Bassassin

[quote name='endorka' post='791550' date='Mar 31 2010, 09:16 AM']For some reason this really works in terms of aesthetic balance for me, whereas many of the other singlecuts do not. I think it is because there is a general slope of the whole instrument towards the direction of the singlecut, so it seems consonant and in proportion. It seems to be part of the design, not something that was kludged on afterwards. Love the headstock design too - it reminds me of the NS Design EUBs :-) Beautiful instrument![/quote] I do like that - but I don't think it jars like the more Snoopy-esque singlecuts do because it's a familiar shape - it's more or less a Les Paul shape. Consider if you took that design and, like most SCs, extended the top bout to the 12th fret, and took the cutaway back to give better access to the top frets, what would you end up with? A cartoon dog, that's what. I do like some SCs, but these tend to be those with minimal bodies - like the Streamline, or Prosebass' [url="http://i722.photobucket.com/albums/ww227/picobass/Hyper-Light/LP003.jpg"]Picobass[/url], which I think is a wonderful piece of design. I'm presently playing a Lace Helix quite a lot and have come to the conclusion it would work better as a true singlecut both aesthetically and practically. It suffers a little from neck-heaviness, and extending the top bout to the 12th, without the pointless little cutaway, would have rectified this as well as giving the design a congruent symmetry which I think it lacks. [attachment=46079:LHfull.jpg] J.

[quote name='TheButler' post='790957' date='Mar 30 2010, 07:18 PM']I agree. I'm merely saying that there must surely be some objectivity in the aesthetic appreciation of music.[/quote] There's a strong argument for the notion that there only two sorts of music - music you like and music you don't. The only objective criterion that leaves you with is whether it's competently performed or not. They say that those who can do, and those who can't, review - and it's astonishing how many embittered, jealous failed musicians end up being music "critics". Jon.

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='791416' date='Mar 31 2010, 01:13 AM']Very cheap pointyness with original case at that.[/quote] It's a temptation I'm trying hard to resist, so far successfully. If it'd had its frets I'd have been all over it like a rash, but right now the last thing I need is another project. J.

I like the way this thread's gone - to combine a consideration of both one's aesthetic sensibilities and the knock-on effect that has on the image one projects as a performer, and to celebrate an appreciation for a satisfyingly British vulgarism. And in that spirit I can proudly say that it matters not what bass I choose to play, how I dress or indeed which direction I comb my hair in - any time I step on stage, I will never fail to look like a gigantic, absurd arse. J.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='791086' date='Mar 30 2010, 08:45 PM']So its same sorta job as the guy in this vid has? [/quote] Probably - but that one's had its pup/plate swapped so it could've been an unbound/dot neck 4001, McCartney/Chris Squire style. Having said that, you can't see a skunk stripe on the body so yes, likely a set-neck 4000. This is what the 'Bay one probably looked like: [attachment=46246:4000_full_01.jpg] The only thing about the Ebay one that looks a bit odd is the dark fretboard - although it's had a refin so chances are the board's had its lacquer stripped too & has possibly been stained or oiled darker. J.

[quote]Single Cutaways. Why?[/quote] Because [i]everyone[/i] loves Snoopy: [attachment=46055:snoopycut.jpg] Jon.

[quote name='Soloshchenko' post='790796' date='Mar 30 2010, 04:53 PM']Purely out of interest, what first indicated to you this one is the real deal?[/quote] It's a set-neck Rick 4000 - as far as I know (which I'm not proud to say is quite a long way these days) there aren't any copies of those. I suppose there's a fraction of a possibility that it's a massively obscure copy that either me or other Faker nuts have never seen before, or that it's a custom one-off, but all the evidence points to a Rick 4000, built at the point when this model had a set-neck, which would be between about 1975 - 1987-ish. I'd need a look under the scratchplate, or better, the truss cover to be 100% certain - but I'm OK with 99.8%. J.

I think this thread is dealing with aesthetics, rather than "image" - and yes, if I don't like an instrument aesthetically, I'm unlikely to consider wanting to own one. I'll probably never own a Warwick or a Music Man for that reason, no matter how playable I might find them. There are a lot of basses out there so from my view there's no reason to settle for something anodyne or that I find ugly. Currently I'm finding my Lace Helix fits like a glove, sounds great, and in my opinion looks extraordinary. I'm sure people with more conservative tastes would think it looks vile. Jon.

Wonder if this one will go for a bargain price? It's presently at £350 and has passed its reserve - this suggests to me that the seller isn't particularly sure it's genuine. Might go for a Faker price... J.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='790077' date='Mar 29 2010, 10:42 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vantage-VS-695B-Bass-Matsumoku-Japan-Not-Westone_W0QQitemZ390176491946QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item5ad854c9aa"]Vantage[/url] Might be Korean though.[/quote] That's a 1980-ish Matsumoku one. By the time production shifted to Korea (about 1986) the "stripy" look wasn't very fashionable any more & Korean Vantages are much more conventional-looking. The Korean stuff that looks like this Vantage (like the Kay that's been talked about a few times recently) is from the same late 70s/early 80s era.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='790279' date='Mar 30 2010, 09:33 AM']I find it really annoying that on certain forums (HC *cough*) people seem to say that it doesn't matter how many times sellers say "I'M SELLING MY FENDER BASS" "THIS IS A FENDER BASS" provided that somewhere way down in the listing it says "oh, by the way, this is a copy".[/quote] If it's an Ebay listing, even mentioning the word "Fender" (or even "Precision" or "Jazz" because in this context they are registered trademarks) technically breaks their rules on trademark infringement, and they can remove it. You can say "copy", "fake", "replica", "knock-off" etc as much & as clearly as you want and they can still yank it off. So to speak. Most of these listings don't usually get removed, so I think this one's now gone because it's been reported. J.

You can see the ghost of the old logo under the pikey headstock label. Jon.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='789762' date='Mar 29 2010, 06:57 PM']How can that Precision pickup be a "genuine Rickenbacker part"?[/quote] The only parts I can see on that that are Rick bits are the bridge pickup (which is old enough that all the paint's worn off - original to the bass, probably) the pup surround & knobs. The bridge is a copy, the tuners aren't the Schallers fitted on modern 4003s & the scratchplate is a 2 or 3-ply - never fitted to Ricks. Fortunately it would be very simple to at least aesthetically return this to original spec - you'd bin the p pup, its controls & the scratchplate, then just bung a 4000 scratchplate on it to cover whatever tunnelling & excavations have gone on under the plate. J.

[quote name='2x18' post='789548' date='Mar 29 2010, 03:59 PM']A Ricky ??????? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ180487498132QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2a05e4a994"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-Bass-Gu...=item2a05e4a994[/url][/quote] Yep - and the RickResource boys will be crying blood tears over that. It's a 4000 - set neck (not through neck) dot board, unbound, would originally just have had a single pickup. It's got a mix & match of real parts & not - the bridge is a copy part but the pickup's genuine, tuners don't look original. It's had a refin too, by the looks. J.

Interesting idea but I'm not sure who he thinks will see his ad - apart from other bassists. Jon.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='788722' date='Mar 28 2010, 06:22 PM']aye cos you've got them all![/quote] I'm working on it! J.

Never under the influence of anything! Don't do any substances any more, but any time I tried writing when high the results were utter, utter crap in the cold light of sobriety! A composition will usually develop from a guitar idea (I've never found composing on bass to be productive - it's much easier for me to put a bass part to a guitar riff than vice-versa) and as the structure comes together, so the arrangement will come together in my head. I get to the point where I can "hear" a full song & play it through in my head, so recording it basically becomes a matter of trying to replicate that with instruments. I'm not much of a lyricist (preferring to leave that to the literate!) and as I work with an incredibly talented vocalist I try not to have too much influence on vocal melody & arrangements. Sometimes I'll be given a lyric or vocal idea, & suggestions for style, tempo, feel etc & that can be a very symbiotic process. The most recent project we've worked on (and to be honest, it's taken a few years to come together coherently) ended up with numerous recurring melodic, rhythmic & lyrical themes over the course of 9 songs/50-odd minutes of music. Jon.

[quote name='spongebob' post='788558' date='Mar 28 2010, 03:18 PM']I'd save a few £££ and buy a 2nd hand real one. When it comes to a Ric, and re-sale value, it's your best bet. Believe me, when you've played a real one, anything else is just, I'm sorry, not worth bothering with.[/quote] You haven't played a good Japanese copy. J.

There was a Lincoln similar to this - these were Japanese-made (Kawai, I think) and had proper "Hippy Sandwich" bodies as well as the through necks. Those turn up with a million other names too. A few more names from Memory Lane: Shaftesbury CMI Kimbara Eros Sakai CSL Satellite Arbiter Jedson Grant Bloody loads of 'em! J.

This is my old one: [attachment=45901:front.jpg] J.

[quote name='witterth' post='788518' date='Mar 28 2010, 02:13 PM']A Vantage? possibly? still means a Kay Though.[/quote] No - not a Vantage - all the through-necks were Japanese, made by Matsumoku. Vantage was actually a Canadian brand, some of which got exported, which is why a few turn up in the UK. No connection with the Kay brand. J.

It's a Cort, made in Korea late 70s/early 80s, and sold in the UK as Kay, and a million other names around the globe. I think if you unscrew the TRC on this, it will probably have a Kay logo on the other side! There's one on the Bay right now: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330415794177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=330415794177[/url] Cort did dozens of variations on this particular neckthrough template, all of which are identifiable by the rather sexy triple brass dot inlays - I've seen Alembic-shaped basses, flying V guitars, the "Cort 45" travel guitar & bass, Washburn Wing series ripoffs. Anyway I've had the bass version the same as this, very nicely-made instrument, actually had great-sounding pups in mine - in fact the sticker on this one is telling you it has "Powersound" pickups! . The only real problem (which is common on budget through-necks) was an unadjustably high action - saddles won't go low enough & obviously you can't shim the neck. I've seen some of these where the bridge has been sunk into the body to get it low enough. Jon.