[first bass] advice on things to check when buying second hand.

[tradernick]

One_Dude has it covered.

Signs of abuse or neglect could be rust or corrosion around any jacks, screws, or hardware, or an overall dirty appearance with numerous finish dings or dents. Also. check the string wrapping at the tuning pegs to see if it looks like the person installing the strings was careful in their installation, or just slapped them on. To check for a warped neck I sight down the neck from each end, both the head end and the body end. If the neck appears to have noticeable high and low spots along its length (kind of looks wave-like) it could mean the truss rod has been over tightened in an attempt to straighten a warped neck. You can also see a twisted neck using the same method. Both of those conditions would stop me from buying unless the price was low enough to warrant replacing the neck.

Beat me to it. The 'sight up and down the neck' test is the first thing I do, even on new basses in the store. Will asymmetry in this test always indicate a bad bass? The serious gear guys here can answer that but if there's a significant difference, it's a red flag to me. Also agree with the signs of neglect. It tells you a bit about the seller and all information is good in a transaction like this.

I were the seller I would not appreciate a potential buyer who may or may not be qualified making adjustments on MY bass.

Yep, this too.

 

[Chips_on_Bass]

Make sure none of the machine heads are busted. You should be able to tune the guitar without a gear slipping or the machine head clicking. But even if that does happen it only costs like five bucks to repair. It's just kinda a nuisance.

 

[tlite]

No problem to ask the seller if he/she has the truss rod wrench. If so, just say you're new at this and were advised to make sure it turns properly. If they have a key ask them if they wouldn't mind turning it 1/4" counter clockwise, then back while you're there. If it looks like it turns smoothly for them you should be good.

Solves the issue of your being nervous and their concern about some total stranger messing with the truss rod on the bass.

 

[petrus61]

I’d ask the seller to verify that the truss rod is fully functional and I would sight the neck for twist. Anything else can be easily repaired or adjusted for the most part, but there’s no practical way to address a severe neck issue on a bass at that price point. Even if it’s a crazy good deal, a useless neck is still a useless neck.

Edit: At the very least, I would closely inspect the truss rod nut to make sure it hasn’t been chewed up by careless user error.

 

[fhm555]

If you don’t know how to play it’s really tough to evaluate a bass. If you do know how to play it’s easier.
When i look at a used bass i pick it up and look down the neck from behind the bridge, looking at the relationship of the strings to the fretboard. This will tell you really quickly if you have setup problems or neck issues. Next, play your regular warmup routine a few times unplugged. This will also help reveal potential problems. If it’s wonky i’ll bar each fret and strike the strings one at a time looking for problem areas. Check intonation. Once you are satisfied that the neck is OK and what setup issues you may have. Plug it in and make sure all the pots work and don’t sound scratchy. Last, go over it with a fine tooth comb noting any finish issues or cracks. I do the electronics and finish checks more in search of bargaining chips that concern over buying, unless it’s an active bass, in which case it would need to be dirt cheap if it had preamp issues.
If you don’t feel like you can make an informed evaluation, get the seller to meet you at a music store where a tech can take a look. It might cost you a few bucks but it could also save you a lot more.

 

[singlemalt]

Truss rod is the key thing, don’t buy it without turning it both ways and seeing the change in relief. Make sure the nut isn’t stripped.

Most people never adjust the truss rod, the general feeling is truss rods are powerful voodoo and demons might fly out of the neck. This simple isn’t true.

It’s very important, critical even, that the truss rod works. The neck should straighten to dead flat or even a bit of back bow, at tension, and smoothly relax to some relief. High action can be fixed with a shim and or bridge adjustments, but relief is all in the truss rod. Make sure it works.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Again echo checking the truss rod and playing the instrument through an amp.

 

[96tbird]

I’m going against the grain here and advising you to buy from a reputable store that has a good guitar trch on staff ...new or used. Theres plenty of good budget bases to be had new and you can get advice from the store workers. Tell then you’re a novice and need help.

Scorpions be damned.

Bass players don’t need no stinking scorpions.

 

[arakiri]

I’m going against the grain here and advising you to buy from a reputable store that has a good guitar trch on staff ...new or used. Theres plenty of good budget bases to be had new and you can get advice from the store workers. Tell then you’re a novice and need help.

Scorpions be damned.

Bass players don’t need no stinking scorpions.

i would prefer that, but the same bass i plan on buying is selling at a store 100 usd more expensive.
i' like to do that but theres no way i can afford it, this seller i bargained the bass for about half the price thats on the store. with the crisis and inflation here (argentina) many ppl are selling their stuff cheap and in a hurry, but prices are still higher than, say, in the US. also i understand that turnin the truss rod is necessary to check it, and ill try to, but does any one have other advice on ways to check it superficially that dont involve turnin it?? thxx yall have been of great help

 

[arakiri]

also when i was thinkin of gettin a guitar i watched this video, most of it can be applied to bass in my opinion

 

[wvbass]

If I’m buying an instrument in person, I check three things:

Do I like the way it sounds?
Do I like the way it feels?
Do I like the way it looks?

There are a lot of great instruments out there that have maxed truss rods, broken and repaired headstocks, and various other issues. Broken stuff doesn’t scare me, and I can’t check that kind of thing out if I buy online, so I don’t get too uptight about it in person.

 

[96tbird]

also when i was thinkin of gettin a guitar i watched this video, most of it can be applied to bass in my opinion

You are correct.

 

[skaine]

Check the electronics, see if the bass has the intended pickups installed. If the pickup has changed, see if the wiring and soldering job done correctly. Even check inside of the pickup covers if there is something wrong.

I checked a bass today, it had the intended pickups, but it seems the owner installed different pickups then put the originals back in. He did that job poorly, there was a layered soldering (like a hill of a mountain) and one of the wires was about to go off. Also it was covered with electric tape inside, yea we experience new things every day!

Other than that,

Truss rod (if it turns boths sides properly and if the allen properly fits into the truss rod)
Frets (if there are any corrosions or deformations)
Neck (if its warped or not, also check the area where the neck and body intersects if there are any cracks, also check if its tuned and straight)
Bridge (due to sweaty hands some bridges' saddle screws and intonation screws can be rusty, so check if they work properly and if any of them missing)
Potance knobs (check when you turn them on and off repeatedly if you hear a noise, also they shouldnt be too loose)
Headstock (again look for if any cracks also check the tuners if they turn properly and not so loose)
Strings (if possible ask for new strings installed if the existing ones are old and rusty, so you can hear the tone better, also keep in mind that old and rusty strings can damage your frets)
Electronics (see above, also check if there is a deep noise, there might be a grounding problem, also elixir strings prevents string based grounding because of their protective coat)

Some people dont care their instrument, so rusty bridge, screws and frets could be a common thing. They can be cleaned or replaceable if needed. However truss rod issues, deformed frets, warped neck and cracks are major problems. Just avoid buying the instrument whatever they tell you and even with a low price tag.

 

[WebJunk]

I NEVER let anyone touch a trussrod on any bass or guitar I am selling. Never! At worst they could break it. At best they just messed up the setup, so if they don't buy it I may have to do a setup again.
I will do it myself on a cheap instrument (which this one is to me) but not a better one. But have heard of people buying instruments with broken trussrods where the seller turned the trussrod for them but actually were probably just faking it.
You really don't have to turn it IMO. If there is no buzzing and you do not see an obvious bow then the trussrod is doing its job. Possibly the nut might be stripped for future adjustments but I have always gotten around that.
But if its that important (since you mentioned traveling a distance) then it might be a good idea to ask him if you can see if the trussrod turns & anything else before you travel. If you do turn it, you need to see if the neck bow changes. If the trussrod is broken or the nut is loose, it will turn perfectly fine but the neck won't change. Not sure how knowledgeable you are on basses.

Being an SX I will tell you to be very careful on checking the controls, pickups, switch, tuners as they are not made for extended or heavy use. Only occasional. So you will need to have the bass in an amp to listen for noise or drops when turning controls. Visually look at the tuners (not just turn) as the gear teeth tend to wear which keeps them from holding tune. Visually look at the frets not just for wear but that they are properly seated and also are round or crowned on top. If they are flat you or pay a shop will have to do actual fret work and cheap fret wire can sometimes only be worked so much before they need to be replaced. Often on cheap instruments people will sand or file down a fret that's buzzing but when you start crowning you are taking the frets down further.
And I don't think I saw it mentioned but a big thing is if its a bolt-on neck. Check the bolts that they look original. If you can find a picture of a new one to compare to. Have seen where the bolts were changed and that can bring up multiple possible issues. And make sure the neck & body are not loose in any way. Look at the neck pocket that it looks like a tight fit.

 

[Fender_Bender]

With your experience level it’s a bit of a gamble. Others have given you good advice about judging the neck etc. I’d put at least as much emphasis on whether it looks like the owner took good care of it,or whether he was bashing heads in at the bar with it. Same advice as with a car etc. You don’t want to buy a product that was abused because there could be problems not visible to the eye. It looks a little dodgy (dirty, beat up) but could just be the photos. If a person can’t be bothered polishing it up to sell it.....

 

[LowActionHero]

First off, if I were the seller I would not appreciate a potential buyer who may or may not be qualified making adjustments on MY bass.

YES, you can't expect to go to a car lot and rip off the heads to check the valves, no matter how much you might like to.
Many of these things would be nice to know for sure of course, but you might have to stick to looking for a lack of symptoms rather than tweaking stuff in front of the owner, taking it out of adjustment to see if you can put it back.

 

[buldog5151bass]

You may not want to hear this, but I buy most of my gear used so here are my thoughts.

First off, if I were the seller I would not appreciate a potential buyer who may or may not be qualified making adjustments on MY bass. There is always an element of risk when buying used and more so from a private owner than from a store. But unless you are buying something that is really expensive, in which case you should have an expert check it out, you should check the neck to verify that it is not warped or twisted, check for worn frets, test the electronics, and check the overall physical condition. Also check for any signs of abuse or lack of care. None of these actions require any adjustments and therefore will not offend the seller.

I love SX instruments, but they were not expensive when new so I have to believe a used unit will also not be expensive. If you are still uncomfortable buying from a private seller, I suggest you buy from a store that offers some type of warranty or has a good return policy.

Good luck in your search and decision.

Thump on,

One_Dude

As to the truss rod, no one is suggesting that you do a major twist, just that you check to be sure it isn't frozen or snapped. If the seller refused to allow this to be checked (or do it himself to show), I would consider it a red flag.

 

[arakiri]

UPDATEEE soo i was lookin for the same bass model and i found a paused publication by an outlet instrument store sellin it. i messaged them and asked them if they still had it (they have all the instruments of that same series) and they told me THEY MIGHT STILL HAVE ONE LEFT and that they were gonna check and get back at me. sooo why am i so excited? bc they sell it really cheap, kinda the same price that the seller i talked about. its supposed to be an outlet instrument, like its been hanged for display for a while, BUT they have techs in the store that set it up and give warranty. so far so good right?? well i hope they r right and still have one left, gonna update tomorrow if anyone cares to know

 

[Maxdusty]

UPDATEEE soo i was lookin for the same bass model and i found a paused publication by an outlet instrument store sellin it. i messaged them and asked them if they still had it (they have all the instruments of that same series) and they told me THEY MIGHT STILL HAVE ONE LEFT and that they were gonna check and get back at me. sooo why am i so excited? bc they sell it really cheap, kinda the same price that the seller i talked about. its supposed to be an outlet instrument, like its been hanged for display for a while, BUT they have techs in the store that set it up and give warranty. so far so good right?? well i hope they r right and still have one left, gonna update tomorrow if anyone cares to know

Safer to buy it from a store for sure.
For the future, regarding checking out the truss rod, if the neck is currently straight, no buzzing etc, no warping, twist or bowing, I would be more comfortable in buying the bass without checking out the truss rod as it's doing what it's supposed to. If the neck isn't straight, seems twisted or anything suspect about it, I would be hesitant to buy it without asking the owner showing me that the truss rod is still adjustable.

 

[skaine]

Even you buy them as brand new, Fenders have known to have some neck issues time to time such as buzzing due to their structure, some people even prefer that buzzing if its not so intense. They almost use the same design since they are first manufactured after all.

Warping and twisting is a big problem however. When you first buy the bass as brand new one it doesnt have that kind of problems generally. However you cant know what will happen when the wood starts to age as you use it for years. Along with more reasonable prices, thats why i prefer buying a used bass over the brand new one, because you can observe after X amount of years you see the neck is still steady, so no or less future surprises.

MIA and MIJ Fenders has better craftmanship and wood i guess or maybe better quality control system. Thats my experience ofcourse, i dont have a certain opinion. I encountered lot more problems on MIM basses, some of them were serious.