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Do people buy basses with dings?

#41
YCBass said:
If you're asking because you want to sell your bass with a ding then yes, someone will buy it if they feel the discount is good.
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Before if fell, I was considering selling it. I just was not sure if I would take a major or minor hit on an asking price. Honestly, I've only had it a few months and was hoping to get the most that I could.


If you're asking to feel better now that your new bass has a ding, then I say keep it and enjoy it... I know it's a bummer but it's part of it... It's "character."
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Honestly, yeah. I was asking in hopes to feel better (What are friends for :smug:). When I dropped it, I felt a sudden jolt go through me. I agree and understand with the guys who say it's part of it and it adds character, but it still (for me) hurt. That's just me though.

Lastly, If I do decide to let it go. At least you guys have given me some hope and insight that it would not be such a big deal and someone may want my J24 regardless of the unsightly blemish.

Thank you all, I appreciate the kind words, moral support and great pictures.
 
#42
You should be able to sell it at the price you were originally considering. Just make sure you mention the ding (and generally be frank about the instrument, it usually makes a good impression to the buyer anyways). Most people won't mind a ding or two, accidents happen. What they will mind is a general mistreatment on the instrument.

The only instance in which it will matter is if you try to sell it in a store that trades in second-hand gear instead of an auction website. Such middlemen are likely to put more pressure for a lower buying price than an actual final customer.
 
#45
Fun Size Nick said:
Now now, don't tease! Can we see the rest of that beauty?

There's a school of thought that says that if an instrument is good enough to make its owner want to play it regularly, it will probably show up with the scars to prove it. Accidents like Cygnus's are a part of life, and it doesn't even look that bad - and as it's on the back, it's probably much less of a concern for most buyers.
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That's a very solid school of thought by my reckoning.

Tease? Not me. As requested....

P1.gif

P2-1.gif
 
#48
I guess it depends. If you're buying one from a store, you have to expect the possibility of a ding and that's where you can negotiate the price. I bought a new Human Base X.oc5 in June from a bass shop. It had a minor ding on the lower horn so they knocked a $100 off the price tag. Totally worth it to me.

However, if you are buying a custom instrument direct from a luthier, you should expect to get it in pristine condition.
 
#53
Cygnus X-1 said:
... Needless to say, it left a one inch gash in it...

Now, I'm not to sure how much I would loose because of this. Any thoughts?
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Based on the pictures you posted, I think it would benefit from a repair. Obviously, a 700 dollar bass might not be the bass that you want a shop to do a 100-200 dollar repair on, but an "almost" repair on your end could take that from a "Gash" to a scrape.

Check out the Luthier or Repair forums for more info, but in a nutshell:

1) color the exposed wood a matching color
2) slowly build up the surface with thin coats of superglue
3) Sand, and buff as desired.
4) Take your time at every step.

It's certainly not going to be perfect, but a good color match, and not having exposed wood could be the difference between taking a 100 dollar hit rather than a 200 dollar hit.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.
 
#54
Another trick is the old damp cloth and hot iron trick that the furniture repair industry has used for years.
It's using heat and steam to get the compressed wood in a ding to swell back up some, and then you have
a shallower spot to touch up. I've had a lot of success with this technique on some of inevitable bad noogies
I've put on my instruments over the years where I wanted to keep them in a somewhat clean and pristine
condition. As for the instruments we really love and end up gigging with for a few decades the nicks and dings
and road rash are the battle scars that tell a thousand stories and are part of the mystique and charm that go
with vintage instruments past and the ones of the future.
 
#55
Cygnus X-1 said:
Hey guys,

Just a little bummed about what happened to my J24 the other day. After playing it, I went to put it back on its hercules stand. When suddenly, It slipped out of my hands and bounced of the padded floor (I share basement with my kids play area), landing on my son's Thomas the train set wood tunnel. Needless to say, it left a one inch gash in it. What sucks is that I was contemplating selling it, but now I'm not sure if anyone would want to buy it. New it was $700+, used I would have let it go for $500.

Now, I'm not to sure how much I would loose because of this. Any thoughts? Should I just suck it up and keep it? or do guys still buy a bass, regardless of any imperfections?

I'll post picture in a bit.
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Yes, people buy instruments with dings. With used gear, or stuff directly off the showroom floor it is understood that there is likely something that differentiates its condition from an absolutely brand new instrument.

My experience:
I've bought a couple used. One was so inexpensive, I overlooked any imperfections, and it turns out to be a great bass despite it's well-used appearance which is in no way indicative of how I've treated the bass. The other bass is a model not made any longer, and I could not chose to just buy a new one minus any use. So cost and availability matters. For basses I can still buy new, that's what I tend to do, instead of buying used.
 
#56
Eilif said:
Based on the pictures you posted, I think it would benefit from a repair. Obviously, a 700 dollar bass might not be the bass that you want a shop to do a 100-200 dollar repair on, but an "almost" repair on your end could take that from a "Gash" to a scrape.

Check out the Luthier or Repair forums for more info, but in a nutshell:

1) color the exposed wood a matching color
2) slowly build up the surface with thin coats of superglue
3) Sand, and buff as desired.
4) Take your time at every step.

It's certainly not going to be perfect, but a good color match, and not having exposed wood could be the difference between taking a 100 dollar hit rather than a 200 dollar hit.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.
Click to expand...

Eilif, Thanks for the info. I'll look into that. Sounds like something to consider

I know that there are some who go the extra mile for a more distressed look. I am the opposite, being anal (it's a disease, I know) I like a more pristine look. Scratches are fine and the eventual wear of the finish is to be expected, but gashes and dings remind me of my clumsiness and can bug the heck out of me. I will try and learn to get over it and live with it.

Again, a big thanks to all. Regardless of what I do, you guys have put my mind at ease. I actually pulled her out of the case today and played :bassist: Good sound, good tone.
 
#60
Honestly, I liked more dinged up looking instruments. My next SX Jazz bass is being bought with the intention of painting it olympic white, then relicing the crap out of it. There's nothing more beautiful to me than a good 'ol vintage looking Jazz bass. Like everyone says, don't sweat it. If I buy a bass and then go play a gig with it, I'd rather have a beat up one than one that looks like its straight off the rack of guitar center. It just looks more natural to me. Basses are big and clumsy,

its natural that they'll get beat up. End of story. People who laugh at any imperfection at an instrument just come off as snobs to me. Heck, if you can save $150 getting something from the scratch and dent stock, I always do it. Again man, don't sweat it.
 

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