noelk27

The SB30 was the single pickup version. The SB50 was the two pickup version. Modelled along the lines of Gibson Les Paul basses. These were only in production for a short time, between '72 and '74. The 30 went out of production at some point in late '73. Not played a 30, but the 50's I've had my hands on have not been good basses - heavy bodies (even though one had half its back hollowed out for electrics), narrow touchboard/deep neck, and muddy, unfocused pickups. Can't recall what the last one up for sale here went for, but in Japan sell for Y30,000 to Y50,000.

Certainly deserves the tag "new old stock" if what it says is true.

If I didn't already have two - APII SB-R150: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARIA-PRO-II-4-STRING-BASE-GUITAR-HARD-CASE-/271033707072?_trksid=p4340.m1986&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29%26meid%3D1352794513517217331%26pid%3D100013%26prg%3D1013%26rk%3D2%26#ht_500wt_1290

It's easy to forget, because the focus of the international media moves on, but there are still various restrictions in place for businesses based in Japan, even more for the ones trading internationally, since the tsunami of 2011 - on opening hours, haulage, and shipping. That aside, July and August are traditional vacation times, when people try to get out of the likes of Tokyo due to high temperatures and humidity - a situation, no doubt, magnified this year due to the power rationing during peak periods. As for it being 2012, and nothing ever really closing, Ishibashi closes its stores around two hours earlier than it used to.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1344845763' post='1769872']I think they're like squier[/quote] Oh yeah, Squier. Remember them. Dopes couldn't spell. I mean, how stupid do you need to be to get your own name wrong? Nole

I f*ckin' hate Teles. The most agricutural guitar you can ever have the misfortune to play. Use a few SGs. Although those are always made by Yamaha.

[quote name='philw' timestamp='1344794921' post='1769235']Hmm, so many colours, so little time.... Think I'll stop at blue and orange ...[/quote] Oh, go on, get a magenta one. You know you want to!

It's lawsuit period. Definitely lawsuit period. Absolutely no doubt about it, lawsuit. Although which laws and which suit I've no idea. Laws of natural and three button, maybe.

[quote name='philw' timestamp='1344786294' post='1769098']My other one is blue. ... I think there was a tobacco burst version, but they're a bit hen's teeth.[/quote] There were a few versions of the body shape also. The version which you have (also the same as mine) with the scroll cutaway came first, and then there was the version with the horn cutaway (and two pickups). My problem always is I can't recall which shape came in which colours. The scroll version I remember seeing in the blue, amber (orange) and jade bursts and (yellow) natural, and the later horn cutaway version in solid black, (yellow) natural, magenta burst and antique sunburst.

I see a blue one every day. Just wish Yamaha had made these in a few other colours.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1344719570' post='1768469']I hate my sister. Really hate her with a vengeance. She threw away my vinyl player that did 16.67. Imagine! Never ever seen another one that did that.[/quote] My old Ferguson Garrard LS Mk I plays 78, 45, 33.33 and 16.67. You slowed your LPs down? I sped mine up!

Have no opinion as to whether my guitar playing makes my bass playing better/worse, or whether my bass playing makes my guitar playing better/worse. That said, think that being able to play guitar, bass, drums and keys makes me a better songwriter, and song writing is the only reason that I do anything music related. So, didn't vote, as none of the options fit for me.

[quote name='ChorltonV' timestamp='1344417974' post='1764039']I know this model is put together in Indonesia using American parts[/quote] No American made parts, just parts made with American moulds/specs. SB2 is a good bass. Like a few others, my vote goes for the El Toro.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1344674759' post='1767770']can you do a happy birthday to a man that is dead..??? just sayin'[/quote] Celebrating the anniversary of someone's birth, even after the person has died? Of course, we do it all the time, and not just for religious festivals. Being Scots, Burn's night immediately springs to mind.

Seems no one plays 33.33 at 45 any more. Must be getting old.

Mail order business model. It really is that simple to explain. No high street stores. No distributor. Didn't have anywhere you could "try before you buy". Did offer a money back "satisfaction" guarantee, but just how much use to you is that when you're in the UK, and you've had to shell out for international postage and duties/taxes just to try one out? Not that it would have mattered, as it didn't ship outside of the US. Then it did, but only if the order was over a base price. Seems it's now rethinking that approach, but can't see it getting any significant market share now that it's lost its main selling angle - that with no distribution costs it's cheaper for the purchaser than its competition.

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1344416048' post='1764006']don't understand why any one with a minimum of knowledge would put a 2k+ bass for 799... seems a bit too good to be true....[/quote] Looks identical to the one that was for sale in GuitarGuitar, in Edinburgh, and it was priced at £849, including a generic hardcase.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1344638564' post='1767599']where you find that?! the barras?[/quote] In Kisarazu (Japan).

For my '83 El Toro and '80 Sabre ... Oh, and the Strat and Jazz in my studio are also pretty good for being over 45 years old.

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1344335426' post='1762864']And anyway, you can spend £1000 on a new USA Jazz ...... or between £500 and £800 on one which is 1 to 10 years old in decent nick. I am unconvinced that you would be better spending an additional £1K or £2K on a bass that is 20 or 30 years old.[/quote] I've played a lot of Fender basses, Precision and Jazz, over the years, and been ambivalent to their sound. I've owned a few also, and while I could say that I've enjoyed using the likes of an 80s Precision Special and an Elite 2, I'd not found anything remarkable about the '72 Jazz and '77 Precision, the Fender basses I held on to longest, so none survived in my collection for more than a few years. That changed around a year ago when I purchased a '66 Jazz, which had its original pickups and pots, although none of its original hardware or finish (body; neck finish was still original, and heavily worn). Sounded resonant and full played acoustically. Sounded even better plugged in. Having it refurbished and refinished was, possibly, taking a bit of a risk given that it sounded as good, but it needed new frets, and the "bespoke" finish was horrendous, and in time would have driven me to distraction. Now, it looks as good as it sounds, and I consider it exceptionally good value for the money - £1,800 all in. I'd consider it exceptionally good value at twice the price.

Isn't this how credit default swaps work?

[quote name='Ghost Rider' timestamp='1344555500' post='1766529']I have watched this "MDP" on eBay for a while with his crazy Guitar fixing antics but has nobody thought that he may have a slate off?[/quote] If only it were that simple.

Jack Bruce, Geddy Lee, Lemmy, etc, etc.

And it's got one of those really exotic nyatoh mahogany necks (even if nyatoh isn't actually in the mahogany family). But hey, at least he isn't claiming the body is mahogany this time. In the world of MDP that's a development of seismic proportions.