Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 Used Without Trying - Your Experiences
- Thread starter LowEZ
- Start date
I've only bought used from the TB Classifieds, and so far no issues. The one bass that needed work the seller said so in the ad, so I knew that going in. I spent about $60 to have a tech fix the preamp and now it sound great.
I have bought about 8 basses used without trying them, most deals went ok. All needed major setup work and new strings, 2 of them needed frets leveled. But my last 3 attempts of buying untested has been horrible, I don't find it worth the trouble anymore. Never doing it again, no matter how cheap it is 
I'd rather buy used basses locally (or new) and test them before buying. This has saved me from buying two completely messed up basses only this year, that the owners claimed were in perfect condition. One had a broken truss-rod, the other had most of the neck-finish cracked and peeling off. One I bought on the web came with 150 gauge strings, nut widened with a hacksaw, and hexslot for truss-rod completely stripped (same with philips-slots on bridge and neckplate screws). Had to threaten with legal actions to make him accept a return. Never again, too much hassle.
I'd rather buy used basses locally (or new) and test them before buying. This has saved me from buying two completely messed up basses only this year, that the owners claimed were in perfect condition. One had a broken truss-rod, the other had most of the neck-finish cracked and peeling off. One I bought on the web came with 150 gauge strings, nut widened with a hacksaw, and hexslot for truss-rod completely stripped (same with philips-slots on bridge and neckplate screws). Had to threaten with legal actions to make him accept a return. Never again, too much hassle.
I didn’t elaborate on the condition of the bass. It had a light layer of rust on every plated surface and when plugged in, it made no sound at all. It needed way more than just a simple set up. It was as if the bass was found in a landfill and shipped to me knowing that I had no recourse. The seller was the type of guy that made PayPal's terms of service mandatory and made Ebay start siding with the buyer instead of the seller when conflict occurs. It was a long time ago and they say time heals all wounds. While I wish the man no specific harm and I'm not the type of guy to actually do anything physically to that individual, I am hoping that before his time comes to shrivel up and die, it is my wish that it be a slow painful excruciating moment lol.
I apologize for the confusion.
I've bought about 15 basses without trying them first. A few were new. Most were used. They came from ebay, Guitar Center, Talk Bass classified, or Reverb. I've never had what I'd call a bad experience yet. In several cases I was shocked, but in a positive way, by how brand-new and minty some of my bargain-priced used purchases were. I guess I never bought any basses expecting the setup to be the way I like it. I like it a certain way. Why would I expect a bass that's not mine to be set up the way I like before I get it?
There are some low life non-housebroke diptish rat bastids out there that are always me me me that will run any angle they can to gain any damn thing whether ego or a few bucks...which feeds their ego. You cannot reason with a diptish...
Not referencing any particular individual in this thread, but in dealing with Joe Public, one must be aware there are many entitled bottom feeders out there. Realizing this may make it a bit easier and less of a shock when one runs into one of em....
Just is...
I have bought a few basses sight unseen including some new SX basses. Out of about about 8 SX only a couple were bad. One had a MAJOR deadspot, but I was changing the neck anyway and the other was used thrown in for $10 with some pickups I bought. Was unplayable at the time, but for ten bucks, hey! Restored to a pretty nice beater.
OK, now the serious stuff. I bought my USA G&L L2500 unseen from TB classifieds. TB people have always given me great accurate descriptions and this one was said to be like new and was. Even had case candy! Another TB buy was my Squire PJ. It needed some mods (new pickups) which was the purpose of buying it and again it was just as described and when modded really turned out nice (pictures of it somewhere on TB) Another Sight unseen was my Modulus Q6 from Ebay. Now I've had some pretty bad experiences from EBAY, but I figured, this was a Modulus so how bad could it get? Turned out nearly perfect. Was a bit used but not beat up. Only damage was one of the pot shafts was slightly bent. I bent it back. If it would have snapped off it would have been a bigger disaster, but it was OK. Another used bass bought without inspection was my Ibanez SR506. Again from EBAY and description included problems, but with new tuners and a setup it's just fine. Price was right. I try to avoid sight unseen unless the price is so low I can take the hit if the bass is worthless. The Modulus was the only exception and I just closed my eyes and banked on Modulus quality. Loosing a couple grand would NOT be fun!
Oddly one of the worst of my sight unseen basses was my Alembic Epic. Ordered new direct from factory through local store. My idea was that if worse came to worse the store would take a return so risk was not super high. Bass came with all kinds of problems. Electronics was not right, had a ridge down the back of the neck and unmatching hardware and other things. Well Alembic did make some of it right like sent me new electronics. And I fixed the rest of it myself. Yeah, it didn't make me happy but I love the bass so I wasn't about to return it. After all my goal was how to get a great bass I love, not how do I make everything in my life go perfectly. Stuff happens.
OK, now the serious stuff. I bought my USA G&L L2500 unseen from TB classifieds. TB people have always given me great accurate descriptions and this one was said to be like new and was. Even had case candy! Another TB buy was my Squire PJ. It needed some mods (new pickups) which was the purpose of buying it and again it was just as described and when modded really turned out nice (pictures of it somewhere on TB) Another Sight unseen was my Modulus Q6 from Ebay. Now I've had some pretty bad experiences from EBAY, but I figured, this was a Modulus so how bad could it get? Turned out nearly perfect. Was a bit used but not beat up. Only damage was one of the pot shafts was slightly bent. I bent it back. If it would have snapped off it would have been a bigger disaster, but it was OK. Another used bass bought without inspection was my Ibanez SR506. Again from EBAY and description included problems, but with new tuners and a setup it's just fine. Price was right. I try to avoid sight unseen unless the price is so low I can take the hit if the bass is worthless. The Modulus was the only exception and I just closed my eyes and banked on Modulus quality. Loosing a couple grand would NOT be fun!
Oddly one of the worst of my sight unseen basses was my Alembic Epic. Ordered new direct from factory through local store. My idea was that if worse came to worse the store would take a return so risk was not super high. Bass came with all kinds of problems. Electronics was not right, had a ridge down the back of the neck and unmatching hardware and other things. Well Alembic did make some of it right like sent me new electronics. And I fixed the rest of it myself. Yeah, it didn't make me happy but I love the bass so I wasn't about to return it. After all my goal was how to get a great bass I love, not how do I make everything in my life go perfectly. Stuff happens.
Last edited:
Now that's a cool bass - love the lighted binding.I have had about 4 recently purchased basses that I did not play first that actual bass, but I always play the models I am in search of before laying out the $ I instants I played many short scale basses of different brands and styles before settle on my EB-O which was a online purchase through GC, no issues with the bass I set it up to my liking and gig with it regularly
View attachment 3160821View attachment 3160836View attachment 3160824
Love the light bar/binding on the bass in your third pic.Heavy duty strip Led lights runs attached to a powerback of 8 AA batteries same ones used for Motorcycles
body makes for a great design but you can't play the bass unless you have long sleeves or double up on the wrist bands because they will cut you to ribbons, hell they look amazing
View attachment 3160980 View attachment 3160990 View attachment 3161024
Last edited:
all
I have one similar to that but I made mine gig-able
new gold hardware and electronics and of course LEDS
all
I have one similar to that but I made mine gig-able
Just about every piece of used I've bought used online has arrived about as I expected. The ones that I assumed were in great shape (usually from TB) were so and the super-bargain instruments that I assumed would have some issues did so also. These were instruments costing $600 or less.
However, looking at the instruments that remain in my stable tells a pointed story about long-term satisfaction with used instruments bought without trying first. I've owned more than 2 dozen instruments since I started playing but after slowly purging over the past year the few that remain all have been bought in-person after careful consideration and the only instruments bought without playing were new builds from reputable luthiers. The one exception is the MIM P-bass my parents bought me when I started and that has had every piece changed except for the neck, body and the plate/screws that hold them together.
