bassaussie

On 29/08/2019 at 06:50, prowla said:

Not "credit to the seller" - if it's got the logo on it then it's a counterfeit.

When I first saw the ad, I read it thinking that he'd bought the bass in this state. Given that he's now changed it, maybe he was the one who did the Sadowsky transfer, and I can see where you're coming from.

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

It's a Sodoffski...

That's funny!

I'm a long time owner of a Sadowsky bass, so am always interested in seeing postings about them, and how much they sell for.

Just saw this, and it's the first time I've seen someone deliberately try to fake a Sadowsky. Credit to the seller, he clearly states it's not real, so there's no shenanigans going on. I just thought it was interesting that someone would do this.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Custom-5-String-Jazz-Bass-Guitar-w-Sadowsky-Preamp/323896191816?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40733%26meid%3De88556e320824350a8eabfb24eb54779%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D264441223492%26itm%3D323896191816%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

So my understanding is that a company (usually in Japan/Asia) would create the instruments, and then you'd have a distributor in each country taking a boatload, branding them for the local market, and away you go. Is that about it?

Whenever I see those tuners, they make my cringe!!!! Hahahaha!

2 minutes ago, NikNik said:

That cutting off is sure to mess with the intonation.

Do you think? If you remove it from the low end of the neck, you're simply replicating what we do when we fret a note - in a way, it's basically the same idea as what a capo does on a guitar.

I think if you took if from the other end of the neck, then you'd have problems (I think .... ).

I seem to remember reading an article with Bill Wyman years ago where he said he'd got a Steinberger, but he didn't like it because he wasn't keen on long scale basses, so they modified it by cutting off the first fret (or so - I can't remember how much he said was chopped off). This is from an article probably 30, 35 years ago, I'd guess in Guitar Player magazine, and I hope my memory isn't playing tricks on me!!! I never saw a picture of the bass, but going from what he said, the bass you've linked to certainly looks similar to how he described it.

Amazing - I actually found the article here.

The bass in the original post is exactly the same as the bass I played on in high school, only that had a different brand name - "Tempo". I remember the pickup, the tele style bridge, the tuners and the metal plate over the truss rod. The was very early on in my bass playing, and with time I came to notice all the difference between it and a real Fender - the obvious being the pickup, but then realising all the other little differences as well. I don't think I've ever seen another bass with at Tele type pickup until you posted this. The tuners, on the other hand, are really typical for basses from this period.

6 hours ago, NickA said:

Ah the great and well known Joey Morewood.  For a man with so many lovely guitars and basses he appears to know nothing about any of them.  Disingenuity I fear, in pursuit of a greater margin.  Wouldn't touch this bass with a bargepole at anything near that price.

4 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Dealt with this seller once.

never again.

Think it’s the single most bizarre buying experience of my life.

I still to the day can’t express how sad it made me. No matter how good the bass was, it was a shite experience.

The bass I bought was originally listed at £725, I agreed £400, ended up paying £280 when I saw it and sold it soon after for £300 after making it loads better.

I don’t like to call people out and make a fuss, but this guy is a bit of a crook to be honest.

What an informative thread this has turned out to be!!! So you guys know him?

Like I said above, I thought his collection was very impressive, as I've never seen so many old Yamahas in one place like that, and he has some models I've not even seen before. However, as you've both suggested (and was also suggested above) his prices do seem to be on the high side.

I guess at the end of the day, if his prices are too high, people won't touch his auctions.

2 hours ago, Rich said:

Roughly speaking, there are three ages of Wal headstock.
Generally the earlier PB basses and most of the JG basses would have looked like the one on the left (mine is PB1533 and it's like this).
Later PB basses and the early Customs were like the middle one, with the outer laminates dispensed with.
Finally, the later Custom basses (Mks.1 and 2) have the headstock on the right.

Please note that this is massively simplified and that there are some variations. But I do not believe there is any way that JG1152 would have left the factory with the slimmer headstock. Hence my conviction that this is not the original neck. More info here. https://walbasshistory.blogspot.com/

Very informative post, I really enjoy reading stuffing like this.

As an aside, people should check out the seller's other auctions. He has an amazing collections of old 70s and 80s guitars, largely old Yamahas. His prices seem a little high, but it's would be hard to imagine seeing a collection like that anywhere else. Looking at it, I was actually wondering if he wasn't some famous musician from the 80s flogging off his old gear.

17 minutes ago, BreadBin said:

It is an old Kay, it's awful! It was made in '69, out of plywood. 😐

That made me laugh! Brutal, but honest.

You said there's nothing special, but I dunno ..... sure, you haven't got a room full of L-Series Fenders, but there's some really interesting basses in there. The SUB is a GREAT bass, the old Ibanez is really interesting, and those old Jedson are great looking basses. I think it's a really interesting group of instruments.

3 hours ago, BreadBin said:

Careful now, look how it can end up! This isn't everything...

Would it be out of order to ask you to list what these all are? I can identify most, but there's a few interesting ones can't quite pick.

One I'm really interested in is the single cut leaning against the way, behind the black Fender. Is that an old Kay? What do you think of it?

It's insane to think that an amp of this quality is going for that price.  SWR amps from this period are about as good as it gets.

5 basses

1966 Fender Jazz

1966 Fender Precision

1982 Steinberger L2

1985 (ish) Maton JB4

2002 Sadowsky

Plus a few guitars

2 minutes ago, Tubster said:

I understand your difficulty in trying to sell higher $$ bass in Iberian Peninsular - Spain is tricky too. However, you could try Bajistas.org an there is a lively Bajista group on FB.

good luck

Thanks mate, really appreciate it.

Actually, I'm going to be in Madrid next week, and I know there's a bass store there. I was tempted to take my bass over and see what they had to say.

Sorry - should just add, thanks to everyone who responded, it's been really helpful reading people's thoughts.

10 minutes ago, cetera said:

 

You are correct, Sir! Though my musical faves are more mid 70's I grew up with my teenage years through the 80's. 🙂

Ah, I have the Hohner B2a to cover that..... lol!

Yeah, seems we're the same age. What I noticed was the distinct lack of headless instruments and some of the boutique British brands, which means you weren't into the new wave scene. The 80s were a great time for basses, both with the instruments available and the amps as well.

And no, you know full well that a Hohner B2a doesn't cover the Steinberger gap!

Your list reminds me of my first encounters with a Steinberger, and also Spector. I'd seen Steinbergers in Guitar Player, and it was nearly a religious moment for me. When I finally go to play one, I nearly cried, it was so good. Anyway, the same store got another interesting bass in, and they said something like "if you liked the Steinberger, you'll love this". It was nice looking, sort of looked like an Ibanez Roadster, and had those weird EMG pickups that Steinberger used. I picked it up, and this thing pretty much plays itself. All the good qualities that a Steinberger had, only in a beautiful package. My first encounter with a Spector! I think younger players don't realise what landmark instruments these basses were. These days, there's so much good quality around, but back then, choices were limited, and to play an instrument like that was an incredible experience.

On 29/07/2019 at 16:35, cetera said:

A few more sales/purchases since Apr 2019 so updated list of current 72 basses (with newbies in BOLD )

(PRE-KRAMER) SPECTOR SB-1 USA 1976 (Walnut/Maple)
(PRE-KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Cherry Sunburst)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Black)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Black)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Gloss White)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Tobacco Sunburst)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Red/Black Lava Crackle) - Ex-Barry Dunaway (Yngwie)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Red Stain)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2A (Gloss White)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2A (Black)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2A (Black)
(KRAMER) SPECTOR NS-2A (Teal)
SPECTOR NS-2 USA (Custom Holoflash Black & Abalone)
SPECTOR NS-2X USA 'Spectorbird' (Tobacco Sunburst & Abalone)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro CR (Holoflash Black)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro CRFM(Dark Purple Stain)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro CRFM (Plum Stain)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro CRFM (Forest Green)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro LX (Gloss White)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro LX ‘Ian Hill’ (Black)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro LX 'Rachel Bolan' (Black/Silver Sparkle)
SPECTOR NS-2 Euro LT (Violet Stain)
SPECTOR NS-2 JA-CR Euro RI (Gloss White)
SPECTOR NS-2 JA-CR Euro RI (Black)
SPECTOR Legend 4X (Holoflash Black)
SPECTOR Legend 4X (Black Stain)
STUART SPECTOR DESIGN NS-4 Euro (Red Stain)
DINGWALL D-Bird (Blue/Purple Colourflip)
WAL Mk1 Fretless(Mahogany with Stained Maple facings)
WAL Mk1 “Geddy Lee” (Black with Gold Hardware)
FENDER Precision ‘70’s Jap RI “Phil Lynott” (Black/Mirror)
FENDER Precision ’62 Jap RI (Vintage White/Red Tort)
FENDER FSR Precision PJ Deluxe Active (Sea Foam Metallic) 1 of 150
FENDER FSR Precision 70's RI (Nat Ash)
FRANKENSTEIN Tele neck/P body '"Billy Sheehan - The Wife"
JACKSON "Kip Winger" Sig (Cherry Lacewood)
JACKSON TBX-Pro ‘Jacksonbird’ 1 of 56 made (Black)
JACKSON Ontario ‘Concert Bass’ (White)
HAMER Impact USA (Black & Gold ‘Marble’)
HAMER Impact USA (Red)
HAMER Scarab USA ‘Rick Savage’ (White)
KRAMER Forum I (Flipflop Blue)
KRAMER Forum III (Dark Teal)
KRAMER Ferrington Electro/Acoustic (Black)
ESP The Surveyor 1984 (Blue Stain with Blue fingerboard!)
ESP PPJ-160 ‘Masayoshi Yamashita’ Sig Model (White)
ESP/Zep-II PPJ-160 ‘Masayoshi Yamashita’ Sig Model (Black)
PEAVEY RJ-IV “Randy Jackson” Sig Model (Red Sunburst)
PEAVEY RJ-IV “Randy Jackson” Sig Model (Grey/Silverburst)
PEAVEY “Rudy Sarzo” Sig Model (Dark Natural)
TOKAI ‘Hard Puncher’ P (Black/Mirror)
TOKAI Works TW801? (Black)
FERNANDES MV-65NS “Nikki Sixx’ Non-Reverse Spectorbird (Black)
FERNANDES MV-65NS “Nikki Sixx’ Non-Reverse Spectorbird (Black)
FERNANDES MV-65NS “Nikki Sixx’ Non-Reverse Spectorbird (Black)
FERNANDES TB Ltd Edition ‘Thunderbird’ (Off-White)
FERNANDES PJ-50 Ltd Edition P/J (Red)
YAMAHA BB3000 (Black Sparkle)
HARTKE XK-4 Active (Black/Chrome)
GUILD Pilot (Purple Burst)
GUILD Pilot (Red)
HAGSTROM Super Swede "Rutger Gunnarsson" (Dark Mahogany)
EPIPHONE Thunderbird Vintage Pro (Black)
ITALIA Imola GP "Ricky Phillips" (White)
HOHNER B2A w/D-Tuner (Black)
FELINE/SPECTOR "Gene Simmons SB-1" Copy (Black)
FELINE/KRAMER "Gene Simmons Axe" 1980 Hybrid (Black/Silver)
PUNISHER "Gene Simmons" Ltd. Edition (Signed/#’d) (Black)
AXE "Gene Simmons" Ltd Edt (Signed/#’d) (Black/Silver)
CORT “Gene Simmons Axe-2” (Black/Silver)
CORT “Punisher GS-2” (Black)
STACCATO MG Active (22 of 34 made) (Black/Magnesium Alloy)

I also have 10 'guitards'....

That's an amazing list of instruments, some well known and respected quality in the Spectors and Wals, but also some sleepers like the Guild Pilots, the Peavey Randy Jackson and the Staccato. I mean this with the utmost of respect, but it tends to tell me roughly how old you are, and also what music you liked.

I see a strong 80s influence there, and probably leaning more towards hard rock/glam metal.

Would that be correct?

I'm from the same era, I'm 51, and so many of your basses bring back memories of Guitar Player ads that I would sit and drool over for hours on end. I do think you need an old Steinberger, though, to complete the Geddy set!!!

2 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I think higher prices do have a limiting effect, but these basses do sell. Setting a "good" price can help a lot. I'm not sure that I know much about woods etc.

I have a Metro that I tried to sell at one point. I got a little interest and maybe one serious offer but decided to keep it. For the more expensive basses your audience is probably limited to a handful of players and you have to connect with them at the right time. As I say the option with the the lowest initial outlay for you would be to try BC.

Good luck.

Cheers Chris. I really appreciate the feedback, it's given me some food for thought.

FWIW - I had a Metro for a while, they're sensational instruments.

4 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Some Sadowsky basses sell and some don't, but if you want to gauge the interest it can't hurt to put an ad on BC. You are in a better position if you are not in a hurry to sell. You can be patient and see what turns up and the bass stays with you while this is going on.

Without the 20% shop commission, you'd be able to bring  the price down which could boost your chances of a sale. Also BC seems to have a lot of members in Europe who are keen on basses at the higher and boutique end of the market.

If it doesn't sell on BC, one of the UK bass shops (are there any in Europe?) might get you in front of a wider and more serious audience. A lot of bass players I've met aren't on Basschat, but I'd definitely try here first.

 

Thanks Chris. There are other stores around Europe, for instance Spain, France, but the store I approached in the UK is a store I've dealt with in the past (admittedly quite a few years back), so there's that level of trust there.

I guess part of my question comes from having watched some Sadowsky instruments on BC - they don't seem to fly, that's for sure!

You mentioned "some do, some don't" - do you think particular configurations or wood options tend to influence this, or do you think this is more related to pricing?

Hi,

I have a question that relates to a potential sale I want to make.

I have a Sadowsky bass that I bought new from Roger about 15 years ago. It's a great bass, no flaws, but I've just found I've moved on from that type of bass, I'm really just into old Fenders, that's it.

I've thought about selling it for quite some time, but my location is a real problem - I live in Portugal, and the market here for anything exotic is non-existent.

I've spoken to one of the bass stores in UK about the instrument, they said they'd happily put in in their shop on commission, and the suggested price they gave me was quite good.

The thing is, though, I really have no idea if these instruments are very popular in the UK or not, and given that, I'm reluctant to leave the bass in a store simply for it to sit there for months on end with no interest, and potentially leaving me with the problem of having to get it shipped back to me.

So - given the above details, I'd really appreciate people's thoughts on whether there is a market for this sort of thing in UK. I'm not desperate to sell it, I don't need the money, it's more about not wanting to hold on to things I don't use.

PS - I realise that this thread may appear to be an underhanded way of putting out a feeler for my bass and thereby dodging the sales structure on Basschat. This is not my intention, what I've said above is genuinely my position, and out of respect for the site, I will not field any offers on the bass. If I decide to sell it, and want to use Basschat, I'll do it the correct way and advertise it. So, please - no offers or messages.

Thanks, Mark.

1 hour ago, Sibob said:

Wider at the nut and generally more shallow than the 70’s B necks . I have a Lakland with C neck and I love it.

Si

Right, understood.

It's a beautiful bass you're selling, GLWTS.

5 hours ago, Sibob said:

However, whilst it's fantastic, and has done a lot of good work with me, I do prefer 60's Precision neck's, so I'm going to try and scratch that itch a little more.
 

I hope you don't mind me highjacking your thread, but I was curious about this comment. What is it about 60s P necks that you prefer? Is it the C width, or something else?

FWIW, I own a 66 Precision, and it's got a glorious neck on it. Very comfortable.

I like the way you've gone into so much detail about the pros and cons of the bass. Too often we see ads with "62 Jazz" (or whatever), and the description is optimistic at best, with very little detail about the "non-62" parts. Wish more sellers were like you.👍 GLWTS.

Yes, spot on. It's not often I see custom basses that manage to give a nod to a couple of legendary builders, and also end up looking good, but that's a cracking bass. Absolutely beautiful.

11 hours ago, el borracho said:

I like it when old threads like this reappear.

I recall seeing a bass like this on Youtube - took a bit of searching but here it is - this one's called a Belamy

 

That was the name on one of the basses I saw in real life. It stood out to me as I'd never seen the name before, and also because it was a really English sounding name - a lot of the Japanese instruments tend to have Japanese inspired names.

12 hours ago, TrevorR said:

I like to think I'm quite familiar with most brands associated with bass, but I can honestly say I have never heard of Frunt before. Completely new name to me, and I love hearing about stuff like this, it's so interesting to read up on. Where they a big brand in the UK? They sort of look look Acoustic or Sunn amplifiers, but I'm simply going on appearance.

That's a great photo.

2 hours ago, BassBod said:

..most of us in the UK heard Percy Jones and John Giblin before we really heard Jaco

Yeah, I knew these guys were a big influence around the same time, and someone else mentioned Mick Karn. No disrespect intended with the solitary mention of Jaco.