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Hondo Flash


Rama
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Hi!

I've been trying to sell this hideous creature of a bass back in sweden for a while but with minor success . Is it really that ugly? I would say yes but for a collector of odd basses it might be fun to own this "thing". I never use it and want to save some money for another bass so maybe someone out there is interested in buying the Flash.

Model: Hondo Flash
Bridge: Schaller
Produced: sometime in the 80's by Hondo. Design by Harry Fleischman
Mics: 1 piezo and 1 jazz
34''
passive electronics
headless

everything should be original except for the input jack which i switched for a new one since the old one was really noicy. i have also changed the screws and springs on the bridge saddles to new schaller ones since some where missing.

the bass sounds pretty good and the condition is good whith some minor dings in the surface. the frets seems to be in good shape.
BUT... there is one possible problem. the neck is a little bit bent, due to string tension (not twisted though) so the string height is a little high, at least for me. why, i don't know. i've tried to do some minor tuning with the truss rod but no success. if someone is good on handling truss rods and taking care of basses then this might not be a problem at all. except for the string height, it works fine.

if you have a sore back then this bass might be good since it is really light, the scale just passes 2kg.

i think this bass is kind of rare, so maybe sonething for the collector.

the bass is located in Sweden, but can easily be sent within EU. the buyer pays the freight charge.

and the price... how about £180, or give me and offer.

some pics.
body
[attachment=53637:DSC01758.JPG]
body
[attachment=53638:DSC01760.JPG]
body
[attachment=53639:DSC01761.JPG]
1st fret (the measures is: inch to the left, cm to the right)
[attachment=53640:1st_band_1_.jpg]
5th fret
[attachment=53641:5th_band_1_.jpg]
12th fret
[attachment=53642:12th_band_2_.jpg]
24th fret
[attachment=53643:24th_band_1_.jpg]
the bent neck you can see here
[attachment=53644:andra_sidan1.jpg]
[attachment=53645:sidan4.jpg]
bridge view
[attachment=53646:stall_vy2.jpg]
backside
[attachment=53647:DSC01624.JPG]

i'll try to answer questions if there are any.

EDIT: MANY MORE PICS IN A POST FURTHER DOWN

Cheers

/Rama (David) i'm new here BTW.

Edited by Rama
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This is a new one on me - and that doesn't happen too often!

Intriguing looking thing, obviously it's going to be very light, but I'm trying to get my head around the idea of the point of a headless bass that simply transfers the the headstock to the other end - this must be pretty much the same length as most headed basses.

That said, I'm a sucker for a weird bass and for vintage JapCrap (I doubt this was part of Hondo's Korean output) so if I had the money (or if it was half the price) I'd be all over this like a rash! :brow:

Jon.

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God, I remember these!! They popped up (guitar and bass) in a shop in Edinburgh back in the '80s and I nearly went for one! That Baddass is non-original, though.

Hideous to look at now but thanx for the memory and good luck with the sale.

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[quote name='Stacker' post='887012' date='Jul 6 2010, 09:07 AM']God, I remember these!! They popped up (guitar and bass) in a shop in Edinburgh back in the '80s and I nearly went for one! That Baddass is non-original, though.

Hideous to look at now but thanx for the memory and good luck with the sale.[/quote]
That's not a Badass it's a Schaller 3D

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Man that's odd, but in a cool way. I would venture you'd have better success selling this on eBay. Start it at 99p and let it run for 10 days. I've just sold a Prosebass micro 27" bass for just over 100, bought it for 60. As with all things eBay, if you give a detailed description, the badass bridge particularly, and mention that with a de-fret it might make a bespoke EUB I guarantee it will sell - I did this with the Prosebass and I think that's why it sold - the adaptability proving popular with project enthusiasts. You may not get as much as you want, but it may better than nothing. Sometimes you have to take a loss on these things. Good luck with the sale though.

Edited by derrenleepoole
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[quote name='Stacker' post='887163' date='Jul 6 2010, 12:09 PM']My mistake. Still awful, though.[/quote]
Broadly agree about the BA - an overhyped, 2-ton, crudely-hewn lump of slag that in 1-to-1 tests appears to kill tone rather than enhance it - but what's wrong with the Schaller?

J.

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Thank's for the comments. regarding the bridge, it is original and as someone already said, it is not a badass bridge. it is schaller 3D. i've thought about putting it up on ebay but sweden does not have the possibility to do so, so i would have had to use ebay uk or germany instead but then the freight/shipping costs will be very wrong and i don't know how to do solve that with paypal and everything. this seemed much easier.

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I forgot to mention that some people think this is a travel bass, but it is not. here is a picture comparing sizes with my ibanez sr, compared "bridge to bridge"
[attachment=53716:DSC01613.JPG]

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today the flash visited a bass doctor for a diagnosis :rolleyes: . the truss rod was oiled upp and now it was possible to tighten the truss a little more. it didn't solve the problem but it helped. the nut was filed on as well to lower the strings, since the nut was really high. the "doctor" thought that the bent neck occurs by a too short truss rod since the banana neck starts around the 3rd and 5th fret and is straight prior to that seen from the bridge. me myself also cleaned the fretboard and oiled it with lemon oil. obviously the truss rod works but i guess it is the construction of the bass that might be to weak or something.

worth mentioning is that the bass is now stringed with warwick red labels stainless steels that are really stiff and quite high tension, so changing strings to something with lower tension might help even more. after oiling and doctor skills the bass looks like this...

[attachment=53765:DSC01813.JPG]
[attachment=53770:DSC01828.JPG]
[attachment=53769:DSC01826.JPG]
[attachment=53768:DSC01825.JPG]
[attachment=53767:DSC01821.JPG]
[attachment=53766:DSC01819.JPG]
[attachment=53771:DSC01829.JPG]
[attachment=53772:DSC01831.JPG]
[attachment=53773:DSC01832.JPG]
[attachment=53774:DSC01835.JPG]
[attachment=53775:DSC01836.JPG]
[attachment=53776:DSC01838.JPG]
[attachment=53777:DSC01840.JPG]
[attachment=53778:DSC01841.JPG]
[attachment=53779:DSC01842.JPG]
[attachment=53780:DSC01843.JPG]

that's what i call many pictures of a bass, sorry for that, but pictures says more than a coulpe of words. :)
some fellow bassplayers here have showed interest in the flash but it is still for sale. trades might be of interest.
suggestions and offers are welcome

BTW the shoulder strap with the text ACE on it comes with the bass. are you an ace of bass? :lol:

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[quote name='Bassassin' post='887463' date='Jul 6 2010, 04:14 PM']Broadly agree about the BA - an overhyped, 2-ton, crudely-hewn lump of slag that in 1-to-1 tests appears to kill tone rather than enhance it - but what's wrong with the Schaller?

J.[/quote]

Och, it's just me. I just don't like the look of either, no matter what tone they help impart to the instrument. Didn't the early Warwicks come with those Schallers?

I kinda got back to thinking that one reason Fenders sound the way the do is cos of the bridge and I came to appreciate that.

Curious about that test you've mentioned: any links?

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[quote name='Rama' post='887763' date='Jul 6 2010, 08:42 PM']Thank's for the comments. regarding the bridge, it is original and as someone already said, it is not a badass bridge. it is schaller 3D. i've thought about putting it up on ebay but sweden does not have the possibility to do so, so i would have had to use ebay uk or germany instead but then the freight/shipping costs will be very wrong and i don't know how to do solve that with paypal and everything. this seemed much easier.[/quote]


Ok I accept that, but I'm still convinced that the early model I saw did not have that bridge. The strings went over the bridge without going through a back plate. There's an ad on the net somewhere and you can see this. Anyway, pedantry over.

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[quote name='Stacker' post='889273' date='Jul 8 2010, 09:21 AM']Och, it's just me. I just don't like the look of either, no matter what tone they help impart to the instrument. Didn't the early Warwicks come with those Schallers?

I kinda got back to thinking that one reason Fenders sound the way the do is cos of the bridge and I came to appreciate that.

Curious about that test you've mentioned: any links?[/quote]

Pretty sure it was on here a few months ago - a guy did an A/B test with the same bass & strings. I think it came off the back of one of the numerous Badass pondering threads that start up, I've had a quick search for it, but can I find it? Can I bollocks. :)

I'll have another look.

J.

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