Bassassin

So - following on from [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/292915-whats-this-bass/"]this thread[/url], after Anzoid decided he wasn't up for it, he sent me a link to the sale and I decided to take a punt of my own. It arrived this morning, and here it is, the Crack Converters Headless: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Crack%20Converters%20Headless/Strip%20Repair/ccheadlessfront_zpswlhqr1mi.jpg.html"][/url] Nice, ain't it? Well, I thought so, I'm a sucker for an interesting & unusual looking bass, and being From The 80s, can't quite get over the headless thing. Oh, and it was cheap, practically a giveaway compared to the Lauruses & Marleauxes(?) it [s]robs[/s] borrows its styling from. So it's just as well it has all that going for it, because what turned up this morning, lovingly wrapped in a bin bag, is an unplayable pile of scrap. Oh, where to start? A picture's worth a thousand words, apparently: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Crack%20Converters%20Headless/Strip%20Repair/bridgegap_zpsmpjjmy8d.jpg.html"][/url] You're looking at two problems here. First, the bridge/tailpiece should be attached with two rows of 3 screws, to anchor it securely to the body. Here it's just got 3 small screws in front of the saddles to hold it on, and string tension is actually pulling the tailpiece off the bass. Problem two is that the routing behind that big gap, in the back of the body, is about 1.5 mm too shallow for the bridge to sit flush anyway. This angulation of the bridge pulls the whole assembly upwards, raising the string height. I assume the previous custodian of this instrument was unfamiliar with the finer details (or indeed the most basic) of bass guitar setup because they have chosen, as they so frequently do, to attempt to rectify this by cranking & cranking at the truss rod, until this happened: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Crack%20Converters%20Headless/Strip%20Repair/necksplit_zpsb6zw7fyt.jpg.html"][/url] Oh dear. It's actually something of a relief that the design of the string retainer means that it's actually holding the end of the fretboard in place, or I think it would've been much, much worse. So first things first, off with its neck and off with its string retainer. And look what I found: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Crack%20Converters%20Headless/Strip%20Repair/truss01_zpswaw4iplf.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Crack%20Converters%20Headless/Strip%20Repair/truss02_zpsl1cjlnxe.jpg.html"][/url] Oh dear, oh dear... Anyway - I am now the proud owner of a bunch of parts and a [i]slight[/i] sensation of GAS remorse. Fortunately I have some skills at my disposal - basically I can bodge stuff pretty well - so I have every confidence that this will be a solid, playable bass in a few days.The neck's going to be spending the night like this: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Crack%20Converters%20Headless/Strip%20Repair/clamped_zpskk0gvbdj.jpg.html"][/url] My main task will be hand-routing the rear of the body so the tailpiece sits square and replacing the frankly inadequate string retainer & tailpiece screws with the correct quanities & sizes to actually do the job. It's been interesting getting this intimately acqualinted with a new bass quite so quickly. This thing is a mass of contradictions. Apart from the ludicrous truss channel routing, the actual timber parts are surprisingly good - frets are well-fitted & even, the truss rod is a 2-way unit which seems smooth & functional, the quality of materials is nice for what's very clearly a budget instrument, and the hardware's solid & functional - if incredibly & (imo) unnecessarily over-engineered. It's surprisingly heavy but a lot of that weight's in the massive tailpiece, which is a curious concept in itself, using plain-ended strings anchored in winding cams inside its body. It's hard to describe so I'll take a few pics later. Anyway, you lot can laugh at my impulsiveness & folly while I go & whittle out some crude routing in my lovely new bass... Jon.

A worthy necrothread disinterrment insofar as I don't think I've looked at his site since the thread was new. I stand by my 2010 comments on his vintage MIJ prices though - £600 for an Aria RSB is .

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1476461968' post='3154594'] Interesting "Impact made in Japan" bass [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-Vintage-Impact-Made-in-Japan-short-scale-Solid-Body-Bass-Guitar-/302100760146?hash=item46569bc652:g:P5kAAOSw8w1X-WMx"]http://www.ebay.co.u...5kAAOSw8w1X-WMx[/url] [/quote] Never seen an "Impact" branded one before, but these are pretty common either branded Jedson or unbranded. Can't help thinking [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jedson-Bass-/262647293944"]£190's a bit overpriced...[/url]

Well, there's a little bit of wear - and then there's this: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Ibanez%20SR500/sr500original02_zpsww0scrli.jpg.html"][/url] Think I did the right thing...

This second thread was a good reminder to blast an email to Strings & Things about my own stickiness problem - awesome customer service, mailed them a couple of pics and they're posting me a replacement free of charge. Looks like they don't require the originals returned either, so no problem if you need to keep using it.

[quote name='Paulhauser' timestamp='1476453169' post='3154473'] Go for Grangurs 740. That bass blows any SR500 out of the water. I had a 500 and while I liked it, these older MIJ Ibanez basses are the real deal (have two MIJ Prestiges myself) [/quote] Actually I'd probably agree - my previous SRs were fretted & fretless MIJ SR800s, early 90s Fujigen builds, and both gorgeous, immaculately put-together basses. I'm more of a fan of the P/J setup than the Barts in the 500. [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1476450179' post='3154430'] Seeing Jon's SR there, who would ever want the brown one? I think I'd have gone for a satin or matt finish, but hey! It's looking great.[/quote] I had no idea it would turn out so shiny - the tin describes it as satin so that's what I expected. Very happy though, I like shiny things!

Certainly have. I've had a couple of Ibby SRs previously & had GAS for another, so picked up a very cheap beater SR500, which looked like this: The old finish came off very easily. It's soft mahogany underneath & it was a good opportunity to practice steaming out the numerous dents & gouges in the wood - which went surprisingly well. This was my first go at an oil refin and I'm made up with the result: This was done with Colron natural Danish Oil, applied with a microfibre cloth. Lost count of the coats, but 20+, with a final sand back with very fine paper before the final coat. The finished bass looks so much better than with the original brown slop, and it's far more hard-wearing.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1476281629' post='3152997'] maybe his pet rock as a child? [/quote] What a heartless swine, flogging his beloved pet stuck to a bass!

I'm tempted to say it's because there aren't yet any laws preventing imbeciles from owning musical instruments - but I suspect the damage to the body below the controls offers a clue. I think the lump of brick is covering a bloomin' great hole through into the control cavity.

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1476095932' post='3151138'] thanks. Yeah the RS824 is a real beast and yes you can blend the pups by the individual volume controls. here are some better pics of the '824: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/191177-ibanez-porn/page__view__findpost__p__3149847"]http://basschat.co.u...ost__p__3149847[/url] [/quote] Absolutely gorgeous grain!

Practicalities aside, I think it looks awesome. There's something disturbingly wrong-looking about that bridge, though.

The Ibby Roadster's interesting - the active RS924 is a lot more common than the 824. I have a 924 and imo it's a nicer-sounding bass when passive. Can't blend the pups on the 924, which I assume you can on yours. Nice Aria SB too - always had a bit of GAS for these, I've had an RSB Deluxe II from new, which is basically the same bass with PJ type pups.

Yeah - this is a Yamaki - built Washburn Vulture (not Vulture II) and I'm unsure whether it's been modded/renovated or if it's some sort of early oddity. Seller claims Fender pups, custom wiring & "redesigned" bridge so I'm inclined to think it's a doer-upper and lost its logo/gained a bass clef along the way. There is a precedent for un-logo'd Yamaki Washies though, so it's curious. Very very expensive though. About half that, shirley.

I remember a few years back one of these appeared on Scumtree for under a grand, about 5 mins down the road fom me. Was tempted but dissuaded by lack of money. That and the JH effect. Wasn't BlueBoy one of R*ck*nb*ck*r's Amazing Discoloured-In-A-Fortnight top-quality finishes? Goes brown & peels off if you leave the bass on a stand for 20 minutes or something.

Go on then, send us the link! That said I'll likely talk myself out of buying it - got far too many basses not doing a great deal at the moment. But I do like that sort of Laurus-knockoff shape of that one...

Pretty sure these were being sold 5 - 10 years ago by EU-based sellers on Ebay, German I think but not quite sure. Probably would've been about £150 - £175ish new, likely Chinese-made at that sort of price. I did think they were cool & sort of regret not grabbing one when I had the chance! Found some pics of what appears to be the same thing with a different-shaped body. [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Headless%20Bass/bell-head-headless-bass_188_2_zps6f5ey60g.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Headless%20Bass/bell-head-headless-bass_188_3_zpsikzebbez.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Headless%20Bass/bell-head-headless-bass_188_4_zpslv8tnmkz.jpg.html"][/url]

Pretty good price considering the near-new condition, think these were about double that originally. That said, for reasons I'm unclear about SRs don't hold their value at all well, so lots of bargains around.

Aggressive, hamsfisted, hyperactive bludgeoning. The object being to fit as many notes into as little time as possible in order that the wrong ones pass more quickly. This doesn't always work, but as they're my own basslines I will always insist it's intentional, and if it sounds wrong - you [i]just don't get it[/i]. Man.

Cursed? That ain't no Red Rickenbacker.

Very interesting bass, Chris Squire played one. Never sold in the UK - Electra was a US brand. So not very many of these around, and sadly many of those that are have been hacked about with, in emulation of the modified one that Squire played. Considering its rarity, that's probably an almost reasonable price.

I'm almost inclined to march off to the Pet Peeves thread with "Tokia" (dragging "Squire", "Jass Base", "frettles", "kneck" etc with it) but all those knobs are bizarre. Wonder what on earth they do? These [s]Tokia[/s], sorry Tokai LBXes come up very infrequently, narrowly missed out on a very cheap one locally a few years ago.

Rick 4001. When I first started paying attention to the actual instruments I realised most of my heroes at the time (Lemmy, Geddy Lee, Bruce Foxton etc) played Ricks & got the sort of agressive, bright tone I liked - and they looked cool as f*ck. Never owned one, quite likely never will - I have several MIJ Fakers that look better, sound great, are better built and don't have any nasty John Hall associations.

Oh, go on then. [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Random/hideous_zpsjkvl9xj3.jpg.html"][/url]