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Bassassin

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Everything posted by Bassassin

  1. Bassassin
    I've wanted one of these for a ridiculously long time. Big fan of Yammy SGs in general but I've always loved this particular model - the unadorned front & visible through-neck make seem it less of a Gibson variation than most of the rest of the SG range. This is a Yamaha SG1500, dated 1984 according to the pickup codes. What's interesting, unlike any other SG I've seen, is that it has no serial number on the headstock or model number on its truss rod cover - according to the guy I got it from, its previous (first) owner got it direct from Kemble Yamaha when the Kemble piano factory closed, so it presumably sat around for a long time after the model was discontinued. As Kemble was Yamaha's UK distributor I can only assume it was a not-for-sale sample that sales reps would have taken around their dealer network - I've heard of similar not-quite-retail models being used in this way before. Anyway, it's fairly well-gigged and has a few knocks & bumps, but also has been well looked-after, plays perfectly and is 100% original. Sounds immense, too. And did I get a bargain? Oh yes, I think I did...
  2. Bassassin
    Typical comedy price from unsere Deutsche Freund. I do know what it is - or was - assuming anyone cares. It's a mid/late 60s Matsumoku build, anyone's guess what the brand was, although Aria's always a possibility. The offset dots & "Steel Adjustable Neck" plate are a 100% ID for that manufacturer. It's probably worth about £60.
  3. Bassassin
    Went for £501. Didn't expect that, looks like it was a last-minute frenzy since it was still at £125 at midday. A realistic price for a scarce, high-end vintage bass, but still surprising. Makes me wonder how much my "rare" SB-40 would fetch. Not that I'm selling.
  4. Bassassin
    Looks brand new - the finish on these falls off as soon as you look at it. These are £500+ new - secondhand, they're ridiculously undervalued basses.
  5. Bassassin
    Those ubiquitous Gotoh tuners turn up on pretty much everything MIJ from that era - plus a few places you don't expect: Not the best looking & come in for a bit of stick, but never had any problems with them myself. This bass is really nothing to do with those Satellites - shame it's not a 99p no reserve auction, because you lot'd be turning your noses up at it for £50 while I'd be busting the "no-basses-in-2018" resolution before the end of January!
  6. Bassassin
    We'll see. It's going well, so far. I have just bought a guitar, though. That doesn't count.
  7. Bassassin
    Hi Pier - I'm not really in a position to advise about price/value since I'd only be able to base that upon sale prices of other basses like yours - and there aren't any! What I know about these is based on a general interest in (and the resulting knowledge of) 80s era MIJ basses. Specifically I recently purchased an Aria Pro SB-ELT, from about 1988/9 - which is constructionally nearly identical to your bass, and what led me to judge that yours is from the same period & manufacturer. My SB-ELT is the post-Matsumoku version of the earlier SB-Elite II / SB-R80 model & is identifiable by having a simplified control layout and no serial or MIJ stamp. There's no 100% confirmation of manufacturer but several MIJ / Aria sites, forums & FB groups associate these with Tokai Gakki, who it's claimed, took over production of the high-end Aria Pro instruments after Matsumoku closed. Low & midrange instruments went to Cort in Korea. Examples of the SB-ELT apparently sometimes have an MIJ sticker on the headstock, but mine does not. There's also what appears to be an identical bass called an SB-RSZ, which I assume is a Rudy Sarzo signature model. I've found some pics of an ASB-60 model which appears identical to your ASB-65, but is described as short scale - I'm assuming yours is a full 34" / 864mm? All this could be easily cleared up if there were any catalogues from the correct period available - but unfortunately I'm unable to find any complete scans of Aria catalogues from the 87-90 era, which is where I'm sure your bass fits in.
  8. Bassassin
    That is strangely awesome, and if I had time/space/use for another project I'd be tempted... I'm seeing it with the headstock cut to a Tele shape, the (s)lime green paint gone & an oiled finish, and a P pickup in addition to the MM, wired with a bunch of passive switching options. Only problem is I'm aiming for a no-new-basses 2018, so it's not gonna happen! GLWTS!
  9. Bassassin
    I'd say in execution it's closer to something like a Westone Thunder I, with its mock-through-neck build. A lot higher up the food chain than those rather nasty Korean-made Satellites, my feeling is that this is a Chushin or maybe a Yamaki build. Twice what I'd even think about paying, though.
  10. Bassassin
    Dunno if it qualifies as a Musician copy (although those did exist!) but it's certainly interesting to MIJ geeks such as myself. Massive cast Chushin bridge on it, same as on many early 80s Washburns. And I wonder if that pickup's a DiMarzio? Bit dear for a curiosity punt, though.
  11. Bassassin
    Odd coincidence - only about 10 minutes ago found this pic in a random folder on my lappy:
  12. Bassassin
    Clearly advertised as a Deko - but I'm not convinced the seller's at all clear what a Deko actually is...
  13. Bassassin
    That's lovely, and a rarity too. Factory fretless is about as Bathiki as it gets, and aside from the fingerboard, this is my SB40 with a different headstock. Interesting that it's a got v/v/t/t & selector setup, presumably passive - the other Force 40s I've seen have an active pre with a different control layout. Watching this - only through curiosity though, it's too far away & I'm hopeless with an unlined board!
  14. Bassassin
    I remember that £15 one. New one looks sweet - what are you going to do with the project though? Give you £15 for it...
  15. Bassassin
    Cool looking project - and good to hear it's something old & interesting, not just an MIJ Fender... DiMarzio P/J set with cream covers, then?
  16. Bassassin
    This really says "I don't give a sh!t" just like a "PLEASE LOOK AT ME!!" t-shirt might. The only evidence of not giving a sh!t here is the quality of the Dulux paintjob.
  17. Bassassin
    Interesting bass, these have turned up on BC before. I'm not entirely sure it's a "prototype", but I am entirely sure it's a bit later than you suggest - it's a post-Matsumoku bass from the late 80s/early 90s, and seems to represent a halfway-house between the post-Mat SB basses & the IGB series. You don't show any back-of-headstock pics, but I'm prepared to bet it has no s/n and no MIJ stamp - just like the post Matsumoku SBs, which are constructionally very similar. These are reckoned to be Tokai Gakki builds but that's not confirmed. Wonder if it's a Japan-only market bass - a quick search turned up a few on Japanese retail websites, like this fetchingly-coloured example: https://www.j-guitar.com/product_id909850.html Anyway - best of luck with the sale!
  18. Bassassin
    They didn't - don't think Hohner ever made anything other than harmonicas & squeeze boxes! This'll be made by Cort in Korea, and is a bit of a cheapo, tbh. However I'm pretty confident it never left the factory with the nut & truss adjuster looking like that!
  19. Bassassin
    Did they spell "ethereal" wrong intentionally? Can't help feeling they didn't.
  20. Bassassin
    Don't think there's any mystery about this. The truss adjuster's buggered and has been horribly bodged with something that appears to have dropped out of a bus engine, and the tuner positioning is a result of a half-arsed attempt to do a 3x1 arrangement using a standard inline head shape & unsuitably small machine heads. If they'd just moved the G tuner up a few cm they could've avoided that worrying break angle altogether.
  21. Bassassin
    This. The last 3 places I've lived have been terraced houses and that was how I approached the neighbours. In one of them we actually had a big basement area set up as a rehearsal space (acoustic kit, small PA, etc) and the neighbours' response was - "don't worry - if we think you're sh!t, we'll let you know!" Reassuringly they never complained. Present gaff is an end-terrace & we have an upstairs bedroom on the outside wall (not adjoining neighbours) set up as a music room/home studio & happily it doesn't bother anyone. What's interesting about this thread for me is that when I'm practicing alone, I'm always unplugged - I can hear myself perfectly well & have no need to complicate things with amps & leads. If I'm learning a song & need to play along I have a little Behringer mixer/interface attached to my laptop so I can either play (quietly) through speakers or through 'phones. I think if I decided to set up my GK 401RB rig & crank it until stuff started vibrating, the neighbours would have every reason to be a little bit f*cked-off.
  22. Bassassin
    I apologise for asking - but someone's got to: Is this photo a record of the unfortunate consequences that arise when fashionable-at-the-time white trousers coincide with stage-fright?
  23. Bassassin
    Budgety Korean thing, late 80s/early90s maybe - not that common but I have seen them before. Something horrific's happened to the truss adjuster on this - can't quite make out what's going on but it makes me slightly queasy to look at it.
  24. Bassassin
    That's pretty cool. Not Ibanez/Fujigen though, probably closer to Columbus or Grant - it looks like a Chushin Gakki build to me. It's a bit of a myth that CSLs were "rebranded Ibanez". There's a connection because Charles Summerfield Ltd was UK distributor for Ibanez & sourced their own CSL & Sumbro brands through Hoshino, owner of Ibanez. However CSLs tend to be rebrands of Hoshino's budget Cimar range, & that's what I'd say this is. Body finish is a bit odd, might be a bitsa. Pickups (neck pup specifically) are interesting, "Reflex" rings a bell but never seen a Roto-branded one. Hour & 40 to go, still £50 with just one bid, interesting bargain for someone - might have been me if it was a bit nearer.
  25. Bassassin
    Bet that's good for matal.
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