Bassassin

Like Musky said, yours is the same bass as the Ibanez equivalent, built by Fujigen Gakki, who were responsible for MIJ Fenders. I was watching that one & you got a bargain - a little while back these were hitting £200+. Yours is one of the very early ones, it's identical to the version in the 1971 Ibby catalogue: [url="http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1971/13.jpg"]http://www.ibanez.ru/info/catalog/1971/13.jpg[/url] Chrome trc & black-button tuners disappeared in subsequent versions. You'll notice that there's no logo on the catalogue bass, that's because these are factory stock-shots & it's thought the model numbers are factory designations too - which makes your bass an Antoria 2365B! I could tell you lots of boring stuff about the Antoria brand - but I'll keep that to myself, unless you're actually interested! Jon.

[quote name='2x18' post='518859' date='Jun 19 2009, 09:19 PM']Ibanez [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-ibanez-bass-guitar-look-like-lemmy-foxton-macca_W0QQitemZ130313808531QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item1e574eea93&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-ibanez-bass-...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url][/quote] That's the one that was up (twice!) at £1000, back for a reality-check! He'll probably get his £500, but not much more. J.

That's an Epiphone ET-280, built by Matsumoku in Japan around 1975. This one looks like a great car boot find, it appears to be all original apart from missing a bridge cover, which is usual. These come up on Ebay every so often & probably would go for between £150 - £200 on there. I'd recommend leaving it stock - these are getting quite collectable & "upgrading" components (tempting as it might be) will adversely affect its future value. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='518222' date='Jun 19 2009, 11:32 AM']There's so much stripped pine in that photograph, it's like bleedin' Norway in there! [/quote] What - no mention of the porthole? The [s]fire hazard deathtrap[/s] pine cladding looks awful but is nice & dead acoustically. Besides I'd get evicted if I took it off... J.

I'm quite partial to their 50p snot dogs. My little studio setup is nicely accommodated by Ikea's brilliantly-named "Jerker" computer desk: Jon.

I've never been particularly covetous of other peoples' gear ( except when I was a kid & couldn't afford owt) but I have a soft spot for Dennis Dunaway's EB-0 Frog Bass: [attachment=27220:dunaway_frogbass.jpg] And his '72 Jazz: [attachment=27221:dunaway_jazz.jpg] I probably wouldn't play them - just put them on the wall & make occasional blood sacrifices. Jon.

Mr Foxen posted this on the Rickenfakers thread but I thought it was interesting, unusual - and cheap - enough to merit its own topic: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-or-6-String-Thru-Neck-Bass-Active_W0QQitemZ280359276006"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-or-6-String-Thru-N...emZ280359276006[/url] Also available as a 5er for the same dosh. It's likely a bit rough & ready & I do think the f-hole spoils it a bit (should've used a Rick-type cat-eye design!), but if I was a bit more flush & fancied dabbling with a 6 I would be up this like a rat up a drainpipe. So to speak. Jon.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='515782' date='Jun 16 2009, 09:37 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-or-6-String-Thru-Neck-Bass-Active_W0QQitemZ280359276006QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item4146b70de6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50"]Close enough to count I think.[/url][/quote] Tell you what, I'm glad they ruined that with the foul f-hole otherwise I'd have been £210 down. Should've gone for a proper Rick-style cat-eye hole. Still - £189 for a neckthrough Rick-shaped 6? And I'm wondering if someone's been spying on [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=21783&view=findpost&p=438083"]Wizbat's Shukers[/url]? J.

Balcro's pointyhead will be a mid 80s version while Ou7shined's one on the slab here is early 80s - both from the same Korean sweatshop, by the looks of it! They might well be from the same place as the similar Hondos of the era, which would possibly be Samick. Encore is just a brand name (owned by John Hornby Skewes) and they'll source instruments from whoever sells 'em cheapest - they were coming in from India in the early 90s, AFAIK. Anyway, despite the fact someone's taken a sander to Ou7hined's Encore, I'm inclined to think the guy's telling the truth about the cracking down the skunk stripe - I've seen the same thing on 2 projects of mine. Both my Kawai Sleekline & my prize-winning £5 Marlin rat-bass had this, and I assume it's to do with unequal wood shrinkage, or something - the truss rods on both basses work fine so I don't think it's delamination. Anyway, I [s]fixed[/s] bodged it by running superglue around it (just in case it was coming apart) and then building up successive coats until the chipped area was filled. You can then lightly sand it smooth & polish it up with T-Cut or somesuch. It's still visible if you look closely but it's completely smooth to the touch. Jon.

[quote name='2x18' post='515259' date='Jun 16 2009, 01:13 PM']Expensive Ibby Fretless [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETLESS-BASS-VINTAGE-70s-NR_W0QQitemZ260429840289QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3ca2d3ffa1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-2366FLB-FRETL...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url] Will.[/quote] Nice, but £700, not including the missing bits? Not too sure about the seller's knowledge "the fretboard is mahogany" - o rly? I have one of these, with frets & a maple board (and both ashtrays & original knobs) - in the unlikely event anyone buys this for £700, mine will be on Ebay next week! J.

Very bargainacious uber-80s black/red Ibanez Roadstar II, £125 BIN: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-ROADSTAR-2-RB750-BASS-GUITAR-BLACK-RED_W0QQitemZ250444544383"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-ROADSTAR-2-RB...emZ250444544383[/url] Looks like it needs a little bit of tidying, another one I'd have no hesitation in grabbing myself at a different time. Polite request though for anyone who goes for this - [i]please[/i] don't offer to flog it to me for £100 more than you bought it for, m'kay? J.

Is it just me? Jon.

[quote name='4000' post='512741' date='Jun 13 2009, 12:33 PM']If you ever see a Ric 4000 series with a single trussrod, it's not a Ric, it's a fake. One of the easiest ways to tell.[/quote] +1. I'm so far only aware of two copies which had dual rods, both of which have different adjusters & headstock route to the original. Very easy to spot if you know what you're looking for. J.

Maybe, but it looks like the short-term effect has been to make vintage Faker prices even sillier, recession notwithstanding. They are definitely thinner on the ground now, which doesn't help, but old copies that get through Ebay have been topping £600 this year, which is bloody ridiculous. I suppose the oldies appeal to a broader market of geeks & collectors than the modern ones do so that will help keep the prices up. Ian - really curious to get a look at your Anniversary, take lots of pics when you get the bonnet up! Also to re-ignite the Tokai/Rockinbetter debate - this is interesting: [url="http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guitars/dillion_rockinbetter_bass.html"]http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guit...etter_bass.html[/url] Did a bit of digging & it seems these are Korean-made & exported to Canada by a Korean company called SIC. I can't find any more info than that - manufacturer, etc, but what's curious is that these basses look like they have more in common with the Indie attempt than the UK Rockinbetters. Same construction & pickups, I think, but with an "authentic" headstock shape. Having chatted to the Indie CEO guy about these at Music Live a few years ago, he did say that they chose a non-Rick headstock shape to try & avoid copyright infringement. Jon.

[quote name='Stingray5' post='512060' date='Jun 12 2009, 12:57 PM']Not sure anyone has mentioned [b]Lee Jackson[/b] (The Nice, Refugee, Jackson Heights) I saw Refugee a couple of times at the Marquee in Wardour St and IIRC he was using a blonde RIC 4001. Here's Refugee and some Prog-rock riffery on the OGWT with Jackson on a rather nice all-black 4001. (Bass close-ups from around 1:27 ). [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDbizQz_ZhM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDbizQz_ZhM[/url] Cheers Steve[/quote] Never heard Refugee before - there's some great rhythm section stuff going on in this track. J.

[quote name='riff raff' post='511987' date='Jun 12 2009, 11:49 AM']you've said exactly what the shop owner said about not wanting to tighten it any more to avoid popping the fretboard.it is genuine and has the authentification from rosetti.the guy is very genuine and th price is reflecting the work needed.and based on the fact that we have a good relationship with him in the band maintaining valve ampegs and mesa's.[/quote] No disrespect to the seller but some copies - particularly the Matsumoku-built neckthroughs, were near-indistinguishable from the real thing, & many have ended up with real Rickenbacker TRCs and serial numbered jackplates. If you can take some detailed pics & post them here then it will be possible to confirm 100% whether this is genuine or not. 4001 trussrods are very eccentric - they don't work simply by tightening the nuts & what the guy said sounds like perhaps he doesn't know this. Essentially the neck needs to be bent by hand to the desired relief, and the rods are then tightened to hold it in place. It's also possible that the truss rods aren't the problem - Rick bodies are very thin & where neck & body join is a potential weak spot because of the big pickup route under the scratchplate. Years of high-tension strings can cause it to warp there, and to be honest I don't know how repairable that is. Signs of this might show as cracking in the finish at the join between the body wings & neck section at this point. Jon.

Does "under the stairs for ten years" count? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Jazz-Bass-Replica_W0QQitemZ170341491236"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Jazz-Bass-Rep...emZ170341491236[/url] Although at £450 BIN for a beat-up JapCrap Jazz with a shonky sticker, it should probably be in the heroically overpriced thread. Nice enough - possibly a Matsumoku going on the slightly odd end-adjustment pickups, but over the odds by about £300! J.

[quote name='kevbass' post='511378' date='Jun 11 2009, 04:28 PM']Im not sure how shine have pulled this one off[/quote] Probably to do with them being a Korean company & RIC having little or no real influence outside the US. They have clout where Ebay's concerned because Ebay's a US company - it's even based in the same state. However most Ebay auctions just get pulled because they breach Ebay's T&Cs rather than as a direct result of being reported by RIC. These days Ebay can & do pull listings for such innocuous things as calling a Precision copy a Precision copy. Funny how that only seems to apply to private sellers, though... Anyway I think this is old stock or an old pic - Shines I've seen recently have "proper" Rick-shaped heads & bound bodies: Obviously not the same bass! These are pretty similar to the Gayro/Jayro & Anniversary copies which are turning up recently. These aren't identical, they have set necks & (oddly) 22-fret necks while the Shines are neck-through & 20 fret.. Jon.

You can read Made In Japan on the heel on his Ebay pics. Can't quite get my head around this - does he seriously believe these basses are worth what he's asking or is it just the hope/assumption that someone, somewhere will be stupid enough to pay those prices? J.

[quote name='2x18' post='509518' date='Jun 9 2009, 08:39 PM']Hes also got a "Vintage model" for sale at £1,100.00 buy it now including some free masking tape!!!!!! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Fender-Precision-Bass_W0QQitemZ250441144108QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item3a4f74972c&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Fender-Preci...%3A1%7C294%3A50[/url][/quote] And oh look - he's "improved" that one by hitting it against a wall. What a clever boy. J.