• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

buying a bass unplayed

#22
thanks for all the replies! i appreciate the suggestions as well as the moral support (i think i mostly need that!!). i feel pretty confident i can get a good sense of the tones and workmanship of various basses from info here. the big unknown is how the various basses will feel in my hands. i am very curious to try some of the high end makers' affordable, import models, but who knows which one will feel rite to me? if you do, PLEASE, let me know!!!!!

:rolleyes:
 
#23
The way to narrow this down then is to say-

Slap?- get a wider neck

Play intricate fast rock- a bass with a narrower string spacing might suit you best.

Finger style - Ric's and some basses are not the most friendly finger style basses.

Active or passive- Do you want a lot of tones or a soilid passive one

dark sounding? - mahogany body

Bright piano like or slap - swamp ash with a maple neck & fingerboard

Is weight an issue? 8 pounds is really nice vs that 18 pound monster

What you want above will narrow down your choice a lot.
 
#24
Barkless Dog said:
The way to narrow this down then is to say-

Slap?- get a wider neck

Play intricate fast rock- a bass with a narrower string spacing might suit you best.

Finger style - Ric's and some basses are not the most friendly finger style basses.

Active or passive- Do you want a lot of tones or a soilid passive one

dark sounding? - mahogany body

Bright piano like or slap - swamp ash with a maple neck & fingerboard

Is weight an issue? 8 pounds is really nice vs that 18 pound monster

What you want above will narrow down your choice a lot.
Click to expand...

ok, nice list
i don't slap (at least not yet), and i think fast, intricate rock sounds pretty accurate. i play fingerstyle. i figure i should go active both cause i have a passive bass and cause i do need to be able to get tonal variety. my sound in the blues band is more lo-mid punch, in the rock band it is deep and crisp without the warm lo mid (that is what i mean by hollow). also, i was doing a folkie acoustic trio band for a while and love that music so, it is quite likely i will need to blend with that sound as well. i am overly concerned with weight.

i liked what i read about the lakland 55-94s (used) for having great tonal variety, but when i checked out some youtube clips everyone sounded very modern-jazzy. i wasn't sure if it would do what i needed...

still appreciating the help and direction:)
 
#25
Webtroll said:
I have purchased 3 basses on eBay; an Alembic Epic 5, a Spector Euro 5, and a Warwick LX5, and all 3 basses were good deals and arrived intact (yes I know I was lucky I didn't get ripped off). I have also purchased a bass new and it came out fine.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's a really "lucky" track record...it's about what I'd expect. I've bought close to a dozen basses and guitars from Ebay and each time I've paid quickly and gotten the item quickly, and they've always been what I was expecting...except a Yamaha I thought I was buying as an inexpensive beater and turned out to have some really great sounds. You just have to be a little bit wary about the auctions--if something in the pictures or description seems a bit odd or doesn't add up, I don't bid.

So almost all of my basses and guitars I've bought without playing first, and I'm pretty happy with them all, too. I have a Music Man SUB Stingray that I'm kinda so-so about...haven't decided yet if I'd buy it again if I had it to do over.

Also, most of these purchases have been in the $350-$800 range. I have a feeling that the scammers aim a little higher than that. But still, the Gibson RD Artist PRS CE-22 and Warwick Fortress I got were all over $1000, and those were all quick deliveries and just as expected. The guy that sold me the Fortress was very nice--he included a case and some of Warwick's accessories without charging me (or even telling me he was doing it).
 
#26
A G & L would work or a lakland Jazz style bass- Darrol Jones 5 string- i have heard nothing but great things about them- supposed to be lighter as well.

A musicman would work but I think have wider/slower necks?

Peavy Cirrus bass are amazing and bought used, a great value

What do some of your favorite bassists use?

Soundlike you want a smaller jazz oriented neck vs a wider P bass style.
 
#27
Robf said:
I'm interested in some ESP LTD basses and without any local shops that carry ESP, I might have to order without playing one. I'm planning to order from a larger mailorder shop that has a good return policy.

With musical instruments, I think the shops know how picky and difficult it is to find a good feeling instrument.
Click to expand...

About 7 years ago I owned a LTD B304. It had the neck through design, it played very much like a jazz bass to me, a sleek fast neck. It had the EMG HZ pickups, which I changed out to Bartolini. Not that the EMGs sounded bad or anything, I just prefer the sound of Barts. When I bought mine, I paid $500 new from Mars music. The one downfall to the bass was that if you left if plugged in overnight, kiss your battery goodbye.
 
#31
watspan said:
I've bought basses sight unseen and unplayed and done well and a few others I've decided to sell. helps if you know "comparables" in terms of necks, pups tone etc. Being in Ames, I'd invest in a road trip to chicago to buy.
Click to expand...

oooooooo, the big scary city? i wouldn't know where to begin shopping! i bet madison has a pretty good music store scene. i played a gig up there once, fun town.

as for sadowsky, i've been looking at the websites for him and zon and spector. boy that makes me drool. i like the idea of keeping my eye out for a good used deal, but alas, i'd really like to feel the guitars. i am convinced that if i could hold them all i'd know which one felt right. ok, i am starting to sound like a broken record.

are they any midwesterners out there that could recommend a store that might have a diverse selection of these high end basses so i could feel them all. maybe omaha, twin cities, chicago, kansas city?!?!?
 
#32
Look into a used Fender Roscoe Beck 5 string. It's an extremely versatile passive bass. I really love mine.

It should fit perfectly into the blues band. For the prog rock gig, you can run it through an active outboard preamp. It should run you in the $800-900 range used and you can used to money left over for the preamp.
 
#33
All of my favorite basses have been bought without being played first, most on ebay, one thru talkbass, and one thru craig's list (we met at a halfway point). I've found reviews and forum posts are for the most part, very accurate for used basses in your price range. For one thing, the used basses we're talking about here had MSRPs between $2400 and $4000 when new....another reason to buy used!!! The consistency of quality at this price range is leaps ahead of the basses in lower price ranges, and the previous owners rarely abuse them, too. Here's the deals I've gotten and basses I highly recommend: Peavey USA Cirrus custom 6 string $850 ebay($2400 MSRP) & Cirrus Redwood fretless 6 $950 ebay($2700 MSRP), Lakland 5594 $1750 w/ tweed case, met thru ebay(appr $3600 MSRP IIRC), Dingwall AB-I 5er $1250, met thru craig's list (best deal I've gotten---resell is higher on DWs, MSRP appr $2900), and Dingwall AB-I 6er for $1750 w/ case and shipping (MSRP around $3000 IIRC).

I've sold both Peavey Cirrus basses on ebay for profit after playing them for several years ($999 fretted and $1200 fretless) and could sell the AB-I 5er for around $1600-$1900 w/ no problem. Actually, I've resold probly 10+ used basses on ebay and made money every time. My best resell was a $600 profit that sold in 1 hour!! So, buy used and buy quality!! :) My personal recommendation after owning probably 11 different brands.... Dingwall and Lakland :bassist:
 
#34
I buy virtually all my music gear online (except for small ticket items) and I haven't had any significant issues. The one guitar that came with a bad volume pot was replaced and all the shipping was paid by the music store.

Here's a P-bass that might fit your needs, check it out
Link Removed

Good Luck!
 
#35
Im glad to hear Im not the only one! I bought my Geddy Jazz from ebay and hadnt played one (but I was taking an edumacated guess I guess).

Next up for me is a new cabinet but I dont have the luxury of a huge local selection. Most places around here have low end stuff so itll be a stab in the dark.
 
#36
I would recommend a Peavey to buy unplayed. 2 of my basses were bought unplayed, both Peaveys, both older. One a late 80s Dyna4 and the other a mid 90s Foundation5...awesome basses. Check out Peavey Cirrus and Grind. I don't have any hands on with them BUT I have heard SO many good things about them and the hands on I have with the Peavey Foundation and Dyna is any indication, I don't think you would go wrong with either of the ones I suggested.

Just my meager 2 cents worth here.
 
#37
I have only one bass that even existed at the time I laid down my money for it! Sometimes you have to go with the reputation of the builder. Those who offer trial periods and you can return it for any reason, so much the better. I haven't yet enjoyed that luxury. I also don't have anything less than an extraordinary bass.

But one thing that emerges from this discussion is worth focusing on: are you buying a bass to play, that fits your tastes and needs, or are you buying a bass with resale in mind? If you're a player, pay what it costs to meet what you want. I probably couldn't come close to recovering what I paid for any of my basses. None of them will EVER be for sale, so why should I care about this?

If you're a dealer, you don't really care about *anything* except flip value, so pay attention to the used market, buy a used bass (who cares what brand) from someone who doesn't realize the worth of his bass, and turn it around tomorrow and pocket the money. No need to even PLAY the bass to play this game.

You should know whether you're a player or a dealer, which is most important to you, whether you feel best about having a bass you love, or a bass you know someone else will love. This forum seems to have plenty of people who enjoy playing, but who would part with anything they have in a New York Minute if they'd make a profit. Priorities differ. Know what yours are, and you should be OK.
 
#38
I am going to buy an American P online when I get the money. I've played a few of the new ones and liked them, however I can't get the color I want. I do trust the build quality (of the Americans), and some of the guitars were not hanging up high at the store, so I would also like to get one that hasn't been touched by 40 people.

Another brand I would buy online is Musicman. Their build quality is superb and if you look on the website FAQ's they tell you the factory setup. All of the ones I've played seem have had the same setup. I don't know for a fact, but it seems like they really are set up by hand. So if I was to come across a deal online and had the money, I wouldn't feel as though I absolutely need to play it.
 
#39
Seriously, can anyone here name a brand of bass (with the possible exception of something sold by Rondo) so unreliable that they wouldn't dare order one of their desired spec (color, number of strings, etc.) for fear they'd get a lemon?

If I were EBodious, I'd order myself up a 5-string Tobias Killer B, bubinga, and never lose a minute of sleep waiting for it. Once it came, I'd lose a LOT of sleep playing it!
 
#40
Flintc said:
Seriously, can anyone here name a brand of bass (with the possible exception of something sold by Rondo) so unreliable that they wouldn't dare order one of their desired spec (color, number of strings, etc.) for fear they'd get a lemon?
Click to expand...


Pretty much any production Fender excluding the new American Standards... they've put out some serious dogs, and I can't even count how many awful American Fenders I've played. Same thing with Gibson. There are a lot of basses that are hit or miss: Eastwood and Italia both run from "decent" to "nearly unplayable", and some of those basses cost upwards of $800.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back