rockbass

[quote name='Bassassin' post='840396' date='May 18 2010, 12:59 AM']..... As far as cost's concerned - I really don't know! I've never done a commission before. Would £35 sound reasonable? J.[/quote] @Jon, OK. Send me your Email address by Email. Then I will transmit the amount through PayPal to your account. Gunnar

[quote name='Bassassin' post='839125' date='May 16 2010, 08:13 PM']... I could easily make you a TRC the same as the ones on my basses, & I could print an Ibanez inlay to go underneath it. As far as an engraved replica is concerned, I haven't tried doing this yet so I'm not completely sure I'll be able to do it! I will experiment with engraving a logo on some scrap 2-ply plastic, and if it works I'll let you know! Jon.[/quote] Hi Jon, OK, set up your tools and speed up the gears, there's a bunch of lads standing in line. As far as I'm concerned do it either way it may be an experience. Do you need a template drawing of my current plate for the right shape and the screw holes? Or do you think the plates are matching each other? If so, I could drill the holes by myself. If you don't wanna announce your price for it right here send me a private message. Gunnar

[quote name='Bassassin' post='838995' date='May 16 2010, 05:53 PM']Gunnar - you know it's not a Rickenbacker, & it's not made in the USA, so putting a fake TRC on it seems a bit strange to me .......... I'm quite interested in trying to engrave scratchplate plastic in this way, so I might be able to make an accurate reproduction Ibanez trc. If you're interested, let me know. Jon.[/quote] Hi Jon, strange to me either, that's why I've been entering this forum and asking. I don't wanna switch a copy into an original. But as I mentioned in my first post it was bought as a RIC. And now after years puting it apart for a cleanup I was checkin' the Ser-No. and I was wondering.... With my question before: [i][b]'So I'm wondering if one could get a plate seperately with 'Made in USA'?'[/b][/i] I didn't mean to buy one by myself, there's already one. Oppositely I'm interested in having an adequate TRC too, how can we get together on that? Gunnar

[quote name='Bassassin' post='838545' date='May 16 2010, 01:00 AM']Sorry Noel - it's a Fujigen bass, the very small/fine chequers on the binding are the main giveaway here. The serial's Fujigen too - read the first digit as a letter: I, the 9th letter of the alphabet, representing the 9th month. Second 2 digits are the year and the remainder is sequential production run for the month. Meaning this was the 6773rd instrument built at Fujigen Gakki in September 1977. Ithangyew!!! Anyway, I'd be 99% certain it was an Ibanez - in Europe/the UK (not sure whereabouts you are, Gunnar) far & away the most common examples of Fujigen 4001 copies were branded as Ibanez. I think this is a late example of an Ibanez 2388B/DX, these had their specs updated to resemble mid 70s Rickenbackers, and used more authentic pickups/surround. Earlier 2388Bs had full-width sparkly inlays copied from pre '73 Ricks (as was the chequer binding) and used Gibson-style chrome pickups. I assume when Fujigen started building 4001 copies (as far as I can ascertain around 1971/72), replica pickups weren't in production, so they just used whatever was available. Anyway excellent pics Gunnar, and the bass looks to be in great condition for its age. Is the truss rod cover a real Rickenbacker item, or do you know if it's a replica? If it's real (which it might well be if it's been on the bass since the 70s), the back-screened Plexi covers are very sought-after by Rickenbacker collectors & fans. Jon.[/quote] Thanks Jon, I read the Serial-No. like you, it's definitely the capitol letter [i][b]'I'[/b][/i]. And the follwed 77... states the year as you said, because it's in my posession since 79 – bought private. About my whereabout: I'm german and this bass was bought in Germany which matches to your guess: [i]'Anyway, I'd be 99% certain it was an Ibanez - in Europe/the UK.....'[/i]. And as you mentioned the pics are really great, typical RIC-Sound. But the bridge Pup frame needs to get a new chrome finish, my sweat might be a bit to agressive. And the checkered binding is accurately made it is even interrupted under the tail bridge which is a specification of an original RIC. The back-screened truss rod plexi cover was on it (I didn't change anything on that bass) and it's made the way Rickenbacker used it these days, as far as I know. So I'm wondering if one could get a plate seperately with 'Made in USA'? So, almost everything's clear. Thanks again, Gunnar

[quote name='Bassassin' post='836779' date='May 14 2010, 03:13 AM']Hi Gunnar - if you post some pics of the bass it should be possible to ID it accurately. If it's an Ibanez, that will be easy to spot - there are some variations but all Ibanez 4001 copies have black & white chequered body binding, rather than the plain white most copies have. The binding does appear on some other manufacturers' instruments but I'd need to see some pics to be 100% sure which was which.......... Fujigen basses will have a serial like the one you describe, and I am inclined to think that's what yours is, but some pics will confirm it. Jon.[/quote] Here come the images: Hope this helps to define the manufacturer. Gunnar

[quote name='Musky' post='837998' date='May 15 2010, 12:07 PM']Brown? Is that a refin?[/quote] No, it's the original color: Walnut. Found an interesting thread in a different forum from a Fender dealer to this: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=602518"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=602518[/url] Gunnar

[quote name='Bassassin' post='836779' date='May 14 2010, 01:13 AM']Fujigen basses will have a serial like the one you describe, and I am inclined to think that's what yours is, but some pics will confirm it. Jon.[/quote] Hi Jon, thanks for responding that promptly and clearly. I will post some detailed images but not today because I've got to run a gig first, this time with my brown 76 US made Precision which is not a bad one.

Hi, I guess I'm the same as [b]'monkealan'[/b] and maybe a bit late on that thread: I'm new in here and I might be cheeky too and I've been researching a lot and also my dad bought a 'Rick' in the late 70's which I now use but neither of us knew anything about it. It looks evan the same in details as Al's, except mine has got a black switch and a white string sattle. And very astonishing there's a printed one-letter/6-digits number at the back of the head, I always thought this was the RIC Ser-No. which isn't, but it seems like an IBANEZ-No. This copy is very accurate made and has a thru body neck and JETglo color, the checkerd bindings are matching to Rick's. But it has just one truss rod and it's head and even the cavity matches to a 77 IBANEZ Western Guitar I owne. This makes me believe that it's made by IBANEZ or GRECO. I appriciate any clue on the manufacturer of this bass? Cheers Gunnar