Bassassin

That's fascinating - I didn't know about the "Fakai" knockoffs. Looks like Dillion themselves weren't involved though - the first post on the thread says Tokai's Canadian distributor used the factory that makes Dillions to source the Fakais when he couldn't get the spec he wanted from Tokai. I love the idea that they were better quality copies than the copies they were copying! Anyway there's a connection there, so I think we might be onto something... As far as thickening plots are concerned, I first came across the Dillion brand on the RickResource forum - it seems that they got slapped with a Cease & Desist from Big John Hall for, funnily enough, making Rick fakers. But it gets worse. There are two completely distinct & unrelated Dillions on the other side of the Atlantic: [url="http://www.dillionguitars.com/"]http://www.dillionguitars.com/[/url] And the first thing they tell you is: [quote]Dillion U.S.A is independently owned. Our guitars are hand crafted in Korea. We are not affiliated with Dillion guitars in Canada.[/quote] They don't have a Ric copy - or a Rockinbetter - in their range. So I wonder which Dillion's arse JH got legal on? J.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='798301' date='Apr 7 2010, 08:00 AM']Who does actually make the Rockinbetter copies? If I search everyone says Tokai, but is this actually the case?[/quote] They're not Japanese, so even if the Rockinbetter brand is anything to do with Tokai, they'll be from whatever Korean/Chinese/Taiwanese/Indonesian factory Tokai Gakki subcontracts to make their cheapos. There's no reference to be found to Rockinbetter basses or guitars on Tokai's UK or Japanese sites. It's curious that they would be coy about putting their own brand name on them too - after all they had the audacity to call their original line of LP clones "Les Paul Reborn". Historically, they don't seem to have ever made a 4001/4003 copy, but they have fairly recently made a 325 guitar - which says "Tokai" on the TRC: [url="http://www.tokairegistry.com/images/catalogs/tokai20013.jpg"]2000 catalogue[/url] However, here's a Rockinbetter that absolutely isn't a Tokai: [url="http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guitars/dillion_rockinbetter_bass.html"]http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guit...etter_bass.html[/url] The bass itself is different - it's more like the Indie copy, but with a correct-shaped headstock. However the specs of these things seem to change regularly. The only references to "Tokai Rockinbetter" to be found outside of forum discussions is on retailers' websites. Make of that what you will. J.

Not a bass - but here's a [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAYA-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-MAYBE-70S-RARE-BARGAIN_W0QQitemZ320513211816"]real, live, tongue-swallowing, frothing-at-the-mouth nutter - on crack![/url] Incredible. J.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180490438653"]Through-neck body project[/url] Despite being listed as a Rick 4001, this is a copy - routing & inlays do not check out as original. It also has a nasty-looking refin & an even nastier-looking neck/fretboard separation. Jon.

I like the sparkly bass. Unsure about all the pockatapockataboinkityboinkitypockatapockataboinkityboinkity stuff though. Heard a [i]lot[/i] of that since 1983. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='797205' date='Apr 6 2010, 08:54 AM']Anyone else notice the location? [/quote] Buttf*ck, Tennessee? Jon.

After doing a bit of Googling, you're probably right about the guitar being a reissue. From the seller's perspective, yes it could've made a lot more, but if the two instruments were a £30 car boot find then they're probably happy enough. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-SG-500b-Hard-case-/170444715844"]Although it might have paid to do a bit of research![/url] J.

Mid 80s, probably made by Cort. Pretty unusual, all the same. If everyone who types ORIGIONAL (spelled like that) got a punch in the mouth there's be a lot of Ebayers with missing teeth. And my knuckles would hurt. Jon.

£168? If that's an 80s MIJ SG (which it probably is) it could sell for 3 times that on its own. Even the recent Taiwanese reissue bolt-neck SG200 would fetch £200+. I did see this but didn't watch it because it was local pick-up only. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='795987' date='Apr 4 2010, 08:36 PM']And another MIJ Washburn. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-Vintage-Washburn-Force-8-Bass-not-Fender_W0QQitemZ280488652164QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item414e6d2d84"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-Vintage-Washbur...=item414e6d2d84[/url] How much are these worth? I have no idea if these prices are cheap, middling, expensive, or "That German Guy".[/quote] I'd say that's a good price - plus the BBR (that's the uber-80s black/red binding range) models are pretty scarce. I've had a bit of GAS for an 80s Force series bass for a while, but there are a couple of specific models I'm interested in (plus I can't buy no more basses at the moment!) so I won't be going for this one. Why not offer him £150? J.

[quote name='Doddy' post='795406' date='Apr 3 2010, 11:43 PM']Right..... Although I'm pretty sure that 2x18 is right with the feedback prevention idea. I seem to remember reading a while ago that that was the original intention.[/quote] Maybe... although plainly they have no such effect! On the EB-0 & EB-3 shown in this 1962 catalogue, Gibson describe their version as "a hand brace for plucking strings": [url="http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/graphics/gib62p16.jpg"]http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/graphics/gib62p16.jpg[/url] And as such, they don't cover the pickups. J.

Certainly is - a pretty good price too, I'd say. But hang on - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=82420"]we've met this bass before, haven't we[/url]? Jon.

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='794840' date='Apr 3 2010, 09:07 AM']I think I remember an old parts catalogue that referred to them as 'hand rest (bridge position)' and 'hand rest (pickup position)'. Being very old (me), I could of course be wrong.[/quote] With age comes wisdom, young sir! That's exactly what they are - or at least the neck covers. The intention was that the edge of the palm rested on the cover & the thumb plucked the strings. This is why "thumb" rests (a "tug bar" if you're Rickenbacker) on the G side of the strings were common in the 50s & 60s - an anchor for the fingers of the plucking hand. Jon.

I'd always recommend starting your own band. Be specific about what sort of music you want to play & what you want to do with the band, & try & recruit people with a similar mindset. And keep hold of the reins. Jon.

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='794731' date='Apr 2 2010, 11:41 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Jazz-Bass-60s-Vintage-Rare-WITH-SOUND-DEMO_W0QQitemZ250608109305QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a596846f"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Jazz-Bass-60s...h=item3a596846f[/url] It looks like a Squier Classic Vibe with a Mexi Standard Waterslide Decal on the headstock. The guy hasn't got a clue what he's selling. "This is one of the only Early Korean Jazz reissues iv'e ever seen and i'm proud to say iv'e owned it for a long time. These Basses where made by Fender in the late 70's early 80's with the same production method as the USA Factory before CBS took over the company." Stinks of Bullshit, i'd probe further and tell him he's full of sh*te, but he probably already knows. Hope no mums and dads, or kids who've saved get caught up in this.[/quote] And it's a relist - this sold on March 21st for £430: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Jazz-Bass-60s-Vintage-Rare-WITH-SOUND-DEMO_W0QQitemZ250597151360"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Jazz-Bass-60s...emZ250597151360[/url] I can't imagine why it's been relisted. Jon.

Kawai Sleekline: [attachment=46249:sleeklinefull.jpg] Basically a funny-shaped Jazz - and that's what it sounds like. The neck pup is a bit nearer the neck that a proper J anyway so it's perhaps a bit rounder-sounding, but I wouldn't say the slant in itself makes a noticeable difference. Jon.

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='794429' date='Apr 2 2010, 04:31 PM']Not sure why but your Myspace has some Gangsta' Rap stuff playing as background music which I can't seem to locate a way to stop it! :-) You have to 'pop-out' the player and close Myspace to listen to your stuff.[/quote] Fixed now - some dimwit had embedded a player in the comments. Cheers for letting me know. J.

OK, I'll join in. My band's [b]Maya29[/b] - we're a 4-piece female-fronted original progressive rock/metal (although not quite prog metal) band based in Edinburgh. The band started as a songwriting/recording project with just me & the vocalist and we've been around in one form or another for about 10 years now. The music's evolved a lot over that time and our current project is a 45-minute song cycle called The Fifth Sun - you can hear a 9-minute compilation of excerpts on our [url="http://www.myspace.com/maya29band"]Myspace page[/url]. It's hard to pin influences down - we've never wanted to "sound like" any particular other band so I can only really suggest people listen to what we do & decide for themselves! We're all pretty ancient for an "originals" band (30s / 40s) which means we're not overly preoccupied with increasingly implausible notions of "making it" or "getting a deal" - we've all been through that phase a long time ago, and we do what we do now for the love of creating music & performing it. We've recently taken a fairly long break from gigging to try & kick The Fifth Sun into shape live, but have bitten the bullet and have a couple of local gigs booked next week, where we'll be playing the entire piece (warts and all) for the first time. Come & point & laugh at Bannermans, April 5th, and Henry's Cellar Bar, April 9th. Both gigs are in Edinburgh. Jon.

So he's "assured" it's a Japanese Fender, then? Hmmm. I can't see any particularly persuasive evidence that it's anything at all to do with Fender, to be honest. And why would anyone bother slapping all that shonky "Custom Shop" tack all over a perfectly respectable MIJ Precision? I bet it's an SX. Jon.

[quote name='Clarky' post='792109' date='Mar 31 2010, 04:27 PM']I could swear there's a crack on the headstock[/quote] Everyone leave quietly - we have a winner. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='792933' date='Apr 1 2010, 08:59 AM']Is this too recent to qualify for this thread? Looks interesting. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIJ-GRECO-VBS-1200-OIL-Limited-Products-Late-90s_W0QQitemZ250607184106QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item3a595a28ea"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MIJ-GRECO-VBS-1200-O...=item3a595a28ea[/url][/quote] Oh I think we can have that! Especially with added Monkey Pod. Apropos of nothing, while this isn't an ageist topic, in Ebay-speak "vintage" evidently refers to anything with an age in double figures. So bring on all those AD2000 Indonesian Squiers... J.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='792483' date='Mar 31 2010, 09:09 PM']pointy pointy! how many things do you have on the go? do you just rent a warehouse full of japanese guitars?![/quote] Don't ask! I'm burdened by the fact we rent a house with a sodding great basement - half is a practice room & the other half is meant to be a workshop but is rapidly becoming a JapCrap morgue! So I ain't buying no pointy Aria! J.