Bassassin

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='828528' date='May 5 2010, 03:25 PM']Sold before I could ask "will this fit my Cimar?[/quote] That's silly cheap for one of these - and yes, they do fit JapCrap Fakers - got one on my Kasuga and I'm after a black one for the Fireglo Frankenbugger. Mine is brass & incredibly heavy - if I'd seen this (which is aluminium) I might well have bought it & sold my old one. J.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='828055' date='May 4 2010, 11:51 PM']Ahhh I think I posted the link to the gumtree ad for the zzb anyway, its a guitar (forgive me) but look at the price! [url="http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/22/58056522.html"]http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/22/58056522.html[/url][/quote] That's demented! I've seen these a couple of times on Ebay & would've thought £250 was a bit nearer the mark. You'd have to really want the Vox logo too - this is identical to a [url="http://www.whitstableguitars.co.uk/Westbury%20Standard%20Black%201.jpg"]Westbury Standard[/url] apart from the headstock, don't think it has the sexy German carve, either. Westys are fantastic little guitars & go for around £200. Or £60 from a charity shop if you're me. J.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='827984' date='May 4 2010, 10:42 PM']A shameless plug for my defretted Aria ZZB Deluxe [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140404850462&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...=STRK:MESELX:IT[/url] Took it apart yesterday to give it a good clean. and added a shim to the neck pocket so that I could adjust the action at the bridge - with the frets gone, the saddles couldn;t go low enough for reasonable action Cheaper here if anyone wants to make an offer by PM[/quote] Now that looks strrrrrrangely familiar! Or could it just be a bizarre coincidence? Best of luck with the sale - give me a reason to kick myself! J.

[quote name='TheDisparities' post='827733' date='May 4 2010, 06:32 PM']This is a fair comment. I shall ask around my local shops and see what they recomend also. If I have to shim, I would prob end up with the Gotoh but we'll see [/quote] They'll likely recommend the most expensive bridge they stock/can get! Shops aren't on the whole staffed by experts (despite what they might want you to think!) - they're staffed by salesmen. I still think if you're heart's set on a BA though you should have one - sod what all the pragmatic old miseries (me included!) think. J.

Squier bridge - exactly the same as any other bent-tin Fender type, surely? Neck shims are frequently an essential part of correct setup of any bolt-neck bass or guitar, saying you're not a fan is like saying you're not a fan of setting intonation & adjusting the truss rod! But if you really want a BAII, go for it, don't let people talk you out of it, it's your bass. Just don't expect miracles for your £70+. And do expect to need a shim. [quote name='Davo-London' post='827562' date='May 4 2010, 03:30 PM']Here this should lighten the load. This was my contribution to the debate. [url="http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/1963478/1"]Fender versus Badass II shootout[/url] Really, at the end of the day, don't bother. Apart from the sonic debate, they don't look right. A lot of famous bassplayers who own Jazzes and Precisions have not changed their bridge. Think about it. Davo[/quote] For those that haven't DL'd the clip, the BAII sounds broadly quite weak & undefined compared to the stock bent tin on several of the recordings. Davo - did you raise the pup to compensate for the increased string height? Jon.

Well, it's your bass & you can do what you please with it. But I doubt you'll find much support for butchering a rare vintage bass among JapCrap fans. J.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='827089' date='May 4 2010, 08:20 AM']I have a Schaller 3D 4-string in the drawer that I'd part with - if interested give me a shout.... G.[/quote] Someone give Geoff a shout - these are excellent bridges. I'd have it myself but I already have a spare waiting for the right project! J.

Rubbish attitude & I don't get the impression he knows his Ricks from the listing. It would take him 10 minutes to pop the plate off this and snap a couple of pics - you don't even have to take off the strings. Anyway - I don't think the 1/2" gap is necessarily a problem here, the change to a 1" gap (between the end of the fretboard & pickup, for the less obsessive readers!) occurred in 1974 but Rickenbacker are notorious for having "transitional" periods when there are design changes, so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a '74 4001 with a 1/2" gap like this. As far as I know it's only the scratchplate that's affected & the routing underneath stayed the same - think I remember a discussion about that at RickResource. Speaking of whom, I'd ask them if I had any concerns about the authenticity of the bass/description. To me the finish looks a bit scarlet & garish to be Burgundyglo, but that's as likely to be the photo/lighting as anything else. On the other hand, it might point to a refin, so that's even more reason to get a peek under the scratchplate. Jon.

[quote name='AndyMartin' post='826308' date='May 3 2010, 11:24 AM']If you're thinking that it's gonna give you an automatic improvement you may be disapointed. The standard Fender bridge does exactly what it's supposed to do very well, especially if you've got the through body stringing option. I've never really understood the point of isolating your strings from your erm...."tonewoods" by sticking a big slab of metal between them. I wouldn't waste your money.[/quote] It's a good point. I'd take it a little further, where you find a lot of bassists are very resistant to the idea that the huge majority of your tone comes from your pickups/electronics and your strings. Oh, and your fingers. Do all those fancy expensive endangered timbers that have been preserved in a peat-bog for 50,000 years[i] really[/i] sound demonstrably better than plywood? Sacrilege, I know, but go on & prove it... J.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='826110' date='May 3 2010, 01:13 AM']Looks like it has a Westone type of body shape but the headless basses I know Westone released look nothing like that.[/quote] I know what you mean - it has that Matsumoku "look" to it. The closest Westone would be the [url="http://www.westone.info/superheadlessbass.html"]Super Headless[/url] - but it's much less "traditional" looking. I'm now back to thinking it's a headless mod -the routing for the tailpiece looks rough & inaccurate, and the body base contour is probably just a convenient coincidence. I always thought a Warwick Vampyre would make a good headless mod for the very same reason... J.

[quote name='MuseMatt' post='825880' date='May 2 2010, 08:57 PM']I feel like replacing the pickup for either an SPB-1 or SPB-3, replacing the pots because they're quite old (not the covers though) and a new bridge too, possibly badass II Not sure whether to sand off the body and re-lacquer it. It's quite damaged as you can see in the added picture. I will definitely stay with the colours (eg: not painting it).[/quote] If it was a Fender of the same age & condition (which looks excellent to me) would you still want to do these things? Vintage Japanese basses are getting more & more sought-after & collectable - particularly Ibanez. I really wouldn't do [i]any[/i] irreversible mods. J.

Apologies to anyone watching this & keeping schtum, but this is very interesting: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300422922371"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=300422922371[/url] The body/neck has an air of early 80s JapCrap/Matsumoku about it, & my first thought was that it was a headless conversion using Hohner parts, but looking a bit closer I'm not so sure. I think it's a factory job - and those Hohners with licensed Steinberger parts/designs came out of Cort in Korea. Cort went a bit mental at this point and made a variety of headlesses, sold under their own name as well as Hohner, including a paddle-shaped headless with P & J pups, as well as a headless Precision. They were also making some very nice through-neck stripy headed basses & guitars in various designs, which often turn up branded as Kay. So I'm inclined to think this is a very uncommon mid 80s Cort factory hybrid - anyone else ever seen one of these before? I won't be bidding on this due to having a bad case of The Skint but it would be good to see it inducted into the BC collective - so one of you buy it! Jon.

Here's my modest little Peavey 300 Mk III XP, and 115BX cab. The cab I've had for about 12 years & it was old as the hills when I got it, and the head came from a BCer about a year or so ago as a £50 stopgap: [attachment=48809:peaveyrig.jpg] A year on & I still haven't replaced it because - well - it's a beast! It's apparently only 150 watts but by 'eck they're big watts! Unfortunately the Black Widow is starting to sound a bit flatulent so a new cab, or at least a new driver is on the cards. Jon.

[quote name='FlatEric' post='825853' date='May 2 2010, 08:19 PM']Don't Do It!!!!! Please. Pimp something cheep and cheerful. I'll swap you something you can fully pimp up. [/quote] +1. Really - what would you change? Jon.

It's actually a moot point whether there's any discernible improvement. I'm not personally convinced - despite the fact I like to "upgrade" bridges. I just don't happen to like the fact the stock design looks like a tinny afterthought which was intended to be hidden under a cover. I also like the improved adjustability of my preferred alternative. J.

There's a recently revived thread dealing with this very topic: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=46765"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=46765[/url] My opinion is that it ain't a two-horse race. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='825702' date='May 2 2010, 05:51 PM']The Maya Jazz looks IMHO a lot nicer than this precision, possibly a bitsa? I wonder how the owner knows it's Japanese, or if it is. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-copy-Japanese-vintage-bass-guitar-70-80s-/300423348703?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item45f2a081df"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-copy-Japanese...=item45f2a081df[/url][/quote] Looks like a generic P copy, 80s onward, no reason at all to think it's MIJ. There's an Ebay seller mindset which calls any old-ish copy guitar Japanese (or if they want to be specific, "from the Ibanez factory"!), same as the way anything a bit tacky & 60s-looking is automatically a "Teisco". Ebay Experts, eh? J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='825792' date='May 2 2010, 07:15 PM']Possibly a Shaftesbury the seller says. I wouldn't know, but I'm looking forward to seeing if Jon and others can identify what it is from a not very good description and a small photo. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/rickenbacker-copy-bass-guitar-Stagg-hard-case-/260595757612?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3cacb7b22c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/rickenbacker-copy-ba...=item3cacb7b22c[/url][/quote] Could be a Shafty, could even be a Cimar like yours. There are quite a few of these neck-through Fireglo copies knocking about under various names (seen 'em as CMI as well) and the maker or makers are as yet unidentified - my Fireglo Frankenbugger started life as one of these. This one's had new tuners & Seymour Dunk pickups (bridge pup at least) fitted, presumably recently, it seems a bit strange that the seller doesn't mention them - or perhaps doesn't realise. Odd. *EDIT* Just realised they're saying it's got twin rods - that points to Matsumoku or possibly an Italian-made Gherson. Never seen a 2-rod Shafty, but that doesn't mean they don't exist... J.

I saw that & thought £380 is not at all bad for a JV - until I realised it was in Japan. Jon.

Just like a metaphor for the General Election - there is a third way. If you don't mind drilling 3 new holes in your bass, I wholeheartedly recommend the Schaller 3D. It's high-mass cast brass, as compact as the original bridge (so you can still put ashtrays on) the saddles are low-profile to compensate for the thicker baseplate - which is radiused to match the fretboard. The saddles cannot move sideways, as the baseplate has sides to keep them in place, and they fit closely together - and of course the string spacing is adjustable due to the use of roller saddles. Plus it's a great-looking & beautifully made bridge. Even fitting it to a Fender type bass isn't at all a daunting task, as there are two guide screwholes which match 2 of the original holes, allowing you to screw the baseplate down and mark/drill the new holes with absolute precision. These sell for about £20 - £25 on here and on Fleabay, so sell your clunky great Badass & buy two! Jon.

[quote name='pete.young' post='825416' date='May 2 2010, 11:51 AM']Oops, not sure what came over me. Precision, Jazz, they're all the same thing really! Point still stands that this is a decent looking bass, if it goes for the current bid.[/quote] It is - and it won't! If I thought there was any chance of this going for under a ton I'd be all over it. And I will be if there is! J.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='824628' date='May 1 2010, 10:09 AM']Unless you have original spares (which wouldn't surprise me ) or your own electroplater I think there's too much rust and pitting there to bring it back Jon.[/quote] Most of the chrome's history, but the whole thing could still be improved massively over what it is now - like I said, if it was £15... [quote name='BottomEndian' post='824635' date='May 1 2010, 10:20 AM']I was just about to mention the fact that the G-string's completely unplayable at the dusty end... but then I realised that there isn't a dusty "end" as such. [/quote] Like I said, [i]exactly[/i] like my old one! Easy fix if you know what you're doing - but I didn't have a clue back then. Bollocks, I'd just burn it. J.

This one's already been put forward for well-deserved ridicule here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=85900"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=85900[/url] Comedy firewood. Jon.

[quote name='grumble' post='824531' date='May 1 2010, 01:20 AM']It still is awful, 99 beer tokens for something pulled from a skip (where it belongs) is extracting the urine.[/quote] Well - truth is I'd happily pay £15 for that at the car boot, scrub it up nice, make it playable (I can do that these days!) and Ebay it. It would probably fetch £70 - £80 in good order. Or I could burn it, as catharsis. J.