Bassassin

I'm pretty sure that a previous ad by the same guy, with a similar spiel in Drummer-ese has been posted here before. Pretty sure willies were mentioned there too. Anyone else remember it? Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1441914130' post='2862976'] £720 for a Westone Rail? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-The-Rail-Bass-Guitar-80s-headless-bass-Matsumoku-Japan-/111768452655?hash=item1a05eb3e2f"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1a05eb3e2f[/url] [/quote] Ludicrous. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1441898098' post='2862778'] Now yours looks like a far classier bass than mine, but one of the factors that made me love the sound of the NJ version so much was the reversed pickup position ... in each case the E/A string side is nearer the bridge while the D/G string side is nearer the neck. That plus the Di Marzios of course. [/quote] The reversed P setup is quite common on MIJ basses - which I believe the NJs are. Makes a lot more sense to me, and I do think the reverse Ps I've owned/played sound more tonally balanced across the strings than a standard P setup. Anyway - back on topic, I've never owned a double P bass (must be the only pickup configuration I haven't) and I really need to sort that out. There is very probably a Westone Thunder II in my future. Or a Balogh Odyssey. So much GAS... Jon.

All my gear is cheap, mostly what I suspect many people might consider throwaway rubbish. I have acquired quite a lot of it because I like variety and find the instruments I own interesting. I've spent much of my life without a lot of money to spend on anything much, so while I'm no longer in that position, there's an obvious financial angle to where my mindset might have originated. However, brand snobbery/aspiration/loyalty is an aspect of modern consumerism which I've always found it hard to feel anything beyond mildly amused contempt. I have never owned a US Fender or any other "name" instrument, and the only US-made bass I've owned was a Peavey T40, which turned out to be too heavy & fiddly to be useable. I think It's fine if someone wants to spend big money on a bass because they can afford it and they want it - but I don't buy the "it's better because it's dearer" argument. I often get the impression that some people don't seem to appreciate that whatever it costs, a bass is just wood & wire. Setup, neck adjustments, fret dressing, hardware/electronics upgrades are all straightforward & fairly rudimentary tasks once you acquire a few basic tools & skills. If the fundamental construction is sound (and most budget instruments these days are consistently well-made) your cheapo can be easily made to play & sound very good indeed. Conversely I've played numerous 4-figure basses in shops and at shows that were absolute unplayable pigs, and would need just as much work to make them useable as any £99 Chinese no-name. I could, if I chose, sell all my "crap" basses and buy two or three very high-end instruments to cover all of my actual playing needs. I can't imagine that I would ever do such a thing - partly because I don't expect they would turn out to be significantly better than what I already own. Plus I sort of like it that sometimes you can walk into a venue with cheap/weird gear, and there's an immediate assumption from some punters & musos that you're going to be crap. And then you're not. Jon.

It's interesting to look at the completed listings prices on Ebay for Westy Thunders right now. Typically, they've always been around the £150 mark, give or take, but lately sold prices seem to be a lot more random, varying from £70-odd up to £200+. Some of the BIN/Best Offer prices are ludicrous, although Ebay's always been full of chancers. Not sure they'll ever make crazy money to be honest - maybe you should choose the third way - keep it and play it! Jon.

Ah, dear old Biff. He's 64, you know.

Oh, don't worry - I have every intention of continuing to parade my pedantry at every available opportunity, whether called-for, appropriate or otherwise. Jon.

[quote name='Russ' timestamp='1438636918' post='2836072'] They've just announced this lovely beastie - the RBN. Reminds me of an Atelier Z, with the clear scratchplate. Very nice. [/quote] First time I've dipped into this thread in a while - and f*** me sideways - that is [i]gorgeous. [/i]I think I just had a crisis. J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1441481667' post='2859195'] Shiny SB600. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Pro-2-Custom-Body-Bass-Guitar-SB-600-/231677472089?hash=item35f10dad59"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item35f10dad59[/url] (I'm mentally prepared for Jon to come along and tell me that it's not actually a SB-600 but some other obscure model, as often happens [/quote] I feel faintly guilty now! Anyway - I don't really have a particularly encyclopaedic knowledge of Arias. I can tell my SBs from my SB-Rs but beyond that I'd always recommend the great Mr Graeme Fyfe's [url="http://gfyfe.com/aria.htm"]Aria website[/url]. And acording to Graeme, [url="http://gfyfe.com/sb600.htm"]it is indeed an SB600[/url]. That'll be a post '81 set-neck version, as a opposed to an earlier bolt-neck. J.

Are they played by a bunch of c***s?

I saw Motorhead for the first time in 1979, Saxon were supporting. Saw them for the second time in 2008, Saxon were supporting. Sadly probably won't see them for a 3rd time in 2015 with Saxon supporting... [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1441355789' post='2858146']...I have no recollection whatsoever of Triumph. [/quote] I vaguely remember them. Canadian 3-piece - who sounded "surprisingly" similar to mid/late 70s Rush... Jon.

I think the CNC machine's broken.

I spotted that one yesterday! Not entirely surprised you snagged it... Jon.

Another effin' Fender copy. Yawn.

It's exactly what it says it is! [url="http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-and-amp/yamaha/1979-01/en_11.html"]http://brochures.yok...9-01/en_11.html[/url] Not something you see every day, though. I like it. I think the headstock-end walnut plug thing's quite common, maybe something to do with securing the head-end of the truss rod. Jon.

Great deal - particularly if David's still got any of his ever-so-naughty Renegades left. And I think he might... Jon.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1440757825' post='2853529'] If you go to sell in an auction, what makes you different to him? [/quote] Depends how you sell it. 99p no reserve would mean you stood equal chances of making a loss or a profit. Or it just not selling. Has anyone looked at the guy's history to see what he's succeeded in actually selling? Ebay's full of desperate opportunists punting tat with fantasy price tags that will just never sell. J.

This is the same one that was [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1984-Vintage-Westone-Concord-Bass-Guitar-Made-in-Japan-Matsumoku-Gotoh-Upgrades-/231609891262"]on Ebay for £205[/url] back in July (same naff-looking swapped black hardware). Sold on a best offer so presumably the current seller assumes that's a reasonable price. J.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1440704043' post='2853182'] Jon - to go slightly OT for a bit. Do you know if the Teisco brand has been revived in Japan recently? There's been a few rather tasty looking instruments on the Ishibashi Ubox over the last 12 months with very reasonable prices and in AFAICS pretty good condition for something made in the 60s. Any ideas? [/quote] Yes, don't know a lot about them but there have been reissued Teisco "classics" (Del Rey, Spectrum etc) around for a few years now. I'd guess Japanese market-exclusive, hence them turning up on Ishibashi. J.