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Buying A Bass Without Playing It

#61
perfektspace6 said:
Whether purchasing from a seller in a distant part of the U.S. (or world) or ordering a custom made bass, many of us have had the experience of putting money on the table for a bass we have never played. Personally, I have purchased 4 basses in my lifetime that I did not play before buying. Two of them are no longer with me but were very good instruments. One was not what I expected and I quickly sold it. One bass is still in my possession and I will keep it forever. However, for the majority of the basses I have owned: I played the bass, determined I like it, and decided to buy with no reservations.

So my question(s) for the TB community is how you determine whether you will spend your hard earned money on an instrument that you have never played and, in some cases never heard, before purchase? What are some experiences, both positive and negative, that we can learn from to support a decision to commission a custom bass or buy a used bass without the benefit of playing it beforehand?
Click to expand...

I've purchased two basses from online platforms without playing them.
Both transactions had not as positive as I would have liked.

Transaction 1: G&L L-1000
The neck was warped and the seller would not allow returns or a full refund.
The seller did refund a percentage of the purchase price, which I used to buy a replacement neck.
I eventually sold this bass (and have regretted that action since).
This was an instrument I should have kept.

Transaction 2: G&L LB-100
I actually still have this bass.
I did not like the neck profile of the instrument's original neck.
I eventually found a replacement neck and the bass plays fine.

Side story to transaction 2: I sold this bass to buyer only to have the buyer demand a return and full refund.
They said the neck was damaged. It was not. They probably had buyer's remorse.
It was returned intact.

After these two incidents, I've decided to not purchase any future instruments without playing (and inspecting) them first.
 
#62
I have bought one guitar online. Cort Acoustic Baritone. No issues at
all.
From TB classifieds:
1 bass here I got no sound file but had no issues at all (I do need to set up anything that comes here in the high desert). This was probably the riskiest I've gone
1 bass with extensive sound files and zero issues (did not even need a setup)

Every other instrument, I played first. With the exception of synths, I only bought one instrument new and that is the cort
Custom job. I found a local luthier here who worked for Santa Cruz guitars and knew Carey Nordstrand before he got big. I may commission something later. I will never probably do it if they are not local, maybe the only exception is Hybrid Guitars, (Wes Lambe and Clay Conner) .
 
#63
perfektspace6 said:
Whether purchasing from a seller in a distant part of the U.S. (or world) or ordering a custom made bass, many of us have had the experience of putting money on the table for a bass we have never played. Personally, I have purchased 4 basses in my lifetime that I did not play before buying. Two of them are no longer with me but were very good instruments. One was not what I expected and I quickly sold it. One bass is still in my possession and I will keep it forever. However, for the majority of the basses I have owned: I played the bass, determined I like it, and decided to buy with no reservations.

So my question(s) for the TB community is how you determine whether you will spend your hard earned money on an instrument that you have never played and, in some cases never heard, before purchase? What are some experiences, both positive and negative, that we can learn from to support a decision to commission a custom bass or buy a used bass without the benefit of playing it beforehand?
Click to expand...

I buy basses without ever touching them until I unbox them at my house all the time! Of the 20 or so basses I own, at least 15 were purchased without playing them first. The vast majority of the time I have been very lucky and they have been great instruments! I can only think of a couple times that I regretted the purchase. My advice would be to do your research. When every review you read tells you a particular brand of bass is good, chances are it will be. When ordering a custom, the same applies. At the end of the day, you have to trust the people you're dealing with are honest, sincere and reputable people who stand behind their product. For me, with only a couple of exceptions, I have been greatly rewarded for my leaps of faith.
 
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#64
All four of mine I purchased online without playing them first. That said, all the basses I bought in the 80s and into the 90s I played first before buying them (they're all gone now though). I'm a bit of a brand loyalist (Ibanez, and no, I don't play hard rock or metal), so I sort of know what I'm getting into when I buy an Ibanez. Similar with Yamaha. With those two brands, I can look at the specs and pretty much predict what they'll play like from that, with few surprises once they're in my hands.

I've been meaning to pull the trigger on another fretless, but what keeps me from doing that is this very issue.

Hope this helps.
 
#65
The two Fender American Specials P-Basses that I bought, I never played, in the store, I solely relied on the reviews/threads, on "Talkbass", and they were pretty accurate in the description of how the neck was
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#67
As a lefty I never played a bass before buying it and wait for it to arrive.

Having to play many bass to find thé good one seemed to be something of the past and often still done with Fender… it just show that they are inconsistant
 
#68
perfektspace6 said:
How you determine whether you will spend your hard earned money on an instrument that you have never played and, in some cases never heard, before purchase?
Click to expand...
Basses are commodities. That makes it pretty simple.

Most of the tonal differences between instruments that actually matter are down to fairly predictable components -- notably pickup placement, active electronics or flats vs wounds. As a result, people are just as likely to fawn over a midrange Japanese lawsuit guitar bought for $30 at a gas station as they are a $10,000 custom job.

Humans are also highly adaptable, which is why mediocre me can switch between a 4 string P, a narrow-neck narrow-spaced 5, and an upright bass in seconds.

I'm convinced that when it comes to electric bass, whatever nuances you hear in Madison Square Bedroom will be utterly lost in the mix or wiped out with a tiny turn of an EQ dial. Or when playing live, lost on the audience that is intoxicated -- err, I mean, just having a good time.

So basically, once you know what pickup config you like, the rest of it is down to things like aesthetic qualities or weight. That makes it much easier to buy online.

For custom instruments: As you seem to realize, you won't really know what the super-precise tonal quality of a custom instrument will be until it's in your hands and in the mix. IMO the real reason to go custom should not involve tone. It ought to be about aesthetics, and maybe neck or body shape if you're a fuss-budget. And if you don't already have a neck shape you absolutely adore, then even that is a shot in the dark.
 
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#69
The vast majority of instruments I have purchased have been done so unseen and unplayed. I watch youtube reviews. I search appropriate forums. (Talkbass for basses, TDPRI for telecasters, etc). I look for unbiased reviews of the pickups used in guitar. I look for unbiased reviews of other instruments by that manufacture in the same price range. Finally, I buy from reputable dealers with good return policies.
 
#70
if there's a bass i really want, and no there's no way for me to try it out locally (which almost always used to be the case before i moved), then i just hunker down and do as much research as possible.

what's the scale length? width at the nut? radius? what are the electronics? is it a passive or active instrument? if its using aftermarket pickups, which brand and model? what are the reviews? demos? is there any artist i look up to use this bass or something similar? etc, etc.

obviously all these won't make up for actually playing and listening to the bass in person, but having a good idea on what it might be like is better than jumping in blind imo.
 
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#73
When I got back into playing about 15 years ago, I was in a much better financial position than when I first started, which made the choices (and wants) available to me much wider than when I began. Also, a lot of how instruments could be obtained had changed too. Back when I was younger, there were many music stores that were well stocked with a wide range of options. QC was also more hit or miss, so you had to go out and try lots of things to find what worked for you as well as what you could afford. Ordering a custom instrument was done on paper and a bit of a crap shoot, so it was uncommon.

Today, QC is generally better, and the internet has much more to offer than the increasingly rarer local stores. If you want to go to a local Guitar Center and grab a Squier, that's still an option. However, if you want a very specific or more expensive new instrument, you will likely have to order online. When I started playing again, I could afford a lot, but what I wanted was not really locally available. For example, how many 12 string basses are in your neighborhood?

I ultimately purchased 17 instruments, mostly in the first 7 years. I wanted to try out all of the basses that I had always wanted to play. I even commissioned 3 unique instruments. Everything was purchased new (not used) without trying it first. I even committed the ultimate transgression - I bought an upright bass online (note: you are only supposed to do this in person with your teacher). In the end, everything I bought was great and more or less met my expectations. I didn't keep everything - some were novelty purchases or became impractical relative to other options. I also felt weird about having so much gear (a TB transgression, where more is always better). I ultimately settled on one upright and one 5 string Lakland P bass. Really, there was only one disappointment, a Ric that had multiple QC issues. Still, I wouldn't have caught them by trying first as these occurred after a few months, not right out of the box.

To me, if you are willing to do the research and focus on reputable brands and retailers, you will generally have a great experience. The main thing is that you need to know what you are looking for and what to look out for.
 
#74
perfektspace6 said:
Whether purchasing from a seller in a distant part of the U.S. (or world) or ordering a custom made bass, many of us have had the experience of putting money on the table for a bass we have never played. Personally, I have purchased 4 basses in my lifetime that I did not play before buying. Two of them are no longer with me but were very good instruments. One was not what I expected and I quickly sold it. One bass is still in my possession and I will keep it forever. However, for the majority of the basses I have owned: I played the bass, determined I like it, and decided to buy with no reservations.

So my question(s) for the TB community is how you determine whether you will spend your hard earned money on an instrument that you have never played and, in some cases never heard, before purchase? What are some experiences, both positive and negative, that we can learn from to support a decision to commission a custom bass or buy a used bass without the benefit of playing it beforehand?
Click to expand...

TBh, buying without playing is the only option for a lot of us. Many don't have access to local shops, and if we do, they have a meager selection of basses. That being said, there's nothing wrong with buying before trying. If you're buying new, make sure the shop has a good return policy. If buying used, make sure you get it for a price that lets you get your money back wholly or mostly incase it's not for you.

It's also important to know what you're after. This comes with experience. Knowing what kind of radius, nut width, pickups, contours etc etc you prefer help a lot.
When buying online, we mostly all go for looks, wether or not we're willing to admit it.

Personally, I've bought most of my basses without trying them (27 at the time of writing), but more recently I've been adhering more strictly to these rules. The only basses I buy these days are either for investment, or to resell. If I'm planning on keeping it, I feel like trying it out is a must. If that's impossible, I make sure it's atleast a model I've got some experience with, and just hope I dont get a lemon. But if I'm unlucky enough to get one, those two rules will help me make lemonade out of that lemon.
 
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#75
Eight basses out of my ten have been bought remotely without playing.
Only one bass had a serious problem with the neck which I could not fixed and sold later. The rest were either in good condition or with small flaws which I fixed myself.
For me the determine factor to buy is the reputation of a seller regardless how I buy. So, I buy a seller…
 
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#76
perfektspace6 said:
Whether purchasing from a seller in a distant part of the U.S. (or world) or ordering a custom made bass, many of us have had the experience of putting money on the table for a bass we have never played. Personally, I have purchased 4 basses in my lifetime that I did not play before buying. Two of them are no longer with me but were very good instruments. One was not what I expected and I quickly sold it. One bass is still in my possession and I will keep it forever. However, for the majority of the basses I have owned: I played the bass, determined I like it, and decided to buy with no reservations.

So my question(s) for the TB community is how you determine whether you will spend your hard earned money on an instrument that you have never played and, in some cases never heard, before purchase? What are some experiences, both positive and negative, that we can learn from to support a decision to commission a custom bass or buy a used bass without the benefit of playing it beforehand?
Click to expand...
I know exactly what I like so, I make sure to only buy basses ‘sight unseen’ that I’m absolutely certain of what it’s going to feel like. Take Lakland for example. I’ve bought several without having played them and there have been ZERO issues.
 
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#78
I build my own basses, so I have a lot of money and time invested before I ever play a bass. At this point, however, I really know what I do and don't like, so I have a good hit rate. If I was buying something that someone else made, however, absolutely I'd make sure I played it first.
 
#80
I’ve bought two basses without playing first, and I’ve heard plenty of nightmare stories/experiences from folks here, but both arrived promptly and well packed (one was GC used, back when used MIM Fenders were >$400, the other was new from B&H of all places). Both basses were fine players, just needed a quick setup to get them where I wanted them. I ended up passing them along because they ultimately weren’t what I wanted/needed, but so long as there weren’t any major undisclosed issues (like a warped/broken neck, or major smoke damage), I honestly wouldn’t mind buying without trying if it was a good enough deal (and the seller was reputable).
 

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