Can anyone identify this Andy Rourke bass?

[smithsonguitar]

Hi, I'm doing some research on Andy's gear for a new entry on my site, Smiths On Guitar. I haven't had any luck identifying this bass, though, and I thought maybe some people here might recognize it:









Clearly a P-Bass copy of some kind, but I can't make out the name on the headstock. Maybe an Aria of some kind? Any help or advice would be appreciated!

[smithsonguitar]

Any ideas?

[peledog]

The logo looks like it might be a Blade. I think these were made in Switzerland by Gary Levinson.

[Big John66]

Ibanez? Aspen? I remember seeing those p copies around with that chrome soapbar type pu. Definitely a mid-late '70s MIJ knock off.

[tideEightyeight]

Aria seems to be the closest guess since the headstock doesn't really look like the Aspen logo to me and I cant find a picture reference of what a Blade logo looks like. All the interviews with him i've read he always said he plays Yamaha BB's and Fenders but its clearly neither of those.

[PopaWoody]

what year is this?

[fuzz_factor]

There was an Andy Rourke interview in Bass Player magazine a few years ago. I think I have that issue. I can take a look and see what basses he mentioned, but I just moved and don't have Internet access, so I won't be able to write back until Monday. Perhaps someone else who has the mag can chime in.

[smithsonguitar]

The year was 1983, this was used at a few early Smiths shows. I have counted at least 10 different basses he used with the Smiths: This one, a Guild, 3 squires: black with black pickguard and maple neck, black with white guard and maple neck, and black with white guard and rosewood neck. He also had his '64 sunburst P bass, a '66 slab body white P bass, a red P bass with chrome bridge cover, the Yamaha BB2000 and a sunburst Jazz Bass.

I think Aria is a good guess as the name could be a match on the headstock. Does anyone have a photo of an old aria P bass to compare?

I don't think he mentioned this bass in the Bass Player interview. This is pretty obscure.

[Ezbass]

That name on the headstock looks reminiscent of the Antoria logo and they were certainly copyists so it might be one of their P bass alikes.

[JimmyM]

looks like some beginner bass from the late 60's that was made in japan. i'd say it's small or medium scale or that guy is a giant, and he doesn't look like a giant. might be aria but i've seen similar basses under a handful of different names, kent being one that sticks out in my mind.

[peledog]

Other ideas -

Sango
Memphis

[Ezbass]

Send him a message on myspace http://www.myspace.com/andyrourke and ask him maybe