Bloodaxe

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1369380826' post='2088468'] I noticed the other day that there had been a number of massive old Aria bargains recently. I guess that if you're in the market for one now is the time to buy.[/quote] Which begs the question 'Why are these still for sale?' [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/159632-aria-pro-ii-sb700-1980-factory-fretless-oak-stain-l325/page__p__2075044__fromsearch__1#entry2075044"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2075044[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/159514-aria-pro-ii-sb600-1985-blacknatural-l225/page__st__20__p__2075043__fromsearch__1#entry2075043"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2075043[/url] £225 for an SB-600? That's a bargain & £325 for a fretless 700 is better than very reasonable, yet they've been up since November 2011! Daft, I call it. P.

That [i]might[/i] work, but could result in 1) A very long wait (it's not a 5-minute process) 2) A mark that looks like the ring left by a cup unless you get it spot on. It's probably not the cream that's discoloured, but the clearcoat. Generally, pigments fade under UV but varnishes & lacquers tend to yellow. If you take the scratchplate off, I'd bet that there's a similar colour change where the lacquer has been protected. You could try T-Cutting the body to see if that reduces the effect.

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1369311976' post='2087600'] Aren't the reissues in that price range though? Not saying I'd pay that amount for this but I can almost see the sellers logic.[/quote] They are indeed, & I get where he's coming from too. However that approach seems to have skewed the market somewhat as sellers are now asking very high prices but rarely, if ever, getting them. I can't see [i]any[/i] SB being worth four figures unless it's got celebrity provenance (& even that market is arguably restricted to Burton, Taylor & maybe Sarzo). I vaguely recall being told that the re-sale value of a new Les Paul was 50% of retail once it left the shop. I daresay that's a fairly good yardstick for any mass-produced instrument. This guy's got the right idea:— [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-SB1000-CB-Cliff-Burton-Metallica-bass-Guitar-High-Gloss-Black-/121113147387?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c32e7f7fb"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1c32e7f7fb[/url] It'll be interesting to see where that lands. This one [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ARIA-SB-1000-ARIA-PRO-2-BASS-GUITAR-CLIFF-BURTON-VINTAGE-FRETLESS-/221228975153?pt=Guitar&hash=item3382464431"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3382464431[/url] is, I reckon, at the true top end of the pricing/value of these. Although with it being a fretless, the market is further reduced, so it too is probably a bit on the high side. P.

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1369241822' post='2086813'] Definitely not crap - could be an absolute bargain. Anyone here fancy it? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251276988512?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649"]http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1423.l2649[/url] [/quote] I'm watching it, but only out of idle curiosity to see where it ends up. Also in my watch list is this little beauty: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300906501228?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 Again, I've no intention of bidding, just curious to see how close the seller gets to their ludicrously inflated (IMO) BIN price. P.

Reckon he's left a nought off. If you look down the page he's selling a Westfield 5-string for £50 with a gig bag. £150 for an SLB with case would be about right IMO.

I'll chuck Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper) & Joe Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult) into the mix. OK, their respective ex-bands are hardly underrated*, but the personnel in each tended to get overlooked. I reckon having 'ex-Alice Cooper band' on your CV must be a close call with 'ex-Jeff Beck' & 'ex-Frank Zappa'. If you're good enough to play with the likes of them, you're [i]really[/i] good. [size=2]*possibly BÖC are... the three albums before Agents Of Fortune ('Don't Fear The Reaper') tend to get overlooked. They shouldn't be.[/size]

Can't help directly either, but a casual listen suggests to me that the bass generally follows the chord roots and the guitar licks, so these two vids might help… Bernard Butler's in-depth & slightly out of tune guide to playing the guitar part:— [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hexMs1VuwMY[/media] BBC6 Maida Vale session where you [i]can[/i] hear the bass:— [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRp2Ro5E8PU[/media] All the GuitarPro tabs out there appear to be a] bass-free, and b] not quite right (no change there then). The fact that the bass is a bit indistinct on the original might work in your favour here. If [i]you[/i] can't pick it out, odds are that the guitarist is only vaguely aware that there's probably a bass in there somewhere & has no idea what it actually does. The audience sure as hell won't. Keep it simple, back up the chords & double up on the signature licks. If you find that anything else fits without getting in the way of the tune, go for it. Pete.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1368943151' post='2083190']As for worst Beatles cover -- no contest -- William Shatner's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,[/quote] That's transcendentally bad though - so bad it enters the realm of utter genius. Kind of like an Ed Wood film. This, however, is truly horrible: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhp9XBmZF9A[/media]

Cool. What did you end up putting in the hole?

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1368694704' post='2080187'] I had a look and it's a Grabber copy, not the real deal. Not much common parts between the Ripper and the Grabber either. Cheers for the headsup though In any case I can't afford to do anything more this month - car goes for MOT tomorrow, and I know it wants front brake pads (and possibly discs) at the very least The only "weird" thing I need to find is the 4 position dial plate for the varitone rotary switch. It looks like this: It's far from essential, so I'm not losing any sleep over it, but it would be nice![/quote] [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Blank-Discs-47mm-Diameter-Sheet-Metal-Engraving-Gravograph-Trophy-Plates-/271200235660?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&var=570155977886&hash=item3f24cb308c"]Any use?[/url] They'd need trimming to size and a hole drilling/cutting, but ought to work with a transfer overlay as per the TRC. P

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1368261883' post='2074966'] there you go, don't know how to get full size picy's on here[/quote] AFAIK, the site software automatically resizes images to thumbnails. Only way round that is to host your piccies somewhere like Photobucket or Flickr & link them using [ IMG] [/ IMG] tags (without the spaces). Anyway… I was hoping to see 'Steel Adjustable Neck' on the neckplate as that's a dead giveaway for a Mat, but yours doesn't. However the neck construction & tuners are identical to my 1981 TSB-400, so I'd say it probably is a Matsumoku product. The serial number fits with it being an 81. I say 'probably' as I have heard that some early 80s Arias were built at other factories in Japan, (like Hoshino or Fujigen) but more than that I know not. Noelk27 is your man for this. Pete.

[quote name='OBT1000_S12' timestamp='1368220893' post='2074726'] Ok cool, just tried using the good old kitchen sponge with the green bit on in circular motions and has come up quite nicely actually, seems to of taken that slight edge off. Would the 0000 wool do it that little bit more or is it the same effect roughly?[/quote] Same effect only more so. A better way IMO is to use [url=http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_163133_langId_-1_categoryId_255242]automotive finishing pads[/url], as they don't leave little bits of metal behind like steel wool. They're essentially the same idea as a green pan scourer, but are coated with an über-fine abrasive. P.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1368201001' post='2074436'] I've got a battered Hondo 1981 is this a Matsumoku? [/quote] Might be. Shares a few common features with Vantage. What does it say on the neckplate? A good shot of the back of the neck would help too. Pete.

A variation on this? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMqdwtd8TrQ[/media]

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1367682415' post='2068376'] IS this a good price for one of these, and are they any good? [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/aria-pro-bass-guitar/1015317422"]http://www.gumtree.c...itar/1015317422[/url] [/quote] I can't read the headstock in the photo, but it looks a lot like a 'CAT' series bass from 1986/87 or thereabouts. Not a Matsumoku product. The price seems pretty good though, definitely worth a sniff. If the neck's anything like my two later Arias, it'll be somewhere between a Precision & a Jazz in profile. No idea what CATs sound like, but they're easy to upgrade & if it's in good nick you won't take a loss on it. Check the tuners - there's a definite dip in quality in the mid-80s & they can go a bit pear-shaped. [quote name='timmo' timestamp='1367683376' post='2068389'] It is local.But it always puts me off when things have pro in the name, as they seem to do that to make it sound more desirable[/quote] Know what you mean about the 'Pro' bit, but Aria have been using that handle since the late '70s, possibly out of a misguided notion that players in the West would suddenly get interested. The core years for Aria are 1979 to 1983, that's when the really good stuff happened. Key players - Jack Bruce, Neil Murray, Bruce Foxton, John Taylor, Cliff Burton, and er… Rudy Sarzo. Pete.

What's the best power-crazed Moderator for metal?

[quote name='ceilidhswinger' timestamp='1366822342' post='2057722'] Brilliant Pete! downloaded it thanks, re knob, I had taken all outer shell and casing from amp to get a look at pot when I thought I better ask in Basschat first before I removed about a 100 screws. Thanks for your help[/quote] No worries. One simple mod I made to mine was to swap out the front panel input jack. If you take the top off, you'll see that it lives on its own bijou PCB-ette that's screwed to a spigot on the chassis. In my one the spigot was either too tall or too short (I forget which - it was a while back), resulting in the jack unit sitting at a slight angle instead of perpendicular to the front panel. The upshot of this was that the chrome socket bezel had stripped the thread in the plastic socket body when it was tightened up & at one gig it fell off, never to be seen again. Its replacement has proper solder tags & is just held on by the front panel as Nature intended, instead of Ashdown's frankly loony design. [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1366827806' post='2057841']The editor is great, but I don't think it uses USB conventionally - I could only use it if I plugged the Superfly direct into the PC, rather than into a hub.[/quote] I've only ever gone direct - I have a poor relationship with hubs, they all seem to die on me. Wouldn't surprise me though, mate of mine had a Kodak scanner/printer that monopolised his PCs USB ports. Might be a power consumption thing. P.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/205871-ashdown-superfly-manual/

Someone was hunting for the manual a while back & I couldn't find it on Ashdown's site, so I uploaded it to my Dropbox account:— [url="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8453031/Superfly/Superfly_Manual.PDF"]https://dl.dropboxus...rfly_Manual.PDF[/url] Possibly of interest is the Superfly Editor:— [url="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8453031/Superfly/Superfly%201.40.ZIP"]https://dl.dropboxus...rfly%201.40.ZIP[/url] This allows you to hook up the head to a PC & save presets, tweak the compression parameters & also gives access to a Parametric EQ if you prefer that to the front-panel graphic EQ. Sadly you can't do a bulk save, you have to save each preset individually. Works on XP, no idea if it'll play nicely with Win 7 or 8 though. The gain knob is weird, I grant you... but you can annoy guitarists by telling them that yours goes up to [i]15[/i] - that's like... [b]5[/b] more Pete.

That's a big fist Sounds like it's developed a touch of back-bow, so a tad of loosening ought to do the trick to give the neck a touch of relief. About 1/8 of a turn anti-clockwise, repeat if needed after a day or so. Probably weather-related. P.

My vote goes to Greg Lake. His Jazz Bass tone in King Crimson & the early ELP stuff is spot on IMO: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9OxYRCzclo[/media] But when he 'upgraded' to an Alembic... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5jgL7Hn1ks[/media] Where'd the bass go? Peter Gunn without a heavy left hand & a full tone = Fail.

Some more Pino goodness: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFkRj4l_AKs[/media] & one from The Hodge: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOS6svKdELA[/media] P.

Hopeful for this, it's in the diary, but will depend on finances nearer the time... [color=#282828][b]Who's bringing what list[/b] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]EBS HD350+ EBS cab -The Greek[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Roscoe Century 3005/ Overwater J4 - The Greek[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Markbass Mini CMD121P & NY121 cab - Lozz196[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Some form of Precision - Lozz196 (very predictable there)[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ebay double neck kit finished - irvined[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Alpher Custom Bass - StephenYork[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]70s Fenders, Status S2s - Fat Rich[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ibanez GSR-180 (modded), Line 6 combo, pedals and myself[/font][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] - Bottle[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Heavily modified Fleabass (if ready by then!) - Aende[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Warwick Fortress Masterman - Aende[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]500W Ashdown + 2 x 210 Eminence loaded cabs - Aende[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]3 Year old daughter and possibly a Border Collie - Aende[/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]MIM Fender Presicion - seashell[/font][/color] [color=#282828]1983 USA Fender Jazz / Line 6 POD X3 LIVE if anyone's interested - xilddx[/color] 1980 Aria SB-1000F + Ibanez Promethean 5110 - Bloodaxe.