firewood or Bass?

bleepo · #1 12-23-2004, 07:23 AM

In my local paper, there is a Palatino for $80(usd)... I know they're frowned upon, and I know why. I've come across cheap BG's that were little more than firewood with some non-flammable parts. I've been playing BG for the last decade,and I wanna learn something new. I know that what I really want, and what isn't a good choice. But $80? (there's also an un-named plywood for $500cdn)

Matt Ides · #2 12-23-2004, 07:26 AM

Palatino

Just say no. It will cost you more down the road if you learn with that thing.

bleepo · #3 12-23-2004, 07:33 AM

I should note that the second I can access a real DB, i will... This might just hold me a month or three.

Matt Ides · #4 12-23-2004, 07:42 AM

IMO you would be better off waiting the three months and getting an instrument that you can actually play.

I have played the Palatinos before and it ain't no picnic. This was after a few years of playing.

They have super fat necks, wide ass shoulder, 0% sustain.

Yes, some people report of some sucess with them, they are in the very small minority.

If it is a money issue, just save for a few more months.

I would say if you are itching to play look into a rental for the time being.

TenorClef · #5 12-23-2004, 07:57 AM

For $80 i'd buy it, as long as it worked. Sure it might be a piece of crap but at least it'll give you an idea of the feel and mexhanics involved in playing the DB until you can afford a real one. Don't buy it though if it needs any work at all.

John Sprague · #6 12-23-2004, 09:46 AM

I would buy it, shine it up, eBay it for $300, and take my wife out for a nice dinner.

Frank Louis · #7 12-23-2004, 09:48 AM

Use it on a Rockabilly gig, you can spin it around, stand on it,
jump on it, and when it breaks you pour lighter fluid . . . well, you get the idea!

godoze · #8 12-23-2004, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Sprague

I would buy it, shine it up, eBay it for $300, and take my wife out for a nice dinner.

Great minds think alike...

except i wouldn't take my wife out to dinner...

Ed Fuqua · #9 12-23-2004, 10:12 AM

Oh I don't know.

CENSOREDO - do you play much, have you played much? The reason I ask is that, even for $80, the bass needs to be NO IMPEDIMENT to playing. If you buy it for $80 and have to put a bunch more money into it to get it playable, you 'll be better off in the long run getting a good bass from jump.

If you buy it for $80 and don't put any money into it AND it has setup problems/bad sound/ high tension/ high action/ etc. then you are sitting on an instrument that is NOT going to be fun to play, WILL have to be overcome every time you pick up the bass AND may be a contributing factor to developing bad/harmful technique (just to get a sound out of the bass). I mean, whoever is selling it for $80 isn't doing that because it has given them joy, right?

If you play a lot, play the bass and assess how much you are going to WANT to play the bass every day. How much effort it will take to play the bass every day. If you don't play a lot, you aren't going to be able to make an accurate assessment so you'll need to take somebody along who CAN.

If somebody was selling a car for $80 and you weren't a mechanic, it's the same deal. Take along somebody who knows the score.

godoze · #10 12-23-2004, 10:13 AM

ah, the voice of reason soundeth...

KSB - Ken Smith · #11 12-23-2004, 11:48 AM

Even if it was for free, you might have to spen thousands to get it to play well. Many of these cheaper Basses have the neck Set in the wrong place making the Bass hard to play of even Un-playable. A good Fingerboard job, new bridge, strings and set-up can easily run over 2K.

You get what you pay for......

Would you buy a car worth 15oo that needs 3ooo to get it working.. Look at the bass and do the math.......Make sure you have it evaulated by someone that knows and understands the things I have just mentioned...

AMJBASS · #12 12-23-2004, 12:11 PM

I'd take it for $80. You could easily sell it for 100. They aren't very good basses, but some of them aren't that bad. I played a couple gigs with one in the spring and it was ok.

Chasarms · #13 12-23-2004, 12:23 PM

I'll take it for 80 bucks.

Wait for the first snow, carry that puppy to the top of the hill and, well, you get the rest.

I hope the Mrs. has the video camera ready. It's something I've always dreamed of trying. I used to ride a hood from a '50 GMC PU when I was a kid. This should be at least as fun.

Brent Norton · #14 12-23-2004, 12:26 PM

This thread reminds me I need to get on the ball in locating an old Roth fiberglass bass... Daddy needs a new shop sign.

Wil Davis · #15 12-23-2004, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

…<snip>
I mean, whoever is selling it for $80 isn't doing that because it has given them joy, right?
<snip>…

Not necessarily - check out "The Red Corvette" (John McCutcheon - Water fom Another Time) …a cautionary tale!

- Wil

Marcus Johnson · #16 12-23-2004, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasarms

I'll take it for 80 bucks.

Wait for the first snow, carry that puppy to the top of the hill and, well, you get the rest.

I hope the Mrs. has the video camera ready. It's something I've always dreamed of trying. I used to ride a hood from a '50 GMC PU when I was a kid. This should be at least as fun.

How about whitewater rafting? I'm thinking my legs would fit nicely into the C-bouts. I could use my inactive early '80s Steinberger as a paddle.

hdiddy · #17 12-23-2004, 12:53 PM

For $80 I'd buy it and then...
1) Do the rockabilly thing and learn to slap with it/beat the hell out of it
2) Strip it and refinish it for practice as a learning experience so I can refinish my main bass.
3) Get a bass lutheiry book and attempt to fix it up myself as a learning experience - just for fun. Oooh... I would love to learn how to fiddle with the soundpost. Who cares if it gets screwed up?
4) If it ends up exploding, cannabalize it and make and EUB out of it. Either that or a cd case... like that one strad cello that almost bit the dust.

By no means would I pay for a luthier to fix it up. It'd be my beater bass or hapless victim for experiments. However, if it's just going to eventually sit in a corner and collect dust (which is likely in my current situation), I'd skip it.

Chasarms · #18 12-23-2004, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

How about whitewater rafting? I'm thinking my legs would fit nicely into the C-bouts. I could use my inactive early '80s Steinberger as a paddle.

Considering your locale, it may be your best option. I'm guessing you guys don't get much snow.

I'm sure there's enough polyester sprayed on it to make it waterproof.

**Damon Rondeau** · #19 12-23-2004, 01:46 PM

One thing you should consider is that many legit luthiers simply won't work on 'em. Stamp your feet all you want, but many luthiers find them to be more pain than they are worth.

I've worked on a couple of these things. Forget about the rockabilly/slap/spin thing with one of these puppies, unless you put a bunch of work into reinforcement. The neck will fall off if you look at it sideways (seriously -- I've been there), or something at a similar degree of shocking catastrophe will occur.

About the only thing I'd say this deal has going for it is the extreme cheapness of the asking price. Surely somebody would pay a couple hundred for a "real standup bass". Eighty is ridiculously crazy cheap. It might pay to buy it and flip it for that dinner-sized profit. No work done to it all, just turn it around.

Good karma in a move like that? You make the call...

Marcus Johnson · #20 12-23-2004, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasarms

Considering your locale, it may be your best option. I'm guessing you guys don't get much snow.

I'm sure there's enough polyester sprayed on it to make it waterproof.

Well, we have this;http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com/Mk/

At the end of the day's sliding, you could always sacrifice the bass to the fire goddess Pele.