Bassassin

That's quite hilariously hideous. Looks for all the world like some wonky home-made bodge job.

Sadly the more pertinent question might be whether the UK will receive shipment. Not all new models get released internationally and the UK is likely seen as a minor and somewhat conservative market. Unfortunately it wouldn't surprise me if they don't come here, just like all the gorgeous variations on Aria SB basses don't.

That's the 1991 original, hand-built, impossibly hi-spec, and virtually unobtainable. I missed one on Ebay about 10 years ago for stupidly little money. @alembic1989 is referring to the forthcoming reissue, described as "affordable". http://geargods.net/namm-2018/ibanez-to-reissue-affirma-bass-in-2018-namm-2018/ Looking forward to seeing some specs/pics. Might be persuaded to part with my orange plastic EDA900 & upgrade...

Young musicians looking at bands like Rush in the same way we might look at classical composers is reeeeaaaaal f*cking odd!

Immaculately performed but - the chances are those kids' parents weren't born when that album was released, in 1976. That just feels really odd...

The Chinese system pictured above is a copy of the unit used on the 80s & 90s Hohner B2 & Jack basses - which was a licensed Steinberger design. I have 2 basses with the Steingberger licensed units (which are excellent) but no experience of the copy system. If I was planning a headless build, I'd definitely be considering the Chinese system ahead of the more expensive alternatives.

I'd do a bit of research first - this looks like a generic modern J copy with an Eko decal on the head. There have been some recent Chinese-made Eko "reissues" and I strongly suspect this is from that era. No way is this a 70s Recanti classic.

Such a pity the earlier pics in the thread got lost, presumably after the recent site update. However I remember enough to say it was a variation on the same model, with chrome hardware rather than black, and a P/J pickup arrangement instead of the J/J on this bass. It had the same style of scratchplate - which is the most unusual feature of this bass. I'm 99.9% sure @pbmuenchen's bass has been defretted, I don't think a factory fretless would have a lacquered board, and all of the fretless SB and Force basses I've seen previously have been unlined and had no position dots. The Force 30 appears to be a very uncommon model - I can't find any pics anywhere else online (didn't have the presence of mind to save the old ones from this thread!) and as we've seen, even self-proclaimed Washburn experts will deny the evidence of their own eyes and claim it doesn't exist! Bit of an update from the earlier post - as I said then research on old MIJ guitars & basses is ongoing - we now know that Matsumoku were not involved in manufacturing for Washburn at any point, so this bass is, with near absolute certainty, a Chushin Gakki product. The serial number, as I understand it, dates it to 1984. "Chicago" on the headstock refers only to the Washburn brand - this bass is 100% a Japanese-made instrument. I would strongly recommend posting pics & info to the "Daions Online" FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1066707010017715/ Daion was the main brand manufactured by Yamaki Gakki, who made the initial MIJ Washburns, & this group is where the best knowledge base for all MIJ Washburns can be found.

That's genuinely, properly remarkable to see one of these turn up. Don't think I've ever seen decent , detailed pics before either. Can't help thinking Tutmarc Jr would be better off selling it in a proper auction or offering it to genuine collectors rather than through the Fleabay meatmarket.

Ironically it appears Dallas-Arbiter could've got similarly stroppy about Status, if they'd been sufficiently petty - wonder what Rob Green would've called his basses then? Don't think the seller's trying to suggest this is connected with "proper" Statii. Just not very good at being a seller...

If I'd arrived before 2am I might've been able to post something coherent. As it is you'll have to wait til th' morra.

Low-end mid 70s MIJ copy with a dodgy sticker. Quite a lot of budget Ps & Js had those little Tele-type pickups hidden under big chrome ashtrays - here's a couple that passed through my hands:

+1 to that - incredibly versatile & technical when she wants to be too - we played loads of gigs with a bizarre proggy 3-piece she was in years ago. Awesome player.

It is a lower-tier SB - certainly compared to the 900 & 1000 etc but not poorer quality by any means. It's been refurbed to some extent - the knobs & coil split switch aren't original - but genuine parts (knobs in particular) are pretty much impossible to find. Starting price was probably a bit optimistic considering it's quite bashed up & has replacement parts. What's odd is that there was an earlier, bolt-neck SB600 which is rarer & probably more collectable than the set neck.

I think it's basically one of these but with a few detail/hardware differences: Cimar was Ibanez' parent company's budget brand & shared some crossover in styling. I think most of them came from a different factory, who presumably sold slightly differently specced versions under the Seiwa brand. I've encountered Seiwa before but never seen one of these. Interesting.

Sad that some people still hold onto such negative preconceptions about these instruments. These are actually very decent early 70s copies, imported by Dallas-Arbiter & sold alongside their Jedson range. The body's not plywood but veneered mahogany butcher-block, like most 70s MIJ copies, & the remaining original pickup's an 8-pole Maxon single-coil - in my experience these sound great. The J unit in the bridge slot's not original. The same bass (Fujigen Gakki model 2365B) badged as Ibanez would probably fetch about £400 in good condition, this looks a bit of a state but would likely tidy up OK.

Those look like Schaller M4S types with but cloverleaf keys instead of cast ones. Might be available from Schaller.

What - just me, you mean?

"Double thumbing" is basically using the thumb like a plectrum, playing upstrokes as well as down. Like most stunt bass techniques, it's of no use in my particular musical biosphere, but I did learn the basics of it out of curiosity. Got good enough to be able to do a stupid & messy-sounding solo bass rendition of the Captain Pugwash theme tune, then never bothered again. And no - you're never going to hear that!

That's my point - Ibanez were selling slick, lightweight SoundGears in metallic pink & blue to kids who wanted to be in Def Leppard. And Aria had dropped out of the game, pretty much.

I'd suggest the Aria downturn was a combination of two reasons - primarily the closure of Matsumoku (1987) and the movement of production of most Arias to Korea, which started a year or so earlier. There was an undoubted big drop in quality. Secondly the change in musical fashion away from the late 70s/early 80s trend for upfront, showy bassists - with ostentatious stripy basses to match - towards pointy shred guitars, Superstrats & poodle hair-metal. Ibanez had pretty much cornered the Superstrat market and bassists were relegated to a much more background role & generally more utilitarian instruments. In an era of streamlined designs & primary colours, Aria's Alembic Hippy Sandwich-inspired designs started to look very dated very fast, and the brand never had quite the profile with guitarists that they did with bassists. I might be talking rubbish here.

Plain slugs on the J & DiMarzio-type hex poles on the P - the hex poles might've corroded a bit. I have a Washburn SB-40 from the same era (early 80s) made by the same factory (Chushin Gakki) and with identical-looking pickups. I *think* the comedy pricing is because he wants to do a straight swap for a guitar - hence my £15 car boot Sunn Mustang offer...

Really hate it when a description is a pack of blatant made-up lies. Stupidly cool & rare bass, though - wonder how much actual money he wants for it. Or if he'd do a straight swap for an old Sunn Mustang Strat I've got hanging about.

Yeh. Can't play it though.

It does - in fact they're push/push, just to be flash! Very versatile it is too.