... or it just "felt wrong for me"... humans and humanoids alike, we're a very subjective bunch!!
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Classifieds - What's wrong with it?
- Thread starter metalstorm
- Start date
It is.
But “buy used” is still pretty good advice. At least for the time being.
Selling something in the current market, however, is a mixed bag. Best be prepared for a little pain now and for the foreseeable future if you are selling - unless you own something that’s popular, truly special, and in short supply. Although I’ve noticed even boutique bass resale prices are dropping lately.
Buyer’s market.
In all fairness, in the case of Reverb and EBay (or here) it’s more like the middleman is trying to make a living. They provide genuine exposure and a variety of services. Something that requures a masdive investment in IT infrastructure to do. And in exchange for that they assess fees which somebody has to pay. That usually means it’s factored into the selling price.
TANSTAAFL baby! Even here - although the cost of selling through the TB classifieds is one of the few very true bargains still out there. A TB supporting membership will pay for itself in no time if you’re doing a fair amount of personal selling or flipping.
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Exactly. My last few used basses were 100% and one of them I’ve had longer than anything I own...Guitar Center Online, no less.It is.
But “buy used” is still pretty good advice. At least for the time being.
Selling something in the current market, however, is a mixed bag. Best be prepared for a little pain now and for the foreseeable future if you are selling - unless you own something that’s popular, truly special, and in short supply. Although I’ve noticed even boutique bass resale prices are dropping lately.
Buyer’s market.
I'll address @GregC's question regarding new bands.
Greg knows me when I say I am a 95% 4-string player, but occasionally I need a 5 string for certain gigs/bands/genres (such as modern country). In my area, the best modern country bands have fantastic bass players and very low turnover. Thus, although I've been wanting to get into one, I've been relegated to subbing for about the past 3 years now. Thus I have owned, and sold, many 5-strings over the past several years due to on-again, off-again sub assignments (and need to raise cash for other things). I have just recently landed a somewhat permanent (as any) modern country gig, and guess what, I don't really need a 5-string for any of the songs they play. But I'm keeping my one 5-string in the collection this time around so I don't got thru the GAS/FLIP cycle yet again. Learned my lesson, have I.
Any number of reasons, from A) it doesn't excite them to, Z) "I lost my job and can't afford it. ... Wifes/partners don't understand GAS and the desire to find that one instrument that'll make your playing jump to the next level. I've done it before with regret. ... But, with in the last year I put together a killer P-bass with parts I already had and you'd think that would tide my desire. ... Not bloody likely!
if I had a buck for every time I read that, I'd have a Fodera on order :-D
I have slowed down a bit, but i am a gear junkie. I only like to keep around stuff that gets played a lot. For me, that's 4-6 basses at a time. They are all different. When I buy one, it has to fill a void. If it isn't different enough, or if it doesn't do something better than something I have already, it goes, right away. Every one has been in good order unless I bought it knowing something and sold it either fixed or with the same disclosure. There are a few I would have kept in hindsight. But I also like to try things. Just because I move it doesn't mean something is wrong with it. GAS...
Not that I spend a lot of time buying/selling...
One thing to remember is that the TB Classifieds are not Craigslist/Reverb/eBay etc.
Some sellers may overlap, but my impression is that the sellers here are people who know what they have, are not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, know what they want, and are somewhat invested in the buyer being happy.
One thing to remember is that the TB Classifieds are not Craigslist/Reverb/eBay etc.
Some sellers may overlap, but my impression is that the sellers here are people who know what they have, are not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, know what they want, and are somewhat invested in the buyer being happy.
I have quickly sold every bass I’ve ever bought that is not a PBass. Why? Because I often fall for a pretty bass/face before re-discovering my hide-bound preferences.
Nothing wrong with the basses I sell off - they’re usually pristine ‘cause I never played them!
Nothing wrong with the basses I sell off - they’re usually pristine ‘cause I never played them!
First: Getting an instrument is not the same as owning an instrument. I want what I think the instrument is. When you own and play it for a while, the reality does not always match either the hype or your expectations. That's one reason.
Here is an example;
I lusted after a Fodera Bass for a long time. The beauty, the artistry and the reputation of the company had me wanting one, badly. After I bought one and played for a while... it was not for me. I did not like the feel of it or the sound. Back it went on the classifieds and it found a new home.
Secondly, stuff happens. Sometimes people over-spend or something comes up; health issues, need a new car, divorce, etc.
You may want to keep an instrument, but life got in the way.
The Classifieds work wonderfully here. We know each other, there is accountability and you see a lot of instruments and sometimes, find either something rare or a great deal.
Here is an example;
I lusted after a Fodera Bass for a long time. The beauty, the artistry and the reputation of the company had me wanting one, badly. After I bought one and played for a while... it was not for me. I did not like the feel of it or the sound. Back it went on the classifieds and it found a new home.
Secondly, stuff happens. Sometimes people over-spend or something comes up; health issues, need a new car, divorce, etc.
You may want to keep an instrument, but life got in the way.
The Classifieds work wonderfully here. We know each other, there is accountability and you see a lot of instruments and sometimes, find either something rare or a great deal.
You are right on it for me also. I see something that catches my attention, I will most of the time buy it and pay for the consequences later. I have periods like this and I'm right in one of them lately.
I've sold a few nice pieces of gear for the following reasons:
- Didn't have space to store it any longer.
- Tonal / volume needs changed and wasn't using it any longer
- Found another piece of gear that suited my needs better in that season
- Tried it out, but didn't like what it offered, so flipped it (usually for a small loss)
Agreed, @Stumbo . I like my equipment to "work." I have five basses which is the most I've had in years. When I was a pro I had two, one a very cheap backup to my Ibanez Roadstar. I'm very practical about that. I don't like equipment that's very high end that I'm worried about bumping up against. Sure, I could buy a $4000 bass-- I can now at my age do that and just shuffle funds. But I get along just fine with a $600-1000 bass.
There are plenty of those who I appreciate that buy the high-end basses that push the envelope of quality and research. I'm thankful for them buying these high end basses because in the end it raises the bar for everyone. So, yes a lot of people buy a bass for six months, and even though it may be custom, they feel the basses are good enough to sell at a reasonable price and most often another player with GAS will pick it up for a while, then in turn, flip it. Thus goes the cycle. It's healthy, and everyone wins in that scenario.
It could be a dog. However, if it's a local sale, the price is right and you can check it out in person ... you can determine that definitively for yourself. In a lot of cases it's "one man's trash is another man's treasure". There are also plenty of "diamonds in the rough" out there. Some basses are just set up poorly and with the right strings and a few good tweaks, could be good ones.
I'm about to jump on a Lyft to hut the airporter.
Already scanning LA, but there's nothing there.
Bookmarking stuff in SF to see if it lingered so I can try an end of the month low-ball when I get back home.
I would say I've got a serious GAS issue.
I buy a lot of basses to try them out, to be honest. There's a lot of brands and models that simply aren't stocked at local shops (and I live in the Chicago area, so there's a ton of great local shops), so I'll buy one online to try it out. Most of the time, the bass will be 90% of what I want, but that remaining 10% will bug me enough to put it back on the market a few months later. I've sold maybe... 45-ish basses in the last two or three years. I've kept four.
I think if you did a cross-section of pre-owned basses from private sellers on the market, you'd probably see a large percentage are just an over-abundance or a financial need (especially with more expensive basses), and not an attempt to unload lemons. The majority of basses in my collection (around 25) were acquired used or pre-owned, and they were virtually all great instruments with no major problems right off the bat.
I'm actually reaching the point of most of the sellers I bought from: Too many basses, and I simply don't have enough active playing years left to own/store/play/maintain this many. I guess you don't even need to be 60 to come to that conclusion. For those of us with a bunch of basses, it's probably just one of our hobbies or diversions, something to throw a little expendable income at. Like I tell my wife, some guys go to strip clubs, Vegas, buy sports cars and chase younger women. I buy, sell, and trade bass guitars and keep my nose clean. These days I'm only an ornery rock star on small to medium stages in my home town.
I'm actually reaching the point of most of the sellers I bought from: Too many basses, and I simply don't have enough active playing years left to own/store/play/maintain this many. I guess you don't even need to be 60 to come to that conclusion. For those of us with a bunch of basses, it's probably just one of our hobbies or diversions, something to throw a little expendable income at. Like I tell my wife, some guys go to strip clubs, Vegas, buy sports cars and chase younger women. I buy, sell, and trade bass guitars and keep my nose clean. These days I'm only an ornery rock star on small to medium stages in my home town.
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