Bassassin

I posted a bass & it was more than £60. It was to Iceland, mind. Jon.

[quote name='thedarxide' post='147422' date='Feb 26 2008, 08:41 PM']I'm about to recieve my fifth, and I've only had one two cheap ones. First was an EB-3 copy, really nice, great pickups, but i didn't get on with the short scale. Then a Les Paul, also great. Next Les Paul was cheap. Single coil pickups in humbucker housings, horrible neck. *Third* Les paul was much the same The one I'm waiting for is a fretless jazz. I bid heavily on the block necked jazz earlier in the thread, but missed out.[/quote] I've had 3 over the years & seen a lot more - 2 of mine (a Jazz bass & a plywood/hollow top LP) were horrid and the 3rd, a solid mahogany bolt-neck SG, was rather nice. Until I broke it. As far as I can tell, at least some Columbuses originate from the same factory as Maya, as do quite a few of the UK importer brand instruments knocking about. Unfortunately most of them seem to be the low-end stuff. J.

[quote name='barneythedog' post='147478' date='Feb 26 2008, 10:33 PM']No idea about this one, but interesting non the less [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STRATA-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ140210959638QQihZ004QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Strata/Status[/url][/quote] Yep - it's what he says it is, Status was originally Strata - until Leo's Good Ol' Boys got annoyed & litigious about the first syllable... Anyway, there aren't very many of these around - especially not ones with "knecks". Jon.

[quote name='nick' post='147130' date='Feb 26 2008, 10:18 AM']Quite interested in the Maya. My rosewood neck one needs a partner! Anyone else on here thinking of having a punt? [/quote] Tempting, isn't it? It's too similar to my Ibanez 2366b to justify it, though. Good luck! J.

And today in the Westone Thunderdome: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-A-4-string-fretless-bass_W0QQitemZ130198929886"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1-A-...emZ130198929886[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Very-early-Westone-Thunder-1-bass-Natural-Ash_W0QQitemZ260212714819"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Very-early-Westone-T...emZ260212714819[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1A-Fretless-Bass_W0QQitemZ280202533997"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1A-F...emZ280202533997[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/westone-thunder-1-bass-guitar-80s-rare-collectors_W0QQitemZ270214395186"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/westone-thunder-1-ba...emZ270214395186[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Early-Westone-Thunder-1-A-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ120226601875"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Early-Westone-Thunde...emZ120226601875[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1_W0QQitemZ130201346015"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Westone-Thunder-1_W0...emZ130201346015[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-Guitar-Westone-Thunder-1A_W0QQitemZ230226066818"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-Guitar-Westone-...emZ230226066818[/url] Yes - that's [b]seven[/b] Westone Thunder 1's. Amusingly, some of the sellers describe them as "rare". And a lonely basket-case Westone Concord: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150219784367"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150219784367[/url] A very sexy Aria Pro SB-R60: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250219787627"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250219787627[/url] Something you really don't see very often - a Washburn Stage Series B20/8 - 8-string: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230225643264"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=230225643264[/url] And the Washburn Bantam from a couple of weeks ago is back, £100 less but still too dear! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260215003110"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=260215003110[/url] Not much from Fujigen today - but this very 80s Ibanez RB760 is worth a look: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320221239602"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320221239602[/url] And a few Precision clones & derivatives: The ubiquitous Kay Backbreaker: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330214927313"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=330214927313[/url] A Hondo, with a big Custom Sound combo in tow: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200202562651"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=200202562651[/url] This could be a nice project - a through-neck P, probably a Cort, with a Ronseal refin: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320220881582"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320220881582[/url] And a very sweet-looking Maya, complete with covers, hiding its light under a bushel. Whatever that means: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150219361134"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=150219361134[/url] J.

I think what's interesting here is that the "text" of the advertisement, and the very elaborate terms & conditions are blatantly not written by the same person. Jon.

Keep an eagle eye on Ebay & Gumtree - I'll bet that's where it turns up. Such an unusual bass, it will be utterly bloody obvious when the [s]light-fingered scumbag[/s] seller plainly hasn't a clue what it is. Jon.

They are getting really scarce now - I think most of them get pulled pretty much as soon as they're listed. J.

Very interesting, that, it is buried somewhere in my huge list - and I'm watching it, because it holds some clues - but almost certainly no answers - to one of the Great JapCrap Mysteries. J.

Long time no update - but I think we're almost done now. Tort P plate, 2x v/t stack pots, new nut & a bunch of screws, plus lashings of T-cut & elbow grease, and a good opportunity for a before & after: Not quite there yet - I still need to take the nut slots down a little, something I'm always a bit nervous about fecking up, and my stack pots don't [i]quite[/i] work the way they're intended to yet. :blush: Anyway, it plays nicely as it is, and sounds [b]big[/b] - the P pup is from an Ibanez Blazer (did a swap with Burpster for the one the bass came with) and once I've sorted out the wiring for my stack pots, it will be way more versatile than the original setup of single volume/tone & 3-way selector switch. I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out aesthetically. There are plenty of battle scars revealed now the rattle can black's gone - unfortunately the grey primer under it has infiltrated every little scratch & crack, and there's little that can be done about that. I'm not bothered because this is a 29 year old bass & I don't expect, or want it to look pristine. The new scratchplate is a much better fit than the old white one, and just required a little trimming around the top of the neck pocket to go on. The screwholes are a different story - only the top 3 lined up, all the rest had to be redrilled. I plugged all the old holes - for about 3 different plates, by the looks of it, the bloody thing looked like a pincushion! There are a couple of old holes which the plate doesn't cover, so I'll have to find some stain to colour them. I'm really glad I went with the tort plate, it really suits the body colour, I think - although the photos make it look much more lurid than it is in real life. I plugged & then re-drilled the bridge screwholes, so the alignment's now correct. The brass saddles are the old ones from my CSL, and coincidentally are the correct type for this bridge. And I have found out what it is - it's a Cimar XR-2065BS! At least now we know why they just put "Electric Bass" on the headstock. Anyway, in my web-trawling I found this: - From a 1979 catalogue, apparently. It describes this bass as being Mahogany, faced with Judas Wood. I presume Judas Wood refers to the Japanese Judas Tree, which I'm aware of being used in wood carving & cabinet making - but my bass is made from two lumps of what looks awfully like ash to me - and nowt else. Maybe they changed the timbers used at some point in the production. Anyway, that's about it. Looking forward to gigging it soon. J.

[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='142367' date='Feb 18 2008, 11:42 AM']I know this thread is mostly for UK Japcrap, but I thought I'd post [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220203009494&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012"]this[/url] as it's an absolute beauty, and fairly rare too, and I'm struggling to keep my finger away from the trigger! Pluck[/quote] Oh, now that is something. It's like a single pup Ibanez Musician (MC800, I think) crossed with a Blazer. That big humbucker's the same as the one on the very first Blazers, before the redesign. Rare? That'd quite likely be unique in the UK if you did go for it - I don't think Greco was ever officially available here, it was predominantly a Japanese domestic brand. Lovely bass! J.

Fixed now - I hope! Ta for pointing it out gents. :blush: J.

Roundup time - there's loads! OK - Westy Thunders first, all 1's & 1A's [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190199615527"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=190199615527[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130198929886"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=130198929886[/url] (Fretless Thunder Jet) [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260212714819"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=260212714819[/url] 2x Ibanez Blazers: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140208051467"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140208051467[/url] (Early model with big humbucker) [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160209648880"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=160209648880[/url] (De-fretted) 2x Columbus Jazzes: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140207112448"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140207112448[/url] [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310024222589"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=310024222589[/url] (Very messy de-fret) Hondo P copy: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250215568278"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250215568278[/url] Hondo early 80s original design, these [i]might[/i] be Matsumoku: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280201011230"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280201011230[/url] Very cool & odd early EB-1 type thing - might have a pop at this myself... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140208018371"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140208018371[/url] CSL Jazz copy, Fujigen Gakki - I have one of these - recommended: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CSL-Jazz-Bass_W0QQitemZ200200074323"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CSL-Jazz-Bass_W0QQitemZ200200074323[/url] Avon EB-0 copy - this won't be great, it'll probably be cheap, though: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190199624462"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=190199624462[/url] Washburn Bantam Steinberger-with-a-notch - hu... hu... hu - [i]how[/i] much???? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260212084762"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=260212084762[/url] And definitely one for the 80s looking basses thread - a Biscayne Jazz: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180215992361"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=180215992361[/url] Until next time... J.

I had one of these a couple of years ago, exactly the same apart from the colour. Better quality than I had any right to expect, overall, played not bad at all, and I was actually pretty damned impressed by the output from the little preamp. I picked mine up ultra-cheap because it had a slight neck problem which meant notes below the 1st "fret" had quite bad buzzing, so it was sold as seconds. I would've kept it if it had been fretless & full-scale (these are medium) & definitely enjoyed mucking about with it. And it does come with all the gubbins they advertise - iirc, mine had a pitch-pipe & a stick-on scratchplate as well. Jon.

Squier VM Jazz + refin + upgraded hardware & electronics = less than £500, I'd think. Jon.

Shockwave's right - not Jap, but £30? It would be downright defamatory no to! I'd also guess it's a different Ventura to the 70s Japanese one - that was a brand owned by long-since defunct US importer C. Bruno & Co, & it's highly unlikely any of that brand officially made it to the UK. Nice find, anyway, and for £30, I'd certainly put up with a bit of Black & Decker Home Relic-ing! Also makes me think of an interesting point - ever seen a 70s JapCrap jazz copy with a rosewood board & dots? Me neither... Jon.

[quote name='paul, the' post='140007' date='Feb 14 2008, 12:56 AM']So what's the best value bit of JapCrap then, Jon?[/quote] Hard to say, really - usually the stuff you pick up at car boots & charity shops for buttons! Not too many bargains on the Bay, because it's all becoming a bit collectable. Although Ebay has a funny hierarchy of brands, people assume (for no good reason) that some brands were better than others, and that some were junk - and it's not that clear-cut. Columbus, on the whole, were pretty cheap & nasty, but people will pay silly (for JapCrap) money for that brand. Avon, on the other hand, has a reputation for being the sh!ttest of the sh!t - and while this may have been true at first, later ones appear to be from Fujigen, and were really nicely made budget instruments. As far as the 80s original designs go, you won't go far wrong with any of the Matsumoku brands - Aria, Westone, Vantage, Westbury & so on. All built to a very high standard, very popular at the time, so lots about to choose from. Much, much cheaper than Ibanez or related brands - and in no way inferior. Unless you do find a Gumtree or boot sale bargain, there's an element of pot luck in buying JapCrap - but what's good is that you're unlikely to lose money re-selling, if you don't like it. J.

Two of em: A Tokai Rockinbugger, which I presume to be new: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280200308391"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280200308391[/url] And a Hondo Plywoodbugger, beat up & half the binding gone, by the looks. Wonder what the comedy reserve is? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280200381897"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=280200381897[/url] J.

[quote name='finnbass' post='139085' date='Feb 12 2008, 08:58 PM']Sold! To the headed weirdo I'd like to say you led me to it Jon, but I spotted the relisted, reduced-in-price auction and then headed over here to see if it was on your list of JapCrap [/quote] Well done sir! Very unusual decapitee, that one. Think that's the third or fourth time that's been on, I did mention it the first time I saw it & kind of forgot subsequently, what with the price getting incrementally lower and all... I have been a little tardy with my JapCrapping of late though, I have to admit. Not that there's been all that much to shout about in the last week. Where are all the Rickenbuggers? J.

Gorgeous bass - and the upgrades just make it that bit more individual, imo. Glad to have been able to help you make your Rick a bit more user-friendly - and heavier! Jon.