly simply provides a contact point. It was the intervention of other designers and mass production economics that altered that original concept in both cases. It wasn't until the MM Sabre that CLF pursued a high mass bridge concept, a design that also facilitated saddle locking. Most people are more familiar with this design on G&L instruments. As to whether CLF's own high mass bridge design is better than the "bent piece of tin" is debatable - certainly it has advantages, but whether there is any measurable increase in sustain/performance is difficult to say. Certainly there is a perceptible difference between through body and bridge anchoring. But my main issue with the bent piece of tin, and any bridge where strings are run through a hole, is the damage these cause when restringing. Abrading the surface of a new string when pulling it through a bridge does more to diminish the performance of the string than initial play use does. That's why I favour quick release bridge designs, and regard that as a far more significant consideration when selecting a replacement bridge.

After a lot of thought I'm going to advertise a Stuart Spector Design NS4, high-gloss clear finish, for sale. Soft maple body, Hard maple neck, Pau Ferro touchboard, Abalone inlays, EMG P/J pickups, Gold-plated SSD/Gotoh hardware. Manufactured in Woodstock, USA, with a build date that places it in 1993, the bass would be supplied with the original SSD hardcase, manufacturer’s literature, etc. Excellent condition as this has been kept for studio use only. My question: what should I be asking price-wise? My initial thought was offers over £3,500, but I've no idea as to current market value. Any thoughts?

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='743357' date='Feb 12 2010, 06:14 PM']I see the children have been eating the blue smarties again[/quote] Peanut M&Ms, surely, in honour of our American cousin.

No one has mentioned what instruments they used, but my Guild B50 doesn't struggle in this sort of situation. Then again, solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides, and at 18" across and 7" deep, there's plenty of chamber there to generate volume naturally. As for upright players, most I've seen don't resort to any form of amplification when busking.

Lo-Riders also have a slightly hotter output than Sunbeams. I purchased a number of sets of Lo-Riders and Hi-Beams at the end of last year and, although I didn't experience getting the wrong set in the wrong packaging, one of the sets of Lo-Riders sounded dull and didn't sustain, as I'd expect. Checking the manufacture date this was in the same window as all the other sets, and I put the issue down to manufacturing/quality control.

Ford Cougar (which uses the older Mondeo floor plate - and has a smaller cabin but a larger boot), and I can get one in, along with a combo. Place pretty much as already described: body behind front passenger's seat, placed diagonally, on its back - combo goes behind the driver's seat, with all the accessories in the other free boot corner. Keep three old duvets in the boot for protecting and stabilising gear.

EZ Drummer is pretty limited, but relatively inexpensive. The original Superior and Superior 2 are much better. But the best of these drummer in a box packages has to be FXpansion's BFD 2, in terms of original drum samples and level of sound manipulation.

Recently acquired a Boss BF2B from Shep. A hassle-free transaction, characterised by excellent communications. Would certainly deal with this BassChatter again. Cheers!

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='692631' date='Dec 23 2009, 10:13 PM']... I would advise you match the mic to your vocal qualities ...[/quote] Sound advice, irrespective of the price-point of the mic.

Yamaha's BB series, you can't really go wrong. The P/J configuration of the current 414/614 first appeared on the 3000. Earlier models, such as the 1200 and 2000 featured a reversed P pickup. Much prefer passive basses, but the 614 has both the BB heritage, and tone circuitry based on the TRB series. I'd say "super bass", but that's a whole other series!

Yip, loosen then tighten. And just make a minimal adjustment, retune, and then leave the thing to settle before making another adjustment.

Aria Pro II also did the WL series (circa '85), its version of the cricket bat, and a headless version of the SB series (circa '93). Neither model stayed in its catalogue for very long.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='692246' date='Dec 23 2009, 12:23 PM']Is this a typical price for an Aria Pro II SG R80? ... £595 starting bid, £685 BIN.[/quote] BIN is £645. Personally, think it's a little overpriced in the current market, as there's a lot more JapCrap, including SB models, coming up for sale on a regular basis. I do like how the seller asserts that you can identify it as a Matsumoku instrument by the recessed jack socket, which is b*ll*cks. Not every APII SB built up to '87 was built by Matsumoku, but all were built to the same specification. The only thing that identifies a Matsumoku as a Matsumoku is Matsumoku's own registration stamp/mark.

Started an '83 Fender Precision Special listing at 1p (because the listing was free).