Your story:Killer deals on used/vintage basses

millsbass5 · #1 12-13-2008, 02:10 PM

I ,myself love hearing stories about how someone came across a bass worth way more than what they paid.Heres mine:Flashback to 1989,I had just moved to a new neighborhood with my girlfriend and her daughter.I was 23 years old.We had gotten settled in and I was sitting on the porch playing my now well-worn Jazz Bass Special thru my Sholtz Rockman(remember those?).My new neighbor was doing some yardwork and kept looking over at me.Finally,he walks over and introduces himself and proceeds to tell me he used to play bass and was getting back into it.So,we start talking about what gear we have and want(dont all bass conversation lead to that?).He states that he was going to remove the frets out of his bass that he has had for years.Well, being the gear whore I was,a light bulb went off in my head.I had a Fender Bullet Bass that I had BUTCHERED by taking the frets out of and taking a Magic-Marker to the fret lines(very hi-tech/cutting edge if Imust say so myself).I showed it to him and this guy proceeds to SWOON over this bass(?)!!He immediately ask me if I would be interested in trading basses.So,he walks back across my yard to his house to get the bass and show it to me.He walks back out with a cardboard box with a bass neck sticking out of the box,Im thinking "Oh,no!!"Now by the way,I was very familiar with vintage basses even back then,from reading articles about Jaco and how he coveted old Fenders.Well,you couldve knocked me over with a feather.Inside that cardboard box was a 1961 Fender Jazz Bass,lots of wear on it,taken apart for him to "defret"!!After taking a few deeeep breaths to keep my cool,I inspected everything.All was there,right down to the last pickguard screw.I ended up giving him my bass and $75.00 for that "worn out Fender"(as he put it).My girlfriend bitched and moaned about that $75.00 for 2 weeks.By the way,the girlfriend is long gone.The bass is still here!!

Dave R · #2 12-13-2008, 05:16 PM

Bought my7 '73 Jazz for $150. The guy just decided he didn't want to play any more. Just wanted to get rid of it.

But that was in '76.

hey · #3 12-13-2008, 06:18 PM

Not nearly as cool as those stories, but I found a vintage white Peavey T-40 at a pawn shop with a huge coffee stain (otherwise very nice condition) on it for $50. I didn't have money at the time, so I told my friend about it and he went right over and picked it up.

voodoobassist · #4 12-13-2008, 06:29 PM

Another bassist who played the same local circuit as me, approached me right after he graduated from med school. Told me he wouldn't have time to play anymore, now that he was going into medical practice, and wanted me to have the bass he'd been playing for the past 5 years. An Alembic series one,:

.....the price,... $450,

....I almost fell over,....he told me he knew he could sell it for a LOT more, but had always admired my playing and knew that I would put it to good use,.....still not sure about my playing,..but I definitely put it to good use!!

D.Don · #5 12-13-2008, 06:32 PM

I got a 1996 stingray for round about 750 usd, got it shipped to europe and seller/me split cost of shipment (cost me round about $40). Then I traded it in a local shop here to a 1992 fretless stingray that was priced 1400 eur, had to put 200 eur inbeteween but haggled me in some strings for 60 eur in the deal as well...

imho a great deal, and the fretless 1992 is fantastic, I love it!

D.Don

double-muff · #6 12-13-2008, 06:47 PM

2001 thumb BO warwick for 300$ from a guy that had serious drug problems.

rokkitt · #7 12-13-2008, 06:52 PM

to the OP

that is a good one.....

hmmmm scholtz rockman? as in the Bass Rockman?

yup !

still got mine!

hmmmmmm

bullet bass? as in the Fender Bullet Bass Deluxe?

yup still have mine, from 82...white with maple, white PG

you defretted yours?

shame on you!

hehehehehhehehe..............61 Pbass? nope, only in my dreams!

al

drden · #8 12-13-2008, 06:56 PM

a kid i know got a warwick standard bubinga corvette that his friend found in the dump. i was kinda pissed cause he cant even play good. but what the hey, all's fair

ryco · #9 12-13-2008, 08:06 PM

In '80 paid $200 for a '75 Fender P. Still have it only now it's a J-P-J. Up 'til then I only had a fretless Ripper. I needed a fretted bass to play in T-40 cover bands. Friend of mine said he knew a guy selling a Fender. We met up in a parking lot and exchanged cash for the P. Being my first Fender and not knowing which was better, Jazz or P, I had it modded into both using SeymoreDuncan QuarterPounders, stacked vol/tone knobs, BadAss II bridge and brass nut.

In '87 paid $250 for an '80 Ric 4001 from the newspaper want ads. I was broke but had just made $800 working at a county fair setting up and tearing down staging, lights and roadie-ing for a week. Always wanted a Ric and this ad popped up. Called the guy and asked if he still had it -- I'll be right over!

In '99 paid $650 for a '93 Jackson Concert Pro V out of a pawnshop. I wanted a five string and told my wife - 1) It has to be a fiver, 2} It has to be active, 3) It has to have a two-octave neck and 4) It has to be white. My brother was working inna pawnshop and I saw this axe sitting in the window. I mentioned to my wife I saw an interesting bass at my brother's shop. I put it out of my mind. Next birthday I received the Jackson!! -- she had called my bro and they conspired! Gotta love those Geminis - which both are.

millsbass5 · #10 12-14-2008, 01:06 AM

drden:Where in Gods name is this dump located at ?It has better gear there than the music stores here in W.V.

JumboFriendly · #11 12-14-2008, 09:03 AM

I paid $80 for my T-40 about a year ago from a pawn shop.

A couple of months ago I found my '76 P in another pawn shop. All original with original case; $450.

duff beer · #12 12-14-2008, 11:13 AM

About 15 years ago I bought a 1976 Fender Precision from someone for $100...he wanted $120 but I talked him down

TimWilson · #13 12-14-2008, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hey

I found a vintage white Peavey T-40 at a pawn shop with a huge coffee stain (otherwise very nice condition)

Who set a giant cup of coffee down on the pawn shop? That must have been one HUGE coffee stain! How big WAS this shop?

D.Don · #14 12-14-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimWilson

Who set a giant cup of coffee down on the pawn shop? That must have been one HUGE coffee stain! How big WAS this shop?

ROFL!

Either that, or a REALLY huge cup!

D.Don

Crass! · #15 12-14-2008, 03:00 PM

I bought my first and only bass from a coworker back in '96 who played in a couple of bands. He said he had too many guitars lying around and asked if I was interested in a bass and amp for $250. I answered "depends on the bass and amp" of course

He showed up the next day with an aluminum necked kramer that was absolutely gorgeous and included its original case. He showed me the amp in his van - peavey tnt 100 big ole thing.

I promptly handed over the $250. I knew (know?) very little about guitars but this thing just looked 15 flavors of awesome

anderbass · #16 12-14-2008, 03:44 PM

10 years ago I got my 69 Fender P-bass w/77 Jazz neck as payment for $150 past due debt owed to me.
(I'd say that covered the interest nicely...

AlembicPlayer · #17 12-14-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoobassist

Another bassist who played the same local circuit as me, approached me right after he graduated from med school. Told me he wouldn't have time to play anymore, now that he was going into medical practice, and wanted me to have the bass he'd been playing for the past 5 years. An Alembic series one,:

.....the price,... $450,

....I almost fell over,....he told me he knew he could sell it for a LOT more, but had always admired my playing and knew that I would put it to good use,.....still not sure about my playing,..but I definitely put it to good use!!

WHAT IN THE?

standupright · #18 12-14-2008, 04:18 PM

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mrwink · #19 12-14-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by standupright

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...pfffft... what... are you the dot police... or... something?

TheBear · #20 12-14-2008, 04:35 PM

I'm not sure how many besides me would think of my story as a "killer deal", but here goes...

I was 14 and decided I wanted to play music. After a frustrating 30 minute lesson playing guitar, my dad suggested I consider bass. I agreed to try it and we went on the hunt looking for beginner basses in our respective towns (back then I lived 15 hours away due to divorce/custody hearings). Six months later he tells me he found a bass in a local jewelry and gun pawnshop, so off we go. I ended up paying $150 for, what I found out later, was a 1975 Fender Jazz Bass Reissue. Though it's made in Japan, I think I got a fairly decent deal on that one. 11 years and lots of gear later, it's still my first love and go-to bass.