Bassassin

Over hundreds of gigs, I've broken a string twice when I didn't take a spare. Never broken a string when I took the spare. Plainly, taking a spare means you won't break a string. Jon.

They're all keepers for the first few days. Then you turn around & there's 30 of the bloody things... J.

I've had growing SR GAS since I sold both of my SR800s - and this ain't helping! Incredibly pretty example in that finish with the maple board. Lovely. Jon.

Very uncommon bass, there are a couple of people on here who own them, & I'm one of 'em. These are from about 1980, basically a funny-looking Jazz with a P-shaped neck. This one looks pretty scabby, all the hardware's been changed and I'd expect the electronics too. There's no real way of guaging value (mine cost £60 about 5 years ago) but I think this is a little bit optimistic! My (reversibly hotrodded) one: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:46249] j.

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1417120790' post='2617321'] Yeh because JVs came with SD pups and modern bridges! [/quote] Bridge is a Schaller 3D - pretty sure these pre-date JVs. Agree that this bass ain't right, though. Jon.

Odd one that. I'm inclined to think it's the original neck modified, though, if you look closely at the "V" shape, it's not perfectly symmetrical. The whole neck's been painted, including the fingerboard, and the inlays replaced with the brass ring types used on early 80s Washburns. It's still got the original brass/bone nut, tuners & trc. Interesting, but I'd think pretty dear for a highly modded & beat-up example. J.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1416835999' post='2614026'] I like the semi-pointed sculpt on the headstocks. Very Hohner-ish. [/quote] It is, isn't it? Very Hohner Revelation-ish, in fact! Hohner's Revelations (sometimes known as the Eurofighter Guitar) were assembled in Wales from bodies & necks made in the Czech Republic, Schaller & Wilkinson hardware, and ATX pickups made by Alan Entwistle - so there's your connection, I suspect! I'd guess Mr Entwistle has obtained the rights to the Revelation name & logo etc, and is behind this brand. If I remember right, he was also responsible for the fairy interesting-looking Alden brand from a few years back. I do like that LP Recording copy. Shortscale GAS alert! Jon.

Value's always really tricky with stuff like this - I can't really compare yours to mine because mine really was a beater, while yours does look in top condition. I bought mine on here about 5 years or so back, paid about £60 because it needed a fair bit of work. Sold it for about the same about a year later, having tidied it up as best I could given some of the issues it had. Yours being fretless & in good nick should fetch a bit more, but there's really been a downturn in the last few years in the market for MIJ & MIK instruments rom that era - even name brands like Aria Pro & Ibanez are largely fetching a lot less than they did 5 or so years back. As it stands, a vintage through-neck fretless Precision is a pretty unusual bass, definitely a bit of a head-turner. It'll never make huge money but if I was selling it, I think I'd ask £150, and be prepared to be haggled down a bit. Good luck! J.

Well, apart from the general (very good) condition, through-stringing & fretless rosewood board, it looks absolutely identical to my old one: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53507] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53508] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53509] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53510] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53511] It is what it is. Good to get a look at the pots, those "dp" logo units appear in every late 70s/early 80s MIK bass or guitar I've ever seen. J

Memphis wasn't a manufacturer, it was a brand used by a US importer, much as Satellite was a brand used by UK importer Fletcher, Coppock & Newman Ltd, alongside their Columbus & Kimbara brands. Memphis as a brand would never have been sold in the UK. I wouldn't swear this fretless was definitely a Satellite, though, there were numerous short-run rebrands (plenty of local music shops imported their own ranges back then), and no-name guitars were pretty common too. These basses would have been sold all around the world with a variety of different rebrands and detail differences. The bridge design on the fretless bass turns up on various string-through basses from both Japanese & Korean manufacturers, however by the time these basses were in the shops (I can remember looking at them in 1980!) Japanese factories had pretty much abandoned the copy market, at least for export. Korean factories were upping their game & jumping on the through-neck bandwagon, which was very popular at the time, and factories like Cor-tek (Cort) produced some great quality original designs based around that template. There's not as much available history on this period of the Korean industry as there is in Japan, so I've never been able to pin down which factory made these though-neck Satellite/Memphis/Whoever P copies - having owned one myself, I'd certainly like to know. J.

I'd recommend buying another Ibanez SR and leaving the Precision where it belongs. In 1957. Seriously, trying a J neck is probably the way to go, but it's interesting that you talk about general discomfort & fatigue when playing, as well as not getting on with the neck shape. I've had 2 SRs as well as various Precisions & P-derived basses, and they're vastly different in more than just neck dimensions. Body shape, balance and overall weight are all factors that will be contributing to how the bass feels & plays, and you might find simply swapping the neck doesn't improve matters as much as you might expect. I'd be inclined to think you might be better looking at a lighter bass with a slim neck that gives you the sound you want, (perhaps Zero9's Squier Jag suggestion), or perhaps an older Ibanez SR with P/J pickups. Jon.

Sorry, not MIJ, and not Memphis, as that was a US importer/distributor. What you have was likely sold as a Satellite: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53548] These were Korean-made & from around 1980, there were fretted & fretless versions & also a Strat-shaped guitar with twin humbuckers. I had the fretted version of this bass, very solidly-built, if not quite to contemporary Japanese quality, and weighed like a boat anchor! [sharedmedia=core:attachments:53512] Jon.

Agreed. Utterly wrecked, only original parts left are the wood, looks like it's been de-fretted with a cold chisel. I wouldn't pay £40 for it. Jon.

£25 for a Westone Thunder, albeit with one shonky replacement tuner? Nicked. J.

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1416340599' post='2609244'] Defiantly an ibanez! [/quote] Finding one will be the problem, 'cos copy era stuff's not too common in the UK, then accurately dating it. Ibby serials didn't start properly until late '75-76. Jon.

Lucky git! Pictures or it didn't happen, as they used to say on the internets. J.

Old Vince has definitely still got it. Never as good without Dunaway, Smith, Bruce & Buxton though. Jon.

That's MIJ - these were long gone before Matsumoku went under. I know MIJ prices aren't what they once were, but that's a silly, silly bargain! J.

John Hall's on record saying the 4000 series scratchplate isn't trademarked, the other hardware only bears a passing resemblance to Rick parts & couldn't be considered counterfeits by any stretch of the imagination!. Would've looked better with different hardware anyway. J.

The identical Antoria-badged version is much more common in the UK, although still pretty scarce. Cheaper too, probably £350-£450ish, at a guess. Essentially it's a Jazz copy with curly horns, easy-to-break headstock & rather silly country & western scratchplate & inlays, so expect it to sound & play like a good 70s J copy, and look like a cowboy's wet dream! I like 'em. Jon.

I quite like it as an attempt to do a blatantly Rick-inspired bass that infringes no trademarks, and can't attract JH's litigiousness. That said, it's a missed opportunity imo - if it had a cateye soundhole, big inlays & checked binding, I might buy one... Not a fan of the shonky-looking Chickenbacker hardware, though. Jon.

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1415568612' post='2601606'] So the truss rod tool would fit into the teeth and adjust the rod? [/quote] They're not teeth - that's a standard hex key truss nut. The bits that look like teeth are caused by the manufacturing process & don't actually do anything. Jon.