Bassassin

[quote name='wotsy' timestamp='1436477609' post='2818574'] Good looking Kimbara bass: [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/kimbara-bass-guitar-4-strings-in-exelent-condition-must-be-see-/1124405106"]http://www.gumtree.c...see-/1124405106[/url] [/quote] That's rather lovely - and rather rare. Top-end, replica-standard Matsumoku build from the late 70s, this'll be basically the same as the Aria Pro branded version: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/catalogs/77_lclsst/77_lc-ls-st_pg7.jpg.html"]http://www.matsumoku...st_pg7.jpg.html[/url] £175 sounds like a bit of a steal for this. J.

For ther benefit of anyone who's not seen a P copy like this before, it's a 1976 (according to pickup code) Hohner, made in Japan by Moridaira. The 8-pole pickup is a Maxon, and is single-coil despite the double rows of poles. I'm really pleased that the problem's turned out to be the pots, because working examples of these pickups are really hard to find these days. As I type this, I'm looking at two dead ones out of a 1972 Jazz copy, which are sitting on my desk being useless! Jon.

[quote name='ben4343' timestamp='1436431235' post='2817997'] I got a deko TB70 a couple of months ago, and it is a [i]stonking [/i]guitar. I think you'll be very pleased with yours when it arrives. [/quote] I [i]almost[/i] caved in & bought a Deko T-Bird back then. Good sense took over, but as a result I check this thread every day, just in case... Never had a T-Bird. That's a good enough excuse, right? Jon.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1436139237' post='2815353'] I'm interested in the pickup combo, but oh, the colours... Tort just does not go with that body, IMO. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-SPEAR-FLEXTOOL-BASS-GUITAR-WITH-3-PICKUPS-IN-JAMAICA-GREEN-SUNBURST-WOW-/111711340499?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1a0283c7d3"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1a0283c7d3[/url] [/quote] There was a 70s Rick copy available in that same green/yellow burst. It's affectionately known as "SnotGlo". Jon.

Zero-frets make absolute sense regading open-string height. I've had to adjust the nut on pretty much ever bass & guitar I've owned. Apart from those with zero-frets. The other positive is that open strings resonate on the same material as fretted notes, meaning there's no tonal difference - which is likely when the open string's terminating at a bit of plastic or dead animal! Adjustable nuts are a great idea - albeit irrelevant witha zero-fret. Thomann do very affordable alternatives to the Just-A-Nut: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/abm_6240_webster_nut_bass.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...er_nut_bass.htm[/url] Jon.

Made in Japan by Moridaira, early to mid-70s - there were no proper copies made in the 60s. I saw this listed when the seller had it up for £250, claiming it was US-made or some such tripe. You got this for a decent price and hopefully it's a good example - apart from the hideous pup cover, it looks original and in good order for its age. Moridaira copies from this era are pretty uncommon but I'd say the truss cover & pickup (not a standard P type) point to this being quite early - later MIJ copies were a little more authentic. This to me makes it more interesting & desireable, and I'd be interested to see a few more detailed pics when you get it. If the pickup turns out to be an 8-pole Maxon (very common on early 70s copies) it may well have a date code stamped underneath. The big black oversprays on the contours indicate that it's probably not solid wood. I think it's likely to be butcher-block - ie constructed from laminated blocks (usually mahogany) with a veneer front & back. This is extremely common on Fender copies from this era. Jon.

£5000 for a bess amplifyer? I have no idea what's going on with Ebay these days. Back in the old days you could pretty much be guaranteed to never need to pay more than £30 for a base gitar. Jon.

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1435989305' post='2814152'] I had a fender clone with a date decode able sn. Made in 1990 so I disagrer [/quote] 'Kay - so how does the date code work? Got a link to the necessary info? As I said, that was just a bit of (mis)information I picked up somewhere, & I would expect it's not necessarily right - certainly not for recent basses anyway.

What's it a hybrid of? A Jazz & a really rubbish idea? And how are you supposed to play that bit of fingerboard that extends halfway up the body? You'd need facehugger fingers. Jon.

[quote name='KF2B' timestamp='1435956702' post='2814047'] Hi mate, thanks for the "vote". I asked the same in Talkbass and a guy there thinks it´s a APB-40. Darn if these Tokai´s are a hard to tell apart from each other... [/quote] If it's recent, chances are it is an APB40, but still the same bass. For some reason, Japanese manufacturers (Tokai's a Japanese brand, wherever they're made) almost always derive their model numbers from the list price in Yen - APB32 costs 32,000 Yen, APB40 will be 40,000 etc. It's not just Tokai who do this - Greco were using the same system at the beginning of the 70s, and still do. Odd!

Looking at the more recent catalogues on Tokai Register, your bass is very similar (or, identical as far as I can see!) to the APB32 model which appears in catalogues between 1995 & 2000: Regarding the date, I've read that Tokai's Fender clones don't use date-decodable S/Ns, although this doesn't seem very likely to me. I'm not really familiar enough with Tokais to have educated opinion on country of manufacture - but my MIJ Talbo reissue (from 2000-ish) doesn't state a country of manufacture anywhere, so the same may be the case for the Fender copies. So, mid/late 90s APB32, from where I'm sitting. Unless anyone else knows different... Jon.

Bit silly - it won't sell at that, considering Thunder 1As tend to go for £150. Shiny new tuners and bridge (why black?) will tend to de-value it, no matter how good quality they are. J.

Oh, no way... gutted. So, so sad. Jon.

[quote name='Jenny_Innie' timestamp='1435483637' post='2809097'] This is music 2015 style. [/quote] You do know this is a forum for people who play a musical instrument from the 1950s, right?

Saw this lot supporting The Who a few years back - great fun & masses of energy. Jon.

I've so far not managed to see any of her Glasto set so can't comment on her pitching there, but having caught previous live performances - I can't say I ever noticed a problem with her tuning. Broadly I like her as a vocalist - I've always been drawn to distictive, powerful female voices & always felt she was a strong, gutsy singer, regrettably burdened with fronting a dull little band & singing trite & forgettable little songs. I also like the fact that in such a shallow & manufactured business, she's not what you'd call conventionally attractive. Shouldn't matter - but it does. In this age of plastcised, autotuned, lip-syncing talent-show R&B divas, it's heartening that a woman who sounds & looks the way she does can achieve the level of success that she has. Jon.

A couple of Matsumoku-built rarities here Wish the Scroll was in the UK. Had GAS for one of them since, oh, 1978, maybe. Looks like it would tidy up pretty easily if the neck's structurally sound. As for the ET288 - that's the stuff of mythology! Never, ever seen one in the UK before, looks in absolutely pristine condition. Amazing. Construction of this owes so much to Matsumoku's through-neck Rickenbacker copy that I'd be faintly surprised if it didn't have twin truss rods. Jon.

It's not MIJ, looks like an 80s/early 90s Indian-made Sunn or Encore to me, with the name scratched off. That huge brass Gibson-type nut will involve some corrective surgery - whatever genius decided to fit that has widened the original slot [i]toward[/i] the 1st fret, which will have screwed the intonation. Jon.

[quote name='Coldflows' timestamp='1435351952' post='2808119'] But are we allowed to post outside of the rickenfackers thread? I can't see any reason not too, are they are only banned on the for sale thread? [/quote] BC's T&Cs prohibit advertising the sale of both real Ricks & copies, and that's all. We can talk about them, review them, post pics of them as much as we want. It's all about keeping Big Johnny Hall of our backs, and he's only interested in preventing the sale of copies which infringe his precious trademarks - because that's all US law permits him to do. We don't allow genuine Rick sales because there's the (highly unlikely) possibility a Faker might slip through. Plus a bit of bloodymindedness. So start a NBD thread in the basses forum - and if Hall just happens to see it, then that'll elevate his blood pressure a little bit more, and that's all. And that might encourage him to cut his cholesterol a bit, or get off the internet & go for a jog. Or not. J.

I won a set (cheers!) so I'm happy to contribute. Firstly, I haven't used the set I won yet, but I've been a user of Elixirs for 10+ years, and find them perfect for both the sound I'm after & my playing style. The sound I suppose is the main thing. Out of the packet, they are very bright - I play in a 4-piece original prog rock band, and an upfront, aggressive bass tone is integral to the sound. My main bass Is a passive J type fitted with DiMarzio Model Js, slightly warmer-sounding than many modern J pups, and the Elixirs give these an edge that other strings don't, while retaining their depth & presence. In an environment where I'm competing with busy (some might suggest overplayed!) drums & guitar, it's pretty easy to get my tone to sit properly in this mix without being over-loud. Coated strings feel a lttle odd at first when coming from conventional cheese-grater textured brands - they are very smooth, almost slippery. The feel is more like ground or pressure-wound strings than conventional rounds. There's very little finger noise and (it may be psychological) they feel faster. I'm a fairly heavy-handed player, and don't tend to go for incredibly low actions, and I would say Elixirs feel more flexible & exhibit lower string tension than many other brands, and work very well with a medium-low action setup. Finally these things do last ages. I have been using them for a long time, and have never had a set which went completely dead - as most other brands seem to after a few weeks of my ham-fisted battering. Over time they do lose a little top-end zing, but the essential tone stays pretty much intact. After a lot of months & a lot of playing, the coating can sometimes start to flake off a bit, & that's the point at which I might think about changing a set. My as-yet unused set will be going on a 1982 Washburn Vulture II - it'll be interesting to hear how they work with a P/J setup. I own a lot of basses & regret that I can't afford to put Elixirs on all of them! Jon.

[quote name='zero9' timestamp='1435241970' post='2806898'] They're very easy to fit. I used the ABM's for my first Jazz clone project. Couldn't be happier. [/quote] Might depend how cack-handed you are with a drill. I've learned my limitations through bitter experience... J.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1435234408' post='2806782'] I'd saw those other basses Bassassin but I'm never 100% on the ruling here. Anyone interested better be quick Mr K says they're selling fast, as they should the green one looks great. [/quote] We're fine mentioning they (might possibly) exist. No direct links, obviously, and I wouldn't want to post pics until they're all sold. Which probably won't be long... J.