Bassassin

[quote name='Sibob' post='235134' date='Jul 8 2008, 05:39 PM']kneck?? You've been looking at these types of listings too long Jon Si[/quote] Sorry about that - obviously I meant to say "arm". J.

It actually looks like a 70s JapCrap P neck to me - looks like the sort of wide, originally chrome trc you often find on these. Obviously, now painted one of the "colours that you see". The seller's also got a set of old JapCrap-stylee tuners on as well, probably from this kneck, sorry, [i]shaft[/i]. Useful for spares. If you're me. :ph34r: J.

We've had the Kneck, the Arm, and even the Handle - but now, the fountainhead of linguitstic invention that is Ebay brings you... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-Guitar-Shaft_W0QQitemZ370067002291QQihZ024QQcategoryZ42455"][b]The Bass Guitar Shaft[/b][/url] Jon.

Unfortunately my hands are on the wrong way for this - and I'm a little too poor... However, looking at his other & previous listings, this guy looks like potentially a good option for anyone after a new Rick at a more sensible price - like this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170212377613"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170212377613[/url] That went for about £500 off list price - and the two he's got up at the moment have full-width inlays, a vintage feature only reintroduced a couple of months ago. Jon.

[quote name='noirpunk' post='234219' date='Jul 7 2008, 03:29 PM']I was offered it for £40 but declined..[/quote] That was silly! I would've given you a ton for it! J.

[quote name='nick' post='234055' date='Jul 7 2008, 12:10 PM']Very tempted, but just bought a Yamaha SBV500, which sort of covers Jazz bass needs. Otherwise I probably would. I think Mayas generally made cracking good basses.[/quote] I have an SBV too - and they are great basses, as well as being real head-turners. The Maya's good for what it is - but obviously a lot of the appeal of the early JapCrap is more its collectability & curiosity value, rather than its practicality - and this one is a bit idiosyncratic! J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='233776' date='Jul 6 2008, 09:29 PM']A slightly more convincing 'Faker: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beatles-Paul-McCartney-Bass-For-Vox-1960s-style_W0QQitemZ290243805763QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290243805763&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C65%3A10&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beatles-Paul-McCartn...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url][/quote] I[i] thought[/i] that bizarre item title seemed familiar: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-60s-Paul-McCartney-Beatles-Bass-Guitar-For-Vox_W0QQitemZ300216908861"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-60s-Paul-McC...emZ300216908861[/url] Different seller & not an attempt to spoof the first ad - this bass looks like it was probably a Shaftesbury, once upon a time. The Fresher's interesting, never seen a bolt-on before. Although despite being "in fantastic shape" it does look a bit like it's been flung out a window. J.

[quote name='nick' post='233753' date='Jul 6 2008, 08:37 PM']Nice looking Maya Jazz - love 'em myself [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Maya-bass-Jazz-copy-Japan-vintage-70s-MIJ-Japanese-NR_W0QQitemZ120279610122QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Maya-bass-Jazz-copy-...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] Go on, make us an offer... J.

Bigger pic - actually the background off Norm's Myspace - the design looks like it incorporates part of the Bass Centre logo - this is probably a prototype of the one they sell. Jon.

Don't care whether they're Fakers or not - that second one with the MM type 'Bucker is [i]gorgeous[/i]. :wub: J.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='232868' date='Jul 4 2008, 06:42 PM']Obviously made by the same people who make the acrylic basses for [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WESLEY-CLEAR-BLUE-ACRYLIC-4-STRING-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ300231059037QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4713QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262"]Wesley[/url].[/quote] Like this 5er: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18465"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18465[/url] Not terrific resale value, then... :ph34r: Jon.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='233255' date='Jul 5 2008, 06:03 PM']Nah. I might of had a pop at the sub 50 mark if I'd been prepared enough but to tell you the truth I forgot all about it until <1 min so I just watched it end. Which ain't a bad thing as it still leaves me in the running for some weekend nuptials that would have undoubtedly been denied had I bought yet another bass. [/quote] Got to get your priorities right occasionally... J.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='233243' date='Jul 5 2008, 05:17 PM']It went from a stable 41 to 69 in the last few seconds. [/quote]Wasn't you, was it? J.

Hi John - you're dead on the money about Antorias. For a bit of general reading about the brand (and a lot of wild speculation!) do a search for the brand at [url="http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/forum"]http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/forum[/url] - there is a lot of interest in the brand there, because basically the Antoria range - right down to catalogue numbers - was identical to its Ibanez equivalent, at least at the point when the brand was owned by JT Coppock. It seems that Hoshino Gakki, the distributor which owns the Ibanez brand, also sold rebranded Fujigen guitars to other distributors, including Coppocks. The Antoria range isn't identical to Ibanez - there are no Rickenfakers, for example, but there are equivalents to some of the more esoteric Ibby designs, like the Custom Agent LPs and the Black Eagle bass. There are also some strange hybrid Antorias - including Ibanez Artist types, but with Custom Agent headstocks, which have no Ibanez equivalent. The Antoria brand outlived JT Coppock - when that company closed the brand changed hands, and these later Antorias were Korean-built. Decent quality, easily recognisable by garish paint jobs & plain, triangular headstocks on the Gibson copies. These aren't collectable in the same way as the Fujigen Antorias are. Anyway, dunno if you wanted a history lesson! Do you have any pics of the Antoria you're interested in? If so, IDing it should be pretty straightforward, also how much are you thinking of paying? Antoria LPs are fairly common and there are usually a couple on Ebay at any one time. And yes - they'll be identical again to their equivalent Greco (this is complicated a bit by the fact Greco sourced through Aria and Fujigen simultaneously) and the exhaustive & occasionally accurate potted history of JapCrap is in development - like so much else in my life! Jon.

Greg's Down Under, I think - and $150 Australian is about £70, I think, so a Squier Affinity's probably a bit more. Quality control's the big problem with the really budget end of the market - pot luck whether you get a straight neck with a decent fret job or one like a broken fire escape. This bass looks OK to me - it looks broadly like an Ibanex SRX knockoff - although thinking about that, a secondhand SRX200 would probably be in a similar price range, and these are generally regarded as good first basses, and are well put-together for the money. Greg - if you consider secondhand, there will be a lot more choice available. Do you have car boot sales in Oz? I picked up an old but perfectly playable bass for £12 at my local booter at the weekend - my partner has a friend whose son wants to take up the bass, and with a bit of a clean & a set of strings, this will be ideal. If you picked up a "project" bass, not only would you save a lot of money, but you could use it to learn about the nuts & bolts of how it works & setting it up, etc - and there's plenty of help & advice available here. Jon.

They are pretty heavy - when I got mine, it was the heaviest bass I'd owned (since eclipsed by the Rickenbugger!) and it's very nice to play - the reason I bought it. Well, that's what I told myself at the time... The fact of the matter is that mine's been in its case since I moved last August - I found that using it with the setup & effects I use live, it's very, very prone to feedback, so I don't gig it. Because of the metal body construction, it's naturally very bright, the hollow body makes it highly resonant too - so add a little bit of overdrive (and I really don't use much!) and the damn thing squeals like a piggy. Basically I took mine to bits to see if there would be any way of deadening the resonance - to find it's already packed with foam. The scratchplate on mine tends to rattle too, so my intention was to put something under its edges to rectify that. It is a back-burner project at the moment - I'd love to make it giggable, simply because it's a stunning-looking bass, but these days I'm spoilt for choice, what with all my cheap JapCrap tat, so it's not currently a priority! J.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='231697' date='Jul 3 2008, 12:11 AM']jesus, don't they usually go for about £300?[/quote] List price for the Talbo is (or was, not sure if they make/import 'em any more) £899 - and they are rare as a really rare thing. Most Tokais these days are Korean-made, hence the low prices, but the Japanese ones are typically a lot dearer, particularly exotica like Talbos. I've err... got one. I really should get it out of the case & put some strings on it, shouldn't I? Jon.

These guys are great, and despite the scary person-spec job-application type ad, are all really nice people, as well as being outrageously talented musicians. I've known Mikey, Ramage & Hammy (and their ex-bassist, Casey) for many a year in various Edinburgh bands, and they're incredibly committed to their music. I won't be applying because I'm to old, too slow and in no way metal enough. Best of luck finding a new bass creature, gents. Jon.

[quote name='kennyrodg' post='231010' date='Jul 1 2008, 11:55 PM']yep,thats a new one on me too,like you im sure we'll get the full heads up once jon's seen it. :ph34r:[/quote] Oh, OK then, since I'm so bloody predictable... It's one of those neck-through Corts, badged up as Kay. Should be a nice stripey natural finish, quite Matsumoku-esque, except someone's put a couple of litres of Halfords' finest all over it, and a tin scratchplate. Dunno how it's wired up - it should have 4 knobs & a 3-way switch. Fifty quid's a bit on the dear side, considering it needs a thing or two done with it... J.

Well that (surprisingly) is an Ibanez copy - you can tell by the rather erotic full-width sparkle inlays - and accuracy wasn't great with them to begin with, what with the big chrome Mudbucker that Fujigen had clearly wildly overstocked with in about 1971! Anyway - not sure this is exactly a "Lemmy replica" - Mr Kilminster's played a variety of weird Rick-based things, but I don't remember seeing one like that. Looks more like a half-arsed attempt to make it look like a Rick 4002. So - has Lemmy played more Fakers than real Ricks over his career? Discuss. Or not. Suit yourselves. J.

[quote name='neepheid' post='230541' date='Jul 1 2008, 02:11 PM']Well, you can add a new neck, looks a bit twisted doesn't it?[/quote] Snap! J.

If anyone's seriously interested in that Arse Of Spades thing - go & have a good look at the pics of the neck - it looks really badly twisted to me. It might be the photos, or a symptom of only having 2 strings - but I don't think so. The strings would pull the other way to the direction it looks twisted. I don't think I'd touch it, tbh. :ph34r: J.

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='230535' date='Jul 1 2008, 02:04 PM']Is anyone else going for this 'faker?[/quote] I doubt it. This really only bears a passing resemblance to a Rickenbacker - and less so since someone's obviously chopped the top horn off. J.

I'd say not - I can't find the phrase "Authorised Rickenbacker Dealer" anywhere. [url="http://www.soundmeout.com/about.html"]http://www.soundmeout.com/about.html[/url] Jon.