BassJase Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html[/url] Check it out, 1985 Aria for £130, need selectrics sorting out but bargain price! Not sure if its still available or not but it was only posted Tuesday so maybe...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG.J Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Was watching this on Ebay last week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 [quote name='BassJase' post='740537' date='Feb 10 2010, 12:55 AM'][url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html[/url] Check it out, 1985 Aria for £130, need selectrics sorting out but bargain price! Not sure if its still available or not but it was only posted Tuesday so maybe...?[/quote] If it is, its a snip - despite the electrical problem. IIRC the pre-amp in these isn't epoxy-potted, so a repair ought to be fairly straightforward. Even if it isn't, it's a simple mod to go passive - a Matsumoku P/J don' need no steenkeen' acteevs! Three piece laminated maple neck too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 i'd be all over that if i didn't have a room full of guitars already! my room-mate might castrate me if i attempt to bring more bass in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 [quote name='Tech' post='746013' date='Feb 15 2010, 03:56 PM']i'd be all over that if i didn't have a room full of guitars already! my room-mate might castrate me if i attempt to bring more bass in here.[/quote] Surely one more won't notice! Every bassist should have a "Mat" for a bit IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveybass Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 How much would it cost to convert though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 i got an 87 aria if you fancy a trade on that t max jase?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 [quote name='daveybass' post='746332' date='Feb 15 2010, 07:19 PM']How much would it cost to convert though?[/quote] From Active to Passive? Financially? Nowt. Nisch. Nada. Pas d'une Fève. Nicht eine Wurst. About 10 minutes with some wirecutters & a soldering iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 [quote name='Bloodaxe' post='746471' date='Feb 15 2010, 08:30 PM']From Active to Passive? Financially? Nowt. Nisch. Nada. Pas d'une Fève. Nicht eine Wurst. About 10 minutes with some wirecutters & a soldering iron.[/quote] Might be a bit more than "Nowt. Nisch. Nada. Pas d'une Fève. Nicht eine Wurst." The pots used on the active electronics may not be suitable for using passively. That said at around £2.50 for a CTS Pot and a few pence for suitable capacitors, it ain't much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 [quote name='BassBunny' post='746874' date='Feb 16 2010, 09:16 AM']Might be a bit more than "Nowt. Nisch. Nada. Pas d'une Fève. Nicht eine Wurst." The pots used on the active electronics may not be suitable for using passively. That said at around £2.50 for a CTS Pot and a few pence for suitable capacitors, it ain't much.[/quote] Fair point if it's truly "active". I based my costing on the SB-1000 "actives" which is just a unity gain buffer with conventional pots. If the Laser series has low value pots then the conversion cost could rise as high as £10. Eine Kleine Bradwurst then. Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassJase Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 (edited) Oooohh... Its down to £110 now and I'm starting to get tempted if the electrics could be sorted out on the cheap.... [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html[/url] So is this worth a punt fellas? Should I take the plunge or wait another week or so and see if he drops the price by another £20? Edited February 16, 2010 by BassJase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 That's £110 ONO, so £100 in my books and looks like it includes a case. Even whacking in a cheap pre-amp from Axes r' Us would only cost £20 - 30, so I reckon it is a good buy. If I still played 4 Strings we wouldn't be having this discussion as I would have snapped his hand off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyron Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 What would one of these be worth if it was in good condition and full working order? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 [quote name='BassJase' post='747123' date='Feb 16 2010, 12:36 PM']Oooohh... Its down to £110 now and I'm starting to get tempted if the electrics could be sorted out on the cheap.... [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/39/53705439.html[/url] So is this worth a punt fellas? Should I take the plunge or wait another week or so and see if he drops the price by another £20?[/quote] Definitely worth a punt IMO. Offer him £90 & see what happens. By this time the active circuit was on an exposed PCB with the wires soldered directly to it. Odds are that one of those has broken off. Even rebuilding the board with new bits from Maplin ought to cost less than a fiver tbh. I've had a hunt around on the Matsumoku forum & turfed up some pics of the control compartment & PCB (the OP there had broken wires too). The core component is an LM358 op-amp that currently goes for 56p. Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 [quote name='Tyron' post='747212' date='Feb 16 2010, 01:44 PM']What would one of these be worth if it was in good condition and full working order?[/quote] Probably not much different from the seller's original price tbh - maybe £150 on a good day with a following wind. The "lesser" Arias are generally hugely undervalued, so bargains are there to be had. This model was produced from 1985 - 1986, & examples do turn up every now & then - I bagged a lefty passive version off that EBay for about £80 a couple of years ago, heavily modded with replacement p/ups though. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyron Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I was interested in this bass when it was on ebay a while back. I asked the seller for some pics, following is what he sent. I thought it was a bit too poorly for me so didn't go any further, although I'm still tempted but just don't have any spare cash now - plus my heads telling me its not the one! I hope the pics might help others here make a decision and I'm interested to hear opinions? Perhaps I still missed a bargain?! Plus I already recently bought a CAT bass that I haven't learned to play yet! Must try not to get carried away! :wacko: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 well the 'been in a damp shed for 20 years' look has killed all my gas for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Kev' post='747687' date='Feb 16 2010, 07:54 PM']well the 'been in a damp shed for 20 years' look has killed all my gas for it[/quote] Probably nothing that a quiet night in with a Dremel & a wire brush couldn't put right. EDIT! looking at the photos that Tyron has put up, I'd say it's been pretty comprehensively dropped. I don't like the look of those splits at all, not one little bit. Caveat Emptor with this one I reckon (unless the seller could be beaten down to £50 or so) Edited February 16, 2010 by Bloodaxe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassJase Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 having closely spied the pictures and listened to BloodAxe I'm out too, it looks ok from a distance but close up its got that Kerry Katona look (Cracked, beaten up, rough, and forgotten about.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Bloodaxe' post='740566' date='Feb 10 2010, 02:24 AM'][A] Matsumoku P/J don' need no steenkeen' acteevs![/quote] Not all APII models were built by Matsumoku. Various 80s models were built elsewhere, in Japan and overseas, pre-87. It may be down to quality control of materials, or production methods, but it's not unusual to see examples from the RSB, LEB and IB/IGB ranges in particular that suffer from crazing/cracking in the finish. Saying that, it's unusual to see an example where the crazing/cracking has gone full way through the finish. This one looks as though it has taken a significant impact. As for the electronics/wiring issue highlighted by the seller, most often the phase switch is the source of the problem, which is a pretty straightforward fix. Edited February 18, 2010 by noelk27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Aaaggh! Undead!!! Undead!!! [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/77/55942677.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/77/55942677.html[/url] £150? Cheeky Bugger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 [quote name='Bloodaxe' post='788072' date='Mar 27 2010, 06:27 PM']Aaaggh! Undead!!! Undead!!! [url="http://www.gumtree.com/london/77/55942677.html"]http://www.gumtree.com/london/77/55942677.html[/url] £150? Cheeky Bugger![/quote] Ah, but he's cleaned up the rust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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