LeftyJ

Ibanez has been doing this a lot, annoyingly. Many ATK-versions have been sold exclusively in the US (there even was a USA-made ATK with a tension-free neck made by Dave Bunker - and an RG too), but there have also been models strictly for Europe. To stay with the ATK: they never sold Japanese-made ATK's in the USA, only Korean and Indonesian models, whereas here in Europe we had Japanese ATK300's and 305's. In a trans black finish, that wasn't available in the US where they primarily sold them in Amber - which wasn't available here...

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1377886535' post='2193313'] What's going on with extended complicated strap button though? [/quote] The buttons aren't extended, they just installed the Warwick Security Locks for the photo (the end that's supposed to be attached to your strap is also in the photograph).

Depends on the era it was made in. Early ones would have wenge necks with fairly thin profile. When they switched to ovangkol necks, which isn't as hard as wenge, they changed their neck profiles. Currently they're back to thinner necks, and the custom shop has been offering a "flat C shape" profile since 2006-2007 or something. At custom shop prices though, unfortunately. I love the P-nut signature. It is essentially much like a Streamer Stage II, but with the JazzMan configuration. It might very likely be my perfect bass, if it wasn't so damn expensive

I've heard several negative comments about the Minotaur straps from bass players I know. The leather was of cheap quality and poorly treated and finished, and would dry out within a year and start showing cracks and even tear, especially on the back and where the strap rests on your shoulder / neck. I'm a huge fan of Italia Leather Straps from the USA. They can only be ordered from their own site directly, but in a wide variety of colour combinations and with a choice of suede back (rough, won't slip on your shoulder so your bass is more or less fixed in its preferred playing position) or leather backed (smooth surface, so your bass will move more freely). I have six at the moment. They regularly have special discounts too, like free shipping, buy-one-get-one-free, for 'preferred customers' (but freely accessible for anyone who knows where to look. I'm not supposed to share the link, but if anyone is interested, drop me a PM. Right now it's $30 off, buy-one-get-one-free AND $0,01 shipping from the USA to anywhere in the world.

I haven't as much gone back, I just like both. I have always had very basic passive 4-string basses alongside higher-end 5-strings with complex active electronics as I have always played in more than one band at a time, and both bands required a completely different approach. I've played in various metal bands where an modern and agressive sounding active 5-string fits the bill best, but I've also played in a dark melodic popband (a bit similar to what Nick Cave has always been doing) where dark sounding basses worked well and I had no need for a low B. I've played various basses there, from a Jazz Bass to a Rickenbacker 4003 and even a hollowbody (Italia Torino) and a fretless 2-string!

Very nice! Now onwards to collect the other top-of-the-line models of that time, the ST924 and both versions of the MC924

Oh, that's right. I knew that. D'oh I was wondering the same thing when I saw your ads for the Sterling Ray and the MIJ Jazz, where the Jazz had the strings reversed but the Ray did not.

Aren't you experiencing any intonation troubles with your righthanded acoustics? Or did you have the bridge saddles modified to the correct angle? If they're steelstrings, of course. I just realised, while typing this, that the saddle on a nylonstring isn't compensated for intonation. I'm thankful I've never had to bother turning a righty upside-down. My parents didn't have internet yet when I started playing guitar (when I was 16 - I'm 29 now) so my first instrument was the only lefty my local shop had in stock: a Squier Affinity Strat. By the time I started playing bass though, we did have internet and I was always able to find something to my liking on it

Hipshot does sell some oddball Xtenders with tuners of other brands mounted on them. These include Gotoh, Schaller and Fender. But I've never seen this type before. It has the dimensions of a BT-1, but a Fender tuner (well, rebranded Schaller I think) mounted on it is something unusual.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1373561653' post='2139107'] I wish you hadn't posted this . I had no idea of the existance of these basses . Now I want one . A lot . [/quote] QFT

I agree, they should export! It's a pity Fender Japan is making all those lovely non-export lefty instruments that Fender USA won't I got my MIJ '75 Jazz reissue (with a maple board, something Fender USA won't offer lefties) used on eBay and it's just an awesome instrument.

[quote name='Rockaction5' timestamp='1372083671' post='2121341'] - "[color=#0000ff]Curtis Novak is now making Bisonic pickups. They're in the new Guild Starfire Bass too[/color]." false : Curtis novak make one bisonic "clone" for sale at a certain price... they are not intend to be first mounted on the new guiLd bass .[/quote] You're right, I'm mistaken. A friend of mine was at the Messe in Frankfurt, played the new Starfire Bass, and spoke to both Curtis Novak and a Fender representative. I thought he'd said Novak makes the new Guild Bisonic pickups, but you're absolutely right. Sorry for the confusion!

Saw Lefties Soul Connection performing last Saturday, their bass player used one of the original G3's with those white rail pickups through an Ampeg SVT + 8x10. Massive thump, sounded incredible! I also really like the look of Grabbers and Rippers, they're just massive!

From what I understood, yes. Which seems amazing, as the new Starfire bass is fairly affordable considering the retail value of a separate CN Bisonic.

Curtis Novak is now making Bisonic pickups. They're in the new Guild Starfire Bass too. [url="http://curtisnovak.com/pickups/BS-DS.shtml"]http://curtisnovak.com/pickups/BS-DS.shtml[/url] He also makes one that fits in a Gibson mudbucker housing!

Appears to have quite a bit of room left in that case. Maybe one of the old 32" scale MIJ Squiers, in that case it's probably a serial number starting with E ('84-'87). Excellent value, really easy to play and a lot of fun too.

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1370436802' post='2100791'] I think its the transitional 1988 Roadstar RB800, I think Ibanez were forced to change the headstock as it was too close to an existing design It does look very Soundgear like. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amL90leO8SU"]https://www.youtube....h?v=amL90leO8SU[/url] I did message the seller about it and he isn't too sure what model it is. [/quote] Wow, thanks, I was never aware of that model, nor did I know Ibanez still made Roadstars after the Soundgear came out in 1987. Even the book "Ibanez, the untold story" doesn't feature it, I think. The bridge is definitely a replacement though, and comes from a late 90s, early 00s Soundgear.

The seller never claimed it was a Soundgear You're right though, this is a bit of an oddball. I think at some point this may have been an old SR800 that had its frets ripped out, the headstock shape altered, the Ibanez decal moved from the headstock to the body, and a Roadstar truss rod cover and tuners installed (and quite crookedly too, the cover is not exactly mounted straight). The finish is interesting though, it looks like it's been very well applied. It's not your average DIY jobbie. Mind you, there have been Roadstars that looked a lot like the first Soundgears (the 1986 Roadstar Deluxe (DX) models for example), and even the last Musicians (MC2924) had a very similar bodyshape. But not like this, and the hardware is too recent for that. The bridge on this one was introduced by Ibanez in the late 1990s.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1369992692' post='2095238'] Loads of peope just looking for bass porn. I do it too, we all do. [/quote] We have a turd in the punch bowl, I repeat, we have a turd in the punch bowl!

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1369913026' post='2094310'] I'd be more concerned about the quality of the photo than the amount, although I agree that sifting through 10+ photos of the same bass is a little bit tiring. But what annoys me more generally tends to be the quality of the photos. Learn to use a camera! [/quote] The thing that annoys me most (not specifically here, but on eBay in particular) are people who take pictures of their instruments with their bloody WEBCAM. The worst ones are people with their webcams set to mirrorring the image. I've mistaken a lot of basses on eBay for nice lefties through the years... Oh, the disappointment

Nice! I once planned on doing the same with the Audere preamp that I had in my Jazz, but in the end I replaced the pre with the original passive electronics because I didn't really touch that bass anymore after I had 'upgraded' it. The shafts on the Audere were too thick as well.