Bassassin

[quote name='JTUK' post='560141' date='Aug 4 2009, 01:09 PM']You want to be careful how obvious you make flying in parts ..Britney and Madonna can do it and nobody cares how much is mimed, but a pub/club band might get some funny looks, IMV..[/quote] This is unpleasantly true. Me & a guitarist mate did rock covers as a duo, using drums/keys/rhythm guitar backing tracks which we recorded ourselves. I don't think we played a single gig without some half-cut knowall accusing us of miming [i]everything[/i]. Jon.

[quote name='neepheid' post='560370' date='Aug 4 2009, 05:00 PM']Sorry man, I sold it some time ago when I parted out my Epi EB-0. Bought it when the pound was strong last year and got £50 for it if memory serves, so I think I got all my money back [/quote] No probs. [quote name='sgt-pluck' post='560369' date='Aug 4 2009, 04:59 PM']Was that on eBay last week?! How did I miss that?! Nice buy. I've been looking out for one of they also - I have a the g****r version which is very nice. Last one I saw went, as you say, a good sum and far more than I would've expected for a little-known japcrap brand. Funnily enough IIRC the last one I saw had a broken bridge also. I think I remember discovering that a few basses had the exact same bridge, the grabber-esque Hondo for example. Not inconcievable that a replacement may find it's way on to eBay? Nice find. Pluck[/quote] That makes 2 of us - I have a lovely black Westbury Standard g*it*ar - without a doubt the nicest one I've ever owned! That's actually why I've been after a Westy bass for ages. Always fancied having "the pair". J.

[quote name='neepheid' post='560281' date='Aug 4 2009, 03:27 PM']That bridge is so bad it looks photoshopped! I can vouch for the Supertone bridge, but yes you'll pretty much have to source it abroad. However, the pound is strengthening against the dollar so it might work out not too bad. Obviously, dimensions are quite critical - [url="http://www.hipshotproducts.com/files/all/supertone.pdf"]http://www.hipshotproducts.com/files/all/supertone.pdf[/url] $100 from BPR = £60. Alternatively there's always here: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260456582644"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=260456582644[/url] - I bought my last one from this guy with no problems. Because they're in short supply here, you should get most of your money back if you choose to move it on, particularly if customs overlooks it on entry...[/quote] When I Googled the Hipshot your BC review was the first thing that came up, and the pics of it on your EB were what swayed me away from a conventional bridge. Thanks for the links, I'm pretty certain it would fit my bass, and the seller in the States is pretty reasonable. Interestingly, when you Google Westbury Track 2, half of the results seem to be about broken bridges - obviously there was an issue with the part! Really surprising considering these were Matsumoku basses & the quality control was generally excellent. Of course bridge replacement option no. 3 would be a standard 3-point bridge, which would return it to stock - and this does appeal to the JapCrap purist in me. I'm very drawn towards the Hipshot but I suppose I don't know if the Westy's a keeper until I've played it a bit & gigged with it - so I feel a bit reticent about buying a part that will cost more than the bass did! Have you still got your old one & would you consider selling or loaning it? J.

Thought you might be interested in what dropped through the letterbox this morning. I've been vaguely looking out for a Westbury Track 2 or Track IV for a good few years - they're not exactly common & when they come up on Ebay the JapCrap vultures tend to push the prices well into that 3-figure stratosphere, where my Pikey Powers desert me, and I cannot not go. However, last week I managed to snag a Track 2 project for £52, and this is what I got: [attachment=30245:trackfront.jpg] [attachment=30246:trackback.jpg] [attachment=30247:trackbridge.jpg] The bad news is all very apparent from the pics - particularly the bridge, which appears to be made from plasticene. The good news is that the important bits are fine - the neck is dead straight, truss rod works and the frets are in excellent condition with very little wear, no splits or cracks. I was a little concerned that the pickup might be a dud, after the Ebay seller claimed it "just buzzed", but it turns out that the phase switch it had originally is missing & somebody appears to have attempted to re-wire it using the power of guesswork! A quick bit of reconnecting shows that the pickup, a vintage PAF-stickered DiMarzio, is reading a very healthy 11.5k. I'm not sure what to do about the bridge - obviously that piece of bent rubbish is useless, and my first impulse is to just forget it, fill the little route under it with a block of wood & fit a more conventional type - I have several suitable bridges in my parts box. But the other option is a Hipshot Supertone - they look the business, adjust in 54 different directions, and should just bolt straight on. However, they cost a fortune & seem to be pretty much unavailable in the UK. I'd also need to confirm that my JapCrap plasticene 3-point has interchangeable dimensions... Anyway, no hurry, I can't see this bass getting huge amounts of attention straight away, as I currently have about 5 other projects ongoing! Jon.

Fair play for askin' but I recommend your local car boot & a bit of patience. It'll probably cost you less than the postage on other peoples' throwaway junk. Jon.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='559690' date='Aug 3 2009, 09:44 PM']"Fendr PERCISsION - it are bargin, play superb WOW! Fund in m y uncels' loft VINTAGE 1945 Giutar WOW!!#."[/quote] You forgot "L@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@K!!!!!!! Always wondered what the hell "laaak" means. Sounds like it might be Finnish. But I dunno about the choice between mentally subnormal and glib, smarmy & insincere, tbh. Jon.

Rockin' like a spastic wi' a fistful o' plastic, yo. [attachment=30214:j_mresize.jpg] And [i]someone[/i] doesn't look happy! Jon.

[quote name='hodgsonk' post='559329' date='Aug 3 2009, 04:01 PM']A link from their site, UK dealer - [url="http://www.hinesitedistribution.co.uk/"]Hinesite Distribution[/url][/quote] That's good to know - but their dealership network leaves a bit to be desired! J.

I'd love to try a Lace Helix: Pretty sure they've never been imported to the UK. Jon.

[quote name='tauzero' post='559273' date='Aug 3 2009, 03:09 PM']"How dare you have a more attractive, richer, deeper sunburst than us! We'll see your ass in court!"[/quote] As it turned out it was more like "How dare you have deeper, richer sunburst than us? We'll get the same factory to make our basses! My Squier SQ Precision had the most stunning burst I've ever seen, makes me wish I hadn't sold it... Funny thing is, they never did sue, neither did Gibson, Rickenbacker or anyone else. Jon.

[quote name='nick' post='558688' date='Aug 2 2009, 07:26 PM']Lovely looking [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/El-Maya-EB-2200-Bass_W0QQitemZ290336204846QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item439962e82e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]El Maya EB-2200[/url][/quote] That's a BCer, Deaver, selling that. The full story's mostly in this very thread. And yes - it's a gorgeous-looking & incredibly uncommon bass. J.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='558682' date='Aug 2 2009, 07:20 PM']I've seen that guy before...amazing![/quote] He's got half a dozen threads on here! He's Gustavo Dalfarra, a busker in Barcelona, I saw him a couple of years ago & watched for ages, wonderfully inventive, melodic, musical player - and that's coming from someone who's not a massive fan of solo bass! Jon.

[quote name='William James Easton' post='558509' date='Aug 2 2009, 02:31 PM']but hey music is about fun and passion, coming form the heart and being pure.[/quote] Truest words in the world, EVAAR. Welcome back! Music is one of the few things that has kept me going for the last 3 years, which has been a spectacularly dark time for me. Gigging & practicing with my band, composing & recording - what I've found myself calling "The Redemptive Power Of Rock 'n Roll". Somebody on here said last week - apologies for not remembering who - "you don't choose music - music chooses [i]you[/i]". Can't beat it. Jon.

[quote name='Moos3h' post='558320' date='Aug 2 2009, 10:48 AM']Not good, black paintwork over the contours = plywood.[/quote] Not necessarily, just not solid timber. From what I can tell from the deliberately poor pics, I think this looks like OK quality 70s JapCrap, in which case the body will be solid mahogany with ash veneers. Obviously the oversprays serve the same purpose as on ply. The neckplate's clearly AWOL because a "Made In Japan" stamp wouldn't have gone well with the "Jan '59 American made" bull$hit. Dunno how I missed this when it was listed at £4000 - that's comedy genius! Jon.

To be fair "precison" [i]could[/i] be a typo that he overlooked - but honestly some of the crimes against English you see on Ebay, makes you wonder how some people manage to get food in their mouths or remember to breathe. Jon.

You don't see many of them. Or Ebay dealers who can't spell "Ibanez"!! Way to get the hits! J.

For the seriously Westone-curious there's an excellent & comprehensive website: [url="http://www.westone.info/"]http://www.westone.info/[/url] It's a strange to think they didn't have a particularly great reputation back in the day - simply because they were cheap. I don't think anyone realised (I certainly didn't) that they were coming off the same production line as the Aria Pro SB series - which had plenty of professional endorsement & was priced accordingly. The fact that there are still so many of them around is testament to how solid & popular they were. J.

Washburn Wing series - more Matsumoku magic. Jon.

Sounds like a stunner Jack, hope you'll furnish us with some pics soon! J.

To echo everyone else, Westones are top-quality but mostly cheap & cheerful JapCrap, built by Matsumoku, which was rightly regarded as one of the best Japanese manufacturers in the 70s & 80s. 200 sovs is somewhat OTT for a Spectrum - they go for a lot less than that on Ebay, often under a ton. If you fancy a Westy, have a look at the basses for sale board here, there were a couple of Thunders up recently for very good money, don't know if they sold or not. Jon.