Musky

I've a 68 4001S and that has a set neck, so I popped over to RickResource to see when they changed. It seems that some 4001 models were produced with set necks, and the 4000 was set neck after the mid '70's. So there are examples about of either basses sporting either type of neck. Does this mean both of us were right, or we were both wrong?

It was the other way round Jon. The 4000 had a set neck and the 4001 had a through neck. It looks ok to me, other than the parts he's mentioned and the strap buttons.

I assume you've delved into the display setting in Preferences and checked the level for brightness?

In case anyone hasn't twigged, it's our old mate with the refinished CAR Jazz he got burned on. He's not actually trying to sell, just highlight that the seller ripped him off. He lists it all the time, though he's been getting rather obscure recently. Here's an earlier auction that explains a bit more - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-Fender-Jazz-Bass-Precision-crafted-bass_W0QQitemZ190176668263"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-Fender-Jazz-...emZ190176668263[/url]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='114702' date='Jan 6 2008, 02:37 PM']Nice one - great bit of research & a fascinating article. I want a copy of the [i]History Of Electric Guitars[/i] book mentioned there! You ought to be careful though Musky - you'll end up as sad as me... J.[/quote] I think there's little hope for me already, Jon!

[quote name='Bassassin' post='103035' date='Dec 12 2007, 02:03 AM']We can now add "bolt-neck Rick copy" to the Fresher KnowledgeBase: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280183149355"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280183149355[/url] Wonder who made that? The pics aren't giving anything away. J.[/quote] I just stumbled across a rather interesting article on Fresher, and remembered this post. [url="http://www.vintageguitar.com/features/brands/details.asp?AID=1032"]http://www.vintageguitar.com/features/bran...ls.asp?AID=1032[/url] Made by Kyowa, a member of the Matsumoto Musical Instrument Manufacturers' Association apparently. The Rick copy would have been a FN-384. They did a few other original bass designs a bit later on, and finally wound up in 1985. So now we know (sort of).

[quote name='Hamster' post='114500' date='Jan 6 2008, 01:30 AM']All right - whose ad is this item [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-Fender-Jazz-Bass-Precision-crafted-bass_W0QQitemZ190188059301QQihZ009QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-Fender-Jazz-...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] An expert on Fedner Guitarse Hamster[/quote] His auctions are getting more surreal with each one. He's moved from publicising his cause to the plain bizarre. I'm waiting for him to start posting pictures of bananas next.

[quote name='Muppet' post='113757' date='Jan 4 2008, 09:08 PM']It's the stuff you can't quite put your finger on that makes them, not the physical things themselves. Japanese models, no matter how good quality wise will never have it. They will always be Japanese. You can get a custom shop issue that feels and sounds like a 70s Fender and will be of much better physical quality but it still won't have it. It's a heart thing not a head thing and that's what makes them great.[/quote] That sounds like Beedster's 'placebo effect'. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8436"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8436[/url] Oh, and lovely looking bass there Dood.

Blimey, it looks like you might have just missed the boat there Mike. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ABLE-BASSMAKER-PEDAL_W0QQitemZ220187785305"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ABLE-BASSMAKER-PEDAL...emZ220187785305[/url] It seems to me that £33 was probably a complete bargain for the buyer, though I suspect that he actually paid more for it. Shame the picture of the literature isn't legible. *Edit to add the picture before it disappears into the ether. [attachment=5175:bassmaker.jpg]

No, you're not alone in thinking 70's Fenders aren't all they're cracked up to be. I made a post along similar lines ages ago (maybe on BT/BW), and a lot of people just seemed to like the whole 'mojo' thing of an older bass. There are undoubtedly some great 70's vintage Fenders out there, but there's plenty from the bottom of the pile in the quality control department as well. I remain unconvinced that there was some kind of cut off date for decent vintage Fenders as well - the rather arbitrary dates of '73 or '75 are some that have been bandied about. I've seen auctions for late 60's models that have clearly had heels on the body wider than the neck, which doesn't bode well for Fender's quality control even at this early a date. I'd buy one (in fact I have) - but not without playing it first, unless it came without the hefty price tag they usually command.

[quote name='Machines' post='112701' date='Jan 3 2008, 07:27 AM']Mondial Classic.[/quote] Great stuff - that would have been my choice. I would have snapped one up years ago if they made a short scale version.

[quote name='cris the man' post='113353' date='Jan 4 2008, 08:27 AM']what are the ultimate stage moves?[/quote] Legs akimbo, hair over your face, bent over your bass - none more metal!

[quote name='Machines' post='112504' date='Jan 2 2008, 07:06 PM']I should have one for review this month .[/quote] Which one are you reviewing? The Tipo?

A genuine Ibanez up for sale - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Model-2389bmr-Bass-Guitar-Rare-MIJ-Retro_W0QQitemZ140194948589"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Model-2389bmr...emZ140194948589[/url] Not sure I like the sound of the neck repairs though.

[quote name='OldGit' post='108196' date='Dec 22 2007, 04:02 PM']That sounds good Can you find the details?[/quote] Sorry, I totally forgot about this thread. I haven't heard back from our drummer yet, but it might have been the Press Association - Entertainment. Newspapers have to subscribe to it to get the info, though obviously all the National ones definitely do.

Pre Fender the Workingman had a few less features, 40w less power and an SWR designed speaker - I think they use stock Eminance now. All in all there's probably not a great deal of difference sound-wise. I've got the first version Workingman 15, so I was on the look out for any sign of a drop in build quality with the Fender made product, but it doesn't seem to have happened (not that I've tried any - just from what I've read). Fender seem to have just made a few sensible changes on the features front, like side handles on the 15, so I don't think you'd notice any difference on stage to the older stuff.

Lots of old Kramers (250, DMZ), Ibanez (Blazer, Roadstar) and even Matsumoku made basses are inspired by precisions.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='110729' date='Dec 29 2007, 10:27 PM']Ah but was that a price rise driven by Ric or their importer adjusting their prices inline with UK inflation?[/quote] That was a price rise from RIC. I've no idea whether Rosetti raised their UK prices though.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='108799' date='Dec 24 2007, 09:02 AM']According to Ric, the last price rise was in 2001 and because of the backlog this price rise won't take effect until 2008/9.[/quote] Although Mr. Hall gives the impression that prices haven't increased since 2001, the last one was in January this year - overall just under 10%.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='108806' date='Dec 24 2007, 09:31 AM']Hi folks I have two high-value items to send back to America to have mods done. One is having the work done under warranty, the other item is a having a modification that I'm paying for. So, theoretically, all I need to pay import tax on is the value of the work done on the latter item. C&E told me I need to get form C&E132 from the post office, fill it out etc. etc. and bingo! Nothing to pay when I re-import them. (They say there is a chance I'll have to pay duty when they're returned, but I can claim it back.) So... how easy is this in practice? Anyone done it? Ta in advance...[/quote] I've no idea how this works, but I received a bass from the States on behalf of a friend a few years ago. When it arrived the documents were marked 'repair'. No taxes at all were applied.

[quote name='synaesthesia' post='108428' date='Dec 23 2007, 09:25 AM']I've owned several Ricks and still have 2. I've been in touch with John Hall on a few occasions since the 80s. RIC is a company building a specialist instrument for a specialised crowd. You can't compare a RIC to a contemporary design like say a Fodera. They appeal to a completely different crowd as does Alembic. A. They know that they feed a constant baying crowd wanting Ricks and more Ricks. RIC are ALWAYS in a seller's market position. B. They know that the demand is greater than they can meet now. C. The QC of a new Ric is as consistent as it has ever been. So no real special mojo with an older Ric, a well kept Ric is as good as any other well kept Ric. No funny CBS fender , Norlin Gibson, Baldwin Gretsch lottery hokey pokey. D. They have no expansion or offshore production plans and are likely never to have either as long as J Hall is CEO. E. If you think their relationship with customers is bad, RIC will pull a dealership from distributors or retailers if they don't meet RIC's terms, they have done so on several occasions. Ask Jim Duncan of Southpaw guitars, not only was he a RIC dealer, he was a LEFTY only RIC dealer. They no longer carry RIC intsruments. F. This marketing reputation has been there for a long time, don't expect ay change soon. They have been like this for a very long time and not only survived but remained profitable and look to remain profitable from demand. G. As long as there is commercially crap music, and as long as there is a X factor, American Idol etc... there will be a strong indie/prog/I want to be different/ crowd that will play Ricks and every once in a while the Ric sound becomes 'fashionable".[/quote] Like you, I own 2 Ricks - a '68 4001S and a 4003 (I used to have a 4001 as well, but thought that was just being greedy ). So I'm far from immune to the attraction of Ricks. I'm aware that RIC are entirely within their rights to up their prices dramatically, and given the demand this is entirely rational. I also feel that John Hall is fetishisising his product as much as some of his customers do - he appears to feel that he builds a quality high end product that merits prices to match. But in terms of pure quality I don't think they really stand up to the bespoke makers his prices are beginning to match. Effectively telling his customers that "I'm upping my prices just because I can" was never going to win many friends, and I find it a frankly baffling decision to make that announcement. There were enough people who thought Ricks were overpriced as things stood, and this is just going to fuel things. It may have been a rational decision based on demand, but people tend to have a notion of a 'fair price' which judging by plenty of comments RIC have now overstepped. As for quality control, there's no way either my 4003, nor my old 4001, hold a candle to my 4001S - an opinion backed up by many others who've played it. And I've seen plenty of threads elsewhere bemoaning the set up on new Ricks. RIC have been riding on a high for several years in terms of fashionability, but that's not always been the case. The most I paid for any of my basses was £275 - not much more than I might have expected to pay for a Precision at the time - and the fashionability of them seems to go in cycles. I'm not sure that this price increase will do much for getting them into the hands of the young bands that tend to drive their perceived desirability. Doubtless there will still be a strong demand from aficionados and a heritage market though. I've been far from impressed with RIC's attitude to spare parts for some time and, for me, this price increase has just served to take more of the shine off Rickenbacker's reputation.

That picture of the headstock looks very odd to me. The tuners look like they're chrome, which wasn't used until the introduction of Schallers - and they don't look like Schallers (they only came along in '76 anyway). The end of the fingerboard should be dished as well, which that doesn't seem to be. And yes, there should definitely be holes visible for the bridge cover. I'd avoid that I think.

I was thumbing through some old copies of Making Music and spotted a Commodore in the Guitar Guru section. Bearing in mind he was writing 14 years ago, Paul Day thought these originated from Matsumoku and were imported/badged by Rosetti. The instrument he was talking about was a solid bodied guitar, but he reckoned he'd seen identical instruments with Aria and Conrad badges.

Is this a Squier model? I'd expect to see it with a SQ or E serial number, maybe a JV number. Whether it says Fender or Squier on the headstock it makes no difference - Fender Japan was knocking out good quality instruments at this time. Whether it's worth £300 (just in terms of typical cost) rather depends on what model it is though. Have you got a photo or decent description of it?