Bassassin

1989 means this is a Korean example. He doesn't mention how it came by that ugly great control plate on the front - presumable the wood's smashed underneath it - the controls on these are rear-mounted. Top strap button's been moved too. Nice colour. Jon.

Good to see him back - a very useful & informative resource. Plus Graeme's a nice guy & fine bassist - hope he's forgiven my band for pinching his guitarist! Jon.

I've seen that odd skinny-looking control plate somewhere before - I don't think this is built around a particularly great copy. Bin the (plywood?) body & guitar pickup, & stick the J pups, neck & bridge (Schaller 3D) on a decent body. Preferably a sunburst one. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='712697' date='Jan 14 2010, 04:04 PM']Was the Aria Pro II XXB (Flying V) any good? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-XXB-Bass_W0QQitemZ320472345797QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item4a9da3ecc5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-Pro-XXB-Bass_W0...=item4a9da3ecc5[/url] Anyone know how heavy it was? Pickup only from Harlow is way inconvenient, but will keep the price low I imagine.[/quote] I'd expect it to be on a par with the other early 80s bolt-neck Arias - my old RSB was a peach until it developed a severe neck twist. Weight-wise probably similar to the ZZB Explorer-shape - our man Bloodaxe has got a couple of them so it might be worth dropping him a PM. So that even has a fitted hard case & it's still too much effort for the lazy sod to drag himself to the PO. His loss. Twit - hard to be specific although they don't seem to command the same prices as other Matsumoku basses - possibly because of the crossover with MIK versions, or perhaps because they just don't get advertised well. I'd think you could pick one up for under a ton though, if you're patient. J.

I only noticed 'cos I've got an RSB Deluxe II! J.

[quote name='paul h' post='712249' date='Jan 14 2010, 09:04 AM']I bought a brand new "Cat" in 86/87. Not sure how long they had been around by then. Only found one on google images so I don't know if that implies something about their rarity...or popularity? [/quote] I don't think the pic's a Cat - looks like an RSB Deluxe II to me - a Cat would have standard P/J pups & a bent-tin bridge, I think. The only pic of a Cat bass I can find on the Mat site is this one: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/ads/adpages/pg13.jpg"]http://www.matsumoku.org/models/ariaproii/...dpages/pg13.jpg[/url] But there were versions with no scratchplate & a rosewood board. Forgive the inadvertent poetry but not all Cats are Mats - the model stayed in the range post-86 and there are Korean-made ones, the only immediate difference is that they don't have Made In Japan on the neckplate. I got a good look at an MIK Cat at a car boot a while back, & it looked like a decent enough bass - but not for the £70 the nutter wanted for it! J.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='711735' date='Jan 13 2010, 06:50 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280450646770&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123"]Here[/url]'s a fixer-upper.[/quote] And it's actually a Kay, made in Taiwan & absolutely nothing to do with Teisco, Jedson or Japan. Probably wouldn't even burn very well. J.

Really rapidly going off our drummer. Lazy, unmotivated, uncommunicative, delusional, pompous little gonk. Jon.

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='711146' date='Jan 13 2010, 12:03 PM']Jon I`ve ordered a blue set from the above guys for £29.16, plus the inport tax of course. Thought the other ones were too expensive, around £90 to take a chance on something that might just be a fad. Going to stick them on my P bass. As soon as I get them on, I`ll post piccys. Jez[/quote] Cool - maybe I should hang fire & see what yours are like! Nah - think I'll just buy 'em anyway! J.

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='710873' date='Jan 13 2010, 08:27 AM']there's an amazing midnight blue rickenfaker on ishibashi ubox at the moment, it's a bolt on neck, and mono, but it's mega. About £250 as well![/quote] That's a Korean-made "Rocknroller"! [attachment=40140:3264534013.jpg] [attachment=40138:3264534015.jpg] One of those turned up before - I think it was an Australian guy on here picked one up - I kept a pic 'cos I'm sad: [attachment=40139:G32001.jpg] That one on Ishi looks brand-new - if so, it's by far the most accurate modern copy in terms of hardware. J.

My favourite attempted trick is to play an entire set without screwing up catastrophically. Never got that one right. Jon.

I'm considering a punt on the [url="http://www.fretlord.com/fretoptix.htm"]FretLord fibre optics[/url] for my new Lace Helix, which has tiny side-dots & no front markers. Looks like they'll come in at about £35 for the set plus a second LED module (for a different colour) - including delivery & import tax. Not too much cash wasted if they turn out to be guff. Jon.

[quote name='Prosebass' post='707777' date='Jan 10 2010, 03:39 PM']Bugger, Sussed !!! I was thinking of making one for myself.[/quote] You'll change your tune when you find out that John Hall from Rickenbacker bought the rights to Roden bass designs after the fall of the Soviet Union, and currently has a pack of legal attack dogs scanning this thread for the first hint of copyright infringement... :ph34r: Seriously - an updated take on that design would certainly be intriguing - so go for it! [quote name='Mog' post='708149' date='Jan 10 2010, 08:35 PM']could be cool with a different headstock. its just too plain and nicely contoured for the body shape.[/quote] Headless. Apart from anything else, it would make it more stable - the original design must have neck-dive from hell. J.

[quote name='karlfer' post='708111' date='Jan 10 2010, 08:18 PM']Hi guys, this is the little beauty from Leeds. I mailed Will, the seller last night but unfortunately didn't get a reply until this afternoon. Too late for a trip over the Pennines today. It's different but very nice. Checked the headstock shape against photos of the Kasuga I had in very early 80's, and the shape is exactly the same. Re-introducing Obi-Jon-Kinobi. Over to you Jon. Oh, this was still for sale about 3pm.[/quote] Definitely a Kasuga - and an absolute stunner, too. I would've had both his arms off for that, despite the fact I already have a Kasuga Rick copy & two others! I'm pretty sure I've seen that odd black/white/natural finish once before, and I admit I'd have had a hard time resisting the temptation of refinishing the neck in black, with a white-faced headstock. Lovely! Anyway, lowering our horizons a little - a Hondo: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180454877189"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=180454877189[/url] Wonder what it sounds like with that MM-ish thing in it? J.

[quote name='guybrush threepwood' post='706720' date='Jan 9 2010, 04:41 PM']Rickenbacker copy on Leeds gumtree [url="http://leeds.gumtree.com/leeds/74/52130874.html"]Rickenbacker copy[/url][/quote] That's very nice for £260 - I think it's a Kasuga but can't be 100% from the pics. Colour might be original - the Canadian "Northern" brand had a Kasuga-built 4001 copy in white, so they did exist. Jon.

Anyway - what's the story here? Do you own this, are you thinking of buying it, have you just been browsing Cheesyguitars.com, are you thinking of "borrowing" the style? In Soviet Russia, bass guitar plays [i]you[/i]. J.

There are short scale Bullets, but the 34" SQ I'm talking about is this: :brow: J.

Cool - I do like a weird bass, but this one doesn't make me go "want" enough to be sub-zero. Anyone think we should have a BC Cool Wall? Jon.

Just bought a Schaller 3D bridge from Joe - fantastic bargain in excellent condition! Top transaction. Jon.

SQ Bullets are 34" scale, there's no short scale afaik. Do want, though. J.

Pretty sure there wasn't a short-scale JV, but if there was, they'll know about it here: [url="http://www.21frets.com/"]http://www.21frets.com/[/url] Jon.

This bass is already being discussed [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=7473&view=findpost&p=700818"]here[/url]! No-one noticed it's an Encore but the consensus was that the description's bollocks. Which it is. J

Just worked out why the strap buttons have been moved - they're not the originals. These are accurate enough copies to even have the knurled/threaded bolts that the real thing has - the same part as the mute adjuster screws. Presumably they've been removed/lost & replaced with standard buttons. Not really threatening to buy this - I've already got 3 Rickenfakers! J.

These are gorgeous - I saved the pics of this one to drool over & cry a little: [attachment=39603:fernfront.jpg] Tuners are actually chunky Schaller M4S copies but don't hold that against it - you'll want a 70s Matsumoku copy if it's wavy Grover fakes you're after! So anyway - who made these? Depends on the date, but Fernandes seem to have been made by Kawai & Tokai at different times. Have you bought it yet? I'd crack on if I were you, 'cos if you don't I'll have it! Jon.

Confused by this - it looks like the Rockinbetter body/neck with the Anniversary/Shine style bridge. But how does that bridge work in that position with a 20-fret neck? The Shines, Anniversarys & Jayros that use this bridge have an extra fret (ie longer neck) to compensate for the fact that the saddles on this bridge are where the string mute would be on a proper Rick bridge. J.