Bassassin

Yep - the finish is original. This is from about 1980, the headstock is the same shape as the first gen Ibanez Blazers, and these Js were also sold as Cimar. Not sure if they're Fujigen builds though. Body is solid mahogany so it's a bit hefty, the neck is a glued-on fretboard job but utterly lovely - assuming you get a good one. Pickups are weedy round-end MIJ stock, and the tuners are the torque adjutable types used on Tokais & Yamahas. I bought one of these about 10 years ago for £60, intending to tidy it & flip it - the neck was so damn nice it's been my go-to Jazz ever since. It's been pimped with DiMarzio Model Js, Schaller bridge & a vulgar scratchplate - but that neck's the thing. [sharedmedia=core:attachments:66973] Wish I could justify having two... J.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1426156262' post='2714951'] Why can he act the bully boy over here but not in the US? [/quote] Because he's [i]scary[/i] and we [i]let him[/i]. Not going to attempt to revive an old argument, but there is not, never has been, and never will be a Rickenbacker copy that is indistinguishable from the real thing. Particularly not this current Chickenbacker garbage. J.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1425933392' post='2712529'] Blimey - you haven't seen one since then?! [/quote] I've seen a few, but they ain't exactly like buses! Especially not the pink ones... J.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1426070371' post='2713941'] No, my pick up line is, 'HELLO, I'M ON THE SEX-OFFENDERS' REGISTER!!' [/quote] Well, that's what happens when you go on the internet talking about fingering A Minor. Jon.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1426013379' post='2713461'] Greco 'fakers were made by Matsumoku (bolt on necks) and Fuji Gen (through neck). Both good manufacturers. [/quote] Close, but not quite that clear-cut! 1974 Greco catalogue - the top two are Fujigens (the same delightfully inaccurate instruments as the Ibanez, which was from the same production line), the through-neck on the left, bolt neck on the right. The Matsumoku is on the bottom row, it's a through-neck, as far as I know Greco didn't do a Mat bolt-on. The Mat is an incredibly accurate copy (I have one) but is mysteriously cheaper than the rather idiosyncratic Fujigen. Odd chaps, the Japanese. Later Grecos were Fujigen builds, as Kanda Shokai (Greco brand owner) moved all its business to Fujigen - including of course MIJ Fenders. It's worth remembering that Greco is a Japanese home market brand, and has never been officially exported. This means that manufacture of MIJ Greco-branded Rick copies continued well beyond the 70s "lawsuit" era - in fact Fujigen were still making Greco Rick copies in the late 90s. J.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1425996714' post='2713200'] They were on of the few copies that could get the body thickness and headstock pitch angle about right. [/quote] They really weren't. Ever seen one? The least accurate 4001 copy marketed by any Japanese brand. Lovely old basses but f-all like a Rick beyond the basic shape. [sharedmedia=core:attachments:48534] Most vintage MIJ 4001 copies were not concerned with spot-on accuracy, compare them side-by-side and they're different shapes & sizes from each other, never mind a real Rick. And real 4001s were never exactly consistent. And it's worth mentioning that most "Ibanez" copies are nothing of the sort. Jon.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1425912716' post='2712100'] Needless to say I have terrible GAS for one now. [/quote] Me an' all. I tried one of these in the Bass Centre in Wapping (for those with long memories) in 1980-something. Had GAS for one ever since. A pink one, specifically. Jon.

Now relisted. New, improved error-free listing here: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bass-guitar-SB-Humbucker-willy-strong-punch-/201301863127"]www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bass-guitar-SB-Humbucker-willy-strong-punch-/201301863127[/url] Jon.

Never seen an 8-string version before. I'm guessing they never made it to the UK! J.

It's an interesting curiosity nonetheless. The German-carved body looks closely related to the Jedson EB-type basses which come up quite regularly, these also frequently have that shield-shaped neckplate. Beyond that I can't place it - the offset half-oval position markers are unlike anything I've previously seen on an MIJ instrument. The seller talks about Kapa as though it's a known brand. I'd not heard of it, but it turns out it was originally a US-made brand from the 50s/60s which produced affordable instruments, a bit like Kay once was. Like Kay, production moved to the far east by the mid/late 60s and clearly this bass is from that era. I guess the name might justify the price to some collectors (and Kapa must be properly rare in the UK) but otherwise it's well over the odds. J.

[quote name='Moi' timestamp='1425569040' post='2708708'] There was another brand (the name escapes me but there's a thread about them buried somewhere in the Ebay topic) who were trying to flog these as some sort of hand-made US originals, with a 4-figure price tag. Chancers! [/quote] ...And quite randomly, I found the thread in question - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/3046-dcmontana-fakes/page__view__findpost__p__33226"]DC Montana, they were called[/url]. J.

There were quite a few of these knocking about a few years back - I actually remember these "Flying" brand things being on Ebay. There was another brand (the name escapes me but there's a thread about them buried somewhere in the Ebay topic) who were trying to flog these as some sort of hand-made US originals, with a 4-figure price tag. Chancers! And I actually had one similar to the "Flying" - think I bought it right here. Can't remember the name (might have been a no-brand) but it was OK, not great, and could've done with a fret dress: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:14743] Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1425567297' post='2708681'] However, how many four string fretted basses does one need? [/quote] I don't know - how many are there? My excuse would be that I've never had a semi. So to speak. J.

Very nice, and a potential bargain. If I didn't already have one I'd be very interested. Basically an odd-looking MIJ Jazz with a P-shaped neck, and very nicely made, if mine's anything to go on. Not a Matsumoku, Kawai was a manufacturer in its own right as far as I know (apparently they bought out Teisco in the 60s to get into guitar manufacturing), they were responsible for a lot of 80s Fernandes - including the rather amazing Alembic clones. Jon.

That's quite interesting. Some nice details but it's got that wonky, not-quite-right look that home-made basses always seem to have. The bridge is the same sort used on the budget Chinese-made headlesses that sometimes turn up (actually a copy of the Steinberger licesed bridges used by Hohner) so I wonder if there was a donor bass for this. The fingerboard looks a bit like it was originaly fretted, rather than being made lined, and that output jack is just plain cheap & nasty. A bit too rustic & bargain-basement to merit £1500, imo. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1425533994' post='2708244'] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hb_60_wb_deko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._60_wb_deko.htm[/url] semi-hollow 60s style bass. Edit: gone. Was available for half an hour. I was tempted, but I'm thinking about whether I want to save my music allocation for a Yourock Gen2 MIDI controller. And I'm still waiting for a deko ukulele. (I may wait forever and buy a non-deko ) [/quote] Oh, I like that a lot. Quite relieved it's sold out! J.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1425513973' post='2708211'] Guess why. All it said to me was that TB can be so f***ing bland. [/quote] Well yeah. At least we've got a bit of spirit here. The Mumsnet of the bass playing world. J.

Makes sense - I jumped the FeePay ship about 5 years ago (when the recession finally hit the JapCrap market!) and haven't sold anything at all there for a long time. Even then it appeared they were actively trying to force private sellers off the site, and my last few auctions were pretty excruciating experiences. J.

I admit I smirked (very slightly) at Trujillo rockin' a Daisy Rock butterfly bass. Just for a moment, and that was it. Jon.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1425340744' post='2706450'] Good to know that "scratches only add to the wood finish". Now where's me belt sander? [/quote] Looks like actual (if heavy-handed) playwear on this one rather than a mad relic'er with a chisel! I think it's the same finish as on the current SR500, which appears to be a bit fragile to say the least. Like my old mum would've said, rub half a brazil nut on it. J.

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1425380498' post='2706640']we need more of this type of music rather than the same old xfactor stuff being churned out over and over again. [/quote] I agree with this. A bit less "1974" though. J.

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1425320454' post='2706200'] hes not a guitarist, i do get that they arent for everyone. andy [/quote] He plays guitar-style riffs, predominantly using signal splitting, pitch transposition and distortion to create the sound of a guitar playing root/fifth/octave power chords, along with a unison bass part an octave underneath. You can be as pedantic as you want about the name of his role based on the specific instrument he's playing - but that won't make him a bass player. Like I said, I have nothing against this band & their style of music - in fact I'm glad to see a new rock band coming through & getting attention. I just think the attention's based on their gimmick, not the somewhat dated & unremarkable music they play. J.