Aria SB600, my first SB. . . . . . . . .

Well, it did snow - quite a lot, so not going out today!

Decided to go through some of my shots, delete the worst and
sort out the best. I still struggle with the photography.
Anyway, sat in front of a warm fire, I thought I might as well
carry on, so two entries in 2 days!

As you are probably now realising, I have a thing for well made
Japanese basses and guitars.
This was my first SB. I suppose I should have done it first but
some of the pics were not too good, so were binned.
These, I think, are much better and because it is such a cracker
this one also gets multiple shots.

Aria SB600, fixed neck.







This one came with it's original shaped case and I was quite excited
when I collected it, my first "SB". I had other Arias, in various
guises but not a single pick-up, natural grained SB.
The wood on this one has a lovely grain, front and back and the
set neck is very well put together.
There was also a bolt on version of the 600.





I was really pleased with it and after a dust off and clean up,
slapped some new strings on it and we were away.
Sounded really great and I fancied myself as a real 80's bass
player, until after a while, my thumb on my right hand started to
hurt quite a bit, after several days of some fairly inaccurate slapping.
I have got slightly better at it since then but I will never be Mark
King or any of the other great players that make that style of playing
look so easy! How do they do that? My thumb didn't fully recover
for several days!!!



I originally put Rotosound strings on it but after some time, I
changed them for Stadium Elites, after having a go on a friends
Jazz - they were quite bright and I thought they would really
suit the bass. It worked, much brighter and snappier, well
suited to the bass and because of that I fitted a lot of basses with
Elites, for some time after that.

Now, there are quite a few Aria's to go, both guitars and basses
but I have to admit. . . . . . . the single pick-up SB's are so difficult
to tell apart! The SB1000, is different but the SB R-60 and Elite 1,
with the same strings on. . . . . . . . very hard to tell.

Aria made so many models that were very close in spec, it is sometimes
difficult to work out the differences.
I think I may have put this link in before, it is Graeme Fyfe's excellent
site, all about Aria SB's. Top man, very interesting.
http://www.prog.rockers.co.uk/aria.htm

I will come back with more Aria, another time - next up will be my
Guild B301 Fretless, a Black Beauty with old school black tape strings.
Very double bass, very Jazz. Mmmm, nice!

Still snowing a bit, off to stoke the fire up!

Cheers. :)

Ibanez Musician MC924DS. . . . . .

Friday again and it's freezing outside!! Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!

This one has been a bit of a mystery to me - I have an MC924,
which is what most people associate with when you mention
Ibanez Musician Bass.



When I saw this, I couldn't believe the condition on it - you would
see worse in a music shop, after it had be on and off the hanger a
dozen times. I couldn't resist it!





I have not listed it up to now, as to be honest, I wasn't sure what
it was and have left it, hoping to find out more.
I have once again referred to a higher authority (thanks again)
and now found out that this bass is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
an MC924! Huh?
Yes, same model number different bass, different era.
This is actually a MC924DS, which it the Dark Stained finish.



This is as it left the factory and reminds me why so many pro players
of the late 70's and 1980's, swapped over to the likes of Ibanez and Aria.
Beautifully made.
It is active, with the circuit actually in the pick-up but it is not as a 3 band
boost and cut, more of a crisp volume and tone control.
Really nice to play but I have never gigged it, fearing I will be the first
to put a ding into it, after surviving 25 years without a mark.

This one deserves four photographs!



Right, as snow is on the way, it's time to wrap up well and
prepare for the winter.

Brrrrrrrrrrr! :)

See you next week.

Cheers. :)

Status Shark & SB 70. . . . . .

Hi to all you visitors.

I have just dropped in for a late afternoon post, as curiosity
has got the better of me.
I have recently had searches arriving for SB 70 and also
for Status Shark - about 8 of these in the last couple of days.
I wonder what is creating the interest - visits from Norway,
Greece, England, USA and France.

Gone a bit quiet on the e.mail front, so if any of you fancy
dropping me a line, ping me a message and I'll get back to you.

contactflateric@gmail.com

Back at the end of the week with another Ibanez.

Cheers. :)

Columbus Telecaster Bass. . . . .

This was added to the collection, purely for nostalgic reasons.



In the 70's, most of the small town music shops had a fairly good
selection of copies, as the real thing was very expensive.
These were CSL, Antoria, Sumbro, Kimbara, CMI, Grant, Columbus
and quite a few others, that ranged from not bad at all to ermm. . .
not too good.
One of the more common ones was Columbus and someone I knew
had one of these.



He was about 10 years older than me and was in a band doing covers
of Stones, Quo, T Rex, Slade etc - not gigging, just getting together once
a week, so I used to pop down to see them.
I was always allowed a quick go, while he went out for a break and it
stuck with me, so when I spotted this one, I just had to have it.

I have no intention of playing it live, it is just a play-thing, which being
shorter scale, is easy to sit down and noodle on.
It is really quite playable and has a really nice sound to it but the look
of it and the memories it brings back, are more important.

This is one of the boys at work - this is the other Studio bass I have,
who had a very successful outing on Friday.




This one is the mate to the one I have already listed and both have
some great sounds and a great feel, although they are slightly heavier
than your average bass, they balance nicley and are very comfortable
to play.
A good night out.

Until the next time. . . . .

Cheers. :)

Gordy Headless Bass. . . . . . .

You don't see many of these - in fact, I had never seen one until this

turned up for sale, a couple of years ago.

I had no idea what it would be like when it arrived - tried to find out
something about it but without any luck - Google "Gordy" and you get
details and images of all the people in the world called "Gordon"!!






So, when it arrived, I had a completely open mind about it, no
preconceptions no reviews, no comparisons. . . . Nothing.

Picked it up, gave it the "once over" and my first thoughts were how
well it was made, real quality and the fretwork is as good as I have ever seen.

The strings on it were VERY light, which at the time was not something I was

used to, as my usual preference is around 40 - 100.

Sat down, had a quick go - unplugged and found it so easy to play - thin

gauge strings encouraged a bit of bending, which is something I never

normally do - smiles all round.

When I did get round to plugging it in, smiles turned into frowns!

Nothing, dead! Bah - either there is something major here or we need a
new battery!

Battery installed, plugged in - WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was certainly a VERY powerful beast! It had a big punch to it, a lot of
depth plenty of brightness and loads of tone.

Put it on a strap, stood up - balanced perfectly and felt very light - just the job!

The strings were getting on a bit, so I ordered some of the same gauge,
having found that I liked the feel of them on that particular bass.

After fitting them, it sounded even better.

In a few words. . . a Cracking Bass!!

As I said, I know very little about it - from what I have found out, Gordy was
Gordon Witham and was originally part of Gordon Smith, who have been
making guitars for many years and are still very active.

http://www.gordonsmithguitars.com/

I think it's a mid to late 80's and from what little I have found, they were very
expensive at the time - mainly used by pro bass players when in that era,
loads of players went headless.

Since I have had mine, I have only seen one other and the only image I
can find of it, is from the back, in a very tasteful red.



If you ever come across one, it would be well worth a second look
and I'd seriously doubt you would see another one, in the flesh,
for a very long time.

Back next week with something Japanese.

Cheers. :)

contactflateric@gmail.com

Ibanez Studio SB-70 - Aha!!. . . . . . .

Hi.

Quick lunchtime post - I have now found out why there has been
so much interest in my Ibanez Studio SB-70.

I was put on to this little beauty, which has just sold in the USA.
This is what mine would have looked like, when it was new.







The one above, is not mine. . . . . . . . .

This is mine!!




What a difference!!

Cheers. :)

Back to the begining. . . . . . .

Sunday morning, steaming coffee and just checking e.mails and
related stuff.

I have read though some of my older posts this morning - nice to
revisit them - remind me of the guitars I have listed already and
noticed a couple of spelling mistakes and "grama-tickle" errors!! :)

Hey, Ho that's how they are and that's how they will stay!

It's great to see new visitor's and how they found me, so to all you
new visitors out there, Hi - Welcome. :)

You are probably here as fellow collecting/playing enthusiasts or
landed here on a search for something in particular.
If you are looking to acquire a bass or guitar, that is the same as I have,
I'm always happy to answer questions, honestly - not everything I have
is "Stunning" or "Out of this World".

You may be looking for an instrument you haven't seen here - I may have
one, just haven't listed it yet - there is still a long was to go and as I have
bought a couple more, over the last few months, may be never ending!! :)
Drop me a line and I will try and accelerate it to the top of the list.
I could pretty much evaluate and describe an instrument, within a day or
two - dig it out and have a go but the thing that holds me back is the task
of taking good/reasonable images. Must try harder!! :)

Would be great to here from you - perhaps you have something that you
have seen on my list, I would be interested in your opinion and could
probably use your comments as reference.
contactflateric@gmail.com

So, as I have been looking back, perhaps you would like to.
If you want to read this from the start and read towards today, shouldn't take
too long, as some of the earlier posts were a bit thin on the ground.
Click on the link and it will take you back to day one.

http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.com/2009/10/seems-like-good-place-to-start.html

Right, off to get another coffee, see you all next week.

Cheers. :)

Speedster "Travels" a long way. . . . . .

Well, bit bleary eyed today - lunchtime and I've been up for nearly

9 hrs, already! Yawn!

I was going to come to this one a bit later on but things moved on

a bit quicker than I thought and as I am typing this, the Speedster

has probably already travelled about 1700 miles!!

It will be spending the next six months, sailing around the Caribbean

on the worlds largest cruise liner, so by the time it gets back, it will

be a Well travelled. . . . . Traveller!

It has gone with an MP3 Tascam and a small lead, in a suitcase!

I only got to play with for about half an hour but in that time I had a
lot of fun, with what is a serious instrument and not a toy.

Some great design features and to be honest, would be good enough

to gig, if you wanted to travel light.

The pic is from the net, as I didn't have time to get a shot of it but as

it is a "Travel Guitar", I'll see if I can get some shots sent to me, on

it's travels around the Caribbean seas!

Have a look at this - wouldn't love to spend a couple of weeks on board?
http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/image.php?ship=oasis

Back to dear old Blighty!!

Took my Greco Rickenbacker, often referred to as "Rickenfaker", to

rehearsals, last night, after having a string change.

What a difference it made!!

It was quite bright and punchy before but a new set of Picato strings

has brought out it's true character - both pick-ups on, front one backed

off, just a little, tones full up - Mmm, Nice!

I haven't got any photos of it but will try and get some sorted, as it is

a great looker as well as being a great player.

For my final comment - my live feed widget thing seems to be indicating
that there are several searches for "Ibanez Studio SB70".
I guess there may be one of for sale, somewhere.
Well to all those who might be interested in one, if you get it, I'm sure you
won't be disappointed - mine is, ermm, "Well used" but is still a cracker.
Go on, have a go - you know you want to. :)

Back next time with the "Unusual" thing I was going to do!

Cheers. :)

contactflateric@gmail.com

Peavey T-40 - Again? Oh, yes . . . . . . .

More T-40 - Well, why not?

Plenty more to come but all in good time. :)

This a 1979 Toaster and has a lovely warm tone, both on the single

coils and on the Humbucker, which fattens up the sound as it is brought

into play, at 7 on the dial.

I pull this out when I start to feel all "Vintage" and do "walking bass"
on it and anything that is a bit old school.

The older ones are more Slab Bodied than the later blade type T-40, so

is a bit like comparing an old Slab Precision to the the later contoured type.

This one is in great condition for something that is over 30 years old and

the body is one of the more rare "Three Piecer" T-40's.

There is a T-40 that I know of, which in my opinion, must be very rare.
This has a very large centre section, which I have never seen before and
belongs to a fellow enthusiast, who was happy to let me use his excellent
photos. Thanks Jon - top shots, a very good example of an early Forty.





As you can see, the centre section on Jon's is much wider than
on mine - nice piece of timber! :)

If any visitors know of another like this one, I'd love to see it.

Before I go, I will leave you with a little tip. Make sure the Jack
is pushed well home into the socket!

I took an 85 Musician out, the other night, which I haven't played
for some time, as it is MINT and I don't fancy putting the first ding
into the old fella!
Pushed the Jack in, all the way, or so I thought - pushed the other
end into the amp and got nothing. :( Fiddled around, still nothing!
Now you know one of those moments when you go "all hot" and you
start to think the worst?? . . . . . . I had one of those.
Battery was not that old - immediate thought was that the circuit
had gone and was going to be a bit of a nightmare to sort.
Fortunately, I had taken another bass to rehearsals, so plugged that
in quickly, before everyone else arrived - result!

Spent all night worrying about it and most of the following day.
Plugged in into a little practice amp, still nothing!!!!!!!
Took the Jack out, pushed in harder - bingo!
Felt like a bit of a Muppet!
To be fair, for some reason on that bass, you have to push it really firmly.

You live and learn. :)

Back next time, with something a bit different, rare, British and headless!


Cheers. :)

contactflateric@gmail.com

Kimbara, from under the bed. . . . .

This is a Kimbara Ripper Copy - the only one I have ever seen

in the flesh, so to speak

I remember having a go on a Gibson Grabber, years ago, when I
was playing mostly guitar and thinking what an ungainly beast it was.

The Grabber had a sliding pick-up, the same sort of idea that
The Rail uses. Move the pick-up and change the tone.
http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-rails.html

The Ripper was different - it had two fixed pick-ups and a rotary switch.

I've had this for some time and gigged it last year, in drop D for a couple

of numbers we were doing at the time.

It has a good range of sounds and it surprisingly comfortable to play.

Balances nicely, just the right weight, nice neck.

The back pick-up is very slightly microphonic but not noticeable when
playing live and with the rotary in the "both pick-up" selection gives a
big, full sound, ideal for the songs we were doing.

This was described to me as "lived under the bed for years" and as

such was "almost as new"

Deal was done and I was going to be in the area, so I went to collect.

I was a bit surprised when I was shown towards a brick built
toilet/shed, at the bottom of the garden but was soon assured that it
was only in there as they were moving house.

It was summer, so no huge worries.

As the door opened into this 8 x 6 room, there was a full Trace rig,
all plugged in and ready to go, with the bass leaning against it.

WOW, it really is in good nick! Quick play and I was on my way.

Apart from seeing loads of "Kimbara" in a local music shop,
"when I were a nipper" they are not as common as some of the
other brands.

From memory, these were imported by FCN and according to the
only information I can find and from some help from a fellow enthusiast
from the fine City of Edinburgh, were probably made by Matsumoku.

The Kimbara shares a lot of features with some of the Aria range,
so it may have been made by them, in the earlier days.

This one is a neck through and is very similar in quality, to early Aria.

Would love to hear from anyone who has one of these.

Back next time with something a bit rare and a bit unusual,
which is what I really like.

Cheers. :)

contactflateric@gmail.com 

If you have landed on this page and you want to go to the 
latest post, go here:
Latest post. 

"Chalky" The Forty. . . . . .

Meet Chalky!

He is a 1983, Blade T-40, who after living with me for some time,
may be leaving home, so I thought before he went on his travels,
I had better photograph and document him.



Chalky is very slightly different to some of my other blades.
The phase switch also doubles up as a coil selector for the
rear pick-up, which means there is a subtle difference in
tone between the one nearest to the bridge and the one nearer
to the neck.
Chalky's coil nearer to the neck is more powerful than the other,
which gives a slightly different range of sounds from the norm.
I have another one that is almost the same and from enquiries,
there was no exact science to pick-up winding and this was from
Chip Todd, one of the fathers of the "T" range.
The "T" in T-40, T-60, stands for Todd, so he should know.

The front pick-up is very powerful and blending in a few options,
gives all sorts of tones.



All in all, a typical T-40 with subtle differences.

I'll come back next time with a '79 Natural, that has just come back
from a long term loan.

Cheers. :)