Bassassin

Posted off to Chezz55 this afternoon. Job's a good 'un. J.

OK - serious - if somewhat impulsive - question: If I could track down the manufacturer/exporter of these (it'll be some Chinese or Indonesian sweatshop) and import a few of them, who would take one off me 'ands? Obviously I don't know how much we'd be talking about - but given the prices of the likes of Wesleys, I doubt it would be very expensive. Just a thought. J.

I want that. Why is the exchange rate so crap, and why does stuff like this never make it to the UK? Gah. Jon.

That's a Riverhead Unicorn - the first headless I had serious GAS for - I remember going up to the Bass Centre, when it was in Wapping to try one, probably '84 or '85. Sadly I was too poor to buy it & eventually ended up with an Aria RSB Deluxe, & a (much cheaper) Hohner B2A a bit later. I'll be watching this, but I suspect it'll go for a little more than the £100 start - these are incredibly, incredibly rare these days. IMO these are about the most desirable JapCrap headless, just for the Burns Flyte ripoff body, if nothing else. Jon.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='389765' date='Jan 23 2009, 04:32 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Grantson-electric-bass-guitar-made-in-japan_W0QQitemZ250361836880QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item250361836880&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]Grantson[/url] Doesn't say 'Lawsuit' and looking at the headstock, I think it could legitemately do so. Might bid a tenner just so they can't change it.[/quote] That's kinda cool in a retro-minimalist sort of way. I had a Grantson EB-0 copy a while back, a little more accurate than that one: [attachment=19115:fronts.jpg] Looked the part but it was a pretty generic ply-body cheapo, in reality. I'd expect the same of this one. J.

[quote name='Beedster' post='388825' date='Jan 22 2009, 05:52 PM']7/10 for the drumming and 2/10 for the vocals [/quote] And a composite 20/10 for doing both at the same time. Impressed me, anyway! J.

Cracking good read, possibly the funniest music-related book I've read. Our guitarist will be getting a copy of this for his birthday, if only for the Floyd/Gilmour anecdotes. Moving on through the list, Super Mario Bass doesn't want it, so who's next... Chezz55? J.

Right - I have finally finished this - so much for reading it quickly! Anyway MacDaddy's read it, so according to this system Super Mario Bass is next. I'll drop him a PM then. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='388050' date='Jan 21 2009, 10:38 PM']Kinell ... I thought the RickenFakers were getting a bit pricey until I saw this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Greco-Pre-1976-Precision-Bass-Fujigen-Vintage-MIJ_W0QQitemZ250361229594QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item250361229594&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Greco-Pre-1976-Preci...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url] Did somebody mention a Credit Crunch? Maybe something about a recession?[/quote] This one's up there with the dodgy vintage "Fenders". Everything about this is wrong. I will need to check my facts but the early style "Gneco" logo he mentions disappeared around 1973/74, not 76, like he says. This would make this a very early 70s Greco, if it were authentic. However, this bass looks to me like a parts-box special with a home-made transfer, the only things that I'd be confident in saying look correct for the description are the control knobs! The body & neck do not appear to share the same mother - this body looks identical to the slab sarnie straight-grain things those old Kays had, like this old one of mine: [attachment=19057:psandwich.jpg] These were Taiwanese - whereas Grecos were built by Fujigen & Matsumoku at that point. Speaking of which, apart from the fact the neck looks about 20 years younger than the body, early 70s Grecos were not "replica" level copies and shared many of the same eccentricities as other JapCrap. So I'd expect to see a 3-piece neck, Gibson style nut & head-end truss adjustment under either a large chrome, or small white plastic cover. It's also interesting that this bass has a bridge cover - but the scratchplate isn't even drilled for a pup ashtray or thumbrest. Early 70s JapCrap came with the full kit. I could go on but I suspect you get the picture. Not that anyone in their right mind should be considering spending that sort of money on an old P copy, anyway. J.

[quote name='Musky' post='387206' date='Jan 21 2009, 09:55 AM']I'm not sure if that ad was just badly writen or very cleverly worded. I think he's talking about the case being brand new. [/quote] Well, the exact text of the ad is this: [quote]columbas base guitar brand new in velvet hard case never used[/quote] And I'm struggling to see anything I'd describe as "clever" there - is it just too sophisticated for my walnut of a brain? J

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='386584' date='Jan 20 2009, 07:19 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Columbus-Bass-Guitar-in-velvet-hardcase_W0QQitemZ110340645432QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item110340645432&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]Pricey looking Columbus[/url][/quote] "Brand new", too. DeLorean? As far as Columbuses go, this less-plywood, maple boarded & less expensive example looks much better: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130281767884"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=130281767884[/url] It's not [i]new[/i], though. J.

[quote name='cytania' post='384695' date='Jan 19 2009, 09:25 AM']You may want to sneak the words 'Les Paul style' into the title and body of your sale. Your Ibanez should appeal to anyone who wants the LP tone without the Gibson premium. It does give a sound in that kind of ballpark? Mention it's high gain blues tone etc. in your description, if you haven't already.[/quote] I'd avoid doing that if I were you, for a few reasons. It's not a Les Paul; that's a trademark and Ebay can bust you & pull your auction for keyword spamming. People searching for Gibsons will not want this coming up in their searches, so they'll report you. Most importantly, this is a collectable vintage Ibanez - and there are lots of people specifically looking for these, either as collectors, or, surprisingly enough, as future investments. Use searchable keywords in your title like vintage, Japan, MIJ, 70s, Ibanez - these are the terms people looking for guitars like yours will be using, plug the fact you've owned it since new & it's unmodified - and take lots of good, clear, in-focus pictures. I'd recommend using the picture pack or large images option - it costs a quid or so but it's worth it. If it was mine (note this is something I don't advise anyone else to do - for my own protection ) it would start at 99p, no reserve. It would find its level. J.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='384631' date='Jan 19 2009, 02:36 AM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IBANEZ-BLAZER-SERIES-CUSTOM-FRETLESS-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ150321946839QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item150321946839&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]fretless blazer[/url] Wooulda had this if it had frets and I had a job.[/quote] Woulda had that if I'd seen it in time! £80 BIN for an Ibby Blazer? Madness. J.

It's a bit more convincing on the hardware front than Rockinbetters & Indies & such, but the Beckinrotter's neck-through, I think. I've seen the same bridge on a Shine, but the Rick-type bridge pickup surround & cover are new to me. J.

Here's an interesting modern KoreaDiarrhoea copy, surprisingly accurate compared to many of its contemporaries, apart from the set neck. You will, in all probability, lol @ the name: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280303680051"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280303680051[/url] More & bigger pics [url="http://photos.yahoo.co.jp/ph/pronounce04/lst?.dir=/a7e3&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.co.jp/"]here[/url] for when the listing gets pulled. J.

If you haven't already been, go to [url="http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/forum/index.php"]http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/forum/index.php[/url] - post some pics of your guitar & ask what they think, value-wise. Most of the guys on there are from the States, and while US prices for vintage Ibs tend to be lower than EU, bear in mind the current Septic-friendly exchange rate! You might even find somebody on there who'll make you an offer, but if not & you end up Baying it, be prepared to post overseas if you want the best price. These are strange times as far as the used/vintage guitar market's concerned - plenty of people hoping for recession bargains, prices are definitely down on high-end stuff, midrange such as yours is holding its own, and low-end stuff seems to be selling better - possibly because people have less GAS money so they just set their sights lower, rather than buying nothing at all. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='383042' date='Jan 17 2009, 10:10 AM']Intriguingly, he claims that this is an Aria Pro II. [url="http://cgi.ebay.de/E-BASS-Rickenb-Kopie_W0QQitemZ250356979664QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGitarren?hash=item250356979664&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.de/E-BASS-Rickenb-Kopie_W0...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url][/quote] It's of Aria/Matsumoku origin, so it might be. The Grover copy tuners & black control position dots on the scratchplate (look closely among the marker pen ones) are Mat traits - and I have seen an Aria Pro catalogue featuring a maple board version. Typically I can't bloody find it now but I'll post a link if it turns up. I've also got pics of a Mat-built Greco identical to this one. I can't be sure from the photo but this looks like it has only a single truss rod - all the other neckthrough Mats I've seen have twin rods, so this would be unusual. Bolt-neck Mats turn up with single or double rods, though. J.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='382697' date='Jan 16 2009, 05:57 PM']I emailed him to give him a 'heads-up' that the headstock/tuners/neck/logo were wrong and he was opening himself up to potential problems if it was sold as a genuine 100% USA Fender. I got a message back; "hey im selling what i know,i bought this my self in usa and thats what im going by,i appreciate your concern but it is genuine,ive had it checked at music shop when i left it in for cracklin volume knob,the told me the value of it and i was gobsmacked,so ill take my chances.ta" If he was gobsmacked then it was valued a lot higher than he expected/paid for it... that should give him a clue. If he has been suckered into believing some guy in a shop I'd love to know which music shop as they are obviously f*ckwits![/quote] Next he'll be saying the ashtrays on it aren't the set he got off Ebay a week ago. Even if he wasn't a lying pikey tard - which he is - why do people always assume that the gimps behind the counter in music shops are The World's Foremost Authorities on rare & collectable instruments? Jon.