OK Graeme, here goes:
I was recording bass parts for my 1st album ever (Days by the band Peter Pan) in a studio that was to be liquidated soon as the entire builing was to be brought down. There was a kind of a back room used as a storing place and I lurked there out of couriosity. I noticed that huuuge hardshell case, definitely roadworthy. I thought there were some keyboards inside and I asked Michal - the owner of the studio and the recording engineer - about it. He replied it was a bass so of course I got all excited and asked him if I could look inside. I could so I did and I think you've guessed what I saw :-) I was amazed because I've always loved Japanese basses from late 70s/early 80s - Ibanez Musicians, Yamaha BBs, Daions and, of course Arias. Unfortunately the Aria was in pretty sad shape - one of the tuning machines was falling apart, one of the bridge saddles was missing and, as it later occurred, none of the pots would work. However, the bass itself worked and when plugged in, it gave a beautiful sound, a bit old-school, athough definitely crying for new set of strings and a decent shielding job. Michal told me he knew the owner of the bass who had left it there about a year before and hadn't collected it since then. As the studio was to be closed, I suggested to Michal that I could take care of the bass if its owner didn't contact him and collect it before closing the studio. Unfortunately, the owner did call Michal... but then he didn't collect the bass. Michal had to take the Aria home and keep it in it huge and horribly heavy case in a cramped cellar in the basement of a block of flats where he lived. However, he gave me the owner's phone number. Of course, I gave the guy a call. It occurred he knew nearly nothing about the Aria and had no idea how good an instrument it was (or rather would be after a proper restoration). He had bought it for pennies and was toying with the idea of restoring it. He asked me to call him within a month. Of course, I did. He then told me he didn't have the time to restore it so he could sell it to me... So I bought it. For an equivalent of... $190!!!
I later had a luthier repaire the pots and make a new bridge saddle and I bought new tuners which I installed myself. Counting all that, this very good bass, a rare instrument with a personality, cost me an equivalent of about $260... And I've already used it to record 3 songs for Satellite's next album :-) The only things that still need to be done are replacement knobs (originals are nowhere to be found) and pickup coil switches. And a better setup. But otherwise, it's a sweet instrument!
Guess I got lucky :-)
(Message edited by basstard on September 05, 2008)
