Bassassin

[quote name='Dan_Q' post='331195' date='Nov 18 2008, 12:50 AM']as a rickenlearner (not a rockinbeginner ) when you say "the holes are oval in the bridge" exactly which ones do you mean? the ones in the tailpiece where the strings come through the stop or actually on the bridge itself? apologies if this is a bit of a ricken-noob question.[/quote] Yes - it's the holes in the tailpiece that the strings pass through. Copy parts have very even, oval holes, while real ones are more squared-off & rough-looking. It's a worrying fact that if you compare the two side-by-side the old Japanese ones appear much better finished & more robust.. I guess that's why Ricks have been plagued with tail-lift since the tailpieces stopped being huge lumps of cast aluminium, sometime in the early 70s. Speaking of early 70s, that 4000's a stunner, and that's probably a damn good price too, considering current Rick values. J.

But Tokai don't, at least not on their UK or Japan websites. Or anywhere visible on the instrument itself. J.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='330212' date='Nov 16 2008, 06:38 PM']Rockinbetter's are made by Tokai then. i wondered who made them.[/quote] Are they? Go see if you can find any "official" connection. J.

I'm kind of inclined to think it's not a copy - but it's had a number of new parts - the copy bridge, plus the pup surround looks brand new. It has what looks like a legit plexi TRC - which reads "Model 4001", which would be consistent with a '73. Speaking of which, he's updated the listing & is now saying it's a '73. Did a bit of revision last night & it's quite possible a Sept 73 might have small inlays, plain binding & higain pup - looks like these changes all happened earlier in the same year, but many later '73 basses are transitional & have one or more old features. Hope he comes through with the truss rod pics - Rick ones are quite different to any copy I've seen & that would pretty much confirm it one way or t'other. A great resource for spotting Fakers - and for general Rick minutiae - is [url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com"]Joey's Bass Notes[/url], which unfortunately appears to be down right now. He has a comparison gallery of loads of different (and fascinating, if you're tragic like me) fakers & the differences & details. I'd love to know what some of them are. J.

[quote name='kevbass' post='329971' date='Nov 16 2008, 01:18 AM']I might have a punt on this. Is it just me or does the nut look poorly glued in?[/quote] There was a feller on here selling one for £50 a week or two ago - might be worth asking if he's still got it: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30935"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30935[/url] No question about the body material on that one, either. BTW these pickups are actually odd-looking single-coils, not 'buckers, despite the twin row of pole pieces. I bought one for a project, it puts out 11k which is pretty hefty for a single coil. J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='329325' date='Nov 14 2008, 06:27 PM']As ever, Jon, I am in awe. I actually own two vintage Ric's...[/quote] You don't need [i]two[/i]. Being able to spot these differences is why they put up with me on RickResource! J.

It's not just the date though. The bridge is a copy - oval holes (real ones are more squared) and chrome saddles; the tuners are not standard Rick fittings - the shafts are too long & the ferrules too large; the strap buttons don't look like the knurled studs (same part as the mute adjusters) used on Ricks; it has the small gap between the neck pup & end of the neck. This would be right on a '73, but I think it would have a toaster pickup, not a hi-gain. And if it is a 73, it's likely it would have either checked binding or full-width inlays, maybe both. For a '73, it would be in very good cosmetic condition - a Rick of that age would likely have pretty worn finish on most contact areas. He manages to not show clearly things that would confirm whether it is or isn't - the fretboard wood / inlays & original strap buttons are good ways of spotting copies from real ones. From what I can see, this could either be a real Rick rebuilt with a combination of genuine & copy parts - including the jackplate, or just a good copy - perhaps a late 70s/early 80s Jap market Greco, with a Rick jackplate & TRC. Have I been spending too much time hanging around RickResource? :ph34r: J.

And what do we think about this one? January 1998 Rickenbacker 4003? Does that make anyone else want to quote the famous Internet Owl? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320318087892"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320318087892[/url] I'm undecided as to quite what it is, and quite what the seller thinks/knows it is. A copy with a real jackplate (which seems to decode to September 1973)? A real Rick with a lot of replacement/non-original parts? And not one single clear photograph of a detail which would confirm or deny its provenance. Ignorance, or artfully concealing camera work? Your thought please, fellow cynics. J.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='328481' date='Nov 13 2008, 04:47 PM']you got a link to that polish?? i know its a thick finish, but it looks shiny as fook [/quote] [url="http://www.carplan.co.uk/index.cfm?category=58"]http://www.carplan.co.uk/index.cfm?category=58[/url] Your local Halfords will sort you out for about £5! It's good for cleaning up metalwork too. If you use it on laquer or paint, do make sure it's a modern, heavy-duty finish, it's a mild abrasive & I don't think using it on a thin nitro finish would be a good idea. J.

I should perch this precariously on the top of the stack: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150309633551"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150309633551[/url] One o' them Shaftesbury-branded 360/4005 hybrid things, either JapCrap or a rebadged Eko. J.

A few objects of curiosity & desire seemed to have slipped under the communal radar (or have they? ) so maybe an update might be prudent. Or something. Hondo P in some disrepair - might be a cheap project for someone local to it: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140281294177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140281294177[/url] No-name EB0 thing; a bit of hacksaw damage but a sane BIN considering the altitudes some of these things achieve: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330285235598"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=330285235598[/url] Shaftesbury Rick 360/4005 hybrid: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150309633551"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150309633551[/url] Really weird Morris Tele-shaped thing: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290274766531"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=290274766531[/url] Even weirder Morris neckthrough thing, in Italy: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110304011543"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=110304011543[/url] And finally - but bloody hell, I've never seen one of these outside a '72 Ibanez catalogue before. I want this, quite a lot: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160297642790"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=160297642790[/url] J.

Direct link-tastic: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dean-Cabbie-Stylist-bass-guitar_W0QQitemZ230307190058"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dean-Cabbie-Stylist-...emZ230307190058[/url] I am strangely drawn to this, despite finding myself ill-equipped to adequately explain why. Jon.

[quote name='jono b' post='327820' date='Nov 12 2008, 06:17 PM']So was the bass in a hard case and they still managed to do that much damage? Royal Mail never cease to amaze me with the ways they come up with to break stuff. By the way, to you loan out your carpets to porn shoots? [/quote] Indeed it was in a case - admittedly a pretty wrecked one, but you'd [i]really[/i] have to be trying! And fortunately the carpets are a bit more subdued than this - it's a bit of dodgy fur fabric which appeals to my inner porno director! :brow: It gets worse, I also have this (excuse the g*it*r): [attachment=15941:fullfront.jpg] J.

[quote name='Hamster' post='327858' date='Nov 12 2008, 07:06 PM']That should have it's own horror movie made about it![/quote] It needs its own sub-forum! Because a new thread about it (& other Tennessee brand abominations) appears every month or so! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30175"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30175[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25394"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25394[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21826"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21826[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20981"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20981[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=17791"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=17791[/url] And the really disturbing thing is, this particular misbegotten freak is a shameless rip-off of a hand-built one-off misbegotten freak... :ph34r: Jon.

[quote name='Musky' post='327942' date='Nov 12 2008, 09:06 PM']Nah, that one's a snip. Check out this one [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRUNO-GUITAR-ROYAL-ARTIST-Vintage-1970-With-New-Case_W0QQitemZ370095078885"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRUNO-GUITAR-ROYAL-A...emZ370095078885[/url][/quote] Good grief - that a whole special new vocabulary for wishful thinking! [quote name='Annoying Twit' post='327975' date='Nov 12 2008, 09:58 PM']Someone made an offer on that which was declined. I wonder how much the offer was for.[/quote] 12 quid? J.

I made the annual pilgrimage - once I'd got over the horrendous admission cost & car parking (keep telling myself: it's only once a year, it's only once a year) I thought it was not bad. Without the dominant corporate profile of Sound Control, it felt a lot more ramshackle & DIY, which I quite liked. Not a great deal of bass stuff - it's disappointing how many brands/distributors don't seem to think it's worth bothering to show the basses which are part of their product range - but a lot of what was there was very worth seeing. The Enfields were simply stunning in the flesh. Fortunately I wasn't just there for bass stuff & ended up getting a decent deal, on some studio monitors & a couple of pairs of headphones. Will I go again next year? Probably. :ph34r: Jon.

No worries Nick - I won't be bidding! I do like it, though, it's almost a semi-acoustic Mosrite copy. This will be Japanese, late 60s or early 70s. Bruno was a US importer/distributor & presumably Royal Artist was a sub-brand thereof. In fact this bass, or one like it, has been through the Bay before, and was discussed &, I think, lusted after right here at that time: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=7473&view=findpost&p=196039"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=196039[/url] Can't remember if it sold, and obviously the listing's long-gone, so this might be the original seller having another go. Can't help thinking a £150 start's a bit steep for such an obscure bass, regardless of how unique/original it is. J.

Basically it was crushed sufficiently hard to punch the tone control through into the cavity: I have all the little fragments of the original so I'm going to attempt a bit of scratchplate jigsaw, just to keep it original. That said, the tort's a good fit and way better looking. The scary screw ends are a bit of an issue when playing with a pick & doing palm-edge muting, which I do occasionally, but I think shorter screws and/or a shim in the neck pocket will be the way forward. A cover would interfere with pick style playing (well, my hamfisted bludgeoning) and also I'd have to drill the body, which I don't want to do. Interesting detail - SQ Squiers had scratchplates drilled for a pup cover, but no holes in the body. J.

[quote name='phsycoandy' post='326900' date='Nov 11 2008, 04:08 PM']what make of polish do u use, serious question btw? Lurvly[/quote]It's a massively thick poly finish on this - so it's T-cut & elbow grease! J.

Pictures speak louder than words: All original apart from the tort plate - the original w/b/w having been killed in transit by Royal Fail. In a way they did it a favour, though. I don't think I've seen a more gorgeous burst & grain combination than this bass, I've tried my best but these pics don't do it justice. :brow: Jon.

I do like these. I know the name but don't think I've ever encountered any before. Very interesting creatures - whereabouts were they from? Jon.