Bassassin

The cheap hardware would suggest Hondo (or a differently badged version of the same bass) to me. The Kramers I've seen had Schaller tuners & bridge. Jon.

Well, that's incomprehensible. Pretty rare bass in the UK but I can't imagine why he thinks it's worth that much. Also why he's claiming it's 1976 (it's a lot earlier, likely pre '71-ish) and why he's referencing Framus. Then again, I've never understood why people selling stuff so often can't be arsed to do even the most cursory research. And then assume no-one else does, either. Jon.

I'm surprised no-one's suggested something from the Ibanez SR range. In essence very similar to the Bass Collections, but a lot easier to find because they're still manufactured and remain very popular. Even the low-end of the range (SR300 etc) are very highly regarded, well-made instruments with good quality & versatile active electronics. SRs also feature very thin, narrow necks, which might be suited to someone more used to a guitar. I'm quite biased at the moment, having previously owned 2 SRs (which I sold & regretted) and recently picked up another - which was a total bargain. €350 should buy a new SR300 if you shop around - or a used, good condition SR500, with better build/electronics & Bartolini pickups. Jon.

[quote name='Subbeh' timestamp='1452025289' post='2945708'] Judging by this pic it seems as if he's a bike 'improver' as well, checkout that sidecar! [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-AES-820-custom-soapbar-Humbucker-on-pro-set-up-/191764351167?hash=item2ca60bc8bf:g:37sAAOSwgQ9Vzkac"]http://www.ebay.co.u...7sAAOSwgQ9Vzkac[/url] [/quote] Bloody hell. Most "creative" use for the front end of a MiG 15 I've ever seen. And now I can't unsee it. Jon.

I don't like any of those songs (don't hate them either, haven't heard several of them anyway) - but good grief, what a useless, gargantuan buttock the person who wrote that is. Jon.

It's a tatty Korean-made Hondo, nothing to do with Aria - and will get pulled, like they all do. Jon.

Not really, probably because there aren't enough names in the world. The exceptions are two of my MIJ Rick copies - the Kasuga is the Rickenbugger, while another is a bitsa which I put together from parts scavenged from various dead basses, and is (predictably) The Frankenbugger. Jon.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1451847199' post='2944001'] Haha You presumably only play headless Steinberger type basses Jon, in the interest of losing unnecessary wood [/quote] I have got two Steiny-type headlesses, now you come to mention it... I have a massive soft spot for Ibby SRs, had a fretted & fretless pair of SR800s in the early 90s, sold them a few years back & regretted it. Recently got a fixer-upper SR500 which I gave a Danish oil refin over Xmas - it's currently hanging by my desk drying, & I keep being struck by what a good looking bass it is every time it catches my eye... and then I see [i]this[/i] thing... J.

No. The original SR is an elegant & lightweight design and all this does is add 2lbs of unnecessary wood, and make it pig-ugly. Horrid. Jon.

It's always the money these hamfisted, artless chimps expect for this sort of misbegotten garbage that amazes me. £450? He couldn't even be arsed to buy 2x2 tuners for it. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1451587004' post='2941722'] But, here we have a bass that's just so MIJ that it's made in both the Fujigen and Matsumoku factories. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Satellite-Bass-1970s-MIJ-Through-Neck-Japan-P-Bass-P-Bass-Matsumoku-Fuji-Gen-/131687897880?hash=item1ea935db18:g:a0cAAOSwAKxWUkBH"]http://www.ebay.co.u...0cAAOSwAKxWUkBH[/url] [/quote] That'll be from when Fujigen & Matsumoku went off on holiday together. To Korea. J.

Aren't Thomann selling these for under £400? Thinking of watching this on the remote offchance it actually sells. Could be the start of a gloriously implausible business opportunity... Jon.

[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1451643492' post='2941960'] Surely it aten't beyond the realms of machining technology to make a truss-rod changeable without major surgery? [/quote] This. I was having the exact same thought only this morning. J.

Oh, where to start? Any 2-pickup bass with Les Paul wiring. What the hell do you need a selector switch for when you can blend & mute with the volumes? Or: any bass with two volumes rather than a volume & a pan. Or even worse - a 2 pickup bass with a poxy selector switch and only one volume & tone! That's right, Ibanez RS924 - I'm looking at you. Ever wonder why you don't get gigged any more? Aside from weighing about 30 kilos? Which leads neatly to: Any bass that you need a back brace/intensive care after wearing for more than 15 minutes. Bye bye, Peavey T-40, and take your pointless selector switch & stupid fiddly controls with you. Any bass with a bridge that does not offer proper height & intonation adjustment. Double points if that bass costs more than a decent used car and the bridge bends in half within a year. Mr Hall. Any bass with Precision type pickups fitted with the E/A half towards the neck. Sorry Leo, that's the wrong way around if you want a more balanced string response. Any bass with twin coil pickups that do not have phase or single coil switching. Clear off & come back when you have a bit of tonal variety. Any bass with a symmetrical double cut body. You will be staying on the wall, looking pretty rather than having your neck supported by my left arm, because you presumably think it has nothing better to be doing. I'll probably think of a few more, in a bit... Jon.

Sad, but sadly inevitable. RIP

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1451147216' post='2938560'] Yes, he is. You're lucky these basses are made in Japan. [/quote] Well, in fairness if you want a 70s bass that looks like this, but has functional truss rods, and is assembled using glue that still holds the body wings & fretboard on - then buy a Japanese one. J.

I remember. The bad old days - and basses back then were just too damn light too. I'm sure I'd have kept my Peavey T40 if only it had had an extra 5lbs of wood between the top horn & 12th fret. What were they thinking? I cry myself to sleep over What Might Have Been... J.

One o' these: [url="http://www.rickysounds.co.uk/Bezels.html"]http://www.rickysoun....uk/Bezels.html[/url] Very sensible way of not lacerating your thumb on the sharp metal edges of the standard surround. Looks better than a bloody great hole, too. Jon.

[quote name='sprocketflup' timestamp='1450973637' post='2937555'] I seem unable to read the word 'Guiter' in my head in anything other than a Hillbilly drawl. Anyone else have this problem? [/quote] I read it (phonetically) as "gwitter". J.

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1450993710' post='2937776'] Why? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/End-of-the-Road-Guitar-Looks-Smashed-Plays-Perfect-Road-Worn-Sunburst-Strat-/172034363620?hash=item280e0c10e4:g:RkYAAOSwLzdWTbXt"]http://www.ebay.co.u...kYAAOSwLzdWTbXt[/url] [/quote] Because there's a market for horrible, over-expensive novelty garbage, I suppose. And breaking a musical instrument is just [i]so[/i] rock 'n roll. Man. Jon.

This is what I see: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:58513] Jon.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1450872667' post='2936586'] What more do you need to know?? [/quote] What the brown goop smeared over the scratch plate is. I've had several nearly-new guiters over the years and I'm sure none of them featured brown goop smeared anywhere. Maybe my nearly-new guiters weren't as nearly-new as the sellers might have intimated. Should there have been brown goop on mine? Jon.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1450480005' post='2933329'] Not sure what you mean by 'the same case'? It has a different colour lining and handle... [/quote] Never noticed the handle - might just be a similar shaped case then. Bass is still a Melody, though. Wouldn't bank on the pickups being DiMarzios, lots of other cream-coloured ones around in the 70s. J.