FlatEric

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1457197605' post='2996298'] Those are Kent Armstrong hand made pickups..as used by Manson and many others in the 80's (including Ken Smith) I had an Alligator 2x8" combo in the early 90's..in fact, I think someone still has it for sale on evilbay. Nice amp, but very heavy. [/quote] True, indeed and they are certainly great pick-ups. The identity was confirmed by the man, himself here: [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/bass-restoration-kent-armstrong.html"]http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/bass-restoration-kent-armstrong.html[/url] More of the story and more pics on the next post, coming up soon. Cheers.

Ok, bit of a long shot. Some of you on here know that I am restoring a Reeve Headless Bass. This is the second Reeve I have, The other is a "Tribute" Twin Neck - Mr Lee! Having tried to find more about Reeve (tried several times on here) I have now cracked it, thanks to Val Reeve. A very interesting story about two guys in Bedfordshire, Ges & Mick - making quality Basses & Guitars, over 30 years ago. Anyway, back to the plot. . . . . There was a very limited edition of these: "Alligator" Bass, which was made for the Alligator Amplifier company, which made the Alligator Combo, which I have seen mentioned on here. Anyone Got one, seen one, played one, know of one??? There was a guitar version, as well. While I'm here, I'll ask again - anyone got a Reeve instrument, seen one, played one, know of one??? The story so far here: [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/"]http://flatericbassa...blogspot.co.uk/[/url] Cheers.

Let's have a pic then!

Ooooo! You don't see many of those. Nice addition to your Ibanez family.

Hi. Contact Ray directly - I found him very happy to talk (email) and he will be able to tell you "from the horses mouth" He is here: [url="http://www.raycooperguitars.com/"]http://www.raycooperguitars.com/[/url] This one is mine: [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ray-cooper-custom-bass.html"]http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ray-cooper-custom-bass.html[/url] Cheers.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1456753801' post='2991901'] Cool, would appreciate that. Interesting that yours is a Morris, if it is exactly the same bass. Morris was (and still is) house-brand of Moridaira, a manufacturer in its own right, so that might shed some doubt & confusion over the origin of these things! Speaking of doubt and confusion, do you have an "Azumi" branded bass or guitar in your armoury, Eric? If so, does it have a serial number of any sort? There's some discussion going on about whether these were Chushin or Yamaki builds, which seems to hinge on serials rather than sensible things like hardware details... J. [/quote] Drifting a little of the original thread but have a look here - this should help you. [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/seiwa-jazzman-bass.html"]http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/seiwa-jazzman-bass.html[/url] and this as well, shows there are more than one!! [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/seiwa-jazzman-bass-take-2.html"]http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/seiwa-jazzman-bass-take-2.html[/url] Cushin, I believe. What do you think?

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1456658745' post='2991064'] First one I've seen since the last one - and that was a while ago... However, I've seen these same through-neck basses (and the equivalent guitars) with various different names, and I think I know what they are. From what I can glean they're a variation on a Japanese-market thing called a Fernandes Custom Hand: [url="http://www.fernandes.co.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1978_vol1.pdf"]http://www.fernandes...9/1978_vol1.pdf[/url] (page 28) It seems that Fernandes was built by Kawai at this point - this Yasuki appears to be the same thing as the FXB-I bass, with different (probably cheaper) hardware & electronics. Jon. [/quote] Jon, Hi. I've got one - branded as "Morris". Bought it on a whim, years ago - still got it and it plays nice and has "a big bottom" Deep, deep, thud - with clarity. Just one of those oddball things I acquired that turned out to be quite a find. I'll dig it out and get some shots.

Sounds like a real bargain, if it is not damaged/bashed up. I've got one, in white and it's really nice. Grover tuners!!! Paid a bit more than that!!!!!!!! Pick-ups not quite as sweet as the other Hondo I have but still very nice. [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/hondo-professional.html"]http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/hondo-professional.html[/url] They are different to the standard fodder. The quick way to spot is the cut in nut - not just planted at the end of the fingerboard. Go and get it. . . . you know you want to!!

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1456362770' post='2988372'] Beautiful ibanez in here Here my quartet : all 1979 Ibanez Roadster From left to right : 79' RS800 sunburst (passive), 79´ RS 920 natural (active), 79´ RS 900 Traditionnal Violin (active), 79´ RS 900 natural fretless (active). Somewhere between PB, Musicman Sabre and Stingray. Roadster addicted... [/quote] Hello mate - how you doin'? Very, Very, Very, Very nice. . . . in that order!! Lucky man. Cheers.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1456051938' post='2984776'] Aside from the obvious about being in a band and doing gis with your mates, I can`t really put it into words why I actually enjoy playing the bass so much. I just love it. Whereas with guitar, although I can play it decently enough, I just don`t feel at home on it, with bass I just feel like I`m "me". [/quote] I'm another one that agrees with you. Although I do play guitar, bass has been in my head since I were a nipper! Can't explain it but where almost everyone hums the melody I was doing the bass! I feel at home with it.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1455980661' post='2984217'] I think GAS was much less of a problem before t'internet arrived. Makes it all too easy now. [/quote] Too right!! Back in the day, you scoured local press, music papers (NME etc) guitar mags, almost all of the time, no pictures and if there were any, almost all in black and white. No mobole phones - it could take you several calls to catch the person in and then they would describe it as wonderful, so you would head out - 10, 20, 30, 40 miles, or more - get there, take one look and instinctively know it was a dog - go through the motions and then say "sorry, it's not for me" and drive all the way back. This painful process would be repeated several times until you had found what you were looking for. That was why music shops flourished - players just couldn't bear the grief of all that running around. Now. . . . . click on something, like the look - perhaps ask for more details using your "mobile phone" and pay for it with "PayPal", sit tight at home - a knock on the door next day and there it is. GAS was around back then but the single biggest cause of GAS these days, is t'inernet!!! It is SO easy to be tempted and SO easy to go through the process. Nurse. . . . my medication please!!

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1455983277' post='2984269'] Just taken delivery of this beauty. Black enough? [/quote] Oooooooooooooooooooooooo! What is that??

Some cracking gear, you have there!!! Nice shot.

These have been brought to my attention and thought it worth sharing. The Kimbara: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322007308444?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l5999&_trkparms=gh1g%3DI322007308444.N36.S1.R1.TR15"]http://www.ebay.co.u....N36.S1.R1.TR15[/url] I have one of these and it is a really nice bass - well worth a punt! The Aria: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262294911966?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.u...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT[/url] A really nice bass for pennies! I still have mine and it is one of the very few basses I have ever bought new, from a shop, with my own money!! Someone should grab this! Edit: Just read it again - the description for the controls is not right - should be Pan, Vol, Bass. Treble. Best to check.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1455828040' post='2982843'] Yeah, I thought that. ....just as I posted it.... [/quote] I'll make mine. . . . £7.89!!

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1455189649' post='2976789'] Also, absolutely not, in any way, shape or form, Japanese. KoreaDiarrhoea, through & through. Decent enough, I had one for a bit, very solidly built. Downsides - neck like a treetrunk and very, very heavy. Also the through-neck means that some of these can have an unadjustably high action - mine had had rough routing under the bridge to make it playable. This one looks OK but it's hard to tell from the pics. As Eric says, they are common - I wouldn't want to pay north of £100. J. [/quote] Ooeerrr I paid £123.45, for mine - one of those "unusual bids" on ebay. Still think I did very well - nice to play.

Yes. Only on a four stringer, though. I have said this before but will say again - The Rails basses that I used to have, taught me a lot about pick-up positioning and swapping from one bass to another told me a lot about the position that the string is plucked, as they have different areas to anchor my thumb. The Magnum is ideal for playing aroung with this, as the "Corral" as they Amercans call it, the pick-up housing on a Magnum, allows you to anchor your thumb anywhere. [url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/ovation-magnum-bass.html"]http://flatericbassa...agnum-bass.html[/url] To be fair, on a guitar, this tonal movement is used a lot to get bite thru to smooth.

[quote name='Shambo' timestamp='1455178731' post='2976623'] Worth a punt? [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Satellite-P-style-Bass-guitar-Vintage-made-in-Japan-Matsumoku-Kawai-FujiGen-/172093300574?hash=item28118f5f5e:g:RdsAAOSwezVWt6KY"]http://www.ebay.co.u...dsAAOSwezVWt6KY[/url] [/quote] Actually, surprisingly nice. I have a fretless one, lovely to play and a real round, deifined and woody sound. The tuners on mine aren't great and I keep meaning to get them sorted. £175 is perhaps a little on the steep side. They are not rare and come up quite often. Cheers.

Nice job - bit of application and you get a result. The thumb rest will get a lot more tones out of it - I did it on one of my old 70's Ibanez Artists - same deal - pick-ups in two extreme positions and you want to put your thumb in the middle. I was inspired by the Magnum bass, which has the same feature. No you can put your thumb just where you like! Result.

Oh No! Who's next? We had All 'n All on vinyl at work in 77/78 and literally wore the thing out. They are all of an age now - this is becoming a regular thing.

Set up another account.

Big AWB fan - Steve Ferrone - one of my favourite drummers. Tight, with a Capital T - like the rest of the band. Nice!

I had two Rail basses - sold them both to BCers, some time ago. Brilliant bit of kit - a real eye opener and how the positon of the pick-up is so important to the tone/sounds you are looking for. Hard ish to find, these days. I still have a Quantum - Definately not clanky - BIG sound! May look like it doesn't sound thunderous but that is very far from the truth. I also have a B2A, wich doesn't have as bigger sound as the Quantum.

Vantage. Turned out some nice gear - some of these were neck-thru, from memory. Jon (Bassassin) will more than likely give you the whole story.