Bassassin

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1483790904' post='3210117'] Yep. Actually, no; it's a genuine '73 Ricky - I faked a faker! [/quote] Thought so! And just to demonstrate that I know my Fakers, the one you're buying is a Matsumoku-built bolt-neck, which would (assuming you're in the UK) have likely originally been badged as Arbiter, CMI, Aria or Aria Pro II, amongst others. You'll find it has a neckplate stamped "Steel Adjustable Neck" with a random serial number you can't date it from. Shame it has Schaller tuners because that means the original Wavy Grover copies have been replaced. Not that there's anything wrong with Schallers. It may also have dual truss rods like a real Rick (which unlike a real Rick, should work properly) but not all Mat bolt-necks have them. I can tell all that from four little dots.

Hope so, these can be very nice.

Unsurprisingly - that's gorn! What was it?

Cheap & nasty starter bass out of yer Ma's Littlewoods catalogue. Probably Korean.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1483700538' post='3209331'] The original post contains questions on race in the first or second paragraph [/quote] What - the examples of discriminatory attitudes that we reasonably wouldn't tolerate, used to highlight the fact no-one bats an eyelid at ageism? Apropos of nothing - I might be a bigot. In the event I decide to return my band to a gigging format, we might need to find a drummer. I think I'd struggle with anyone under 40-odd. Does that count?

Yes, it's a Matsumoku bass (good thing, most Hondos were Korean & not great quality) and yes, the bridge is bending as a result of 35-odd years of string tension - many Mat basses from this era have 3-point units made from cheese. They're not radiused, just rubbish, I'm afraid. I have a Matsumoku-built Westbury Track 2 which had a very bendy bridge when I got it: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:72631] Did a bit of research and this is a very common problem which turns up on lots of late 70s/early 80s Mats with these bridges. I found a period-correct baseplate for mine, otherwise the simplest solution is to replace it with an Epiphone or compatible unit, which will fit, or to upgrade with a fully adjustable Hipshot or Babicz replacement.

I'm slightly confused how a thread about ageism - where the OP illustrated his point with some examples of discriminatory attitudes we [i]wouldn't[/i] tolerate - has become one about racism.

I have Schaller 3Ds on several of my basses and they are excellent - beautifully made, easy to set up and great-looking. However I'd wonder if changing the bridge is really the best solution to the problem you describe, as it sounds like misalignment of the existing bridge might be the reason. Have you got any pics?

Interesting - and tbh looks like something you'd expect to pay a lot more than £125 for...

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1483354844' post='3206397'] I have to say, Christine and the Queens, the number they did with the dancing, was fascinating. Highlight of the show for me. [/quote] She was the only thing worth watching it for IMO - very talented lady. The rest was often pretty painful/cringeworthy. Particularly the re-imagining of I Got You Babe as a creepy incest song.

Leaving aside the whole marmite "relic" thing - this is what I don't get: It's a basic Fender Jazz copy. Why is it £1500?

It's a rebadged Kasuga Scorpion. Not sure what the background to the Pro Martin brand was but I've only seen the name on Kasuga original designs in the UK/EU,so I assume they used it as an export brand. Might be connected to the fact that CF Martin used Kasuga to build "entry level" acoustics in the early 70s, prior to the launch of the Sigma brand. Doubt it was "official", though... Oh, and £100's a silly bargain, these are beautifully made instruments. Chances are it's a defret, but even so, if it was local to me I'd be proper tempted.

If you go for an SR, buy a used one - for £250 you'll get an SR500 or SR600. Or two used SR300s. For reasons no-one's clear about (because if you get on with the skinny necks, they're great basses), used Soundgears really don't hold their value and there are always s/h bargains out there.

[quote name='Harryburke14' timestamp='1483277215' post='3205813'] I personally like the look of it. [/quote] Yours for £850 - what's stopping you?

Likewise. I've had 2 80s MIJ Squiers (an SQ and an A-serial) from similar types of ads. The "cheap old bass that's been in the loft for 20 years" syndrome.

Looks interesting, tuners look MIJ and the exposed earth wire to the bridge suggests (to my none-too informed eye) a specific vintage reissue. Worth a punt if you're local, imo. Also, it's a Squries! Makes a change from all these Squires, Suqires & Squizzes.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1483030868' post='3204302'] Yup. Just you. [/quote] OK. I'm fine with that.

Not seen those before - closer to the 4004 than what they do now.

These are very good - I had 2 MIJ SR800s (fretted & fretless) but for reaons unknown SRs do not hold their value - even high-end Japanese ones. If I remember I got about £220 for my fretless (near-mint & pretty uncommon) and swapped the fretted for another bass worth about that amount. So yes - over the odds, if it's on Ebay it won't sell for that amount, so it might be worth contacting the seller and seeing if he'll do a deal, possibly minus an amp I'm assuming you don't need! FWIW a 1992 Fujigen-built SR (looks like an SR800) was listed recently at £200 - attracted no bids. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ibanez-soundgear-bass-Guitar-/272491517207"]http://www.ebay.co.u...r-/272491517207[/url]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1482934446' post='3203605'] Don't be daft Jon. Now a year or so later they are trying to get £340 for it. [/quote] I didn't imagine it would although it would be err, interesting to know that there really were people out there willing to cough that much. Although thinking about it, that Migma would look [i]awesome[/i] on the wall of some hipster pad in Shoreditch... I can't see "Migma" without reading "Smegma". Just me?

They also do a R*ck*nb*ck*r 4004-ish 5-string, which I'm confident is also not available from Fender/Squier. Or Rickenbacker. Or anyone else in the world. I do quite like the fact their Ibanez SR-influenced bass has the same reversed P pickup that the early MIJ SRs had. FWIW Ibanez SRs "borrowed" fairly heavily from Tune's Bass Maniacs & Nanyo's Bass Collections, amongst others, so it's arguable what exactly the Bach could be considered a copy of...

Fenix was the brand name of Korean manufacturer Young-Chang, which was the factory which took over the Squier contract when it moved from Fujigen in Japan. Most early Fenixes were basically hot-rodded, rebranded versions of the Squiers that Young-Chang was building. Inevitably, Fender took a rather dim view of this business model (and of the Fenix name itself, apparently) & promptly took their contract elsewhere. There are suggestions that lawsuits may have been involved, and the fact that Fenix headstock shapes rapidly became a whole lot less Fender-y certainly does imply concerns over legality. Fenixes do have a reputation for good quality (as do Young-Chang Squiers) and there are some gorgeous Strat variations out there. Sadly the basses were less exotic but still very well-made. I have a Fenix Strat copy, and in all honesty it p!sses all over the E-serial MIJ Squier Strat I also have.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1482871385' post='3203264'] Perhaps, but I saw a Futurama up at £600 not so long back. I put mine in the skip, they really were that sh*te. [/quote] Did it [i]sell[/i] at £600, though?

Interesting. Definitely a Faker?

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1482664705' post='3202133'] My ears pricked up when I heard "The Queen is missing..." Now that would have been a story! [/quote] I wouldn't be too certain - can't help thinking news like that might well be held back if it happened at Christmas. Now if I was a betting man...