Bassassin

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1431676318' post='2773793'] I'm thinking that this bass is more likely to be early rather than mid 80s (contradicting Bassassin I know) mainly because of the bridge and tuner arrangement. [/quote] Contradict away! However, early 80s would be MIJ, which is contradicted by the neckplate according to all available info. Also, I can't remember seeing any MIJ Aria with this sort of cast BBOT-based bridge design, that looks very Korean to me. IIRC the first low-end headless to hit the market was Hondo's Alien (a Kramer Duke copy) which appeared in '84, so I'm pretty sure if this had been widely available, we'd know all about it - or at least those of us with long memories & an MIJ fixation would... [quote name='Strogg' timestamp='1431674477' post='2773780'] [b]Bassassin[/b], i found this info on serials [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/serial_no.html"]http://www.matsumoku.../serial_no.html[/url] If i understand correctly, they were using 7-chars s/n from `80 to `90, where first (or in some cases 2) letter defines the year of manufacture. s/n of this particular guitar is 3050019 (if we can believe the neckplate). However i don`t know if it could be applied to this guitar [/quote] The serial dating information on Matsumoku.org pertains to MIJ instruments manufactured by Matsumoku, up until the factory's closure in 1987 This is what the site says about later Arias: [quote] [b][font=Arial,Helvetica]Spotting and identifying early Korean models after production shifted to Korea...[/font][/b] [size=4][font=Arial,Helvetica]Early Korean models adopted similar looking serial numbers but were not indicative of the year manufacturered. Many early Koreans appeared to be nearly identical to the Japanese models with one important thing missing, at least on models with bolt necks and neckplates: "Made In Japan" or "Product of Matsumoku". Without this, it is not an earlier Japanese model.[/font][/size] [/quote] The caveat is that some information on that site is somewhat obsolete & in need of updating - and of course that Matsumoku did not make all MIJ Arias! I'm still inclined to go with the idea that this is a post-Matsumoku (or other MIJ) instrument & one that didn't make it to UK/EU/US markets - possibly home-market only. Strogg - just out of curiosity, what country are you in? That might give us a clue to where this bass would have originally been available. J.

This is an odd one. This looks to be related to a thing called an Aria Pro WL Custom. Lots of very obvious differences, but I do think this is an Aria, although I'd speculate it's a lower-budget, Korean-made version from the post-Matsumoku ('86/7 onward) era. The soapbar with the staggered poles is definitely an Aria unit (common on many mid-80s basses) but I can't really be sure about anything else. I don't think there's a method for decoding MIK serial numbers, but I don't think this is as early as '83 - the WL first appeared in '85 catalogues. AFAIK all Arias were MIJ until Matsumoku closed down, and these have MIJ-stamped plates. Whatever it is, it's a cool old bass & I'd be all over it. If it was cheap enough... Jon.

And the carve-up continues - from another seller, this looks remarkably like a BC Rich cheapo that's been assaulted with a Dremel: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Halo-Custom-Guitars-GVK-Hand-Carved-4-String-Bass-EMG-35DC-Fixed-Bridge/271841183277"]http://www.ebay.co.u...ge/271841183277[/url] J.

Burton played an SB-Elite Black & Gold I, which is basically the same bass as the SB-R60 - single pickup, passive electronics, conventional neck dimensions & string spacing. I think the cheaper (still bloody dear!) bass is a Korean-made SB-CB, a "tribute" which appeared 4 or 5 years ago. Looks like it has SB-1000 electronics & and SB-Elite style fretboard. No idea whether it's got the Elite neck profile, but it definitely ain't got any gold! J.

Can't be 100% sure but this looks like cheapish donor bass with lots of intricate carving & marquetry work. Wonder what it started life as? Jon.

Geek corner - these come up with a variety of different brands, lots of them are Arbiter in the UK, and also Aria: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/catalogs/75_aria/75_aria_catalog_pg1.jpg.html"]http://www.matsumoku...og_pg1.jpg.html[/url] There's also a bass version. Despite looking like as Meddle almost poetically says, "the cheap bastardly love child of a Mustang and SG", they're actually straight & fairly representative copies of Gibson's budget Kalamazoo KG-1 or KG-2, depending on the number of pickups. Don't say you never learn nothin' 'round here. Anyway yeah, the one JJW linked to has had a really bad experience with a hacksaw. Jon.

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1431549405' post='2772580'] I wonder how much an ordinary original aria model with be? [/quote] Got mine in a straight swap for a (very nice) 70s MIJ Jazz copy, which probably owed me about £55 tops. This may not be typical. Jon.

That's the same bass, 99.9% certain. And the one option I didn't consider - a quite amazing restoration. I've been blown away by the quality of some of Dale Fortune's work before on the RickResource board - cheers for unearthing the pics. Wish I could afford to go. Maybe they'll get a second wind & come over here after all - I won't even complain about Geddy's peculiar yodelling! J.

Back when I lived down south, there was a band on the Kent circuit called Uncle Lumpy & The Fish Doctors. Which is either genius or ludicrous. About 15 years ago I played in a rock covers duo called Hideous Things - which I might have actually suggested myself... Didn't do us any harm, we were stupidly busy for a couple of years. Jon.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1431258177' post='2769268'] Double double necks, does that mean they're doing 'Xanadu'? [/quote] Can't answer that, if this thread's going to stay spoiler-free... J.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1431215278' post='2768964'] Both using doublenecks.[/quote] Now this is interesting, if you're a spotter like me: It's one of 3 things - a Rickenbacker one-off, a Rickenbacker Geddy Lee Sig prototype, or (shock, horror!) a COPY!!! Proper Rick tailpiece (as never before seen on a bass played by Geddy), full-width inlays, wavy Grovers, gold scratchplates, looks like bolt-on or set necks - & I bet it's got checked binding. Proper early 70s tribute, that is. This, more than anything else, makes me a little sad they ain't coming over here. Jon.

So... Anyone else come in here expecting another R*ck*nb*ck*r thread? Jon.

If I'm not mistaken, that's a bitsa made from an Ibanez Roadstar (RB920?), de-fretted P-type neck & a bunch of bits of substantially lesser quality than the original Ibby parts. Each to their own...

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1430924883' post='2766024'] Wasn't he still using primarily a P bass on the first album? I love his tone/playing on that one too! Not sure if he'd switched to the Rick by the time this recording was made - but his tone is [i][b]huge[/b][/i] on here... [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0D3gqBO6yk"]http://www.youtube....h?v=_0D3gqBO6yk[/url] [/quote] It's a P on the first album, he bought a Rick when that album got distribution in the US & they started getting paid! Then he did this to it... [sharedmedia=core:attachments:45167] J.

Camac is a brand that comes up from time to time on the vintage MIJ boards & discussion groups - there's often an assumption that "affordable" 70s & 80s neck-through builds are by definition Japanese or Korean. This is largely true but the late-period Italian-made Ekos like the BX basses are the exception. According to the Fetishguitars.com site (which concerns itself predominantly with vintage Italian instruments & is only sporadically in English!) [url="http://www.fetishguitars.com/eko/eko-the-final-years/eko-camac/"]Eko did indeed build for Camac[/url], and these are clear variations on the BX bass design. I think the similarity between Camac headstocks & Matsumoku is either coincidental or just plain copying. After a bit of digging, I'm confident your bass is an Eko product - some of the Camacs have identical inlays, 5-piece necks, headstocks, & tail cuts. I can't make up my mind though whether it's a different Recanti-made off-brand, or if it's a Camac that's been reshaped & modified. Looking at the Camac/BX body, I think that's possible, so that's what I'm leaning towards right now. Apropos of nothing, there's an Eko BX (probaly a Brandoni bitsa) on Ebay right now - [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261874822456"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261874822456[/url] J.

Very pretty! Now, if that had blocks... Jon.

I agree - it's a typical Matsumoku headstock shape, but that's where the similarities end. It's a unique-looking bass & I'd very much like to see bigger/clearer/more detailed pics. Jon.

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1430778573' post='2764565'] While we're on the subject of possible Mat made basses, does anyone know if these were made by them: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bass-Guitar-Hondo-70s-80s-/121638951728"]http://www.ebay.co.u...s-/121638951728[/url] I see them quite often, and they look like an earlier incarnation of the Westone Thunder and Aria SB style basses. [/quote] Some of these have turned up with "Matsumoku" stamped neckplates, so evidently they were! The design echoes several 1980-ish Mat basses, all featuring symmetrical body, bolt neck, P pickup (frequently a DiMarzio) & a 3-point bridge. Washburn Scavenger, Westbury Track 2, Vantage VS & probably a few I can't remember. [quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1430760117' post='2764355'] Concerning SB-ELT and SB-R80, they are very similar looking instruments. After some googling, I think the gold truss rod cover indicates an SB-ELT, does it not? [/quote] Sort of. I recently acquired a Matsumoku SB Elite Black & Gold, which should have a brass trc - mine doesn't but that's another story. So after consulting [url="http://gfyfe.com/aria.htm"]Graeme Fyfe's SB page[/url] we can conclude that Matsumoku SB Elites & post-Mat SB-ELTs have gold coloured trcs, whereas SB-Rs don't. It looks like SB-Rs were just re-designated as SB Elites from about '83, and the only difference is the brass cover, then post Mat, they became SB-ELTs. J.,

Not certain but I think it's a de-fretted SB-R80. J.

This bass is a Korean-made shortscale Jazz copy, probably late 70s. It's pretty low-end, expect a ply body, poor frets & nothing much in the way of tone. I had a similar one to this branded Franconia, but for basses of this era no name on the headstock means it's not "an" anything. These would have been sold with various different names as well as unbranded like this one. It's likely to be a bit rubbish, I wouldn't recommend paying more than about £40 for something like this. Jon.

If you have a heat gun, that might help unfreeze it. When it's in the vice, obviously! J.

WD40 is penetrating oil. If there's enough thread sticking out, you could perhaps file flats either side & get an adjustable spanner on it. J.

Nice little piece, but it does echo with the sound of salesmen, just a bit. Jon.

[quote name='Coldflows' timestamp='1430589249' post='2762950'] Poles that are wider spaced? Sorry j, you lost me! [/quote] These Artecs are intended (I guess) for something like a Hofner violin bass, which has pretty narrow string spacing, so they have pole pieces which are pretty close together compared with the old Maxons. I just thought that it would be best to choose the one which has slightly wider spacing - ie the bridge unit - so it would be a bit closer to the original. Shouldn't make a lot of difference in practice though. Jon.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1430530442' post='2762418'] A friend of mine sold an almost identical Speed Triple known as Natalie - it was one of the two bikes that Ms Imbruglia rode in "Johnny English". That wouldn't happen to be her, would it? [/quote] No, unfortunately mine's only famous on BC! The Johnny English S3s were the 01-onward models which has different bodywork & a slightly uprated motor, mine's the earlier version which is basically a detuned Daytona T595 with the fairing kicked off. I do remember a couple of years back, a guy on Triumph Torque was selling an S3 that he reckoned was the Johnny English bike. He'd replaced all the bodywork with black (sexual insecurity must be a terrible thing) and was selling the "Nuclear Red" bits separately. J.