Bassassin

Thread no. 3...

Peart retired after the R40 tour (which I recall he only did on sufferance), several years before he became unwell. Clockwork Angels was their final album and as far as anyone - band or fans - were concerned it was over. And that was a shame but their choice - so fine. Lee & Lifeson said they'd maybe work together again at some point but it wouldn't be 'Rush'. The assumption was it'd be new music in some form. The Taylor Hawkins reunion thing was quite unexpected, and I do remember reading that afterwards they said the phone "hadn't stopped ringing". They were highly dismissive of the idea of going out as Rush with a different drummer. Lifeson went off to do his Envy Of None thing, and Lee's written three books - it sort of looked like they'd found new outlets. Personally, as I said, I hoped they might get the bug to make some new music together, but instead they've done the very thing they seemed pretty adamant they weren't going to do. For musicians who I always admired for making their own decisions & not succumbing to commercial pressure, or doing anything the easy way, this feels pretty sad.

If they were going out as 'Geddy, Alex & Friends Perform The Music Of Rush' or something, it'd seem a little bit less - I don't want to say it - but cynical. I don't think I'll be going.

Copy/paste from t'other Rush thread as I didn't notice this one! Well - I suppose that's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do. I always hoped that if Lee & Lifeson did get together again, it'd be for new music, collaborating with other musicians, and not under the Rush name. They'd previously seemed resistant to doing precisely what it looks like they are doing - maybe there's only so long it's possible to hold out against bigger & bigger dollar-carrots being waved at you, I dunno. I'm glad they're using a relatively unknown drummer, rather than one of the 'usual suspects' list of prog drummers that get waved around as potential Peart substitutes. I hope they learn to pronounce her name, though.

Well - I suppose that's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do. I always hoped that if Lee & Lifeson did get together again, it'd be for new music, collaborating with other musicians, and not under the Rush name. They'd previously seemed resistant to doing precisely what it looks like they are doing - maybe there's only so long it's possible to hold out against bigger & bigger dollar-carrots being waved at you, I dunno. I'm glad they're using a relatively unknown drummer, rather than one of the 'usual suspects' list of prog drummers that get waved around as potential Peart substitutes. I hope they learn to pronounce her name, though.

Use a hairdryer to get all those stickers off - softens the glue so they should peel off without leaving too much mess or residue.

90s/00s Korean brand, apparently good quality, & mostly copies. Got into some bother with Fender over the similarity of the logo on their, erm, Fender knockoffs. They made some originals including the Argus bass, which I had GAS for for a long time. And I still regret not picking up the one that was on here for £100, quite a lot of years ago. Yep. I still want one.

Genuinely fascinating! Wonder what they chat about?

Greco 4001/4003 types ran from the early 70s through into the 90s/00s, so it depends! At the point in the 70s where the Chushin Fakers were available, Greco's versions were Fujigen Gakki's 2388B & 2388B/DX models, the DX being through-neck & the most comparable. I don't think there's much in it - all of the Japanese factories active in this era were capable of extremely high quality & any through-neck MIJ Rick copy is a high-end instrument within its range. I own a Chushin Faker and it's a solid, well-made & very playable bass - however I've never owned a Fujigen-made one so I can't make a direct comparison.

I would. But then, I'm subject to occasional rash & impulsive decisions!

I don't. Looks like a one-off to me, probably late 70s when symmetrical (neck-divey) bodies were inexplicably popular. I'm pretty confident neither Mats nor any other Japanese factory would've used that headstock on a bass like this. Not sure that's a Schaller bridge - looks a bit like a 3D but the proportions don't look right. Maybe something like this, from around the same era & loosely based on the Schaller. Apart from the actual rollers!

Happily, that funny Mr Hall has retired, and been confined to a remote, isolated island with no means of communication, or quietly led down to an underground soundproofed padded bunker, so he will trouble us no futher. That's why Rickenbackers have single dual-action truss rods these days. Regarding the mysterious HW, I don't know - but if I wanted to, the Rickenfakers FB group would be where I commenced my clandestine investigations.

Chushin Gakki, Japan, mid 70s. Pickups may have date codes. On the whole these are very, very good copies. Might have been branded Shaftesbury but these turned up with a bunch of names, and if the bass is in Sweden it probably had a local importer or retailer's brand. Odd comment about the 'cheapest possible quality' parts. The pickguard's a bit of plastic, not sure the bits of plastic Rickenbacker use are made of superior material! The closed-back, cast button tuners are Gotohs, and should be perfectly serviceable. Shergold used them back in the 80s. Eko never made a 4001 type but Italian manufacturer Gherson made some nice ones.

That's really quite restrained & conservative for a Wandre. I've never found any of their designs particularly appealing but live in hope that, wonky-looking & tacky as they are, one day one will turn up at the car boot for a tenner.

There are Chinese copies of these - there's at least one owner on the Rickenfakers FB group. I don't think the one in the pic's a knockoff though, it doesn't have the generic hardware & pickups a copy would come with.

Temu Special Edition. Pretty sure the Cats Protection League will have no idea it's not genuine.

Fair point. But it's a quality defret job, if it's not factory.

Gold or red pearl for me. Bit sick of tort.

B-Bass lined fretless 6? I had no idea such a creature existed! That has two more strings that I've ever found strictly necessary & 24 fewer frets than I would normally favour - but even I'm borderline tempted! That's (literally) a lot of bass for not all that much money. Those Strat knobs would have to go, though.

Never had one but always thought it was a good-looking bass - they used to come up quite regularly but haven't seen one for ages. Crafter as a brand's pretty decent, a guitarist mate has a Crafter acoustic, which plays & sounds way better than the price tag suggests Just had a quick look & there are a couple of CX100s going for £135 & £115 respectively. If this one's the same ball park - go for it!

I think if I wanted a pointyhead 80s hair-metal bass, I'd find a real pointyhead 80s hair-metal bass. It wouldn't be £1400, it would almost certainly be MIJ, not Indonesian, and it would probably have one of those amazing multicoloured crackle finishes. That said, I didn't want one back when they were current & I certainly don't want one now. Not sure who the target market for stuff like this is in 2025, tbh.

Aside from my first gigging band when I was 19 - which already had a full set of original songs written by the guitarist - I've been main composer or co-composer in every original band or recording project I've been involved in. I suppose I'm reasonably prolific & have for the most part put bands together, rather than joining them. I've always been open to other people getting involved with writing - but maybe for some musicians it's just easier not to!

For fear of it getting a bit specifically political (but not in a partisan way), them's the consequences of a polarising system, & the New Bosses being essentially the same as the Old Bosses. Fwiw I'd contend the Guardian hates Corbyn & whatever his new party's called (and probably the new ultra-left Greens) just as much, if not more than they hate Reform.

Rick & Stick? 😲 You are Nick Beggs & I claim my £5!