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Ashbory 'rubber band' bass £750... have I missed something?


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OK so the seller says it is a rare limited number bass but I've NEVER known Ashbory basses go for anywhere near £750! :huh:

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASHBORY-MK-II-BASS-Guitar-Active-Electric-Silicone-Strings-22in-1-80-RARE-/290653920009?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43ac52db09#ht_2140wt_1396"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASHBORY-MK-II-BASS-Guitar-Active-Electric-Silicone-Strings-22in-1-80-RARE-/290653920009?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43ac52db09#ht_2140wt_1396[/url]

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They are unique and not the easiest to get the feel for, but have a great tone (especially if you restring it with Pahoehoe Uke-Bass strings). The MK2 sounds somewhere between a Fretless and an EUB. I'm unsure if the MK1's had different pickups or tone controls compared to the MK2's though...?

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[quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1325717917' post='1486729']
But are they any good? I tried on briefly...... :huh:
[/quote]

I bought one, one of the recent reissues with the silly curvy body and not-so-silly curvy headstock. I love it. It's not a bass guitar any more than a bass guitar is a double bass; it needs some learning, especially with being fretless and very short scale. But it makes a lovely noise :)

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[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1325702776' post='1486404']
OK so the seller says it is a rare limited number bass ...[/quote]

I have to say that my understanding was that they only made 80 of these, not as a "Limited Edition" of some sort, but because it really wasn't a very good design.

The Mk.II with the curvy, half-melted shape sold much better. I didn't get on with mine:

[IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Guild%20Ashbory%201987%20SOLD/DSCF1287.jpg[/IMG]

That was because the [i][b]huge [/b][/i]E and A strings produced a knot which prevented the tuners from working properly. :rolleyes:

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Right...

Happy Jack's (which was subsequently mine, and is now with another BCer) is a Guild Mk I.

De Armond/Fender went on to re-release the Mk I with better tuners (not the friction type of the Guild Mk I). The Guild and De Armond are very similar, and are the Mk I.

Ashbory went on to produce the Mk II. This is what's being auctioned off - it's 22" scale, a different body shape, 2-a-side (and different again) tuners, and there were something like 73 made. However, there doesn't seem to be a huge demand for them despite their rarity - mine (good condition, a couple of small chips to the paint) cost me around a third of what this auction is starting at, and I was the only bidder. I have seen a neck/body sold a little while back (I think for somewhere round £100). They have been known to fetch silly prices though. I think there are a very very small number of natural finish ones, and I think they'd go for a lot.

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