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Basses you'd never buy new

#81
I wouldn't buy anything new from Fender, unless it came from the custom shop and it was built just for me. i think the new fender price tags are just ridiculous, but picking up a used american fender for 800 is what i think is a great deal.
 
#82
Basses, when I gig, had better be set up the way I want them. I want alder or basswod bodies in black with a white p/g or none at all, and maple necks with maple fretboards. I like P/J or J pups in a J body and neck. I'm not worried about paying exra to have that, considering how long I'll have the bass.

Someone metioned vehicles... Awesome metaphor. Basses are like vehicles and heavy equipment for me. At the rate I go through vehicles (I put 15-16k on a diesel a year) They last me 10 years. At that point, if I put that much drive time on a truck, it's gonna be set up the way I want it. Even if I have to buy a new one that costs me 60 grand, I make twice that on the truck alone.

It's the same for my equiment. I put 7000 hours on a Cat 931C in three years. If I put that much time on it, I'm seting it exactly the way I want it. I'm pricing out a JD 605C right now. It's gonna run me 100 grand. The salesperson told me he had two where hystat. I run power-shift and V-shift machines. Period. So, It looks like I'm dishing out twice what a used one with 2-300 hours will cost me. It's worth that much to me. I will, however buy something used with low hours that is exactly the way I want it set up. Like the Cat 324 I'm demoing. It's got 500 hours, and is an '09 model. It's got a prog link thumb, and a pattern changer.
 
#84
I wont buy anything new

My Wick is used and kicks ass...my Squier was given to me, I'm 3rd owner...I'll take anything used. It's already got set up (hopefully), been tried and proven...(hopefully) .....and lots cheaper than new

I played a used Fender at GC Marietta GA couple weeks ago, I would have taken it home with me if I had the $$ and I'm not a Fender fan. Sweet sound, P&J, Hipshot dtuner, classic almond burst (i think that would be the color), this thing was nice and very little wear.....

not to mention this little amp i used...for the life of me, i can't remember what it was.... but it sounded awesome
 
#88
I buy ALL my gear used. Only instrument i ever got new was my PRS. Well and some SX's. theres cheap enough to buy new.

Other than the SX, only bass i would buy new is something I would NEVER sell EVER! Something like a Nordy made exactly how i want it :) (but i found one used so didnt need to)
 
#89
Bass Dawg said:
I always buy new. If my axe is going to have mojo, it's going to be my mojo. if you buy used it's like adopting a child, lawfully it's yours but at the end of the day you know it's not really.

People who don't like buying new basses are those who can't afford them. Owwwww harsh! Lol

To be level headed about this, I guess you should buy what your happy with, and just be happy!
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On the matter of not having the money for it... FALSE! I personally know a man worth 600+million dollars (no exaggeration) and the only car he ever bought new was his V12 Vanquish. The rest he buys used in like new condition.

Its not a matter of affording it, its a matter of being smart with your money
 
#91
I'd never buy a new P bass. However, I am in the market for a new MM Sterling. With a nice bass, I don't like the idea of buying one used. You just don't know what some knuckle head has done to it or what they have covered up. I don't like finding surprises. I stripped the finish off a P bass once to find a cracked body that was filled and repainted. :(
 
#93
My answer should be "used," but my two main basses are new Birdsongs. My Skyrider is the first Scott ever made, so I couldn't have gotten that new.

My Gretsch Electromatic was NOS. I got it for cheaper than I've seen some used ones go for on the 'bay.

My Aria and Yamaha were both bought used. I have one used bass for sale currently.

My goal is to get down to 5 basses and stay there.

Speaking only for me, I would be far better served by spending more time playing and practicing on the basses I already own, and less time lusting after basses for sale in the TB classifieds.

I need to make the following my mantra: "I don't need to own every cool bass I see on TB."
 
#94
Most basses, really. The only new basses I've bought since my first bass have been an Epi EB-3 and an Ibanez Jet King & only bought them because they were clearanced at $249 and $229, respectively.

The only other new basses I've had that were new are my first bass; 1990 Squier $129, and my Reverend which I got in a trade for building the second gen Reverend website so I didn't really "buy" it.

I might... Just might buy a new Gibson Thunderbird someday, but that's it. I don't have much GAS for anything else right now.
 
#96
I haven't bought a single new bass yet. I only have 3, but still. I'm even looking around for a used SX because the new ones have that ugly headstock. Sure, I can buy the necks with the old headstock, but what's the point? There are plenty of people selling old headstock SX basses.
 
#98
chris.gotfunk said:
The only bass I have and will buy new are the Squiers. Good value, solid bass and they sound good as well.

But, everything else I buy used! I just bought a used new spec'd Fender jazz for under $700!!!! Monster bass. Not for $1100 new though. No thanks.
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I'd do the opposite, from a value standpoint. New Fenders don't lose value as much as new Squiers. Relative to each other, used Squiers are better value than used Fenders because Squiers generally drop like rocks immediately after the receipt prints.
 

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