Bassassin

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1440655663' post='2852654'] Did Gibson make a fretless version? [/quote] A quick Google turns up pics of fretless G3s (and a few Rippers) that have unlined ebony boards. This looks like it's been a stock maple/pearl dot fretted board originally. J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1440696801' post='2853102'] I'm surprised that you value it as high as £200. NB: I'm not doubting you, just expressing my surprise that it's worth that much. [/quote] On reflection that might be a bit optimistic. I tend to go on what I'd hope to get if I was selling in a 99p start auction, and it would probably need its original bridge cover & a Teisco logo to get anywhere near that. After a second look, I suspect that in the flesh it's a bit more knocked-about than the pics suggest, too. J.

I'm inclined to think the batwing headstock/mudbucker bass is an original US-built Newport. Matsumoku-era catalogue [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/epiphone/catalogs/1974/pg5.html"]here[/url], which unfortuntely doesn't include the through-neck or Scroll. J.

99.9% sure it's a defret - that knocks the value, surely. Jon.

Re the "Ideal" - it's the usual make-up-some-crap-because-no one-knows-any-different rubbish you see with so many old MIJs. The bass is a re-badged Teisco, from probably around 1968 or '69 by the looks, "Ideal" will be some generic importer/catalogue brand, it looks in nice condition for its age, if everything works properly and it plays OK it should be good for about £200 tops. In the Real World, that would be. Jon.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1440503686' post='2851297'] There is a 3rd, have you heard Steve Lawson or Michael Manring ? [/quote] Well yes, I've been playing for a little while and am fairly familiar with most well-known exponents of the instrument and the techniques, conceptualisations and styles they utilise. However I said a: you [b]broadly[/b] have 2 choices, and b: I was attempting to be humorous. J.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1440460054' post='2851031'] This, I think, is not a Westone bass: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-Custom-Bass-Guitar-/191671824392?hash=item2ca087f008"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item2ca087f008[/url] I am pretty sure it's a bitsa, with horrible hacking under that plastic plate where the bridge has been moved to get the intonation. [/quote] Indeed. Thunder neck on a generic plywood P body. That's seriously pushing the envelope of ineptitude, to move the bridge that much & still end up with the saddles at their limit. And then claim it "would benefit from a full setup". J.

I love these - IMO the best-looking 4000 series bass Rickenbacker have ever made. Must've been hard for the design department, getting John Hall's approval for something that looks like a high-end 70s MIJ copy, though... Jon.

An eight-minute orgy of odious stunt-bass, then. Which highlights the uncomfortable truth that if you're going to utilise the bass guitar as an instrument for solo self-expression, you broadly have two choices: anaemic atonal blooping, or frenetic clattering and pinging. Don't do it, kids! Jon.

The fact it appears to have exactly the same grain patterns suggest that yes, it is. The more I look at it, the more I like it (I do think it's good! ) J.

Looks exactly like a Westone Thunder 1A to me. Even says so on the pointy end. Jon.

BVs in my current band & shared lead vocals in a couple of previous projects. I am afflicted with a bland voice (which is ideal for BVs) so for lead vocals overcame that by judicious application of ranting, snarling & shouting. I've never really compromised what I play when singing, with enough practice I've manage to nail everything I need to. Jon.

That there's an ET288 - one popped up on Ebay a couple of months back for a starting bid of.... [b]£500[/b]. Lovely as it was - it didn't sell. Very interesting bass, another Matsumoku build, and very closely related to their Rick 4001 copy - I recently saw pics of a version with Rickenbacker-type pickups & Grover copy tuners. If one turned up for £195, I probably would... J.

[quote name='bottomfeed' timestamp='1440258772' post='2849428'] Epiphone were very good at making their own original designs back in the day. [/quote] This is actually a Japanese Matsumoku build, the same bass turns up with a different headstock & numerous brand names, including Aria & Commodore. Aria Diamond version: As far as 70s MIJ Epis go, I'd love to get hold of a Scroll bass: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:69929] Jon.

I stand corrected! Although I do remember playing an Alien when they first appeared (1984-ish) - it was the cheapest headless available at the time & I was young & skint. Pretty certain that one didn't have an aluminium neck (didn't have much else going for it either, as I recall) and I ended up getting a Hohner B2A a bit later. J.

I quite like that - like a restrained Ritter. Jon.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1440196390' post='2849089'] Seller is a member here [/quote] He is indeed! And he also sells a good few MIJ basses that feature descriptions which I find interesting. J.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1440239914' post='2849262'] Interesting. That has a lot in common with their version of the Karamer Duke. [/quote] Agreed. Hondo's Duke copy, (the Alien) didn't have an aluminium neck but had the Schaller bridge & standard tuner setup, like this one does. Can't remember if it was through-neck, though. Never seen one of these before, somehow don't think they made it to the UK! Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1440185309' post='2849000'] Is this really Japanese? The neck plate says Japan, but neck plates can be swapped. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-precision-bass-guitar-Made-in-Japan-/271963965224?hash=item3f5250c728"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3f5250c728[/url] [/quote] Could be, but I don't think it's an Aria, despite the "ghost" logo - or if it is, it's a bitsa of some sort. J.

Definitely is - Matsumoku build, should be a DiMarzio in it - what's not to like? Well, apart from the name... J.

"The electroluminescent panel lights up as it should". That's the important bit, right there. Jon.

That looks in fantastic nick for its age (September 1975), and has probably one of the last open-book headstocks to come out of Fujigen. Lovely. J.

This is also on Ebay: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-P-Precision-Bass-Guitar-Body-Loaded-Made-in-Japan-Project-Dimarzio-/231644903852"]http://www.ebay.co.u...o-/231644903852[/url] And the neck & tuners (already sold) are in the guy's previous listings: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bass-Guitar-Neck-Fretless-Project-Made-In-Japan-MIJ-/231639745240"]http://www.ebay.co.u...J-/231639745240[/url] [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bass-Guitar-Tuners-Machine-Heads-with-Bushes-Ferrels-and-Screws-Project-/231645402182"]http://www.ebay.co.u...t-/231645402182[/url] Annnnd... It's not MIJ. It's (I'm 99% sure) also not a DiMarzio pup. The bass is/was an Italian-made Melody 5000, some of which came with DiMarzio lookey-likey pups as standard. Maple board fretted version second row from the bottom: [url="http://www.fetishguitars.com/castelfidardo-recanati/melody/melody-solidbodies/"]http://www.fetishgui...dy-solidbodies/[/url] And IMO it's a much more interesting, and certainly more rare instrument than the generic MIJ copy that our uneducated, wannabe-vintage guitar dealer chum is trying to fob it off as. Pity. J.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1439380085' post='2842277'] I've heard of people making a single-use screw extractor by notching the end of a piece of thin metal tubing (the hobby shop sort) with a hacksaw blade, using it in a hand drill and taking out just enough wood around the screw to get a grip on the end. [/quote] I've done this and it works. I used a bit of an old extending telescopic aerial that was lying around, I cut a suitable length & used a small, sharp file to make some serrations on the cutting end. Had to be very slow & careful, and it worked a treat in the end. Jon.

[quote name='wotsy' timestamp='1439243375' post='2841313'] Aria Cardinal Series for £35, I messaged them this morning but haven't heard anything, maybe someone else off here will have better luck: [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/aria-pro-ii-bass-guitar/1128615003"]http://www.gumtree.c...itar/1128615003[/url] [/quote] £35? With original case too? Bit far away for me - but you really don't see that level of bargain-ness too often! J.