Would you ever buy a bass just from photos?

[chasyboy]

I know that certain makers are well-known for their instruments. Irrespective of that, would you feel good about buying a bass you personally haven't played? And only seen in photos?

I'm interested in a bass that is similar to the one I own (same maker but many years apart). Is it wrong to expect it to be similar?

Thanks in advance for your stories.

[Bijoux]

I have bought basses under those circumstances quite few times. Out of maybe 5 times I didn't like one of the basses.
In my case, I had an idea of what to expect. I had in mind what I was getting, how much I was spending and also if I could turn it around quickly if I had to or if I didn't like the bass.
With all of that in mind, I liked most of them and I still own one of them that turned out to be a very sweet bass.
I ended up selling the other ones rather quickly and at least made my money back if not a little more to justify a few upgrades and shipping etc.
If I was spending $12K, 16K or more on a bass I would probably even take a trip to check it out if I had to. In my mind that would be a different investment and in that case I'd be looking for "the one"! So, yes, I would take my sweet time if I was looking for as instrument to grow together. Hopefully someday I'll have money to be in that position. As for today I am pretty happy with my bass.
hope that helps. good luck.

[KJPbop]

I would NOT do this!!! I have 38 years of experience on the bass, owned many in my day, and have a few good friends who are fantastic luthiers at my disposal. I bought one at auction once without seeing anything but photos. It looked great, and upon taking a drive to pick it up, I found that half of the bass bar was unglued. Hence, a top removal to repair it. This fix ain't cheap! It is worth your while to protect your investment, and empower youself by going to see it in person. Not to mention the mayhem involved with the seller! No 2 are the same, in spite of being made by the same luthier. Even Strad made a few that didn't sound as good as others!! Good luck; be patient!! Regards, KJPbop

[wineaux]

I wouldn't. First, pictures can be misleading, even if the purpose of the pictures is not to mislead you. Second, pictures can't tell you how a bass sounds.

Pictures got me interested in my '34 Jaeger, but I took a 1,000-mile roundtrip to see it and play it before deciding to buy it.

[Aaron Saunders]

Originally Posted by Bijoux

I have bought basses under those circumstances quite few times. Out of maybe 5 times I didn't like one of the basses.
In my case, I had an idea of what to expect. I had in mind what I was getting, how much I was spending and also if I could turn it around quickly if I had to or if I didn't like the bass.
With all of that in mind, I liked most of them and I still own one of them that turned out to be a very sweet bass.
I ended up selling the other ones rather quickly and at least made my money back if not a little more to justify a few upgrades and shipping etc.
[b]If I was spending $12K, 16K or more on a bass I would probably even take a trip to check it out if I had to. In my mind that would be a different investment and in that case I'd be looking for "the one"! So, yes, I would take my sweet time if I was looking for as instrument to grow together. Hopefully someday I'll have money to be in that position. As for today I am pretty happy with my bass.
hope that helps. good luck.

^^ Solid advice. I'd only do this if I was in a position to turn it over relatively quickly in case it wasn't "right."

I've played tons of basses and have found a lot that felt funny or I wasn't comfortable playing. Would definitely feel apprehensive about any bass purchased from pictures alone.

The only thing I've ever got "unseen" is a pickup, traded my Underwood for a Revolution Solo. Definitely liked what I got, but it's not something I couldn't have sold or traded pretty easily.