bottomfeed Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 I've recently got serious G.A.S. for a transparent body bass!.. the Dan Armstrong ones from the 60's/70's look very cool... but are pretty pricey these days.... recently, Serek make one that looks a little like a Gibson Grabber bass... Stumbled across the Charlie Jones video of his custom made P basses (fuelled the gas!..) 😎 Charlie Jones plastic P basses I don't actually need another bass! I mainly play 5 string these days & the only acrylic option, as far as I can tell, are the Chinese, unbranded ones... has anyone had any experience of the Chinese basses? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 These were all over Ebay around maybe 2008ish marketed under the "Wesley" name. I had one of the 5 string Jazz basses - incredibly cool looking but also incredibly heavy. They still pop up on Ebay from time to time https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wesley-4-String-Purple-Acrylic-Bass-Guitar-Lined-Fretless-/334926453240?hash=item4dfb2c19f8%3Ag%3A0DEAAOSwLc9kmUes&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4BSIX3g5vtJrepmgK1sq5IpKCFt4Kwp21pRiJUMVDgfrI02xWc%2FA2ca6l8UhRhF9fyVv%2F5aoXcMLZv4uc%2FMGL4uS69Gs%2FNTq1zrMIwOjh+H4VttC61jLhWQrk%2BvLEhxE9JIu3vlGAlGPbqy%2BHPiVXxe0BVoKD3gixolmjaQLxA2h7oDrxU3YysJcNk5UnpI%2FbAX5%2BZq%2BFQ3Y7fp6vsKthz1Y83tfPai3IZurdNYeT%2B2%2Fb%2FhgfyuuXKcSTg4fl6EQPC5rPXN30djJ1Uged1RzUgYQQDI%2Fmmy9Pz36W1ayIsc|tkp%3ABk9SR9zP_OWnYg&nma=true&si=jREFqSL1QJ%2FJlDELswFnSUTAlHY%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 I had a 4-string Wesley Acrylic bass which had the frets taken out, and din't think it was heavy. If was certainly a better instrument IMO than the Squier VMJ that was supposed to replace it. I've played one of the Percy Jones clear basses, and it was very heavy and pretty horrible to play. Also close up it looked terrible, with lots of unpolished surfaces. While it might look OK on stage or in a video, for a hand-made custom instrument I wouldn't consider that lack of attention to detail acceptable. Again the fit and finish of the Wesley was far superior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 That's some quality toneplastic right there! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Billy Sheehan has a red Yamaha Attitude made from red acrylic, weighs A LOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 I had a purple wesley one. It was far better than expected. You can pick them up for £100 or so now. Not seen a chinese one in the flesh, but if your only really after them for looks you cant go that wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Wesley basses in general were quite good, I had the Ricky shape one, and a friend had a 5 string.. Certainly usable and gigable, those ones certainly were anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I had a Wesley in for a set up a few years back. Weighed a ton and was a bit of a dog if Im honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Several friends have picked up the recent Chinese Dan Armstrong branded basses and were surprised at the construction. They said it was much better than they expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matbard Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 14 hours ago, msb said: Several friends have picked up the recent Chinese Dan Armstrong branded basses and were surprised at the construction. They said it was much better than they expected. What? Are NEW Dan Armstrong basses out there??!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 4 hours ago, matbard said: What? Are NEW Dan Armstrong basses out there??!?! Who'd have thought it? https://www.ebay.ca/itm/285105361623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 Looks like the original Dan Armstrongs had two strap pins at the bottom of the body and the Chinese ones just have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 17 minutes ago, tauzero said: Who'd have thought it? https://www.ebay.ca/itm/285105361623 … and they ditched the interchangeable pickups and wooden bridge. It’s a shame they’ve branded them as Dan Armstrongs. I know several that were surprised at the quality of what they received , I had read some brutal earlier reviews. They arrived quickly and were delivered in the US for under $400 to your door. That’s hard to believe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 20 minutes ago, tauzero said: Looks like the original Dan Armstrongs had two strap pins at the bottom of the body and the Chinese ones just have one. One look at the bridge and pickup and it’s obviously not original, despite the name on the pickguard. Some Chibsons are said to be getting more difficult to identify , happily not the case here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 Are you considering it - for some reason today I wanderd on Aliexpress and noticed some 5 string acrylics which seem tempting, and cheap enough to get, although I am aware that acrylics tend to be very heavy, so not sure if it is going to end up being something I use. However, we are the type of group to have as many LEDs as possible, so it could be fun 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottomfeed Posted July 19, 2023 Author Share Posted July 19, 2023 (edited) 10 hours ago, Woodinblack said: Are you considering it - for some reason today I wanderd on Aliexpress and noticed some 5 string acrylics which seem tempting, and cheap enough to get, although I am aware that acrylics tend to be very heavy, so not sure if it is going to end up being something I use. However, we are the type of group to have as many LEDs as possible, so it could be fun Well... I didn't mean to! ..but I noticed the 'make an offer' section.. & after a large glass of wine or two.. offered £300.. next day, I saw it was excepted!.. jeez, commited now! ...Here we go!... See what turns up! ? 🤔 Edited July 19, 2023 by bottomfeed 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 On 19/07/2023 at 22:51, bottomfeed said: Well... I didn't mean to! ..but I noticed the 'make an offer' section.. & after a large glass of wine or two.. offered £300.. next day, I saw it was excepted!.. jeez, commited now! ...Here we go!... See what turns up! ? 🤔 Double scotch and £235 for me (AliExpress). 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 Yeh, I was looking at aliexpress - but I am just waiting for one of you to come back and say 'don't do it, its a heavy unplayable lump'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 4 hours ago, Woodinblack said: Yeh, I was looking at aliexpress - but I am just waiting for one of you to come back and say 'don't do it, its a heavy unplayable lump'! Well, hang on for a week or so... Carrier note: [Weifang City] Leaving [Changle County Huanlan Investment Department], the next stop [Weifang Center] 2023-07-21 18:19:53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 9 hours ago, tauzero said: Well, hang on for a week or so... Carrier note: [Weifang City] Leaving [Changle County Huanlan Investment Department], the next stop [Weifang Center] 2023-07-21 18:19:53 Maybe a bit more than a week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 On 14/07/2023 at 12:17, tauzero said: Who'd have thought it? https://www.ebay.ca/itm/285105361623 We do all realise these are Dan Armstrong copies - or to be more specific, as they have branding - counterfeits, I hope? These are available with colour-changing LEDs, if you look around. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 I feel strongly about the counterfeits of instruments that are truly designed to deceive , but these are easily spotted at a glance. I know that doesn’t make sense… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 2 hours ago, Bassassin said: We do all realise these are Dan Armstrong copies - or to be more specific, as they have branding - counterfeits, I hope? An original 'see through' costs about $5k with re-issues between $2.5k to $3.5k. Nobody here thinks they're getting the real thing for £200. If Ampeg were bothered there's nothing stopping them sending a message to head office and asking Yamaha to put their legal dept on the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 They don’t give a damn about legal repercussions in the People’s Republic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 16 hours ago, Woodinblack said: Maybe a bit more than a week! 2023-07-22 08:09 Clearing Customs Item Presented to Customs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.