bassaussie

[quote name='Prosebass' post='298101' date='Oct 2 2008, 10:39 PM']A customer of mine is after a pup for his bass...and before anyone says anything it was a tenner at a car boot sale. Unfortunately my pups won't fit as the string spacing on them is too wide. On this bass its only 14mm at the pup itself. I have asked him for a photo of the headstock. Looks like a Kay or a Jedson to me but I' sure the Matsumoko or Jap Crap men may know better Can anyone help identify or come up with a pickup for it.... [attachment=14280:PICT0223.JPG][/quote] Saw this auction on Ebay earlier. Might be worth keeping an eye on, especially as the pickups appear to be old Japanese copies, making them from a similar period to the bass you've shown. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Bass-Guitar-Pickups-EB34000-Type-Vintage-MIJ_W0QQitemZ140271724860QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item140271724860&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Bass-Guitar-P...id=p3911.c0.m14[/url]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='291207' date='Sep 24 2008, 07:51 PM']Me too! I had a classic rig back in the old days, AH250, 4 x 10, 1 x 15 and a Bright box - loved it![/quote] I had the AH250 and 4 x 10, but the 1 x15 was just too big for me to move around, so I had some EV cabs as well. The AH250 and the quad box was a huge sound by itself, it handled most medium sized rooms with no problems. It took me ages to get my hands on the gear, as Trace was something of a rarity in Australia. I used to buy International Musician, and scour the pages for the Bass Centre ad just to look at the gear! When I finally got the AH250, it was well worth the wait - it was simply miles ahead of anything I'd ever tried before. It kills me to think of what Trace has become now, as back then it really was the muttz nutz when it came to bass amplifiers.

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='291004' date='Sep 24 2008, 03:40 PM']Never seen one of these before - a Trace amp for electronic drums. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-EPAS-400stereo-RARE-Electronic-Drum-Amp_W0QQitemZ280269046176QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item280269046176&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-EPAS-40...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url] Must have been for all those Simmonds kits in the 80s. "bee bo bow boo"[/quote] Sad git here ..... I can remember when that amp was released!!! It was part of the Mark V range, and that came out around the time I first starting lusting after Trace amps. That era for Trace was amazing, some of the best amps I've ever heard.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='290694' date='Sep 24 2008, 11:20 AM']I stated that this was the case up at post #10. Not that I'm offended or anything. The first 'Tele-like' Fender with a factory rosewood board was the Dirnt P.[/quote] LMAO!!!! Mate, I only just read your post, seems I just repeated some of your points. To be honest, I know how you feel about this - it's so bloody annoying when you make an informative post, only for someone else to come along and basically say the same thing. Apologies for that, and I'll make sure I read the whole thread in the future. Funny enough, on a thread like this, your's is one of the first names I go looking for, so I'm a bit surprised I missed the post.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='290620' date='Sep 24 2008, 09:09 AM']In general agreement with most of you. I think it's a bitsa. The jack socket is different to my Telebass too. Having said that , the 2 most sensible things you could do to a bass like this (if that be your want) is change the bridge and add a J pup. If you want something 'vintage' to chuck around the bar of the Dog and Vomit of a Friday this could be it and ,maybe, at the right price.[/quote] I think that's a very good suggestion. As long as it doesn't go too high, this could be a great bass. Just as a side note, there is a possible bargain to be had here. If those tuners are original 60's tuners (and I suspect they are), and the pickup is original, which is what he seems to be suggesting, those two items are actually worth a few bob.

[quote name='99ster' post='290617' date='Sep 24 2008, 08:59 AM']+1 I'd pretty definitely say that this is not a 60's Telecaster bass (& never has been) - there's nothing 'right' about it at all - just a huge list of things wrong. But that said - it might be a cool project bass for somebody if the price stays low...[/quote] I think your knowledge on this sort of thing is far more complete than mine, so could you confirm or deny what I said about the rosewood board? I'm near certain I'm correct in that it should be maple, but would like an expert's opinion.

Lot's of issues here. Telecasters first appeared in 1968, so it's reasonably easy to date the hardware. [list] [*]The string holder is not a Fender [*]Serial number appears to be missing from the neck plate [*]Tuners are early 60s model - notice they don't say "Fender", and the baseplate is the wrong shape [*]Nut width should be Precision - to me, the width looks to be a Jazz, although that may just be the photograph [*]Bridge is wrong for a Tele - the Tele bridge only has two saddles, for each pair of strings [*]I might be wrong about this, but a 60's Tele should have either a maple cap or a one piece maple neck, I don't think they used rosewood on Teles from this period (or if they used rosewood at all) [*]Something about the headstock shape looks wrong, in that the round part at the end doesn't look round enough, and the cutaway on the lower edge looks too straight, but again, that may just be the photography [*]The three ply scratchplate is wrong, it should either be one ply, or an unbevelled three ply that looks to be one play. I think the bevelled three ply scratchplate only appeared on the second generation Tele (the one with the humbucker), and that scratchplate is a completely different shape. [*]The overall shape and cut of the body is wrong. First, it should be more "slab" like. Second, the lower edge (behind the bridge) should be much straight, not as rounded as it is [/list]

I don't know how relevant you guys think this is, but according to this link [url="http://www.fender.co.uk/images/resources/pdfs/2008%20Fender%20SRP%20Price%20List%20For%20Web.pdf"]http://www.fender.co.uk/images/resources/p...20For%20Web.pdf[/url] what he says about the RRP is 100% correct. Well, 99.99% - it's actually £729.99. The price is on page 8, item 013-1800-300. Sure, street value is probably a lot less (£511 at GAK, for instance), but it's not like he's the first person to ever list a RRP to help his sale. I agree, I think he's been a bit adventurous in his description, but he's spot on with regards to the RRP. Also, he started the bidding at £200, no reserve, so he's certainly letting the market decide the value. Also, I really don't think he's suggesting it's a US bass, I think he's just saying it's better than any US Fender basses he's tried. Finally, if he's trying to stitch people up, putting his mobile number in the listing and offering collection is a funny way to go about things! To be honest, if this stays close to it's current price, I think it could be a good buy. The bass is certainly in nice condition. As for the model, I think this is one of the best products Fender has come out with in the last 10 years, it's a seriously good bass for not a lot of money.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='267281' date='Aug 21 2008, 07:01 PM']I'm tempted. but it's slighty more than i want to pay for a bass to play around the house. nice though. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prose-Custom-Twin-Humbucker-Jazz-Special-Electric-Bass_W0QQitemZ150283707133QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150283707133&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prose-Custom-Twin-Hu...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url][/quote] I quite like this, I just think it's a shame he used a Stingray style bridge rather than a Fender style. [quote name='Bassassin' post='267346' date='Aug 21 2008, 08:34 PM']He says "hand-built in the UK", I'd take that to mean bolted together here - not that that's a bad thing.[/quote] Yeah, I thought the same. I can't see anyone complaining, but I think he needs to be careful with the manner in which he describes the manufacturing process.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='255033' date='Aug 5 2008, 07:16 AM']Nice spot..... Well done that man! On her Myspace Sarah mentions getting her first bass from a pawn shop, I wonder if thats it? [/quote] I remember reading an article with her some years back, and I have a feeling she's used that Silvertone for a really long time. I'm actually a bit of a Dano/Silvertone fan - I've got one of those really cool guitars with the amp in the case. It's a 60s job as well, and the guitar is awesome. The amp's got a nice sound as well, it's just a little awkward with it's size.

It's a 60s Silvertone, model 1443. Silvertone basses around that time were made by Danelectro - I think Silvertone was the house brand for Sears. You can read all about it here [url="http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/forsale_silvertone_1443bass.html"]http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/forsale_...e_1443bass.html[/url] Damn cool looking bass. There was one on Ebay a few months back (US of course).

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='253623' date='Aug 3 2008, 08:56 AM']Nice work! Funnily enough I know Clayton St fairly well and I joked earlier in the thread that it could be a take on 'Crack Converters'... well guess what the address for CC in Newcastle happens to be? Yep you guessed it; the trading company is registered at the same address as CC. Mystery solved Think I'll pop in and have a look [/quote] It's a sh*tty thing to do, that's for sure. Thing is, though, people have to realise that Ebay has definitely become the land of [i]caveat emptor[/i]. Anyone who approaches Ebay without having done their homework can end up losing a lot of money, and if the auction is worded correctly (as I believe this one is), the buyer will lose that money will very little chance of getting it back. Keep us tuned on what happens with your shop visit - personally, I doubt you'll see this bass on the floor, but you never know.

Come on guys!!! Remember - when trying to figure out what the scam is, Google is your friend!! [url="http://www.do-business.net/CompanySelect/select.aspx?key=7a96c409-8d9a-4a09-8fd0-960a61a67195"]http://www.do-business.net/CompanySelect/s...d0-960a61a67195[/url] [url="http://www.touchnewcastle.com/business/list/bid/3346583"]http://www.touchnewcastle.com/business/list/bid/3346583[/url] [url="http://www.bview.co.uk/listing/1368850/Daemma-Trading-Ltd-in-NE1"]http://www.bview.co.uk/listing/1368850/Dae...ding-Ltd-in-NE1[/url] So, we know (or can assume) that the seller is a second hand dealer in Newcastle. My take on it is this. He's bought the thing thinking it was a Stingray, then realised he got done (on the other hand, maybe he just wants to make a huge profit, but I guess his motives don't really matter here). Now he's trying to recoup his money. Notice he carefully avoids any use of the word "Musicman" or "Music Man". He's using the words "Ernie Ball" because he feels he can defend that use (check this auction, and have a look at the back of the headstock - the words "Ernie Ball" are definitely there [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ernie-Ball-OLP-Bass-Guitar-flametop-MUSICMAN-MUSIC-MAN_W0QQitemZ110276099164QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110276099164&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318"]Another OLP bass[/url]). But he's a sneaky bugger, as he's also avoided using the acronym "OLP", as he doesn't want to give too much away. Reason he wants to deliver is obvious - he wants the money first, then you get the bass. No chance of inspection, no chance of backing out of the deal. Once he has the money, he obviously feels he has a good case to keep the money, and if you really look at the advertisement, I'd say he might be right. He's playing on people's hopes that they're going to get a bargain - he's presented an auction that at first glimpse looks to be one - only after a bit of study is it obvious that it's not a bargain, and it takes some experience of basses to know that's the case.

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='242723' date='Jul 18 2008, 02:05 PM']Isn't it a stupidly low BIN? I would've thought these'd go for £500+..? I don't know much about vintage Fenders, but it just seemed too good to be true![/quote] Phil, it's a Musicmaster, and the auction is in America. It's really not that good a deal.

[quote name='99ster' post='238538' date='Jul 13 2008, 02:15 PM']Good detective work Bassaussie![/quote] Thanks! I had a shot with "The Wayback Machine" too, but had no luck. What I've noticed lately is that scammers have twigged to the fact that people will seach on Ebay for serial numbers, neckplate stamps etc, so the scammers wait until the details have disappeared from Ebay. Damn shame all round, actually, as it looks like a really nice bass. Completely aside from the auction itself, do you think the finish is original - I actually thought it might've been, going by the undercoat.

I'm suspicious about this one. And if this is a scam, the scary part about it is that the scammer is putting a bit of work into the auction to distance it from the original instrument, and has put a very good description up as well. Points to note. 1. Free shipping, anywhere in the world. It's not unheard of, but still, why?? Especially on an instrument starting at £699, no reserve - the shipping could severely eat into the final sale price if it didn't move beyond £699. 2. Starting price of £699 for a bass that, at worst, is a refin and has changed tuners. If his description is accurate, he could walk into any dealer in London and have £1500 in his hands within seconds, and I'm being ultra-conservative there. The neck alone is worth well over £1000. 3. The serial number. The seller has said "L4XXX", which, when compared to the photo of the neckplate, looks plausible. However, L series numbers are "LXXXXX" (6 positions, not 5). For me, it appears that the seller has looked at the neck plate photo, thought that the serial number only had 5 positions, and described it accordingly. But if you look at that photo closely, you can just about see the 6th position digit. For a seller who knows so much about pre-CBS Fenders (ie. stick marks, C profile neck, neck date stamp etc) this seems a strange error to have made. So I'd suggest caution with this. Maybe it is legit, and there's an amazing bargain to be had, but I'd strongly recommend collection in person. EDIT: This is a cached version of an auction for the same bass. It's from Italian Ebay. Make of it what you will. It's all very smart - finding this auction was very difficult, simply doing a search on Ebay didn't lead me to it. [url="http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:CSdku_kAAH8J:cgi.ebay.it/1964-Fender-Precision-Bass-Fiesta-Red_W0QQitemZ300227753954QQihZ020QQcategoryZ64401QQcmdZViewItem+1964+fender+precision+bass+5dec64c+fiesta+red&hl=pt-PT&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=pt"]http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:CSdku_k...;cd=1&gl=pt[/url]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='237088' date='Jul 11 2008, 09:26 AM']Did someone call The Nobby's are/were some of the earliest and limited but oddly enough the bass version appears on eBay with surprising regularity... it's either a handful of duff basses that keep doing the rounds or owners never hold onto them. I've seen the basses selling for less than a grand.[/quote] I've tried a couple of Nobby basses. They actually sound very Warwick-like, which I guess shouldn't have surprised me, but did anyway!! The thing that put me off was the feel. They really don't sit very well at all. I've got a real Steinberger L2, and while I never made a side-by-side comparison, I feel comfortable saying there's really no comparison between the two as to how the feel strapped on. [quote name='warwickhunt' post='237088' date='Jul 11 2008, 09:26 AM']I've not seen the guitar version that often (nor have I studied it) though I do recall a while back someone questioning if the couple that have been noted are cut down basses! The pup mounts look like they could be hiding a cavity routed for bass pups but I'd really not like to say what the real story is. I suppose the scale length and fret spacing would easily identify if this were originally made as a guitar! Letters of authenticity from a music shop or HPW are so easily faked/typed up that I'd be reluctant to take that as the only form of provenance.[/quote] I was thinking much the same. Still, there are these rarities around (for example, the early Status/Strata guitars), and since the guitar buying public is much larger than the bass-buying one, it would make sense to at least makes some prototypes to see if they'd sell.