Bassassin

I've had Fortress Flashback GAS for years... J.

Nothing wrong with them, but apart from having a guitarist playing a bass through a pitch transposer, they sound pretty much like any/every other basic garage rock band from the last 40+ years. But I'm old, jaded & a bit gimmick-averse. To my ears, they'd be better if the guitarist played a guitar, and they got a proper bassist. But then they'd still be playing the student uni & not getting Brit Awards, wouldn't they? Jon.

Looks like the SR705 in this '03 catalogue: [url="http://s93105080.onlinehome.us/Ibanez-Catalogs/catalog/2003m/41.jpg"]http://s93105080.onl...og/2003m/41.jpg[/url] My gut feeling is that it's probably MIK, but wherever it was made, that's a big fat slice of bass for £160-odd. For whoever got it... £50 postage? Jon.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1425213181' post='2705068'] Kinda liking this bass. How does plexi work out as a guitar material? [/quote] Depends how much abuse your back can take. I built this: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:71956] ...and it's heavy enough to have its own gravity & weather systems. Seriously, it's about 13.5 lbs, a proper boat anchor. I wouldn't say the body material affects the sound, it sounds pretty much like any other Precision with a DiMarzio Model P. Jon.

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1425152108' post='2704587'] I remain puzzled by the reverence collectors seem to have for these guitars. It seems odd to me that most other UK luthiers' work is very under valued (other than Wal?). [/quote] It's probably because Tony Zemaitis died in 2002, all his guitars were unique one-offs and he only made a few hundred over his career. His high-profile customers in the 70s would have established the name & reputation. I mentioned his "student" range - in 1982 my 17 year-old guitarist mate saved up £200 and had Tony build him this: [url="http://www.zemaitis.de/index_gallery12.html"]http://www.zemaitis...._gallery12.html[/url] As you can see, even his cheapos were beautifully made & finished. It played very nicely & sounded lovely, but if I remember rightly the intonation was a bit suspect... Anyway, my mate was very badly strapped for cash in the 90s and was forced to sell this, can't remember how much for but a fraction of what it would be worth today. It went to a guy in the States, who apparently paid half what he'd agreed, then vanished. The guitar has appeared for sale on a couple of US vintage dealer sites over the intervening years, priced around $15000 to $18000. J.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1425063233' post='2703618'] I'm sure I've read somewhere that these oddities are extremely well put together. Not quite JV0... standard but pretty much as good as other 80s MIJ Squiers were. Anyone know if that is right? [/quote] These were MIJ Fujigen builds so I'd expect they'd be similar quality to other E & A Serial 80s Squiers - ie pretty damn good. Not really my cup of gin, but they definitely have some JapCrap geek appeal, so that, plus the fact they hardly made any of them, means they're quite collectable & will gain value. So no irreversible mods, Waldemar! Jon.

Really wish I'd had Tony Z build me a bass for £200 back in the early 80s when he was doing a "student" range! Could buy a house with what it'd be worth now... Jon.

[quote name='Shedua511' timestamp='1424977744' post='2702567'] Only issue with roundwounds on a fretless bass is that they will chew up your fingerboard... I love the sound, so I live with that. [/quote] This - Roto rounds particularly, considering how quickly they can chomp through frets! If you want a bit roundwound growl from your fretless, I'd suggest halfrounds or ground wounds, much more friendly to your board & less squeaky on the fingers. Jon.

Oh, that is pretty. Lovely inlays and an excellent choice of colour! It occurs to me I don't have a semi. In fact I've never had a semi in my life - never mind a purple semi... Jon.

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1424799261' post='2700603'] Get yourself one of those android boxes, you'll be able to get anything as long as you've got decent wi fi ! [/quote] OK - plays on my phone. Too bad about the sound! J.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1424725645' post='2699781'] [url="http://www.vh1.com/shows/rock-icons/rock-icons-episode-101-geddy-lee/1734292/playlist/#id=1734292"]http://www.vh1.com/s...ist/#id=1734292[/url] Rock Icons show is up. P [/quote] "Sorry, this video is not available form your location" Jon.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1424780484' post='2700320'] The current bridge is the third one I tried and IIRC came out of miscellaneous guitar parts drawer from the old Carlsbro shop in Nottingham and cost me a couple of pounds. It doesn't have anything stamped on it and is only drilled for 4 strings, but otherwise it's the same as the one you linked to. Strangely enough the previous, less suitable bridge was an 8-string one. [/quote] Thanks for the explanation - it's good to see orphan hardware being put to good use! The pic I linked was just the best one I could find online - I've got a Kasuga Scorpion myself, which has an unstamped, 4-string bridge which appears to be identical to yours, and these are the only basses I can remember seeing them on - apart from your Burns. J.

Wonder how come Ibanez/Hoshino are happy re-releasing a blinged-up C&W nightmare Jazz copy, but not its guitarry counterpart, the Custom Agent? But then, I suppose they've had run-ins with Gibson before... Jon

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1424736142' post='2699971'] the Burns Sonic still has the original (very battered) Burns hard case! [/quote] I keep meaning to ask... how did your Burns Sonic end up with what looks like a 1980-ish Kasuga bridge? [url="http://dms01.dimu.org/image/01Szzq3Zgq"]http://dms01.dimu.org/image/01Szzq3Zgq[/url] And where's the rest of the Kasuga? J.

I [i]thought[/i] you had a cunning plan: [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1424701090' post='2699293'] Plywood's trendy now, isn't it? You could sand off the 'K' logo and write 'Columbus' in Sharpie, thus tripling the value. [/quote] J.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1424702436' post='2699327'] That's what I thought... I've got a bid on it. [/quote] Don't worry about me - I won't be snipin' J.

How could I have forgotten my Yamaha SBV? And I had a Washburn B20 Stage too, back in the Long, Long Ago. Not the 8-string, though... [i]Edit:[/i] Or a seven-string! J.

He's just "refurbed" it by buying a generic P type guard & hoping for the best, I'd say. The original would've just been a different shape. Shouldn't really be a deal breaker if it was cheap enough - the bass is probably halfway decent, late 70s/early 80s Kays were made by Cort, and are significant cut above the Taiwanese stuff from the early 70s. J.

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1424645922' post='2698810'] If it's an old valve head from the 1970s, then chances are it was designed for use as either a lead guitar or bass guitar amp. [/quote] Very good point - in fact, casting my mind even further back than the HH, my very first amp in about 1980, was an old Selmer Treble & Bass, wherein the clue was in the name. I ran that through a matching Selmer 2x12 and a home-made 1x12 reflex cab. No idea how wildly mismatched the impedances must have been, but nothing blew up and it sounded pretty awesome to my tender teenage lugholes. J.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1424696491' post='2699195'] I rather like the GUS basses [attachment=184774:gpic6.jpg] [/quote] Me too. Until I saw the price tags. J.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1424701090' post='2699293'] Plywood's trendy now, isn't it? You could sand off the 'K' logo and write 'Columbus' in Sharpie, thus tripling the value. [/quote] Go the whole hog and "Ibanez" it. Straight £500 mark up, no messing. J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1424696042' post='2699187'] I saw those. I used the term 'dreamers' however [/quote] That's because you're [i]nice[/i]. J.