Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[BigRedX]

It's a Hondo Alien. I've got one of these although without the "Alien" badge.

Tell-tale signs other than the Alien Decal:

Two screws holding the string clamp at the head (the Kramer only has one)
A real Kramer will have Kramer The Duke plus the serial number on the neck plate, Hondos have nothing.
The bridge and machine heads are Schaller branded ones on the Kramer, cheap copies on the Hondo.
Kramers have an ebanol fingerboard, the Hondo has rosewood.

Actually the Hondo version isn't a bad copy, and apart from the lack of the ebanol fingerboard, with some hardware upgrades, you're pretty close to the real thing.

Realistic price for a Hondo - about £100 if it's in good condition (better than that example) and includes the violin-shaped case.

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Blazer-bass-guitar-fretless-xray-spex-bass_W0QQitemZ180385017605QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item29ffc8ef05&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10|66%3A1|39%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A25"]Ex-Xray Spex Blazer[/url]

If it had frets I would have bought already.

[Happy Jack]

That Blazer is not so much fretless as everythingless.

Bit worried that the tuners need soldering ...

[Happy Jack]

Oh dear.

Oh dear, oh dear.

Oh dearie, dearie me.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-Aria-Pro-II-RSB800-Rev-Sound-Bass-1979-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ200365156762QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2ea6b1a99a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-Aria-Pro-II-RSB...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url]

£700?

Right you are, Squire.

Ker-CHING!

[Ou7shined]

He needs to sell it at that price to make up for the Ltd Edition Stingray he's just bought. Coz like, they're in the same league.
He seems to have bought and sold a few Aria' (plural?) so he know exactly what he's at.

How does he know that it will sustain [b]forever[/b]. Forever isn't up yet. Hello, trade descriptions?

I've used far too many Emoticons in this post. :ph34r: :brow: Sorry :blush:

[Kev]

how can anyone be so deluded

[Bassassin]

He's got an Ibby RS824 up as well - £600!!!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-1980-Ibanez-Roadster-Bass_W0QQitemZ200365158249"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-1980-Ibanez-Roa...emZ200365158249[/url]

Wonder if he's been on here & reading that thread where I said JapCrap was recession-proof? What have I done???? :ph34r:

Jon.

[Born 2B Mild]

T'is time, me thinks, to share my recently acquired Japcrap porn...

[Happy Jack]

I hadn't appreciated just how massive that bridge ashtray was!

[Mr. Foxen]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Franconia-Jazz-Bass-Project-made-in-Japan-collectable_W0QQitemZ270431377891QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3ef6f759e3&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50"]Franconia[/url]

[Weird War]

[i]"My original intention was to strip it down to the finish but i got so many positive comments on the look i left it."[/i]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70s-Cimar-Lawsuit-Jazz-Bass-Guitar-Block-inlays-JAPAN_W0QQitemZ260450926511QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3ca415bfaf&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/70s-Cimar-Lawsuit-Ja...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url]

[Moos3h]

I am always suspicious of sunburst basses/guitars that get to black before the forearm contour, are they hiding the fact the body is ply?

[Happy Jack]

How could you be suspicious of such an obviously natural wear pattern?

Those Dremel grinding tools have got a lot to answer for.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Moos3h' post='550640' date='Jul 24 2009, 10:05 PM']I am always suspicious of sunburst basses/guitars that get to black before the forearm contour, are they hiding the fact the body is ply?[/quote]Yes, in the case of this one (I know 'cos I had one) and some others - Ibanez & Antoria, for example, were mahogany with an ash veneer front & back, the contours were black to cover the veneer edges.

And he's ruined a perfectly average bass here.

J.

[pete.young]

Here's a really interesting looking Ibanez 2366 fretless P . 200 quid seems a bit steep though, what do you reckon?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETLESS-BASS-VINTAGE-70s_W0QQitemZ260450795469QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3ca413bfcd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A2|294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETL...93%3A2|294%3A50[/url]

[pete.young]

And here's something I've never seen before, and probably never wish to see again: a Hondo Explorer!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hondo-Explorer-Bass-Deluxe-Series-880_W0QQitemZ140334232235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item20ac9272ab&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A2|294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hondo-Explorer-Bass-...93%3A2|294%3A50[/url]

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='pete.young' post='550908' date='Jul 25 2009, 10:00 AM']Here's a really interesting looking Ibanez 2366 fretless P . 200 quid seems a bit steep though, what do you reckon?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETLESS-BASS-VINTAGE-70s_W0QQitemZ260450795469QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3ca413bfcd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A2|294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETL...93%3A2|294%3A50[/url][/quote]
"Fretboard is mahogany"?! Looks like no mahogany I've ever seen. Still, I like the semi-lined board -- makes you look like you know what you're doing, but you've got a little safety net. Haven't seen that on a bass before.

[quote name='pete.young' post='550911' date='Jul 25 2009, 10:01 AM']And here's something I've never seen before, and probably never wish to see again: a Hondo Explorer!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hondo-Explorer-Bass-Deluxe-Series-880_W0QQitemZ140334232235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item20ac9272ab&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A2|294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hondo-Explorer-Bass-...93%3A2|294%3A50[/url][/quote]
Agreed, it looks ass, but it probably sounds and plays OK. Apart from the neck dive, presumably. It looks like the same neck and hardware as my Deluxe 830 P copy, which I have a lot of love for.

[allighatt0r]

[quote name='pete.young' post='550911' date='Jul 25 2009, 10:01 AM']And here's something I've never seen before, and probably never wish to see again: a Hondo Explorer!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hondo-Explorer-Bass-Deluxe-Series-880_W0QQitemZ140334232235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item20ac9272ab&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A2|294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hondo-Explorer-Bass-...93%3A2|294%3A50[/url][/quote]

"sounds great through an amp"

[Bassassin]

[quote name='pete.young' post='550908' date='Jul 25 2009, 10:00 AM']Here's a really interesting looking Ibanez 2366 fretless P . 200 quid seems a bit steep though, what do you reckon?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETLESS-BASS-VINTAGE-70s_W0QQitemZ260450795469QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3ca413bfcd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|293%3A2|294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETL...93%3A2|294%3A50[/url][/quote]
£200 is a bit of a steal for this - that logo means silly money. If I had a spare £200 and he'd post it, I'd be tempted to grab it for that, it would make a nice pair with my fretted '72/'73 2366B, which I happily paid £200 for off a BCer a few years back:



And might be a bit of an investment, too - you practically never see these in the UK and when they appear over the water, where these things are much cheaper & more common, this happens:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360169494594"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=360169494594[/url]

And that isn't even original - plus the fretless is a lot more rare.

J.

[Happy Jack]

Think I might have a punt at that Fretless - was anyone else planning to bid?

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='551769' date='Jul 26 2009, 01:42 PM']Think I might have a punt at that Fretless - was anyone else planning to bid?[/quote]
Gone at the starting price! Did you get it?

[Happy Jack]

Yup.

Guy lives 20 minutes away, so there'll be no courier charge either.

Waiting to hear from him to arrange pickup.

Should go nicely with my 75 Fender P.

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='552013' date='Jul 26 2009, 07:43 PM']Yup.

Guy lives 20 minutes away, so there'll be no courier charge either.

Waiting to hear from him to arrange pickup.

Should go nicely with my 75 Fender P.[/quote]
Sweeeeet. Report back on what wood the board [i]actually[/i] is.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='550925' date='Jul 25 2009, 10:20 AM']"Fretboard is mahogany"?! Looks like no mahogany I've ever seen. Still, I like the semi-lined board -- makes you look like you know what you're doing, but you've got a little safety net. Haven't seen that on a bass before.[/quote]

OK, the description wasn't quite as daft as it sounded. Not "mahogany" but stained rosewood. Up close it's pretty obvious but from any distance at all no one will know whether or not it's ebony.

The semi-lined edge to the fretboard is really nice, especially for an inexperienced fretless player like me. They've actually taken the trouble to use little bits of fretwire to create the markers.

The bass has clearly never been properly set up. The action is far too high and part of that is the nut slots not being deep enough. It must have been a bugger to play - unless the previous owner used it for slide bass.

He said he'd bought it (second hand) in Spain in 1975 when he was a teenager; he also said that he'd never changed the original flatwounds and I can easily believe that. They are the DEADEST strings I've ever played (and I collect vintage Hofners from the 50's and 60's, remember) with absolutely no 'ring' to them at all.

Best thing about it is the weight. I sold my 1972 Ibanez 2369B because it weighed 11lbs and was wrecking my back, so I was quite worried that this one would also be a pass-through bass for the same reason. In fact, it's one of the lightest basses I've ever played. I'll run it through the scales later, but I'm guessing at about 7lbs.

I'll take some piccies at the weekend and stick 'em on my TinyPic site.

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='554881' date='Jul 29 2009, 10:58 AM']OK, the description wasn't quite as daft as it sounded. Not "mahogany" but stained rosewood. Up close it's pretty obvious but from any distance at all no one will know whether or not it's ebony.

The semi-lined edge to the fretboard is really nice, especially for an inexperienced fretless player like me. They've actually taken the trouble to use little bits of fretwire to create the markers.

The bass has clearly never been properly set up. The action is far too high and part of that is the nut slots not being deep enough. It must have been a bugger to play - unless the previous owner used it for slide bass.

He said he'd bought it (second hand) in Spain in 1975 when he was a teenager; he also said that he'd never changed the original flatwounds and I can easily believe that. They are the DEADEST strings I've ever played (and I collect vintage Hofners from the 50's and 60's, remember) with absolutely no 'ring' to them at all.

Best thing about it is the weight. I sold my 1972 Ibanez 2369B because it weighed 11lbs and was wrecking my back, so I was quite worried that this one would also be a pass-through bass for the same reason. In fact, it's one of the lightest basses I've ever played. I'll run it through the scales later, but I'm guessing at about 7lbs.

I'll take some piccies at the weekend and stick 'em on my TinyPic site.[/quote]
Congratulations, sir -- you appear to have bagged a good 'un! So, are the fretwire "markers" raised above the surface of the board like actual frets, or have they just laid the tang part into the board, leaving a flat surface?