Yeah, it's almost unfair to lump together so many different basses made over so many years. Still, they get talked about as an entity so it's difficult to get out of that habit.
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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out
- Thread starter Korladis
- Start date
Yeah, it's almost unfair to lump together so many different basses made over so many years. Still, they get talked about as an entity so it's difficult to get out of that habit.
Knockoffs I've owned:
Ibanez Ric 4001 copy: Construction was pretty much 95-98% of a real one, except the inlay was a little different, bolt on neck, mono output only. IIRC the pickups looked similar to Ric's but they didn't sound like them, they were pretty bland/generic. This was maybe 15 years ago, so I think I paid under $400 for it with the original case.
Aria Ripper copy: Pretty spot on right down to the pickup/tone selector, but w/ a bolt on neck. Can't remember anything great about those pickups either. The bridge sucked and being an idiot, I had a luthier install a new one, but he made this fruity-looking wooden carved riser for it that I hated. I think that one cost under $500.
Asama Jazz copy: Played as good as any good '70s Fender, but the pickups had nearly zero output. Put in some cheap MIM Squier pickups and a new bridge, then had it painted for some reason. That one had a maple fretboard with blocks and really was a killer instrument after all said and done.
So it would seem the weak link is generally agreed to be pickups/electronics.
Ibanez Ric 4001 copy: Construction was pretty much 95-98% of a real one, except the inlay was a little different, bolt on neck, mono output only. IIRC the pickups looked similar to Ric's but they didn't sound like them, they were pretty bland/generic. This was maybe 15 years ago, so I think I paid under $400 for it with the original case.
Aria Ripper copy: Pretty spot on right down to the pickup/tone selector, but w/ a bolt on neck. Can't remember anything great about those pickups either. The bridge sucked and being an idiot, I had a luthier install a new one, but he made this fruity-looking wooden carved riser for it that I hated. I think that one cost under $500.
Asama Jazz copy: Played as good as any good '70s Fender, but the pickups had nearly zero output. Put in some cheap MIM Squier pickups and a new bridge, then had it painted for some reason. That one had a maple fretboard with blocks and really was a killer instrument after all said and done.
So it would seem the weak link is generally agreed to be pickups/electronics.
"Lawsuit" insturments are hit with a double whammy of unreasonable inflation.
One, they're "vintage." In a world where the poopiest no name '70s Japanese junk is on ebay for $400 to start, you're up against an unreasonable expectation that "old" means "vintage" and vintage means 200% markup.
Two, they're "rare" because of a lawsuit that was, as far as I can tell, not nearly as big a deal as people think. Suddenly, even models not actually considered a "lawsuit" insturment is lumped in because it's shaped like an EB or a Rick or whatever, even though the actual lawsuit was over the headstock and the one you're looking at isn't actually a lawsuit model.
Just like when you could walk into a thrift shop and find Jazzmasters and tube amps for cheap because no one wanted them anymore, well, they got discovered and now they're gone and people want unreasonable cash for them. So too are Japanese junkers (and the rare birds that aren't junkers) are having the same issue. I can't imagine paying more for a "lawsuit bass" from the '70s when there's so many quality insturments going for less, but I guess people are treating it like investments or something.
One, they're "vintage." In a world where the poopiest no name '70s Japanese junk is on ebay for $400 to start, you're up against an unreasonable expectation that "old" means "vintage" and vintage means 200% markup.
Two, they're "rare" because of a lawsuit that was, as far as I can tell, not nearly as big a deal as people think. Suddenly, even models not actually considered a "lawsuit" insturment is lumped in because it's shaped like an EB or a Rick or whatever, even though the actual lawsuit was over the headstock and the one you're looking at isn't actually a lawsuit model.
Just like when you could walk into a thrift shop and find Jazzmasters and tube amps for cheap because no one wanted them anymore, well, they got discovered and now they're gone and people want unreasonable cash for them. So too are Japanese junkers (and the rare birds that aren't junkers) are having the same issue. I can't imagine paying more for a "lawsuit bass" from the '70s when there's so many quality insturments going for less, but I guess people are treating it like investments or something.
Yeah, I think an underrated aspect at work here, as you hit on @gfen, is that the interest in the lawsuit instruments coincided with the explosion of the collectors market made possible by the World Wide Web. (Don't get to say/write "World Wide Web" enough these days.) Beyond perception, it introduces the element of speculation which further warps the concept of value. Obvs, the Web brought about a lot of opportunities to get good deals as a musician, too, but it's definitely thrown off other parts of our gear market, especially anything that can be tabbed "vintage" whether it deserves that description or not.
I owned an Ibanez 4001 copy. Mine had pickups very close to Rickenbacker's own... so close that I suspect the previous owner dropped in real RIC pickups.
It was a fantastic bass, really. Bought it for about $500. Felt very similar to the real 4001 I got later, in terms of neck dimensions. Very good player. Sounded about the same, too, so I used it as a backup after I got my 4001. Sold it a couple years ago.
I think most of the 70s Matsumoku instruments are good. But probably not good enough to justify the prices they go for now.
It's similar with Sunn amps. Sunn Model Ts started being used in underground doom because they were built like tanks, sounded good, were loud as hell, and at the time were relatively cheap compared to vintage Marshalls and so forth.
Now, though, because everybody knows about them and wants them and there's a limited supply, it would probably cost more to get a first or second generation Sunn Model T than to get a custom clone of one built. It's absurd.
@D.M.N. and I were just talking about this.
Fortunately the Sundholm era Sunns like the 2000S are still a bit more reasonably priced, though more expensive than they used to be.
I didn't even address that fact which is why there's no longer an abundance of treasures in flea markets, pawn shops, and garage sales anymore.
Nowadays you don't need Rick from Pawn Stars to call his buddy in, you just whip out your iDroid and check ebay to see what something is worth... and since everyone on ebay is chasing an elusive big score, suddenly a garbage Sears Roebuck "Silvertone" guitar is selling for $500 coz that's what they saw on ebay, damnit.
I see it in the dumbest places, too. "Vintage clothes" are my favourite. I remember how cool thrift stores were when I was 16 (that was 1990, if we're keeping track) with the weirdest poopie you could find.. And now? Nope. It's all gone. Partially because people my age bought it already, but mostly because it goes on ebay as "vintage 1987 def leppard concert shirt, $60!"
Ebay killed treasure hunting in weird places. Then again, I also fondly remember when you could easily find cool poopie on Ebay and not just use it as a front end for Chinese importers.
Got an sb2 tribby from GC. Invalid Link Removed
I paid less than 400. I had a M2000 it was ok but active pups are not to my liking so I traded for a t-40.
I paid less than 400. I had a M2000 it was ok but active pups are not to my liking so I traded for a t-40.
Ugh, Mesa d180 Blues continues:
Just got the new silent fan and a now a cap is going, the 800 watt tiny amps are looking more and more attractive by the hour especially if they'll gel with the dark driving and the rat tail.
Just got the new silent fan and a now a cap is going, the 800 watt tiny amps are looking more and more attractive by the hour especially if they'll gel with the dark driving and the rat tail.
i was getting the bad bearing hair dryer sound from the fan and now i'm getting loud pops about every minute to minute and a half, i can get a deal on a gk fusion 800 or a quilter bass block 800, no real chance i'll be able to get a 300 watt wilkins woodstock tube head though unless i win the lottery or something
Sand it down... putty the gouges and rhino liner it...or duraliner.
Simple, cheap, looks solid.
Simple, cheap, looks solid.
I kinda dig the assy stripped down white paint job. Eyeballkid is right though -- wood filler on any really bad gouges, sand, plus some kinda roll-on liner -- would be more durable.
We put in a silent precision fan from Germany, I get the head back on Friday if it checks out, I'm going to test it at the repair place.
For recording, we had the fan on low I think. But it didn't matter really, because it was in a separate room from the cab.
For live, depending on how hot it is, I put it on high sometimes.
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