Bassassin

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='181259' date='Apr 20 2008, 07:44 PM']But you're still wondering what the reserve is, right? [/quote] An enquiry has been made... I also asked him what he used for the "inlays" - I've got an old Squier P neck sitting 'round, just begging to be experimented on... :brow: J.

This, like many other of the ludicrous "instruments" this lot punt, is a rip-off of a similarly ludicrous one-off: [url="http://www.microphoneheaven.com/guitarbass/"]http://www.microphoneheaven.com/guitarbass/[/url] This was originally a topic of some bemusement, headshaking & hilarity back in the old BW days - and there are several threads devoted to its inbred, genetically challenged halfwit cousins in the Ebay forum! Jon.

That [i]almost[/i] works - if only he'd stuck to the refin & holes, and not tried to re-shape the body, it would have been great. The body just looks malproportioned & wrong. Shame. Jon.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='180683' date='Apr 19 2008, 07:57 PM']That's the one. There was one in Milton Keynes Sound Control up until recently. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I dont. The one I really want is Montezuma brown, but the one on ebay at the mo' is taking the p*ss. We shall see. But I've made my mind up. I've waited 15 years, no more. I will have one in my hands or on order by the end of the year...... (or a copy )[/quote] The only copy you'll find in Monty Brown (aka Sh!tglo) is a Jolana D - but those crazy Czechs went & put P/J pups in it rather than proper Ricky copy ones. What were they thinking? I'm still smarting over missing out on the one that went for £170 delivered, last October. J.

This one? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-4003-BlueBoy-w-Pickguardian-Appointments_W0QQitemZ320241452898"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rickenbacker-4003-Bl...emZ320241452898[/url] I think that's lovely - the BB isn't my favourite colour but it works really well with the pearl plate & surround. Fairly silly price for a ltd. ed. colour, too. That's about 3 miles down the road from me. J.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='180494' date='Apr 19 2008, 02:22 PM']Although, I'm strongly considering ordering one, and paying for it in installments. Reidy's are doing them for £999. It'll be paid for by the time it arrives... [/quote] I take it we're talking [i]real[/i] Ricks here - if so, that's a great price, however long it takes. Did you know the current production run for 4003s has full-width inlays, for the first time since 1973? Order & be damned!! Although I'd have been happy to sell my gizzard & gonads to medical science for this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250235946235"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250235946235[/url] :wub: :wub: :wub: Jon.

The 70s copies are far more convincing-looking than the current, rather limited, crop - plus they have more collectability, exclusivity, genuine vintage appeal, and will increase in value because of these factors, unlike the current ones. Of the current ones, the Shine makes the best job of looking the part, as well as having a bit of flair about them: [url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2525"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2525[/url] [url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2523"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2523[/url] [url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2522"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2522[/url] [url="http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2524"]http://www.tiptop.se/cgi-bin/multipage.cgi?id=2524[/url] Still not exactly cheap, though - those prices are the wrong side of £500! J.

It had a £499 BIN, which sensibly vanished when someone took a punt! Hondos were Korean made, plywood, & generally the bum-end of 70s Rickenfakers, and really should go for less than half what people tend to pay for Matsumoku, Fujigen, Rokkomann etc products. Considering the current buoyancy of the Rickenfaker market, sub - £200 would be OK for this. The Hondo looks very tidy, (considering), I think Nick's talking about the catalogue classic held together with sticky tape! J.

The seller has chosen not to respond to my message telling [i]them[/i] it's a Hondo & nothing to do with Vox - and that it's Korean, not MIJ. Hope no-one buys it at that price - that's [b]real[/b] expensive plywood. :ph34r: J.

Massive fan - loved his sound, style & whole textural approach. He lives up here in Edinburgh these days - and seeing this thread has just reminded me that he's doing a one-off gig at the Voodoo Rooms on May 3rd! Jon.

[quote name='jono b' post='179060' date='Apr 17 2008, 05:26 PM']Man, if I had £400... I'd probably have to spend it on rent and bills.[/quote] 400 sovs is just a bit pricey for that, I think. These do come up occasionally & usually go for less than half that - in fact I've seen a project one (one pickup & other bits missing) go for well under a ton, nearly went for it myself. The Epi ET series were Matsumoku built - there were Aria versions of some which were identical apart from the headstock shape. Jon.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='178390' date='Apr 16 2008, 10:44 PM']Can this REALLY be worth £499? And does it REALLY say "Vox" on the headstock? The word there seems to be a bit longer ...[/quote] Maybe it says "Hoooonnnndddooooo". Five hundred quid? Five hundred quid? Five hundred quid? Five hundred quid? *dies* J.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='178394' date='Apr 16 2008, 10:47 PM']If [i]the scale length is 30"[/i] then he didn't do an awfully good job of tracing the body. Either that, or he's fitted the neck from a short-scale bass ...[/quote] We do all realise this is a Kay KB-20, out of your Mum's Marshall-Ward catalogue, circa 1975, don't we? The seller only thinks it's hand-made because it beggars belief that a factory could manufacture something so utterly sh!t. J.

[quote name='tauzero' post='177979' date='Apr 16 2008, 03:57 PM']An interesting piece - looks as if it could be made something of.[/quote] Perhaps. Not a bass, though. Back to a semblance of reality - be quick & have a look at Matey-boy's Matsumoku copy, I found this in 2 seperate posts on RickResource - so it's probably being nuked from orbit as I type: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110243946968"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=110243946968[/url] Funny - before a couple of weeks back, I'd never seen a checker-bound Mat copy. Wish mine was... :ph34r: J.

Outrageous. Everyone, but everyone, who has ever wielded a bass in the name of Rock owes the most massive debt to this man. And we are all in his shadow, no exceptions. Jon.

Just keepin' the dream alive: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-guitar-project-spares-repair_W0QQitemZ110243100083"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-guitar-project-...emZ110243100083[/url] J.

[quote name='paul, the' post='175445' date='Apr 12 2008, 09:50 PM']How was the one you had? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120219987488"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=120219987488[/url][/quote] Really nice & playable bass - bit sad to have sold it, on reflection, but it didn't feel or sound right for the band - and they all have to justify their existence by being something I'd gig with. Mine was a Grabber (single sliding pup, bolt-on neck) rather than a Ripper, which has a set neck & twin pups. I'd probably buy another if I got the chance! :ph34r: J.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='175294' date='Apr 12 2008, 05:15 PM']Someone's having a clearout... [url="http://musical-instruments.search.ebay.co.uk/_Guitars_W0QQcatrefZC12QQsacatZ3858QQsassZanonyQ5f500"]http://musical-instruments.search.ebay.co....assZanonyQ5f500[/url][/quote] ...Or a dealer who's been car bootin' & picking stuff up off Gumtree . He's got some not bad stuff, some definitely worth a watch, IMO. Too bad about his £10 markup on the postage though. J.

You'll find a good S/H one for loads less, if you don't mind (possibly) a bump or two & having to clean someone else's sweat off the fretboard! Jon.

It'll be back, with a vengeance... Enjoy the respite - while you can! Jon.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='175060' date='Apr 12 2008, 10:48 AM']Hmmm so the action can't be sorted out by traditional set-up methods so you grind down the offending frets... not a great confidence boost for the playability and adjustability of the bass [/quote] Well, there's not a lot of scope for fine-tuning & tweaking with that bridge, let's face it! Although if the action was the problem, why not just shim the neck pocket? Antorias were made by Fujigen (same factory as Ibanez) and on the whole were the better end of 70s JapCrap - I've honestly never seen one with a poor fret job. Chances are this has been mucked about with by somebody who was ignorant of the black arts of truss rod adjustment & neck shimming. I'd be worried about what else it might have suffered, tbh. J.

Balcony Bar, Dundee, last night - on a bill with 3 full-on extreme metal bands. Been a while since we played with that sort of band - [i]really[/i] makes you work hard! Jon.

It wouldn't have been made like that - it looks to me like the frets have been filed very low. They're not ground flush with the board - if they were, just the tang would be visible rather than the full fret width. Jon.

Didn't you see this one, Paul? Post no. 241. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220214885649"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220214885649[/url] Same (Matsumoku) bass with a Shaftesbury badge - went for a song, the guy who bought it's a dealer who''ll probably just re-list at twice what he paid. It's been a bit quiet on the JapCrap front lately. Maybe I've bought them all.... J.