Would you Buy a Used Bass From Guitar Center?

[aetheldrea]

I think you are better off buying at GC where you can try it out in the store, than you are buying on ebay where you really don't know what you are going to get until after you bought it.

[Buslady7803]

I bought my Used Warwick from GC, it was & still is in excellent condition .....

[Ric5]

Would you Buy a Used Bass From Guitar Center?

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Yes.

[two fingers]

Aren't those basses like twenty bucks to begin with? Just get a new one.

[Davo-London]

I bought an 1984-7 E-series MIJ Squier Jazz for a steal at $300 from GC in Sacramento.

It was sent, at my request as a Jonny-foreigner, from another store and I think I was charged for this service. All up $300. Fab

Davo

[bassbully]

Heck yea and its a great way to buy any used gear. where else can you get a 30 try out with used gear?

[digitalmoney]

Layaway is also a nice option they offer
30 days to scrounge up the rest of the ca$h

[exidor]

I bought my Geddy Lee used from GC just hunt wait & hunt till you find the one you think you want.get it.if you know the sales person a bit or not they can call the store and ask more about the bass.the one I bought had a good rating it came much better than I expected.I got it the Aug 2nd 2012 and the reason I bought it was fender moved the GL production to Mexico and I wanted one made in Japan it's a great great bass!!
hears a pic

[baba]

I got a couple great deals on used basses at Guitar Center. Most used stuff I've seen at the local GC is pretty spot on fair market value.

[NicJimBass]

I will say this- many people will claim that GC isn't as good as your local mom and pop shop. When I was younger, I used to deal with the mom and pop shops, and THEY were the ones who ripped me off, not GC. I remember trading in 2 basses and some pedals toward a Line 6 Bass POD Pro, and still having to shell out cash. I was young and dumb, and the local guy told me he could only get so much for one of the pedals. Went in a month later, the pedal was marked at about $30 more than he told me, so I have no doubt he screwed me over, knew about it, and laughed his butt off after I walked out the door.

I say all that to say this- educate yourself, and no one will rip you off. That, and GC isn't as awful as everyone says it is, ESPECIALLY if you are educated.

[Brad Johnson]

$30 higher ASKING PRICE is really not that big of a swing IMO. They have to resell the item for more than they have in it. Some places do negotiate so that $30 could just be their wiggle room.

[kai_ski]

He said $30 higher than the store said they would sell at when negotiating a buying price.

[Brad Johnson]

Recently I was really nice and passed on picking up a BN5F F Bass five string fretless. They had dropped the price to ~$1100. Sometimes you just have to give others a chance.

Apparently they don't even research their other listings for pricing. Two times I picked up lightweight combo amps, same model for almost $300 less than others were listed for at the same time. Both were like new.

If you know what you're looking at great deals abound on their website. And as mentioned risk is extremely minimal.

[lyla1953]

Never ever, ever, ever, without first seeing/playing first. Yourself or if out of state (online) get a buddy to go and see/play. As for the 30 day return - Vintage instruments only get 24 to 48 hours. BEWARE THEY WILL OUT AND OUT LIE TO YOU.

[3234718]

Originally Posted by lyla1953

Never ever, ever, ever, without first seeing/playing first. Yourself or if out of state (online) get a buddy to go and see/play. As for the 30 day return - Vintage instruments only get 24 to 48 hours. BEWARE THEY WILL OUT AND OUT LIE TO YOU.

Never ever ever is a bit strong I think. They'll ship from an out of state store to your store for a very reasonable rate. Assuming it's used, and not vintage, the 30 day return policy is there. I bought a bass once from a Missouri store, had it shipped to my store in NY. I went to pick it up and the nut was loose, the bridge was loose, and needless to say it was garbage. They refunded both the purchase price and the shipping. If you a buy a bass that's perfectly fine and realize you don't like it for whatever reason, you can return it and you're only out a moderate shipping fee. It's a fair price to pay for what could potentially be your favorite bass.
I'd never, ever ever buy a bass off craigslist and have it shipped from out of state because if it's crap then there's nothing I can do. Joe Blow from Watumpka Alabama doesn't have a 30 day return policy like GC.

....not that there's anything wrong with Watumpka Alabama, I'm sure it's a lovely town.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by kai_ski

He said $30 higher than the store said they would sell at when negotiating a buying price.

And...?

Do you seriously see that as a ripoff? Or better yet some breach of etiquette?

Let's try this... suppose they did say they were going to sell an item for $30 less because that's what they thought they'd do. If you were a retailer taking in a trade would you overestimate its resale/trade-in value? I certainly wouldn't. It makes no sense.

And would you always keep your resale value exactly where you told a tradee you thought you would? aka someone who is no longer in the picture?

Ethically this stance is extremely weak. Here's why: unless this was an aberration, this trade was not done under duress. If you go in not knowing what your gear is worth the only person ripping you off is YOU for not putting in the effort, being in a hurry, wanting something so bad that logic flies out the window, etc. In retrospect the poster should've seen this as a cheap learning experience. And readers as a free one.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by lyla1953

Never ever, ever, ever, without first seeing/playing first. Yourself or if out of state (online) get a buddy to go and see/play. As for the 30 day return - Vintage instruments only get 24 to 48 hours. BEWARE THEY WILL OUT AND OUT LIE TO YOU.

I guess this stance works for some... it leaves more deals for others. The vast majority of used gear I've purchased from GC has been outside of the five stores near me. I know there's no reason I need to play before I buy. None.

When I buy outside the area I call and ask questions. I ask about the return policy. I get names. It's easy to establish a comfort level with pretty minimal effort IME.

Just curious, when did you find out they lied?

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by baba

I got a couple great deals on used basses at Guitar Center. Most used stuff I've seen at the local GC is pretty spot on fair market value.

Of course what you are looking for is something NOT "spot-on", namely a bargain. Some of my best buys have come from GC. A demo OLP for $100, my USA G&L fretless $600, and my MIM Fender Deluxe V for $300. All turned out to be killer buys in the end. Which I compare to EBAY where I've gotten some pretty bad stuff. Like my Chinese ABG where the pickup doesn't even sense the B string or my "AK_47" guitar which is fun but still the cheapest piece of crap I ever saw.

The major rule is take a good look before you buy and GC lets you do that. So if you don't give something a good exam, then that's your fault isn't it?

[jim777]

To the OP, yes. I would buy a used bass from GC, or just about anywhere if it were the right bass and right price.

[narud]

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

Recently I was really nice and passed on picking up a BN5F F Bass five string fretless. They had dropped the price to ~$1100. Sometimes you just have to give others a chance.

Apparently they don't even research their other listings for pricing. Two times I picked up lightweight combo amps, same model for almost $300 less than others were listed for at the same time. Both were like new.

If you know what you're looking at great deals abound on their website. And as mentioned risk is extremely minimal.

i saw that one too. was seriously tempted!