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Buying Used Without Trying - Your Experiences

#61
I've purchased a number of basses sight unseen. All needed at least a basic setup. Two required somewhat more. One, a Nordstrand NJ6, was purchased on a whim being totally different from all my other sixes. It had a couple of minor electrical issues, a few cosmetic issues and in serious need of attention to the truss rod. It repaired fine and was moved on because I couldn't bond with it. The second needing a bit more work was an Alembic Elan+ four-string. It needed a pickup reset, a complete setup addressing bridge and nut issues caused by someone not knowing the pickup mount was broken (they raised both so the strings would clear the poorly-mounted pickup), and a minor crack in the fingerboard needed filling. (A little filing at the end of the fingerboard to create a little Ebony sawdust to mix with the filler set in the crack so the repair is now undetectable.) The Alembic was under-priced by a wide margin, so I figured it needed a little attention. My tech put it right for a minor fee and I've kept it to this day even though I'm really more of a six-string guy now. Like OP, all of those needing a setup played beautifully once they received a little attention, which begged the question; had the seller bothered to set it up would they have sold it?
 
#62
I purchased a used Spector Euro 5LX through guitarcenter.com. It was an impulse buy, because the price was ridiculous (half for what they were going for on reverb), and it was listed in good condition. There was only one picture on the website, but with their return policy i figured why not. What I actually received was a Spector ReBop 5 that was in a better than good condition (and still a good price for a ReBop). Like I said, impulse buy, and I didn't look close enough at the details to realize it wasn't an actual Euro. Ultimately, I returned it. It didn't have the sound I was looking for, and the bridge had been Dremeled out (and roughly) to fit a larger string gauge. It wasn't a terrible bass, just wasn't what I was looking for (or advertised).
 
#63
I live in Japan and have gone through the following, not in chronological order

Talkbass : Dingwall Super J 4 string, Dingwall Z2 5 string, G&L L-1000 reissue from ‘08

Basschat : Dingwall Afterburner 1 4 string

A lot of stuff on the Japanese equivalent of e-bay, Craigslist, etc. A few Mike Lull P4s, some jazz basses from local companies.

Those were all fine, excellent instruments that range from not cheap to expensive. I didn’t need much tweaking even after international shipping.

Out of all those (and a bunch of stuff I’ve bought on Japanese internet), only the L-1000 and 5string Jazz bass survived. It’s obviously a matter of taste not quality of the instruments.
 
#64
LowEZ said:
I want to hear about your experiences regarding buying used basses without trying first, not so much if you liked what you bought which is subjective, but more of what playing condition the bass was in when it arrived. Firstly I should mention that I do all my own work, so I wonder more about those who cannot, incurring additional cost to put it right or return to seller.

It perplexes me that in the past decade or so, I've purchased 11 basses online sight unseen. Of those 11, there was only one that just required a fresh set of strings, even the intonation was bang-on. All of the other 10 required significant work (anything more than a basic setup), most needing a full fret level and dressing, electronic work and/or hardware repair or replacement. Most of these I would personally describe as "unplayable" upon arrival, yet only one was purchased where the seller was up front regarding playability or lack thereof in this case. A guitar collecting friend concurred with my experiences stating that 90% of his purchases need a visit to his tech.

What have you experienced? Every purchase I think to myself "if he or she had this put right, they might not have wanted to part with it".
Click to expand...


I have bought and sold lots of expensive gear over the years unseen without issues. (touch wood) Research the seller. Research what you are buying or selling. Ask relevant questions and listen to your spider senses.
 
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#65
Actually, buying a used guitar/bass without trying is very often in China. We usually trying using search engines to learn anything about the target instrument, and listen to some evaluations from the video sites.

And according to the cheap and fast express service, we can buy it and try it then decide whether keep it or return it. But be careful, if you wanna return it, you have to negotiate about this with the seller **BEFORE** you click the "pay" button!
 
#67
Bought lots of used basses without playing them, the vast majority worked out fine. I do my own setups so not coming in setup for me is a non-issue. The only time I've needed a fingerboard level was back in the 80]s when I ordered a new fretless for Carvin. Haven't needed anything more than a basic setup except once I needed a replacement trussrod nut..
 
#68
Been buying stuff unplayed since the late 80's.
Daddy's Junky Music catalog was awesome.

I have an issue with a bass I bought off Reverb last week that's being resolved.

I mean how is buying a used bass any different than buying a used car off a mobile app?

How about shopping for a loan, mortgage, refi?

I don't see how credit card or PayPal protection ceases to apply bc you are buying a used bass.
 
#69
2013 Lightwave Saber 5
2006 AVRI ‘62 Jazz Bass
2013 AVRI ‘63 Precision
‘68 Gibson EB-3
Cort Funk Machine II
2006 Fender Blacktop Precision
1996 Fender RBV
1976 Fender Precision fretless (gold hardware)

All bought used online. All good to excellent condition. A bad pot here a setup there. Exactly half my stable bought blind online. Just as happy with these as the ones bought in person.
 
#70
I have done this multiple times, both from online stores (both new and second hand) and from private sellers. I've been unlucky with something being really broken only once as far as I can remember, the neck pocket was cracked and the neck moved around all over the place. It was a private seller, and we worked it out with the bass being returned without any fuss. I also bought a used Fender P from a big store (the local equivalent of Sweetwater, you might say), and the truss nut was destroyed to the point of rendering it unusable. The local store in the same chain took care of that for free because it was an undisclosed damage.


As basic setup goes I expect to do this anyway for any bass I purchase, for many reasons. Mostly that my taste in action, string height etc probably won't match the sellers. I also always change the strings on any instrument I buy, even brand new ones. Personal taste, you know. Many sellers also slacken the strings or even takes of the neck completely before shipping to reduce the risk of transport damage and to save shippings costs. Mostly it's been agreed on before purchase and I'm completely ok with that.

Also I always asks A LOT of questions and demands A LOT och pictures before pulling the trigger on any bass I buy without being able to play it first. Just to be sure. Any eventual problems are therefore solved beforehand.
 
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#71
Bought a used Ibanez short scale Mikro from Reverb. Meh on tone. Traded it.
Bought a Rogue Beatle Bass from Musician's Friend. Love it! Can't stop playing it.
So I'm batting 500 so far.
All used basses always need new strings and setup. Just accept it.
 
#72
Since I came back to Canada a half-dozen years ago, I have purchased ten basses all bought sight-unseen... (eleventh is on the way, still being built)
Two were brand new, so only eight were used. But all of them arrived here to the frozen North in perfect condition (all of the used ones 'exactly as described'). I'm a fanatic for nice low action, so every instrument that lands in my house gets a set-up whether it wants it or not! :)

Nothing big to do on any of the ten basses (no nuts to cut or frets to level) - just routine bridge saddle adjusting and truss rod tweaks.
 
#73
I've bought several basses used online without trying. I'll try and go through the ones I remember.

OLP MM3 - Ebay - It was a cheap bass so I didn't have high expectations. The electronics were crap, but the overall sound wasn't bad and the bass was in great condition, not a scratch on it.

Spector Legend 5 Classic - Guitar Center - This had some work done to it that wasn't the highest quality. There was nothing drastically wrong with it, it just didn't sound the way I thought it should. The bass was set up fine and I had no issued playing it.

Schecter Passive P/MM - From GC - I immediately returned it. Luckily I had it shipped to store and tried it there. Truss rod wouldn't turn and the MM pickup sounded like poop. Fwiw the P pickup sounded fantastic. Setup was decent, but with a non-functioning truss rod, there was no way I was walking away with it.

Ibanez SRFF805 - From Reverb - The bass played great and was in great condition. I absolutely loved the way it sounded, but I just couldn't get used to the angled pickups as weird as that may sound. It's a shame because I really loved the barts and that pre.

Squier VM P5 - From Reverb - For some reason I couldn't get the strings anywhere close to a normal setup no matter what I tried, so I returned it. The bass itself was in decent shape, besides shipping with a broken string (I was unaware of this)

Squier VM P5 - From Talkbass (@Blues Bass 2) - I love this bass and it still gets played out regularly. Bass arrived in great condition with a great setup. Though I'm not a tort fan so I changed it to a white pearl PG.

Fender Deluxe P Special - From Talkbass (@happychicken) - Bass arrived in the described condition. There were a couple dings here and there, but nothing I didn't know about. The bass was setup nicely and in fine playing condition. I did do some mods after I got it (switched the preamp out because I didn't like the Fender pre, and had the neck worked on), but nothing the seller should have done before selling it.

I think that's all I've bought used without trying.
 
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#74
My only bad experience was a guitar that was DISGUSTING when it showed up. Looked new but had gunk all over the fretboard. A half hour with some lemon oil and steel wool set it right, but I could never sell someone something like that in good conscience.

I think I have a picture (that doesn't do it justice)

IMG_20170529_153104863.jpg
 
#75
I have bought about 20-ish guitars and basses used, long distance. They pretty much all need adjustment during the first week or so since my climate is dry and most everywhere else isn't. Buying without trying is a lot easier for those who can do their own work or have a good tech on retainer. I always plan on spending about an hour or two tinkering and setting up each new old bass or guitar I get.

It all started in 1992 with my 72 Jazz Bass ordered through the dealer ads in Vintage Guitar Magazine. It was clearly a player's bass and arrived playing pretty good. I just needed to set it up with my preferred strings, action and pickup heights. My 85 Foundation fretless came out of the box with an immaculate set up, including Sunbeams that were still 90% fresh.

On the other end, I have purchased bargain basket cases that needed deep cleaning, fret leveling, new nuts, replace rusty parts (especially saddle screws), rewiring, etc... It's all good, I do most of the work myself and was expecting the issues to surface. There has also been instruments that needed some minor setting up, but even after giving it some time to settle in they never really came alive and were eventually sold off.

Most used instruments seem to come in needing at least a decent cleaning and a thorough set up, up to and including fret polishing and neck shims. It's amazing to me that many people don't put really any effort to better represent the instrument they are selling. Just a polishing/light cleaning and truss rod adjustment makes a world of difference. I make sure any instrument I sell can be taken out of the box, tuned up to standard E and taken for at least an acceptable spin. It's nice to have a positive first experience with your new toy.
 
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#76
I've had mostly great experiences. Some better than I imagined. Many needed a turn of the truss rod, and that's about it. Most every Guitar Center order was phenomenal. In a few cases, I was blown away by the basses from GC. One was serial number #11/100 Limited Edition Ibanez Prestige MIJ with paperwork, case, strap. Like New. Another time I bought a $150 Fender copy or something, and the case was an authentic Fender 1967 case which I sold for $350.

I have bought and sold over 100 basses over the last decade. I always sent a bass the way I would like to receive it. I'd say of all the basses I bought online only two or three were bad experiences.
 
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#78
I bought an MIM Jazz that was on E-Bay, the pipe tobacco smell was so thick I almost choked. It and the case cleaned up really well, and the price was super low due to the smell. It worked out well. I bought a Yamaha BB104 or some such that played like a dream and great. I never got something that a few twists of a wrench or screw driver couldn't make better.
 

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