Bassassin

Sorry I missed your post about this - but better late than never... [quote]Compare the neck/headstock particularly - if it turns out the semi has a zero-fret, squared fretboard corners & plastic laminate overlay on the head - that's a positive comparison. Still won't tell us what it actually is - but it's a good start as clues go.[/quote] ...was what I said before, and apart from the fretboard ends, it checks out, and the clear lacquered neck shows another trait which goes with the aforementioned details -the neck is a strip ply laminate, sometimes called strip mahogany. So it is from the same origin as the other bass I linked - or at least the neck is. In the early days of the Japanese guitar industry, necks & bodies didn't always originate from the same factory - this is probably why, for example, we often see early Aria/Matsumoku and Fujigen Gakki guitars, both featuring identical 3-piece quarter sawn necks. Anyway, I digress. A lot of guitars & basses which have necks like this semi also have shield-shaped neckplates, which are associated with a Japanese brand called Zen-On. It's not clear if they built their own instruments. To confuse things, this bass has a plate I have never before seen used with this style neck - and these 6-bolt plates are [i]anecdotally[/i] connected to the Moridaira factory - they do appear on early examples of their own Morris brand, and are generally seen as reliable ID for rebranded Moridairas. So I'd speculate that this bass [i]might[/i] be from Moridaira, but using a neck from a different, as-yet unidentified manufacturer. J.

[quote name='finnbass' post='257718' date='Aug 8 2008, 12:27 AM']I have one of the more 'nondescript later versions. [/quote] Got a pic of the headstock/neckplate, Mr Finn? Doesn't look like Matsumoku/JapCrap to me, possibly the brand went Korean for a bit after Matsumoku folded in '86. That's actually a lot like the post Matsumoku Aria Magna series. Jon.

Looks like the cheapo listing day has brought out the weirdo Rickenbuggers: Custom built twin neck: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120292057723"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=120292057723[/url] John Birch 4001: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150280304659"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150280304659[/url] And an "awesome" Kay - think he means a different word beginning with "aw...": [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110277870677"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=110277870677[/url] J.

Our strange German "friend" again - he's been trying to shift that piece of (s)crap for literally years now! That guy, the stuff he lists (and never seems to sell), and the loony prices he asks are one of the great imponderables of the modern age. If we could understand him & his activities, I feel we would be a lot closer to unravelling the mysteries of life itself. Or something. Jon.

[quote name='Geddys nose' post='257095' date='Aug 7 2008, 12:14 PM']Mr Digits is back- [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Shaftesbury-MIJ-Vintage-70s-Bass-Guitar-Rare_W0QQitemZ140256061637QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ibanez-Shaftesbury-M...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] Can't seem to find in his history how much he payed for it.[/quote] Mebbe he got lucky at the car boot. I really wish these idiots who know bugger-all about vintage instruments (and can't be arsed finding out) would stop just making up rubbish about them. J.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='256388' date='Aug 6 2008, 03:28 PM']Was there supposed to be a link there Jon? if not I would be interested in a link if you have one.[/quote] Aye, this one: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=24404"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=24404[/url] If you haven't already seen it - read it & weep! J.

I wouldn't swear that particular one was a Matsumoku - you'd need to get hands-on & pull it apart to find out. Unless it has a Matsumoku neck plate, which some did. Hondos can be confusing - I have a really well-made Hondo Les Paul copy - set neck, carved top, good quality fret job etc, from probably about 77/78 - there are no identifying marks on it, and I [i]would[/i] say based on the quality it's JapCrap, & probably Matsumoku - but for the fact the hardware is absolute trash, and identical to that on a Korean plywood Hondo LP I had. This bass does have a very similar shape to some Vantage models - but check out this thread, on one of my favourite JapCrap boards: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?t=4307"]http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?t=4307[/url] By the early 80s, Korean factories were producing very accurate copies of Japanese original designs, As well as Vantages, there are also some rather nice Washburn Wing lookalikes from Korea. This is further complicated by Japanese copies of Japanese designs - check this out for some intriguing copies of copies. The Japanese "Wings" are Moridaira, the Korean ones from Cort: [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?t=4281"]http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?t=4281[/url] JapCrap & KoreaDiarrhoea - the truth is out there. But f*ck knows where. J.

[quote name='johnnylager' post='255439' date='Aug 5 2008, 02:55 PM']Jon, you are indeed the Carol Vorderman of Jap crap - I salute you. [s]Do you share any other of Carol's alleged habits?[/s][/quote] J.

[quote name='dangerboy' post='255842' date='Aug 5 2008, 10:33 PM']Yep, it's lovely. Only problem is that every time I look at it I'm scared of being killed by Jon.[/quote] I wasn't planning on killing you - a swift blow to the back of the skull with blunt implement should be enough to render you unconscious long enough for me to make off with your nice bass!. You won't feel a thing. Well, not much. Anyway, that's a cracker for £200 - looks entirely original, the only thing missing is the crappy tin bridge pup cover, tbh on these you're much better off without it, these have a proper sized bridge pup surround, with no razor-edged gaps around the pickup. It's even got its original tug bar. Matron. Is there a serial number on the neckplate? if so, we can work out the year/month of production, if not, then it's 1975 or earlier. And before you start getting too pleased with yourself - remember you could've got a [i]real[/i] Rick for just a ton more... J.

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='255015' date='Aug 5 2008, 01:57 AM']Does look like a Hondo. Best thing for it would be a pyre! What a heap of crap! Sorry! Nick[/quote] It is a Hondo, an [url="http://www.bossarea.com/aria/hondo/page4.jpg"]H1015,[/url] to be exact. - and they're not too bad. This is early 80s, post-copy era stuff, Hondo were trying to go a bit more upmarket with original designs, some made in Japan (Matsumoku was one of the factories they used) & DiMarzio pickups fitted as standard. 70s Hondos were pretty much universally Korean-made plywood trash & deserved the poor reputation, but later ones like this are a bit higher up the food chain. This particular model of bass turns up on Fleabay very regularly, usually sells for well under a ton, if you're interested. Jon.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='254928' date='Aug 4 2008, 11:11 PM']It does have an XLR out which is a Jaydee trademark...[/quote] So has my Hohner Steinberger copy! Interesting, unique custom-looking bass - but that ain't no Jaydee, I don't think. Notice how he says "identified as J.D. Mark King Edition" with nothing to support how it was "identified" other than him saying so, right there. You wouldn't think it'd be hard to contact Jaydee through their site & verify whether or not it was anything to do with them. This sort of thing irritates me, just a tad. Jon.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='250930' date='Jul 29 2008, 11:26 PM']I dance like a mofo in the first verse of this one. [/quote] Wayne - Is that the Beacon Court, Canterbury St, Gillin'am? Bloody hell - all of life really is here! :ph34r: I don't dance as such, but have been known to flail & stomp in a rhythmic fashion at such times as seem appropriate. Like when I don't have to play very many notes. Jon.

Oh - never saw this thread before! I have to admit I've got a bit of a semi for that semi - :brow:, would really like a look at these in real life. Alan Entwistle was involved with the development of the Hohner Revelation "Eurofighter" guitars in the early 90s - he was part of a team of UK designers involved in the project, based in Wales. He was responsible for the strange electronics & ATX pickups on the Revolutions. Jon.

[quote name='noirpunk' post='251658' date='Jul 30 2008, 09:16 PM']Does anyone know if the Arbiter copies are any good?[/quote] Yes, I do, and they are. The Arbiters I've seen are Aria/Matsumoku sourced, so expect toaster pickup, wavy Grover copy tuners & twin truss rods. Mat copies did have rubbish bridge pickups (a crappy little thing that looks like a staple) but many of these will have been replaced. I can only remember seeing bolt-neck Arbiters, but there were probably neck-through ones too. Arbiter also sourced some guitars from Kasuga (a very good thing), although none of the Rick copies I've seen have been Kasugas. J.

[quote name='Rayman' post='252035' date='Jul 31 2008, 01:40 PM']Good grief, that's identical to the one the 2366B you got from me was in isn't it? Blimey, I should have asked for more .[/quote] It's certainly very similar - although the JapCrap Rick cases are quite specific shapes - I haven't tried but I don't think a Rick would be a perfect fit for the P copy case. Anyway - the guy here hasn't said it's a JapCrap copy case - so bidders are probably assuming it's a genuine vintage Rick one. [quote name='dangerboy' post='252042' date='Jul 31 2008, 01:56 PM']Would being mono help to clinch the case? It certainly looked like it hand one output socket. And checkered binding all the way round (ie no break under the bridge). The case is generic and not exciting, though :-([/quote] Yup. Should have checker binding & as far as I know all Ibby copies were mono - I've never seen a stereo one. Yours will also have those very :brow: full-width sparkly inlays. Actually - the more I think about this, the more I think that I'll have to come 'round, mug you and nick it. J.

[quote name='4000' post='250760' date='Jul 29 2008, 08:05 PM']Bit of a Lemmy anorak I'm afraid[/quote] I'm not wanting to drag this wildly off-topic - but do you know what the hell this is he's playing? [attachment=11445:Lemmy_zWm.jpg][attachment=11446:Lemmy_Ki..._03_full.jpg] I think these are from the early 80s - the bass looks like it could be a wildly modded pre '73 4001 - or some sort of custom-built copy. J.

[quote name='dangerboy' post='251851' date='Jul 31 2008, 09:23 AM']The seller's taken his photobucket pics down, so I'll take new ones when it arrives. Then we can all play 'what on Earth is it?'. It has an Ibanez TRC, and two of those classis JapCrap humbuckers (but no massive mudbucker).[/quote] If it's got no mudbucker & little chrome humbucker lookey-likeys (2 rows of pole pieces but one coil inside), I'll bet it also has a bolt-on neck, and is therefore an Ibanez 2388B! Good score for £200! J.

Definitely a bargain price for any JapCrap Rick copy - even more so in the unlikely event it is an Ibanez branded one. It even has a hard case - eagle-eyed JapCrap spotters might be aware they can fetch a bob or two on their own: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140252094550"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140252094550[/url] Too bad Exeter's a bit of a bike ride from Edinbugger... Jon.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='250987' date='Jul 30 2008, 02:10 AM']Ha ha Aaaand he does it again. Well done man. One hellova crack in the horn on that Kay/Teisco btw.[/quote] No force in the 'Verse can stop Cap'n JapCrap... And that's no Teisco/Kay - oh no, it's... [url="http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/bass/a-100_200.html"]http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/bass/a-100_200.html[/url] ...or one of the confusingly near-identical Made In Korea variants... J.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='251007' date='Jul 30 2008, 08:08 AM']The E and G strings look awfully close to the edge of the neck, but at £9.99 it's probably worth buying for the hardware alone.[/quote] Very true - and that must be one hell of a narrow neck - the bridge (clagged in between the original 3-point mounts) is a Schaller 3D - and look at the string angles on the E & G! In actual fact it looks like the outer saddles have been modified, probably to hold the strings like this. Quite like it, all the same - not sure why, but I'd pay a tenner for it! Jon.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='251065' date='Jul 30 2008, 09:57 AM']theres a pinned thread for rickenfackers..[/quote] That's OK - this isn't one, just fire(ply)wood. J.