Worth fixing?

GeneralElectric · #1 06-03-2009, 01:16 AM

The guy doesn't know the maker of the bass, but its less than $400. What he says...

Quote:

-its a fully acoustic bass with built in electronics
-painted glossy black
-its a 4/4 full size
-has an adjustable bridge
-comes with a bag and bow
-has a pickup and jack installed into the bass, including a battery compartment (for a preamp i guess), volume and tone controls, on/off switch.
-steel strings
-it doesnt play. the neck is bowed a little bit and the strings wont work on frets above the body of the bass. it sounds good below that point. but it seems like it will need a new fingerboard, its sanded down. the neck seems ok over all, minus the bow, tho there is a small stress crack in the paint by the butt of neck.

The finger board has been painted black and has worn through to the wood on the E and A strings. I'm guessing that this was once a rockabilly bass. The electronics routes look extremely clean so its either a factory job or someone professional did it. I won't be using the pickup most likely.

Attached is the picture of the crack. I'm too broke to afford anything better right now, and I can't get myself down to Conneticut to get an Upton. I figure I'd pour some money into this to make it playable, get my chops up, and save for a nicer bass.

I miss upright bass so much I'll get almost anything at this point. So unless someone has an extra they'll give me on permanent loan, this is it.

Tony F · #2 06-03-2009, 05:45 AM

I know how it feels to be bassless, I was without a bass for four years when my old bass was destroyed while moving to the USA. Hurts, doesn't it?

So although I can see the reason this might be attractive on a tight budget, I'd advise against it. This bass won't make you happy, and you'll spend as much fixing it as buying it. At the end of all that, you'll have spent $800 on a bass that you could have bought new from eBay for $600. (New, but terrible, that is.) And you don't want a 4/4 size bass anyway. The best that could be said for this instrument is that it could keep a family warm for a few winter nights...

Last week I had some work done by my local luthier, and he showed me a Kay M1 bass that he picked up recently for resale "as is". It's scruffy and chipped, but it's a pretty decent bass and he's going to install bridge adjusters before he sells it for $800. The reason I'm telling you this is that there are some bargains to be found if you can just stay patient and focused. I came very close to throwing what little money I had at an eBay monster made from Kleenex and spit, but the right bass came along at the right time and now I'm happy.

So in answer to your question, I'd say No.

Cheers,

Tony

MDEbass · #3 06-03-2009, 07:59 AM

I'd have to agree with Tony. For this money, I would rather save it and wait a little longer until you can invest in a decent bass. I mean, it's your call, but I don't really think that this bass would be worth it.

Gary Lynch · #4 06-03-2009, 07:59 AM

"and I can't get myself down to Conneticut to get an Upton"

Upton will send it to you. ;o)

GeneralElectric · #5 06-03-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Lynch

"and I can't get myself down to Conneticut to get an Upton"

Upton will send it to you. ;o)

That I didn't know. Now I have an excuse to save up two grand. However, the way things are going, it'll be several years until I'll be able to get everything together.

I spent all my money on equipment for my slabs and now I've got a lot of great basses I'm happy with, but now my hours are cut and I can't afford to keep up the bass addiction.

I suppose I could always sell something...

Dave Whitla · #6 06-03-2009, 12:36 PM

The way that neck looks and from what's described of the fingerboard, you'd be lucky to get it playable for anywhere near the 400 you'd pay for it. Unless you have a good luthier near you who'll cut you a deal...
More likely it'd end up being a money pit.

Upton or something similar is a good way to go. My 2 cents would be to save that little bit more (wait longer

) and buy a hybrid rather than a laminate. It's a big jump in sound with a (relatively) small jump in price.

longfinger · #7 06-03-2009, 01:01 PM

I saw your current set up list.... wow! you have lot of gear!

You live in New York city? There are so many bass shops and used private sales going on there, why settle for a broken bass?

How about visiting Ideal music in person?
http://www.bassesonline.com/index.html
They have basses for plys $950 and hyrbids for $995. You can actually see them in person and walk away with one if you wanted to.

Also check out the classifieds in Talkbass, I think there are people near you selling their bass. I see this bass you asked about on the NY Craiglist, but there are also many non broken basses as well.
By all means, see the bass in person, since it's local, but take your time and shop around. You can even go with the owner to a luthier and get an estimate for repairs, which the owner needs to know if he wants to sell it. But don't buy anything until you've checked a lot of places and a lot of basses.

Yes, it may be time to sell some of the instruments/amps you don't play... :-(
However, it's never really a good time to buy a instrument that so poorly made that you don't want to play it. What's the point in that?

tomshepp · #8 06-03-2009, 01:23 PM

I checked it too. When I bought my New Standard LaScala, I sold a 68' Tele bass, a 68' Guild Starfire II,(find another) a 92' Musicman Fretless Ray and a bunch of other stuff. I have absolutely no regrets selling what I did to get a good DB. And I'll bet that the folks who bought my basses, will tell you they're all very good..... keepers so to speak. You have 11 fenders!? You should be able to move some stuff for a bass that will serve you and your music well, right from the start. MHO.

MDEbass · #9 06-03-2009, 01:41 PM

Yeah....I hate to say it, but maybe sell a couple of your slabs? I can probably bet that having a decent DB will do you more good than a couple out of many EBs in your arsenal.

fdeck · #10 06-03-2009, 05:59 PM

Maybe it's just me, but I don't like painted basses. I know that in the world of electric basses, factories such as Fender sorted their wood supplies and used the lower grades of material for painted bodies.

Also, I have never seen a painted bass (save for some custom air brush jobs) except for the absolute bottom line instruments on eBay.

If you buy this bass, you are taking a chance that you can turn a cheap bass into a cheap bass for $400 plus some unknown additional amount. I would consider ordering a ply bass sight-unseen from a reputable dealer to be a lower risk. You know the drill, Upton, Shen, Christoper, did I forget anybody?

longfinger · #11 06-03-2009, 06:43 PM

I re-looked at your current setup list... all your gear seems like quality stuff. Those Martin guitars can be more expensive than a new double bass.. Those Fenders are real good basses.... real sweet gear. However, the double bass you are looking at is fairly crappy, even unbroken, it's likely similar to a no-name electric bass you'd buy for $140. You don't seem to be into collecting crappy stuff, so why start now?

Take a pass....

BTW, do you actively play all those instruments?

RDW · #12 06-03-2009, 09:34 PM

Quote:

How about visiting Ideal music in person?
http://www.bassesonline.com/index.html
They have basses for plys $950 and hyrbids for $995. You can actually see them in person and walk away with one if you wanted to.

+1000. I got a ply Eberle from Steve at Ideal and am extremely happy with the instrument. Purchased mine sight unseen and got a great bass shipped with no problems. And you have the advantage of not paying for shipping and the opportunity to choose your own in person. A few $hundred in setup (fingerboard/nut dress, bridge mod + adjusters, steel cable tailpiece, and new endpin) and it plays great.

If you're close enough to go and choose your own Eberle, I'd highly recommend one. I think they're $850 without the rough setup Ideal provides.

Try a few out, get rid of 1-2 other instruments, and I don't think you can go wrong. After Nick Lloyd's setup work mine sounds as good or better pizz than most other basses I've played. And even though it's ply, the arco tone will shake pictures off the wall.

GeneralElectric · #13 06-03-2009, 11:25 PM

I actively play most of my basses although I rarely touch my guitars. As much as I wish I could sell the guitars, I know I'd regret it later as I inherited them, as well as two of my basses, from my late father (T-bird and 71 P)

Right now I have about $500 in cash and I guess seeing this bass on CL started to burn a hole in my pocket. If I sell my 51 P Reissue I'd have a little more than a grand, which could get me a decent starter DB...

Ah... I'm already starting to scheme...

Peck_Time · #14 06-04-2009, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneralElectric

Right now I have about $500 in cash and I guess seeing this bass on CL started to burn a hole in my pocket. If I sell my 51 P Reissue I'd have a little more than a grand, which could get me a decent starter DB...

You say "I miss upright bass so much I'll get almost anything at this point", cool, sell some stuff!

You've got 15 slabs... sell 10 of them and a couple of amps and get yourself a decent double bass.

PS- I just looked at your profile, there's no double basses mentioned on your GAS list...

GeneralElectric · #15 06-04-2009, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peck_Time

You say "I miss upright bass so much I'll get almost anything at this point", cool, sell some stuff!

You've got 15 slabs... sell 10 of them and a couple of amps and get yourself a decent double bass.

PS- I just looked at your profile, there's no double basses mentioned on your GAS list...

I've actually got 16 slabs. See, I never update my profile.

In my defense, I'm still trying to sell one of them...

Tony F · #16 06-04-2009, 05:06 AM

Ok, let's see here...

American made bass
Superb setup to your specification
Your choice of strings
Free shipping
Upton: 860-535-9399

Just fanning the flames for ya!

Cheers,

Tony