Would you buy a bass just because it looks killer?

[Barklessdog]

I love it and its great to collect "kitsch" items like old tin robots, TV's & such. Very cool.

[Pilgrim]

Ahhhhhhhhhh....the essence of cold war technology!

[ilan]

They sent a man to orbit before the US because they didn't waste time on coil bobbins and such  

[Dave W]

I've never seen one like that before! Still, the principle is the same as a conventional looking coil wrapped around magnets like the original Melody Maker and Thunderbird pickups.

[chromium]

Would those be considered scatterwound?   

I like the looks of it too- the neck kinda reminds me of a Framus Star, body resembles a Hofner Verithin, and if I squint I see a wildwood finish!  That paint job is cool.   

[patman]

kinda scary when you realize that vacuum tubes produced by the same technology are probably controlling all the nukes.

[ilan]

I have to admit to buying a couple of basses before just for their looks. That was the case with my EB2C which was hands-down the best looking bass I have ever owned, but I never liked its sound, and my Gretsch 6070 which I bought without even bothering to plug in, and turned out to be a great sounding instrument.

As for the Orfeus, I have a spare SD Hot Rails pickup, if the original pickups turn out sounding bad, I'll hide modern pickups under the Orfeus covers. It's a hollowbody so no drilling will be involved. While I'm at it I'll probably install new pots. I've done this once on an old ES335 - the whole harness goes through the f-hole.

[Basshappi]

That is a cool looking bass! I might have a hard time resisting buying something that looked like that!

[Saf]

Did you buy it, great taste. have seen one for sale a while back at the german ebay and have long hassitated to weather of not buy it.

It's a fantastic looking paint. Nex time I'll see one and the price is right I'll buy it.

I envy you!

[Psycho Bass Guy]

kinda scary when you realize that vacuum tubes produced by the same technology are probably controlling all the nukes.

That's not a bad thing. Tube computers don't get the blue screen of death. 

Seriously though, tubes were never in the control computers, except maybe CRT displays. They are/were in the guidance systems of the missiles themselves. OUR missiles still used tubes until 1993.  Know why? It took over 40 years to design solid state electronics that could stand up to the high G strain and still work properly.

[Denis]

I just did.

Bought this Soviet-era Bulgarian piece of crap only because I absolutely LOVE the art deco paint job.

What is wrong with me?

I like it!

[exiledarchangel]

There was a guitar model. Look at disassembled pickup... scary. Who needs a bobbin anyway?

http://sovietguitar.narod.ru/xebrosguitar.htm

So it is a "blade" pickup. Or better, a "triple cube" pickup.

[SKATE RAT]

are those rubber band holdin' yer cubes?

[exiledarchangel]

I don't think it's just rubber band, must be some alien technology soviets found outside and keep it secret from the western world to use it on weapons of mass destruction. Then something gone wrong and put that on that bass.

Someone must misplaced "mass" for "bass" I think.

[Dave W]

Looks like twine to me. Probably the same sort you find on early Tele pickups.

As long as the north pole of those magnets points toward the strings, the pickup should work fine; whether or not it sounds good is another matter.