Bassassin

The woodgrain's a bit odd for a clear-finish bass - all at strange angles, in fact the body looks like it's stuck together from random offcuts. Don't know a lot about US Fenders - is this just typical CBS-era shonky quality? Jon.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1455702999' post='2981527']...and Rickenbugger (tm Jon Price ) TRC. [/quote] Call it what you want - but there's only [b]one[/b] Rickenbugger. Hail to the Queen, baby: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Rickenfakers/rbugupscale_zpsxytutrik.jpg.html"][/url] I'm actually quite flattered. A lesser man might threaten legal action... Seen your new toy on That Other Place. It's a beauty. J.

I think this is aluminium, not steel. The neck looks fairly well-made and is incredibly close to the old 70s Kramer design - did they ever do one with 3 wooden inserts? Looks pretty old (70s/80s) and like it's had a good few mods & bodges over the years - fairly sure the messy attempts at engraving designs on the bare metal parts aren't original. Jon.

There were 4s & 5s. Never seen one in real life but I do know Heartfields were Fujigen-built basses - which probably explains the resemblance to Ibanez Soundgears. Nice paintjob: [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BillPark/media/bass/bass2.jpg.html"][/url] Jon.

Quite amazing, never seen one like this before. I had one of these - my first "good" bass - in 1981. Mine was deep red stained with a burst finish flamed top Sold it when I stopped playing in metal bands but subsequently regretted that - you hardly ever see these now. So, never seen an early (this one's 1980) solid-finish before. This one's a Yamaki build (current opinion says early MIJ Washies were Yamaki, then Chushin Gakki from about 1982, so not Matsumoku) but all the examples I've seen previously have trans finishes and brass ring inlays. Interesting tuners too, different to the 2 types you tend to see on early MIJ Washboards. Like I said, these do come up very infrequently and are usually priced high. I can't help feeling £350 is a pretty reasonable price for this, it looks tidy and is an unusual variation. Jon.

I believe [url="http://www.retrovibe.co.uk/"]Retrovibe[/url] do a 5-string version - these have MM type pickups as standard. For obvious reasons, they're not on the website so you'd have to contact David Konig directly for info. Jon.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1455460623' post='2979255'] That truss rod adjustment system is a lot like the Baldwin era (70s) Gretsch truss rods. [/quote] That's clearly where Yamaki [s]stole[/s] got the idea! Cheers for that, I was unaware of the Gretsch mechanism. Seems broadly the same, except the Gretsch device needs a special adjuster tool, and appears to be integrated into the truss rod assembly. Sensible Japanese people, improving the design by using a 4mm allen key to work it, and making it replaceable if it fails. Unless it's 2016... J.

This is the gearbox removed from the truss rod: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Daion%20Precision%20Copy/adjuster2_zpsx5gibpnz.jpg.html"][/url] It's in decent condition, a bit of corrosion on the worm thread but no visible wear. Spent yesterday afternoon tidying up the neck. Tempted to do a full fret dress but the bass played really nicely when it turned up, so no need just yet. Sorted out all of the flaky-looking bits of lacquer and now it looks pretty tidy: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Daion%20Precision%20Copy/neck_zpsmccfv11g.jpg.html"][/url] There's some really nice figuring & flamey bits on the board - not that you can tell under the striplights in my garage! J.

Quick Daion update - it's now in bits, I'm repairing the lacquer damage and the filthy bits are getting a hosedown & re-wire. Here's that curious truss adjuster system - just a little gearbox with a worm drive: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Daion%20Precision%20Copy/adjuster_zps4wkkfkp3.jpg.html"][/url] Fortunately all working properly - which is good because if it failed, it's hard to see how the rod could be accessed to adjust it. Possibly not the Japanese guitar industry's brightest idea. And here's the filth and mess under the bonnet: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Daion%20Precision%20Copy/guts_zps6el99imo.jpg.html"][/url] Note the huge excavation under the bridge - whoever drilled the hole for the earth wire plainly wasn't very confident! And that ancient DiMarzio DP122: [url="http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/LanterneRouge/media/Daion%20Precision%20Copy/pups_zpsowytkrla.jpg.html"][/url] Going to take advantage of all that uncut wire and have a push/pull tone pot for phase switching. For now, it's cleaning all that muck off the body & back of scratchplate - I don't even want to think about what it is and how it got there - then shielding the cavities and tidying up the neck. J.

[quote name='Jono Bolton' timestamp='1455278750' post='2977703'] Is it this one that's now on Gumtree? [url="https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/1987-us-peavey-patriot-bass-guitar/1154788520"]https://www.gumtree....itar/1154788520[/url] I contacted the guy but think I might miss out on it. [/quote] Same one. I do like that. J.

In fairness, factory fretless ones aren't as common, so probably worth £23.45 more. My "odd bids" always end with £6.66. Dunno what that says about me. J.

Funnily enough £99 was what they cost brand-new in 1980 - I distinctly remember trying one in my local shop, being impressed by the build & playability, and being too much of a snotty little brand-snob to entertain the faintest idea of owning something with "Satellite" on the end. J.

Also, absolutely not, in any way, shape or form, Japanese. KoreaDiarrhoea, through & through. Decent enough, I had one for a bit, very solidly built. Downsides - neck like a treetrunk and very, very heavy. Also the through-neck means that some of these can have an unadjustably high action - mine had had rough routing under the bridge to make it playable. This one looks OK but it's hard to tell from the pics. As Eric says, they are common - I wouldn't want to pay north of £100. J.

9/10. Got the Slipknot one wrong. \m/, then.

MIJ - see "Matsumoku", but substituting "The Ibanez Factory" or "Fender's Japanese Plant" as applicable.

Tommy & Quadrophenia by The 'Oo, of course.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1455015220' post='2974957'] You guys need some [s]new[/s] friends. [/quote] Personalised, having spent 15-odd years in a band that couldn't attract flies to a sh!t fight. Jon.

I thought you might've... J.

A Patriot (B/B/M) has just turned up on my local FB music gear group for £150. No room or money for another bass though. Arse. J.

I like that. Anyone else think a lot of post-T40 & pre-Cirrus era Peaveys look like 80s MIJ at first glance? There's definitely a hint of Mk1 Ibby Blazer about this. Jon.

Realistically, used Ibby SRs turn up all the time, I'm confident you could find a tidy SR300 for around £120 or less without too much trouble. Pretty sure if you managed to source a new neck you'd probably be paying that much or more anyway. FWIW I picked up an SR500 for £87 a couple of months ago. The body was pretty rough but the neck was almost like new. Jon.

Definitely related. One of those sold on Ebay last week, a bit more than £117! [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JOODEE-PERFORMER-BASS-GUITAR-V-RARE-MADE-IN-JAPAN-TONERIDER-PICKUP-/222004594249"]http://www.ebay.co.u...P-/222004594249[/url] J.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1454343205' post='2968742'] I like it. Good colours, some mojo its good that it has some fret wear so its been played and I'm liking the truss rod adjust system, does it still work?. Worst thing I hate about fenders is the heal truss rod adjustment pain in the ass. Always end up either scratching the plate and or having to take off the neck several times grr. [/quote] Not tried the adjuster yet for a couple of reasons - mainly the cracking around the top of the skunk stripe. I want to clean it up & flow some superglue around the fillet before touching the rod, to make sure everything's solid before subjecting it to tension. Also there's some corrosion visible on the adjuster nut itself, I'll strip, clean & lube the mechanism before tesing it. Will post some pics to satisfy the curious! J.