Bassassin

[quote name='thedarxide' post='197800' date='May 13 2008, 10:54 AM']It's here!!!! It's teasing me at work as I can't play it.... but a two minute glance confirms it's definently cheap. Very similar to one of my columbus basses in the tuners/selector switch/strap button/jack socket choices, and the paint is peeling on the back of the headstock that wasn't visible in the pics. Will deconstruct and post proper pics later. The Rickenbacker TRC appears to just be a piece of paper with Rickenbacker printed on it behind a clear TRC, which is a slight shame, as I was going to flog it But at least I can print my own brand name off and slide it underneath.....[/quote] That's good. Post some pics & we'll see if we can give a positive ID. The hardware sounds like it's the generic stuff you find on many Jap copies, it's generally functional enough. Too bad about the trc - but it's a good opportunity for personalisation! J.

[quote name='Musky' post='197605' date='May 12 2008, 11:28 PM']Yeah, I suppose aside from the importer there's no reason to think they're built in the same factories. Even the Venturas seem to hae been sourced rom different factories at one time or another. References to Kasuga: [url="http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars/rec/2889/wwwboard/messages/283.shtml"]http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars...sages/283.shtml[/url] and here - [url="http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Ventura/V-20/10/1"]http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews...ntura/V-20/10/1[/url] Post here refering to 'Steel Adjustable Neck' - sounds very much like Matsumoku, which I think you suspected. [url="http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars/rec/160/wwwboard/messages/364.shtml"]http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars...sages/364.shtml[/url][/quote] The Kasuga references do sound pretty convincing - one is clearly what's marked on the guitar & it's reasonable to infer that the other one is too. I've never seen a Steel Adjustable plate on anything I [i]know[/i] to be a Kasuga - but realistically the Matsumoku thing's potentially a bit of a red herring. If you read the more clued-up folk on the Matsumoku forum, they'll tell you that there's no known/proven link between Aria guitars (being, as you know the main brand associated with Mat) and the Matsumoku factory prior to 1975. Before that, no-one's quite sure where Aria guitars were from, in fact it's generally assumed that Shiro Arai co had their own factory. This is further confused by speculation that necks, bodies & hardware all came from different sources - and Kasuga has been suggested as one of those sources. The suggestion that Aria/Arai had their own factory is strengthened by this vintage Greco catalogue archive: [url="http://psyco.jp/greco/cata.html"]http://psyco.jp/greco/cata.html[/url] These seem to date back to the very early 70s - Greco's parent company is Kanda Shokai - and both Aria & Fujigen Gakki appear namechecked in the literature. The early Greco line included Rick copies that are plainly from both sources - the distinctive Gibson type pups & full-width inlays on the Fujigen, and the very accurate version from Aria. With a few exceptions, it's becoming harder & harder to pin particular brands to specific manufacturers - even the ones we [i]thought[/i] we understood - and this is the result of uncovering more information. And the further back you go, the more random it all seems. With some of these weird old things like this Royal Artist sometimes the best you can settle for is "Made In Japan". J.

[quote name='Musky' post='197424' date='May 12 2008, 07:32 PM']Incidentally Jon, that Royal Artist would appear to be a relation of Ventura. There are a couple of posts around the net from people asking for info on their Ventura semis, and include the detail that it was "made by Kasuga". I'm guessing this has probably gleaned from the label inside. Old news?[/quote] There's not much Ventura info out there - but since according to this page (which promises more than it delivers, unfortunately!) [url="http://www.angelfire.com/blues/rockinjohn/ventura/ventura_bruno.html"]http://www.angelfire.com/blues/rockinjohn/...tura_bruno.html[/url] - Ventura was a Bruno brand - there is a connection, and it's quite likely similar models appeared under both names. Kasuga's a possibility as builder - only really based on the fact that they are known to have been building off-brand guitars in the 60s & early 70s. The connection comes, again probably from the above page, where the writer identifies Kasuga with Tokai - which is slightly erroneous, as any fule kno. Like all these things, until we find one the same bearing a brand with a known & verified provenance, it's guesswork - and even if you have that, it's still usually about as clear as hippo poo. J.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='197149' date='May 12 2008, 01:49 PM']*shakes paul by the lapels* Cold Irons Bound, man! Listen to its' bassy goodness![/quote] LOL @ "bassy goodness". So obvious, yet so underused. Jon.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='197275' date='May 12 2008, 04:31 PM']For £84 i does'nt too bad. plus £16 postage. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOP-NEW-4-STRING-BASS-SUPERB-DESIGN_W0QQitemZ310049037803QQihZ021QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOP-NEW-4-STRING-BAS...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] If that had a maple board it'd be getting the Entwistle fans in a lather - factory FenderBird! Jon.

Aria Pro CSB300 (medium scale), in hard case, very reasonable BIN & cheap postage: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260239543592"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=260239543592[/url] Edit: Bugger! Too late!! The jury's still out about the Royal Artist - beyond late 60s/early 70s JapCrap, I'm stumped for an ID! Bruno was/is a US importer, & Royal Artist one of their sub-brands, so it's likely pretty rare on these shores, certainly in that guise. Whether it's £250+ rare is very much another matter! J.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='196696' date='May 11 2008, 08:56 PM']Dont know much about these but somone might be floated by it... Its cheap enough.. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vester-Argus-Active-Bass-Very-Rare_W0QQitemZ190221453105QQihZ009QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vester-Argus-Active-...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] Don't see many of them - but in a strange coincidence, here's what appears to be a Vester Argus [i]copy[/i]: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Active-custom-made-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ300224115250"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Active-custom-made-B...emZ300224115250[/url] Jon.

Unfortunately it's really hard to see much useful detail from the typically rubbish Ebay pics - when your friend gets the bass, try & get some clearer & more detailed photos. Headstocks, pickups, bridge, neckplates etc are useful clues for getting an idea about age & origin - and the pics here succeed in hiding most of these quite well! My first impression is mid-late 60s, possibly Aria-related (although it's not a 1220 - this had a 335-body shape & offset dot markers, afaik) - and I think, from what I can see from the photos - it's related to this: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18646"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18646[/url] 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. Jon.

If it was the pink one, I would. :brow: Jon.

I strongly suspect Fenders go round corners better than Harleys! The other parallel is that the Japanese copied them - & the copies were cheaper & better than the originals. J.

[quote name='andy67' post='193687' date='May 7 2008, 10:28 AM']I really like this bass, If I had £650 i would own it![/quote] If I'd had £395 I would have owned it when it was first for sale here. And if I'd had to sell it a few months later because I needed the money - I'd Ebay it. But my auction would be 99p start, no reserve - and I'd expect to make a significant profit. Controversy-free. Jon.

If anyone's interested in one of these Riverheads - there is one on the Bay right now. Although considering who's selling it - it's likely to stay there... :ph34r: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/80s-RIVERHEAD-HEADLESS-BASS-200-MORE-BASSES-4-SALE_W0QQitemZ180240148620"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/80s-RIVERHEAD-HEADLE...emZ180240148620[/url] J.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='192362' date='May 5 2008, 06:15 PM']i think its quite unique, whats wrong with it?[/quote] "What shall I do with all these little bits of left-over mother-of toilet-seat? Hmmm... [i]I[/i] know!" It's like a bunch of random offcuts that don't fit, haphazardly slapped on anywhere there was a bit of space. Me, I actually like those Italia basses - and the old retro 60s weirdos which inspired them - masses of pearloid, sometimes entire bodies & necks covered with the stuff - but this just doesn't work at all. And a Skoda badge? J.

I'm not usually somebody who'd pour scorn upon another's sense of aesthetics - but this has left me lost for both words and any ability to comprehend: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200221242092"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200221242092[/url] And somebody correct me if I'm mistaken - but that's a badge off an old Skoda on the headstock. Is this some elaborate joke I'm just not getting? Jon.

The other end of the scale - Ibby 2388b in Deutschland: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230249730288"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=230249730288[/url] Still eye-wateringly expensive. J.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='192298' date='May 5 2008, 04:16 PM']Can't stand 'em personally....[/quote] Ashdigits at it again: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110243984737"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=110243984737[/url] No shame, that bloke. Still not a bad price considering this, though: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350023905614"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=350023905614[/url] Not that I would. Jon.

Quite tempted by that [i]Prisoner[/i] t-shirt... Jon.

[quote name='Macko1968' post='191555' date='May 4 2008, 01:07 PM']No, he's too clever to make false claims hence my use of the word "implies". He knows full well it's not 70s & it's not a "lawsuit" bass.[/quote] Ha certainly should do - this guy's a regular on a few vintage guitar forums I use! In actual fact the DeVille brand does date back to "lawsuit" days - I've seen old Jap Strat & LP copies with the name - but this isn't one of them, there weren't any Japanese MM copies from the 70s. I've seen a Hohner Arbor branded Ray copy, with the same pickup - this is likely a re-brand of the same thing, meaning it's possibly mid/late 80s, & probably Korean. Jon.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='190862' date='May 2 2008, 09:12 PM']...some dead hippy...[/quote] Janek's gonna get you! Jon.

[quote name='phsycoandy' post='190698' date='May 2 2008, 04:41 PM']are they of any value?[/quote] Well, it's all relative, if I was selling one I'm confident it'd get £100 - £150, maybe a bit more, but it's not exactly megabucks. They're not that rare - here's a guitar version, not doing very well at the moment: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170213597288"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170213597288[/url] The Zenta logo on this one's the Kiss Of Death on Ebay - very fickle about labels, most buyers. I'd expect an unbranded one to do much better. Stacedabass - Columbus certainly had a Gibson EB-0 copy in their range, but I've never seen one like this - and I don't miss much Ebay JapCrap! Most Columbus stuff seems to be rebranded Maya/Rokkomann - unfortunately it's predominantly the lower-end stuff. J.

That Roadstar's still nice & cheap & not too long to go, but lately Ebay's had a tendency towards last-second madness, so it could get silly. I think this pre-dates the skinny necks Ibanez became known for with the Soundgears & SRXs, I've not played one myself, but I have a Roadster RS924 & that's somewhere between a P & a J - which suits my huge hands. Anyway, as promised, a few more munters for Paul's disdain: A couple of Aria TSBs: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170215362091"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170215362091[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160236262730"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=160236262730[/url] The challenged literacy of the second one might help keep it low... A Aria Laser Heritage with crap all over it: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320247226970"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320247226970[/url] A Washburn Force 8: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280222281111"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280222281111[/url] And this odd 60s thing - don't know exactly what it is but it's kinda cool - apart from the inappropriate pickups! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160236266908"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=160236266908[/url] J.

I'll probably always hanker after a vintage Rick 4001 with all the early 70s bells & whistles, but ultimately I'd sooner have 10 unusual & interesting basses than one "pro" bass with a four-figure price tag. I could not give a baboon's arse what people think about my choice of basses - if you still think it's crap [i]after[/i] you've heard me play it - then we can discuss it! Jon.

[quote name='paul, the' post='190172' date='May 1 2008, 11:57 PM']If there's a crop, that would be the cream. Something tells me Jon shoveled us the fuglers and kept that one to himself .[/quote] Nice - but not for me. A bit too clean & shiny! Seriously, noticed it at the weekend & forgot about it - didn't put it in my watched stack. I'll be back a little later with a fresh stack of things of beauty - just for you Paul! J.