Maybe Silly Question

[Rykashu]

I'm an electric bass player, and I have recently come into possession of what I believe to be a roundback 1/4 upright. The problem is that I could not find any kind of markings to denote brand. I'm looking to sell the upright (few superficial scratches from age and transport) along with a soft case and a bow that desperately needs to be restrung, to start a fund toward an Ibanez SR706, and to do so I'm looking for how much to charge and what brand it is in the first place.

I can try to post pictures after I get my camera fixed.

[Andrew McGregor]

Brand doesn't mean very much, condition and construction does. Pictures will tell a lot of the story. Measure the string length (from nut to bridge), the body depth and width of upper and lower bouts (the two wide points). Also try and work out if the top and back are solid wood or laminated, and let us know what the silk colours on the strings are.

[Rykashu]

I had to place the floating bridge myself after reading various tutorials, give or take a few mm it should be in the correct place. The string length from nut to bridge was 35". The strings are flatwound with solid black silk.

The top bout is 18" wide and 7" deep. The bottom bout is 22" wide and 7.5" deep. It is difficult for me to determine, so I could be wrong, but I think the top and back are laminated.

[Eric Swanson]

I would take the bass to a bass luthier, have them appraise it, and, if possible, set it up.

[Rykashu]

Lugging this thing on at least a 2 hour drive out to the nearest luthier is not something I really want to have to do. I'm looking for rough estimates to sell it. The bass doesn't need set up, nor do I want to sink any money into this thing for something like that.

[Andrew McGregor]

Well, it's clearly a 1/4 size. It IS worth taking it to a luthier if it's only a 2 hour drive, as that will tell you exactly what it's worth. Your call on the setup, I'd probably leave that.

[Eric Hochberg]

Bassesonline.com has a 1/4 Wilfer for $1500. Wilfer makes good quality instruments. Without knowing what you have it's impossible to price it. Pick a number and see what happens...

[Rykashu]

I suppose I can try to get out to get it valued, and I'm still working on getting my camera back to post some pictures. It might need a new end pin (without it here in front of me I believe there is just a cap at the bottom of the assembly) there's one ding in it probably a little smaller than a dime in diameter and a few other superficial scratches around the edges of the bouts, but nothing that would affect sound. The bow needs restrung, and I have a soft case for it. Just because I don't know what I have I've been thinking about charging around $400 or so. I don't want to take too much of a loss under what I could get because I'm trying to put the money toward another electric bass, but a little bit of a loss to be able to sell it wouldn't be too bad, since I didn't put any money into it and got it for free from a relative.

[michaeln]

Since you got it for free, it would be difficult to take a loss on it unless you paid someone to haul it away.

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by Rykashu

...I have recently come into possession of what I believe to be a roundback 1/4 upright... The problem is that I could not find any kind of markings to denote brand. I'm looking to sell the upright and to do so ...I'm looking for how much to charge and what brand it is in the first place...

1/4 basses are hard to sell, because everybody outgrows them and demand is small. You might try selling it to a public school, since they have a constant turnover of students for whom that size is intended.

[Cassadie]

Originally Posted by Don Higdon

1/4 basses are hard to sell, because everybody outgrows them and demand is small. You might try selling it to a public school, since they have a constant turnover of students for whom that size is intended.

That is a really good idea. My school district (I'm assuming others are like this) doesn't even have one! We used to have one 1/4 sized bass in the entire district, but kids are so rough with them it was dropped and completely destroyed. It's really sad to watch tiny 5th grade kids try to play 3/4 size basses. Hopefully getting another small bass into your public school system will give more young kids an opportunity to play bass! You should be able to find the email for the head of a near by school districts fine arts department.

[Rykashu]

Trying the local schools is definitely a good idea to try and sell this thing.