- Aug 21, 2008
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- Owner, SGD Music Products
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DarkStar Pick Ups
- Thread starter lemongrenades
- Start date
Agreed, I wouldn't pay it. Only posted it up since people go crazy about them, I love mine but one is enough.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 253
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Notice you aren't getting any offers?
I don't know why you paid so much for new pickups. Before his website went down it said:
List Pricing:
$200 for a single.
$400 for a RWRP set.
$15 each for trim rings.
So you want more than double list price?
I don't know why you paid so much for new pickups. Before his website went down it said:
List Pricing:
$200 for a single.
$400 for a RWRP set.
$15 each for trim rings.
So you want more than double list price?
Hey, it's your stuff and you can ask whatever you want for them. You're not obligated to sell them for less. Don't be surprised if you get some crazy lowball offers. Some people think you should just give your stuff away. I sell a bit of stuff on Ebay. The stuff I sell is costly. My philosophy is if they don't want to pay my price, go elsewhere.
+1 The corollary to this rule is (or should be): "Don't try to decide for other buyers what they should be willing to pay". For instance, in the case of Hammon Dark Stars, who's to say there isn't someone out there with a bass already routed, perhaps for an original Bisonic (which, if you could find one, would cost far more than a DS). If I'm that owner, I will need that pickup and a premium price seems reasonable to me. I think we all tend to become too enamored with our own opinions and assumptions sometimes.
Almost everything I sell has a best offer option. You'd be surprised at how many people think that means that I'll sell for 25% of what I'm asking - and then get mad when I reject their lowball offers.
On the other hand, the people that I do reach an agreement with have been excellent customers. Dealing with grown-ups is nice.
On the other hand, the people that I do reach an agreement with have been excellent customers. Dealing with grown-ups is nice.
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
+1 The corollary to this rule is (or should be): "Don't try to decide for other buyers what they should be willing to pay". For instance, in the case of Hammon Dark Stars, who's to say there isn't someone out there with a bass already routed, perhaps for an original Bisonic (which, if you could find one, would cost far more than a DS). If I'm that owner, I will need that pickup and a premium price seems reasonable to me. I think we all tend to become too enamored with our own opinions and assumptions sometimes.
So, I've got this 1967 all original Starfire II with headstock issues which includes two BiSonics with Rick Turner magnet upgrades. Does that mean I can ask a starting price of $1k just for the pickups? It does have the most awesomely figured rosewood board I've seen from those days. Hm.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 253
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
I hate when you see people take a nice vintage bass or guitar and "part it out" just to make an extra buck. You are left with a stripped down body, and what the heck are you going to do with that? You won't have anything as nice as what you started with.
Not saying you would do that, just making a comment. I bet that's Brazilian rosewood too.
Vintage instruments with all the original parts are getting rare.
Anyone can charge whatever they want for something. But it's that "matching the market" mentality that's making everything more expensive, starting with rents. And that makes manufacturing in the US too expensive, so companies have goods made in China. Then people don't have jobs here. It's a vicious cycle.
Vintage instruments are now priced out of most people's reach, and that was caused by collectors, not players.
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
I hate when you see people take a nice vintage bass or guitar and "part it out" just to make an extra buck. You are left with a stripped down body, and what the heck are you going to do with that? You won't have anything as nice as what you started with.
Not saying you would do that, just making a comment. I bet that's Brazilian rosewood too.
Vintage instruments with all the original parts are getting rare.
Anyone can charge whatever they want for something. But it's that "matching the market" mentality that's making everything more expensive, starting with rents. And that makes manufacturing in the US too expensive, so companies have goods made in China. Then people don't have jobs here. It's a vicious cycle.
Vintage instruments are now priced out of most people's reach, and that was caused by collectors, not players.
Well, I meant as an asking price for the whole bass! I don't really want to part it out because it has a great vibe to it. It's a lot more lively than most of the Starfire's I've played. But, it has a headstock break that someone repaired very sloppily, so I've always considered it not worth selling. But if the pickups alone give it that much of a boost, then it might be worth it. If someone put the effort into rebuilding the headstock, they'd have a stellar instrument, but that kind of work has been quoted in the $1k range as it is.
I do have a bad habit of modifying vintage instruments, but my other '67 Starfire is now a classic of its own sort, with the Alembic mods. No regrets.
The vintage market is insane. New instruments are crazy, too; both crazy expensive and crazy cheap. Economics are really screwy these days.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 253
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
Yeah, you'd say that until you saw the headstock. It's stable, it tunes up and has held the strings for the entire 15 years I've owned it, but yikes, it's scary! It even still has the original case and you can see where someone wrote "LOVE" and "PEACE" on it! Ah, the 60s.
I got the mudbucker-look-a-like Bi-Sonic clone from Curtis Novak.
Unfortunately (kind of, but not really
) I expected it to be a long lead item and I ordered it in January for a summer project. Showed up way too fast, after a couple weeks, and it's just gonna sit here till May.
Unfortunately (kind of, but not really
) I expected it to be a long lead item and I ordered it in January for a summer project. Showed up way too fast, after a couple weeks, and it's just gonna sit here till May.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 253
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
No, it's a Bi-Sonic clone, but it uses ceramic magnets.
Invalid Link Removed
A Bisonic is just a single coil pickup with steel poles and two magnets on the bottom. It's not very mysterious.
? I remember I saw somewhere in talkbass some photos of a curtis novak whith two bobins and where it was said that the central four pole pieces were just "cosmetic"? it's probably another kind of mudbucker in disguise by Curtis?
Hi:
If Guild is making the pickup, it would be excellent to see if they would sell individual pickups without the bass. I'm not holding my breath
If not, when you say Guild, they no longer are the same company, but are now just another corporate entity. I heard they gave the Koreans the spec's to "recreate" them. What wire, magnets, ohms?? Many things go into these pickups. From what I've seen regarding aftermarket Korean/Chinese duplicates, I would hope Curtis Novak, or the Daguet single coils or of course Fred himself could get these back into circulation.
I would love not to be disappointed, but need to know!
If Guild is making the pickup, it would be excellent to see if they would sell individual pickups without the bass. I'm not holding my breath
If not, when you say Guild, they no longer are the same company, but are now just another corporate entity. I heard they gave the Koreans the spec's to "recreate" them. What wire, magnets, ohms?? Many things go into these pickups. From what I've seen regarding aftermarket Korean/Chinese duplicates, I would hope Curtis Novak, or the Daguet single coils or of course Fred himself could get these back into circulation.
I would love not to be disappointed, but need to know!
