noelk27

I don't know, but when the editor tries to sell me on bass being "as essential to a fulfilling life as food, water and beer", it has me wondering if there are a few too many scoops at lunchtimes and not enough writing and/or checking of copy in the afternoons. In all seriousness, I've seen magazines of this ilk before, where the people involved are more interested in running around, going to press launches and parties, and not sufficiently interested in doing the research or writing necessary to produce a good product. They wither on the vine and die, with the usual excuses of "we never had enough time to bed an issue", or "we didn't have a big enough design budget", or "we couldn't afford to pay a fact-checker", or "we were continually let down by our parent company/marketing department/subscriptions/printer/distributor".

[quote name='Teobass88' timestamp='1358467944' post='1939991']Well...each video or photo I remember about that bass in Cliff's hands makes me answer "yes at all" By the way, it stinks of commercial move and nothing more, to me...[/quote] Well, as I never rated Burton, can't say as I paid a huge amount of attention to him. But, when it comes to the APII basses he used, my mind tells me it was mostly an SB1000, which just happened to be black, and an SB-B&G I. As for the commercialism comment, I can't say as I'd agree with you. It's only in recent times that the Japanese have started to understand the concept of legacy in modern innovation or design. Previously, there was either the completely up to date or the ancient, with anything from the recent past being immediately dismissed. Now, they've come to accept that in their continual race to do better, along the way, they've created some iconic designs. So, when it comes to recreating those iconic designs in the present, I'd trust the motives of a Japanese company much more than, say, an American one. The SB700, and it's revised versions, the R60 and Elite I, were Aria's most successful SB models, in terms of sales. this is the first time in around 20 years it's been available again. Yea, really feels like Aria are milking it.

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1358466079' post='1939956']Didn't burton favour the SB 2 black n gold? That only has one pickup.[/quote] Don't know enough about Burton to comment on which he used most, but he certainly owned and used two examples of the SB-B&G I.

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1358456963' post='1939701']Why now?[/quote] Well, the model in the OP's post is the SB-B&G I, which was introduced in '83. It's the 30th anniversary, hence the reissue.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1358433881' post='1939049']Aria have reintroduced the SB1000 models recently. I reviewed one myself, a SB1000RIB and found it to be a superb instrument, very well built indeed with a super fast neck. The price tag is up in the 'premium instruments' range, but the model we had in to the magazine studio was flawless.[/quote] Rumour is Aria was set to commission FujiGen to build these reissues. Did you see anything mentioned in the product literature to confirm this? Or did it go back to Tokai?

[quote name='BassBunny' timestamp='1358359366' post='1937813']Beat me to it.[/quote] Great minds?

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1358352487' post='1937599']To be fair, and on reflection of my contempt earlier - and assuming it's outsourced to a printer & not done in-house. It's more a printer's error that the magazine's; the bloke who imposed the pages must have been asleep.[/quote] Can't agree. Page make-up is not done by a printer, it's done in-house by the editorial department or outsourced to a freelancer designer. Irrespective of who carries out page make-up a dummy issue will be reviewed by the editorial department or the editor before sign-off for publication. Duplication of an article is a clear indication of lax or non-existent editorial procedures. The only head on the chopping block for this sort of mistake is the magazine's.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1356844687' post='1914249']But back on topic, I'd go for an Aria SB-1000...maybe with the Alembic pickups option.[/quote] SB-LTD? Wasn't released until '88. If you were looking at the SB range in '83, the new model you'd have been most interested in was the SB-R150. [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1356891979' post='1914826']I'm not sure when they launched the Yamaha RBX 800 but it was a great 80's bass.[/quote] First RBX models were released in '86. If you were looking at the Yamaha range in '83 it would have had to be a BB, and the models of the day were the 3000 variants.

[quote name='Panamonte' timestamp='1356814162' post='1914006']John Giblin ... He's recorded with loads of people ...[/quote] Simple Minds ('85 - '89)

Oh, and if you want year of creation/year of birth to intersect, I'd suggest the Yamaha BB3000. Officially introduced in December '82, the standard version is 42.5mm wide at the nut, while the narrow version - introduced in '84 - is 39.5mm. You also have the BB-X (aka BB1600) to consider - that model was introduced in '83.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356707422' post='1912723']From memory , the neck on the Aria is narrow but has some depth front to back .[/quote] SB1000 is 45mm at the nut, with 16mm pitch at the bridge. If you want a smaller nut and wider spacing you want an "R" version, so, R150, R80 or R60.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1356704724' post='1912656']There used to be a Music Shop in Edinburgh next to the Usher Hall ...[/quote] I was in that store once, and once only. During the course of a short conversation he commented that the guitars he stocked were too good for the way people played these days (these days being the mid 90s). Seem to recall he made a few other such comments, as well as imply I wouldn't be a good enough guitarist to try any of his stock, even though he'd never heard me play. And also recall he had a Gretsch White Falcon in the window for years.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1356109122' post='1907040']Nobody at all uses dial-up modems.[/quote] Me, until April this year. Cable companies would supply the location, cable over (BT) telephone wasn't supported, mobile telecoms were patchy at best, so dial-up was the only solution.

Played it. wasn't impressed.

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355903761' post='1904117'][I]ts a seven digit serial begining with a 3 so it will be 1983 then.[/quote] Indeed it will. By the way, your R80 (almost identical to the Elite II) has a 40mm nut and 18mm bridge pitch, and the slimmer/shallower, more "C" shaped neck. The 900, of which the R80 is a revision, had a 45mm nut and 16mm bridge pitch, and the fatter/deeper, more "U" shaped neck. The 900 and the 1000 used identical timbers and dimensions (well, the second version of the 1000 as introduced late '78).

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355867897' post='1903939']The serial number ends in an 85 so I think it is from then.[/quote] No. Six digits is 70s. Seven digits is 80s. First digit is year. [quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355867897' post='1903939'][T]he site at [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aria_(guitar_company)#Aria_Pro_II_Guitars"]http://en.wikipedia...._Pro_II_Guitars[/url] says they were only made between 1979 and 1983.[/quote] No. Those dates are often quoted but are wrong. First examples manufactured late '80.

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355827352' post='1903144']It's an 1985 model ...[/quote] By the way, you sure about that year of manufacture?

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1355853999' post='1903733']What is it that makes the SB1000 so heavy, was it the difference in the weight of oak and walnut? And did the SB900 have the same neck profile as the SB1000?[/quote] The finish is called "Oak" or "Walnut", it's a stain. The wings are made with either Sen ash or Canadian ash (depending on year of manufacture). And, yes, the original 900 had the same through neck (materials and dimensions) as the 1000.

[quote name='S9_S12_Bass' timestamp='1355768074' post='1902516']Ah, just realised its actually at the base of the neck, what I was looking at was the random brown blob where it would be on the headstock which now makes me wonder why the blob is there?[/quote] Hole plug.

[quote name='S9_S12_Bass' timestamp='1355751600' post='1902147'][D]oes anyone else think the truss rod hole looks more like its fake/stuck on?[/quote] No.

Always understood the theory underlying use of brass for nut to be to provide a smaller surface area for witness contact and to equalise tone. Yamaha now uses the same alloy for frets as for the nut on its new 1000 and 2000 series basses.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1355748583' post='1902069']You see how someone has told him it's not a '54ri and he then has asked what year reissue they think it is. The answer is not only on the reciept but it's stamped in the neck pocket!![/quote] What, you mean the "51" stamped on the body and on the neck mean it's a '51 reissue? I'd never have guessed!

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1355741410' post='1901944']I have been told, on more than one occasion, that many of Duran's bass parts were actually 'ghosted' by Mr Edwards - anyone else ever here this? Maybe it's one of those 'urban myth' things [/quote] It's one of those urban myth things. First time Edwards worked with Taylor was The Power Station album. They did collaborate on creating the lines for that album, with Edwards "tutoring" Taylor. They subsequently worked that way on Notorious.