Vintage MIJ (formerly J@pCr@p) Spotting

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='756414' date='Feb 24 2010, 07:53 PM']It's a 6-step tone selector with a separate bypass switch. Each position switches in a different fixed resistor+capacitor, which makes for very quick & precise on-the-fly changes. It's a useful feature, no idea why it wasn't extended to the rest of the SB range.[/quote]

Ah, so you can change the tone and get consistent results while not having to hear the bass while adjusting. That makes a lot of sense.

[Fitzy73]

[url="http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=191047&cat=500"]http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?prod...047&cat=500[/url]

have to sell my black & gold 1 to pay bills , my heart is broken

[Annoying Twit]

70s Hondo II with Seymour Duncan pickup? Sounds like some'thing' has been done to it, the pickguard has been split "vertically" for a custom paintjob. No photo. Does that say something?

[url="http://leicester.gumtree.com/leicester/66/54665766.html"]http://leicester.gumtree.com/leicester/66/54665766.html[/url]

Edited March 1, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Bassassin]

Erm... don't you think that description sounds a bit like [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=78472"]this[/url]?



J.

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='755778' date='Feb 24 2010, 08:00 AM']Ta Jon.

BTW: What does the multi-position switch on an SB1000 do?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-11-SB-1000-Vintage-1980-Bass_W0QQitemZ190375482876QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2c534355fc"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-11-SB-1000-...=item2c534355fc[/url][/quote]
Ah! Was it you I was biding against last night on this? haha... well done if it was you who won it!

[Clarky72]

Has anyone ever bought one from these Japanese sellers on eBay?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220560236226"]Ebay link[/url]

They seem to have quite a lot of them up there, usually cheap, but I'm worried about getting clobbered for import duty when the customs guys see it coming through! ...or just getting stung/ripped off buying from Japan!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks
Steve

[Annoying Twit]

This is a very common topic on MyLesPaul.com. Though, they're typically buying Les Pauls.

In theory you pay, I think, 3.5% import duty, and 17.5% VAT. There's also a handling charge of £15 or so. I forget the exact figures, but it's a fair chunk of extra wodge. You pay charges on the whole sum including postage.

There have been some people who had to appeal customs charges. In one case someone bought about 12 Les Pauls all at once (!), and they charged him as if they were 12 multiple shipments. In another case, customs simply charged too much for no obvious reason.

There have been people who have received damaged instruments, presumably damaged in transport. But other people claim that this almost never happens.

Apart from paying the customs duties, VAT, and "adminstration fee" (i.e. theft), it doesn't seem that difficult. Unless customs charge you VAT calculated on £250 for the bass, and £1750 for the postage when it was actually £80 that is.

If you go to MyLesPaul.com, then look in "Other Les Pauls", you might get some advice. if they object to you asking a non-Les Paul question in the forum. please don't tell them I sent you I haven't seen anyone complaining about being stung by the "known" sellers that is.

Edited March 1, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Clarky72' post='760761' date='Mar 1 2010, 02:18 PM']Ah! Was it you I was biding against last night on this? haha... well done if it was you who won it![/quote]

At the moment I'm not putting too serious bids on, and an SB1000 would be a pretty serious purchase for me. I'm holding off on buying much now hoping to hit the car boots when they open (can't be long now). If I get nothing then, then maybe I'll be more serious on ebay in the autumn.

If I had won an SB1000, I can most definitely assure you that I'd have been all over this forum telling everyone

Edited March 1, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Annoying Twit]

This is better than the £300 starting bid track two bass of a short while ago. If it were £100 starting bid, I'd bid. (I said a few posts up that I'm not being too serious at the moment).

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/westbury-track-2-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ250589160737QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a58472521"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/westbury-track-2-bas...=item3a58472521[/url]

Edited March 1, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='761045' date='Mar 1 2010, 06:58 PM']This is a very common topic on MyLesPaul.com. Though, they're typically buying Les Pauls.

In theory you pay, I think, 3.5% import duty, and 17.5% VAT. There's also a handling charge of £15 or so. I forget the exact figures, but it's a fair chunk of extra wodge. You pay charges on the whole sum including postage.

There have been some people who had to appeal customs charges. In one case someone bought about 12 Les Pauls all at once (!), and they charged him as if they were 12 multiple shipments. In another case, customs simply charged too much for no obvious reason.

There have been people who have received damaged instruments, presumably damaged in transport. But other people claim that this almost never happens.

Apart from paying the customs duties, VAT, and "adminstration fee" (i.e. theft), it doesn't seem that difficult. Unless customs charge you VAT calculated on £250 for the bass, and £1750 for the postage when it was actually £80 that is.

If you go to MyLesPaul.com, then look in "Other Les Pauls", you might get some advice. if they object to you asking a non-Les Paul question in the forum. please don't tell them I sent you I haven't seen anyone complaining about being stung by the "known" sellers that is.[/quote]
Thanks for the info, thats a great help! Seems its a bit touch and go whether the bass will turn up or i get stung royally for "charges"...

My maths is shocking, but I work that out to a £500 bass ending up costing at least £810. Quite a lot to win a bass that's only about £150 cheaper than the ones for sale in the UK...

I think I might just get one from a UK seller to play it safe! Even the idea of buying one off ebay and it getting chucked around by an un-knowing courier scares the crap out of me, let alone it having to make its way all the way from Japan!

I'm going to look into mylespaul.com, im registered there already, I got some info on my old Les Paul bass from someone on that forum!

Cheers!

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='761055' date='Mar 1 2010, 07:09 PM']This is better than the £300 starting bid track two bass of a short while ago. If it were £100 starting bid, I'd bid. (I said a few posts up that I'm not being too serious at the moment).

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/westbury-track-2-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ250589160737QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a58472521"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/westbury-track-2-bas...=item3a58472521[/url][/quote]

I like... thats a great looking bass!!

[Annoying Twit]

Me likey. Me likey very much.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220564486050"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220564486050[/url]

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='761096' date='Mar 1 2010, 07:42 PM']Me likey. Me likey very much.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220564486050"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220564486050[/url][/quote]
Hmmmm. Keeping an eye on that one*. I know nothing about Greco, but it's a nice-looking bass from my "year of origin".

[size=1]* My current bass fund stands at zero (actually minus several hundred), so I'd have to sell one of the kids into slavery to get it, but I'm keeping an eye on it nonetheless.[/size]

[Annoying Twit]

It went for £465 the last time it sold, I assume the sale fell through for some reason. A bit rich for me right at this time. But I've enjoyed seeing it. Hopefully someone around here will buy it so that we see it done up all nice.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Greco-Speedway-Made-in-Japan-Bass-1979-vintage-nice_W0QQitemZ220549700363QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxq20100202?IMSfp=TL100202194002r11352"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Greco-Speedway-Made-...202194002r11352[/url]

[Bassassin]

Plenty of action tonight! First of all, £160-ish would be a bit of a steal for a Westy Track 2 (forget about my £60 one unless you share my GyppoPowers ) and they're great basses. Westbury prices seem to be going up at the moment & I'd think under £200 for this one would still be a pretty decent price..

Look closely at the Greco & you'll see a few similarities to 80s Ibanez - they're from the same factory (Fujigen) & share a lot of components and construction techniques, in fact one or two models are pretty much the same. Greco is technically a Japan-only brand, a few escaped to the US and even fewer made their way here. This makes this a bit of a collectable so don't be surprised if it gets hectic at the end! It's a lovely-looking bass but by 'eck it would benefit from a good scrub!

J.

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='761110' date='Mar 1 2010, 07:52 PM']It went for £465 the last time it sold, I assume the sale fell through for some reason. A bit rich for me right at this time.[/quote]
Yep, that puts it out of reach for me too.

[Clarky72]

Noelk27 or Bloodaxe,

You guys sound like you're the authority on the SB's here. Can you help me out please?

I'm after a SB1000. As far as I know the SB1000 has a MB1 pickup on the 1977-1980 models and a MB1E on the 1981-1984 models, is there a marked difference between them? Are there any other differences between them aside the headstock shape and logo, and the LED?

Are there any reasons you'd pick one over another?

Cheers for the help,

Steve

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='Clarky72' post='761332' date='Mar 1 2010, 10:55 PM']Noelk27 or Bloodaxe,

You guys sound like you're the authority on the SB's here. Can you help me out please?

I'm after a SB1000. As far as I know the SB1000 has a MB1 pickup on the 1977-1980 models and a MB1E on the 1981-1984 models, is there a marked difference between them? Are there any other differences between them aside the headstock shape and logo, and the LED?

Are there any reasons you'd pick one over another?

Cheers for the help,

Steve[/quote]

Eep! A Reputation!

errmmm I'll have to pass this one over to m'learned colleague noelk27.

My (now heavily butchered) 1980 Batwing SB-1000 had a stock p/up - 2-wire humbucker (I guess wired in series) & an apparently defective "noise killer" "active" circuit. I suspect the latter somehow fried the p/up so I've never actually met one in the flesh, as it were. The early SB-1000s have a bit of a reputation for going tyttesup tbh (hence the aftermarket replacements from Kent Armstrong), so it may be worth endeavouring to snadge a Series 2 example.

Interestingly, [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/bass/sb/sb.html"]the specs given on the Matsumoku site for the SB-900[/url] state that it also has MB-Is. Mine are 4-wire, not 2-wire as came out of my 1000.

As I've stated elsewhere, the 900 is a tone monster - plenty of output & a bit of a middle hump, cuts right through the mix. If there are tonal differences between the MB-I & MB-IE, I'd be surprised if they were especially marked. Noel?


Pete.

Pete.

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='761351' date='Mar 1 2010, 11:22 PM']Eep! A Reputation!

errmmm I'll have to pass this one over to m'learned colleague noelk27.

My (now heavily butchered) 1980 Batwing SB-1000 had a stock p/up - 2-wire humbucker (I guess wired in series) & an apparently defective "noise killer" "active" circuit. I suspect the latter somehow fried the p/up so I've never actually met one in the flesh, as it were. The early SB-1000s have a bit of a reputation for going tyttesup tbh (hence the aftermarket replacements from Kent Armstrong), so it may be worth endeavouring to snadge a Series 2 example.

Interestingly, [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/bass/sb/sb.html"]the specs given on the Matsumoku site for the SB-900[/url] state that it also has MB-Is. Mine are 4-wire, not 2-wire as came out of my 1000.

As I've stated elsewhere, the 900 is a tone monster - plenty of output & a bit of a middle hump, cuts right through the mix. If there are tonal differences between the MB-I & MB-IE, I'd be surprised if they were especially marked. Noel?


Pete.

Pete.[/quote]

Couldn't help myself, damn my itchy fingers on ebay! Just bought this....

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250571017903"]SB Elite[/url] Its labelled as an Elite and looks a lot like one, but could be an odd SB900... we'll see!

Thanks for the advice Pete!

Steve

Edited March 5, 2010 by Clarky72

[FlatEric]

[quote name='Clarky72' post='761749' date='Mar 2 2010, 01:11 PM']Couldn't help myself, damn my itchy fingers on ebay! Just bought this....

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250571017903"]SB Elite[/url] Its labelled as an Elite and looks a lot like one, but could be an odd SB900... we'll see!

Steve[/quote]

Being a great lover of Aria, spotted your post.
Well done, I'm sure you will love it.
It is an Elite, not a 900 - I am lucky enough to have both.
I have two Elites and I think yours is one of the later ones,
as one of mine does not have a serial number, as per yours.
Great sounds [i]lovely[/i] to play.

I bought a bass off Nick, a few years ago - he has some great gear.

These are mine in last year's sun.

[attachment=43918:3arias.jpg]

[2x18]

Maya EB0 / SG style bass

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980s-Japanese-Bass-Guitar-by-MAYA_W0QQitemZ110501399845QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item19ba658d25"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980s-Japanese-Bass-...=item19ba658d25[/url]

[Clarky72]

[quote name='FlatEric' post='762535' date='Mar 3 2010, 08:03 AM']Being a great lover of Aria, spotted your post.
Well done, I'm sure you will love it.
It is an Elite, not a 900 - I am lucky enough to have both.
I have two Elites and I think yours is one of the later ones,
as one of mine does not have a serial number, as per yours.
Great sounds [i]lovely[/i] to play.

I bought a bass off Nick, a few years ago - he has some great gear.

These are mine in last year's sun.

[attachment=43918:3arias.jpg][/quote]

Ah! gorgeous lineup of SBs there...

Thanks for the heads up on mine. I just wasn't sure which one it was as it had characteristics of both the Elite and the 900. Initially I was a bit wary as it had no serial, but after reading through the web there seems to be quite a few without serial numbers on them doesn't there.

The Matsumoku website is great, but there's a few gaps there still!

Cheers!

[Annoying Twit]

A perfectly normal SB1000 at a normal price (perhaps high for starting price). Nice grain. Normally I wouldn't post this as it isn't (IMHO) noteworthy, but there seems to have been little MIJ ebay action recently and I'm bored.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB1000-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ270541442549QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3efd86cdf5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB1000-b...=item3efd86cdf5[/url]

PS: Congratulations Clarky72!

Edited March 5, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='2x18' post='762571' date='Mar 3 2010, 08:50 AM']Maya EB0 / SG style bass

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980s-Japanese-Bass-Guitar-by-MAYA_W0QQitemZ110501399845QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item19ba658d25"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980s-Japanese-Bass-...=item19ba658d25[/url][/quote]

Was the Maya bass made in any of the well-known Japanese factories?

[Clarky72]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='764715' date='Mar 5 2010, 07:56 AM']A perfectly normal SB1000 at a normal price (perhaps high for starting price). Nice grain. Normally I wouldn't post this as it isn't (IMHO) noteworthy, but there seems to have been little MIJ ebay action recently and I'm bored.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB1000-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ270541442549QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3efd86cdf5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-II-SB1000-b...=item3efd86cdf5[/url]

PS: Congratulations Clarky72![/quote]
That's the 3rd time that SB1000 has been listed on ebay over the last month... the padouk red ones just don't seem to get snapped up as quick!

..and cheers Annoying Twit!

Edited March 5, 2010 by Clarky72