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[color=#ff0000][b][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif] Not Available anymore [/font][/b][/color] Esh Bass, ca. 1988, Longscale - asking 480 euros + shipping (only actual costs which will be calculated as soon as I know where it will go, located in south Germany) This is not a serial model; neckt through body, wood unknown, two Bartolini pickups, esh-tronic. You can download a folder of 44 (2560x1920 pixel) pictures and WAV soundfiles from a D.I. to get a more detailed impression here: [url="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/76987810/esh%20photos.zip"]http://dl.dropbox.co...sh%20photos.zip[/url] Eshtronic: The eshtronic consists of a multiway switch - which should be 16 sounds but it's rather 4 sounds with slight variations + volume, treble, bass. No surface mount parts, easy to service, two IC's, socketed. The battery is kept in place with additional soft foam to keep it from rattling and the lid is fixed not by wood screws but machine screws with sunk screw-nuts - nice! But here is something that puzzles me: sometimes when the battery gets low the electronics start to make a whistling noise. Spinstrap: A Spinstrap has been fitted as the instrument didn't balance well on a strap. With the Spinstrap it now not only leaves the left shoulder free from a strap pulling but also can be positioned at any angle you feel comfortably. It also could be rotated like a propeller in front of your body (remember that ZZTop vid? They also had Spinstraps) because if you plug your cable into the Spinstrap's jack it connects to the Spinstrap's center from which another short cable (on the back of the instrument) can be plugged into the instrument's jack. As I didn't want to mess too much with the instrument (the standard procedure for P-basses and the like is to drill a hole from the back of the instrument to the next pickup cavity and solder it to the output of the instrument) I had the cable from the Spinstrap center fixed with a piece of black duct tape - which held up quite well for a few years of touring as you see from the photos. The original pin for using it with straps comes with it, also it's locking counterpart for the strap. I wanted the plug to connect to the spinstrap to be plastic, so in case sh*t happens the plug just breaks without damaging the jack of the instrument. The body: Minor dents (detailed in the folder of pix), slight wear on spots above the pickups from resting my thumb, a few spots, no biggies. Weight and measures: 11 pounds (5,5 kg) weight, 23 pounds (11,5 kg) with case. The lenght of the "E" string is 870mm, string spacing 30(top) / 50mm (bridge), neck 40mm wide at the top, 58 mm wide at the 24th fret, 19mm "deep" at the top, 26 mm "deep" at the 19th fret. The instrument is not covered in laquer but finished with wood wax - easy to polish up or maintain. Yes, 24 frets. The case: worn, patched with duct tape, slightly bent, top has "blisters" from resting in the car trunk when the sun was hot. Strap that should fix the top of the case is torn. I mean, it DOES it's job but you may consider getting a new one. Let's say the it is for the instrument only and the case is considered packaging and to be discarded. The bridge: This is where the instrument shows it's age, the coating is flaking off in places, but the screws are working smooth if you want to adjust string height and intonation. The rollers for spacing I never touched as you could adjust them for wider.. which as you can see from the pictures of the neck, doesn't make much sense. You need a 2mm Allen wrench for adjusting string action. Two of the screws which fix it to the body aren't stock. The neck: it has a peculiar shape, at the first few frets it's rather like a D or a V, but as you get closer to the body it gets asymetrical to accomodate your hand better. Esh made a great deal out of this fact back in the day as it's elaborate to make (remember, this is not a stock instrument, it's a one-off and handmade by Esh's luthiers). As you can see on the pix, the back of the headstock has a kind-of heel to strenghten the connection. By the way, when I was showing a photo of this instrument to the people of Esh on a Frankfurt music fair more than 15 years back nobody could tell me anything about it, seems not many of this shape were made. The frets aren't worn that much, I pulled a few strings and made photos so you can see. The pickups: I used to know WHICH Bartolinis... I forgot, sorry. Two screws for adjusting aren't original anymore, they are slightly rusty when you pull them out, nothing serious but not winning a beauty competition either. Currently Warwick yellow label nickel roundwound strings on, 105-045. Under the bridge there's an additional piezo pickup. This was a premium instrument which sold for... errr... something like 3000 or 4000 DeutschMarks back then, that would be about the same in Euros today, inflation considered. It can do a kind-of-Stingray sound, a growly singing mid-heavy bordering on fretless sound, a thinner sound.. and so on - listen to the files I have for download. So why do I sell it? Even my wife asks me. I have numerous other instruments and as I am mostly behind the desk, producing and recording these days it just sits in it's case in storage. I haven't played it regularly for years, it's a shame. Private sale, fully working but no guarantees it will last forever. You could look at my more-than-a-decade-ebay feedback, only 100% fully satisfied buyers/sellers. ONLY ACTUAL POSTAGE CHARGED. The case will be shipped in additional cardboard boxes - but you could also drop by and play it in Burghausen, Bavaria, Germany. If you have a good preamp, compressor, API-500ish lunchbox or an EQ you want to part with we could also trade.