look at what is coming from china now

[neal davis]

check this out a chinese travel bass

http://cgi.ebay.ca/3-4-new-parted-do...1%7C240%3A1318

[dchan]

So now, when your bass falls apart on you in the middle of a gig, the manufacturers can say it was supposed to come apart...eventually.

[Jsn]

Yeah, I contemplated buying one of those, if only because the price was so cheap. But the fingerboard is "ebonized", which begs the question:

if you gigged enough that you needed a bass that could break down, why would you need a crappy bass?

[Nathan Parker]

I like the wording in their sales pitch. And, I'm curious as to what it sounds like. It's almost cheap enough to buy it just to find out.

[neal davis]

hopefully they will get better, if a company like shen starts making them with a flight case I'd be interested.

[jschall84]

yeash. not with a 10 foot poll

[drurb]

Is it actually a travel bass or just a BSO supplied with "some assembly required?"

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by drurb

Is it actually a travel bass or just a BSO supplied with "some assembly required?"

LOL!!

At least they're up front about it coming apart!

[CalebWilson]

Originally Posted by Jsn

Yeah, I contemplated buying one of those, if only because the price was so cheap. But the fingerboard is "ebonized", which begs the question:

if you gigged enough that you needed a bass that could break down, why would you need a crappy bass?

You have a very good point, sir. I suppose for the novelty? People see the page and go "OMG it's liek waaai cheaper than teh other bsss i seen, and like WHOA is de-makable! I is buy nao."

And so on. I felt it necessary to use Lolspeak.

[robobass]

I wouldn't go hurling blobs of poop just yet. The photos look convincing to me, and look at the "sellers other items". It's a brand new Ebay seller, so perhaps they are offering giveaway prices just to get their products out there and build up some cred. Does it look like fine Italian luthiery? Well, no, but it might just be a decent ply bass (oxymoron?), and happen to fold and is super cheap too. We won't know until someone tries one.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by robobass

I wouldn't go hurling blobs of poop just yet. The photos look convincing to me, and look at the "sellers other items". It's a brand new Ebay seller, so perhaps they are offering giveaway prices just to get their products out there and build up some cred. Does it look like fine Italian luthiery? Well, no, but it might just be a decent ply bass (oxymoron?), and happen to fold and is super cheap too. We won't know until someone tries one.

The photos look convincing to me as well. They convince me that, given my experience, it would be risky to go near that thing. C'mon-- starting bid of $349.90? The workmanship, from what I can see, looks somewhat poor. Could I be wrong? Sure, but I wouldn't be the one to try and find out and I wouldn't recommend to any of my DB friends that they try either. As I see it, the design changes and extra hardware required to make the bass "portable" could only add to the cost. Suppose they weren't there. How seriously would you take a ply bass from China, from an unknown maker, starting at $349.90? Yes, it's possible that it could be a rare find but I'd go with the a priori odds.

[Jsn]

Originally Posted by robobass

I wouldn't go hurling blobs of poop just yet. The photos look convincing to me, and look at the "sellers other items". It's a brand new Ebay seller, so perhaps they are offering giveaway prices just to get their products out there and build up some cred. Does it look like fine Italian luthiery? Well, no, but it might just be a decent ply bass (oxymoron?), and happen to fold and is super cheap too. We won't know until someone tries one.

Well, I corresponded with the manufacturer, and did some research. This is their entry-level model (ebonized fingerboard), with a bolting setup added. You can upgrade to an ebony board for $44 extra, but that doesn't exactly take it out of the CCB class.

I'll pass.

[Ed Fuqua]

I always wonder how they handle the soundpost issue, as well as bridge placement...

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

I always wonder how they handle the soundpost issue, as well as bridge placement...

I figure one could have markings for the bridge position. As for the sound post, they could just nail it in.

[EggyToast]

Originally Posted by drurb

The photos look convincing to me as well. They convince me that, given my experience, it would be risky to go near that thing. C'mon-- starting bid of $349.90? The workmanship, from what I can see, looks somewhat poor. Could I be wrong? Sure, but I wouldn't be the one to try and find out and I wouldn't recommend to any of my DB friends that they try either. As I see it, the design changes and extra hardware required to make the bass "portable" could only add to the cost. Suppose they weren't there. How seriously would you take a ply bass from China, from an unknown maker, starting at $349.90? Yes, it's possible that it could be a rare find but I'd go with the a priori odds.

I'm not defending the bass, but you do typically get much more money by starting auctions (for which there is some demand) as low as possible. There have been statistical studies -- items listed for 1¢ sell for more than those listed close to their average ending value.

It makes sense when you think about it, even if it doesn't at first glance. If you intend to sell something, you do best by getting more buyers looking at it. If your item usually sells for $500, anyone looking at it for less than $500 will think "this item is a deal, I should at least keep my eye on it." You end up with a lot more interested parties, which results in bidding wars ;D

I do it whenever I sell anything on eBay. I even end up selling things that I purchased on eBay a year prior for about 10% more than what I paid -- in essence, "renting for free."

That being said, that says nothing about the quality of whatever you're selling. I would bet dollars to donuts that this bass is targeted at travelin' 'billy players who just want a cheap bass they can surf on.

[Nagrom]

"I always wonder how they handle the soundpost issue, as well as bridge placement..."

I don't think they've got there yet in the old planning department.

[John Wentzien]

+1---- I'm going to ask them and see if I get a reply on the sound post issue.

[Ed Fuqua]

Originally Posted by drurb

I figure one could have markings for the bridge position. As for the sound post, they could just nail it in.

The Charton bass does use a sort of smallish "peg and hole" for bridge placenent and some way of almost permanently affixing (again some sort of small peg protuberance on post or bass that fits into a corresponding space in the bass or post).

[Steve Killingsworth]

Originally Posted by robobass

I wouldn't go hurling blobs of poop just yet. The photos look convincing to me, and look at the "sellers other items". It's a brand new Ebay seller, so perhaps they are offering giveaway prices just to get their products out there and build up some cred. Does it look like fine Italian luthiery? Well, no, but it might just be a decent ply bass (oxymoron?), and happen to fold and is super cheap too. We won't know until someone tries one.

So what do you see Rob?

[drurb]

Originally Posted by EggyToast

That being said, that says nothing about the quality of whatever you're selling. I would bet dollars to donuts that this bass is targeted at travelin' 'billy players who just want a cheap bass they can surf on.

...and that, after all, is the issue.