Bassassin

I've done a few. Most recently I replaced the original white plate on a Yamaha SBV500 with a rather more vulgar pearl red. I don't have any power tools adequate for cutting scratchplate material (I have a scroll saw but it's far too inaccurate to do anything but rough cutting) so this was largely done by hand. I used the original plate as a template - using the screwholes on the original, I attached the old plate & the blank to a suitably-sized piece of wood so everything was clamped tightly together. Then I scored around the outline of the original, removed the old plate then drilled millions of holes around the shape of the new plate, as close to the score lines as possible. That made it quite easy to cut out the rough shape of the new plate using a combination of scroll saw & hand tools. Fortunately scratchplate material is quite soft & easy to work because then it was a matter of filing the rough edges to meet the score line & achieve the correct finished dimensions. I didn't trust myself to accurately shape a 45 degree bevel so I settled for a straight edge with the top rounded off a little. The plastic had a protective layer on it while I worked so most of it stayed intact, but any minor scuffs on the top surface polished out with T-Cut. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Yamaha%20SBV500/sbv1200_zpsz09f6km4.jpg.html"][/url] This is the biggest job I've undertaken & it did take a good few hours - previously I've done a half-sized plate & various trcs so have got reasonably confident with the material. Planning a custom-shaped plate for a Rickenfaker project at the moment.

I've actually got a project Faker-ish thing (active Wesley-brand bass with a Rick-shape body & nothing else) that I'd love to make headless - but for the fact there's a massive cavity for the battery exactly where the routing for the tailpiece/tuner assembly needs to go. Gah.

[quote name='Harryburke14' timestamp='1484070134' post='3212437'] Ah right. Anyway, what Rickenfaker would people recommend? Looking for a 4001 copy that looks like (and at least sounds a little bit like) the one that Bruce Foxton used. [/quote] Foxton used an Ibanez 2388B/DX neck-through, like this only black: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:48534] You'll note it has Gibson style pickups - although they're both single-coil units, not humbuckers, so do tend to be quite bright. The same bass was also sold badged Greco, but you won't find too many in the UK. This model probably stopped production around 1974 or 5 - later ones were more accurate but far less cool, IMO. These are hard to find and sellers do tend to want high prices for them when they do turn up - even rough examples are unlikely to be less than £500. However there are plenty of different Fakers out there, and they come up for sale regularly. If you're not already a member, get on to the [url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/78514186083/"]Rickenfakers FB group[/url]. All the basses we can't sell on BC turn up on there, and so far it's a John Hall-free zone. Fingers crossed...

Saw John Wesley supporting Marillion at the end of last year. I'd seen him with Porcupine Tree numerous times & rated him as a fine guitar player but hadn't made the time to seek out any of his own material. He played a proper solo show with no band - just him, guitar, mic and occasional backing tracks. I was mightily impresed by both material & performance & got the chance to chat with him afterwards (seems a thoroughly nice & completely unassuming guy) & get a copy of his most recent album. Haven't really listened to much else since - it's [i]excellent[/i]. [media]http://youtu.be/KLiKRNPl-pc[/media]

Needs a poll - who would we sooner have back on BC - Gwizimon or BigBeefChief? No "none of the above" option.

If he wanted BC's assistance he could come back & ask, couldn't he? Might involve some measure of getting over himself, mind.

I think so, along with Top Twenty & the like. I have pages from a 70s catalogue showing a number of Zentas (including this one) alongside some JHS-branded instruments, so I'd assume they were the importer/distributor.

So - the reviewer returned the bass - and DarkHeart's just bought a B-stock... Hmmm. However - none of these issues exactly sound terminal to me, pretty easy fix if you have a screwdriver and a file.

Right choice - for all my Ibby love! Squier VMJs are great, as (IMO) are Jazzes in general. I have, and have had, dozens of different basses, and much as I like variety I always come back to a J.

Either of them beat "stupid fat c***" by a significant margin.

[quote name='Dave Swift' timestamp='1483728287' post='3209694'] Ouch, tough crowd! stingrayPete1977, maybe I should hire you as my agent! [/quote] No complaints about your contribution, Mr S. Although more vintage Japanese basses would have been nice...

Don't like singlecuts as a rule but that's actually not bad... B-stock one for £314. Just as well it's a no-GAS year.

[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.