I've been looking for a cheap 5'er. There are plenty of posts on TB of people claiming to have purchased decent 15 year old fully functional basses for as low as $100. I've checked craigslist, pawn shops etc - nothing below $250. Are these cheap basses solely being sold by angry wives/non-musicians who dont know the original or market value of bases? How should I get hold of em? HELP.
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HOW DO Y'ALL GET CHEAP BASS DEALS?
- Thread starter Bunnoodle
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- cheap cheap bass deals how
$100 for something good is a bit of luck.
$200 is luck, too.
Start thinking $300 and you can leave luck behind.
I've bought several gigable 4-strings…one for $125 and another for $150 but I came across both by happenstance.
The thing with pawnshops is they aren't what they wete 20 years ago. Now, they have that laptop right on the counter…a few minutes and they know tje right price.
I do, however, remember someone willing to.trade his bass for a case of beer last year.
Can't remember what kind of bass or what kind of beer, but I remember it definitely sounded like a great deal.
$200 is luck, too.
Start thinking $300 and you can leave luck behind.
I've bought several gigable 4-strings…one for $125 and another for $150 but I came across both by happenstance.
The thing with pawnshops is they aren't what they wete 20 years ago. Now, they have that laptop right on the counter…a few minutes and they know tje right price.
I do, however, remember someone willing to.trade his bass for a case of beer last year.
Can't remember what kind of bass or what kind of beer, but I remember it definitely sounded like a great deal.
Not a fiver, but I found a Fender MIM J for $175 once. Had some really nice upgrades. None of the salesguys had been there when the store took it in, and none of them could explain why it was so cheap. Then they looked at the computer to see who’d taken it in, and it was one of the guys from the Live Sound department.
Sometimes, you’re just in the right place at the right time. Make a point of visiting stores with used stock and clueless employees. Then, know your brands and prices. You’ll start “lucking” into deals after awhile, but it’s not really luck.
Sometimes, you’re just in the right place at the right time. Make a point of visiting stores with used stock and clueless employees. Then, know your brands and prices. You’ll start “lucking” into deals after awhile, but it’s not really luck.
Depends on where you live too.
Perhaps in a bigger city, by the time you get to check Craigslist, the good ones are probably already gone. It's a matter of when the bass is posted on the site and how soon you respond. I bought a MIM Fender Jazz five string bass 2010 for $160 several years ago - the seller just gave up on playing bass and just wanted to put the money towards another hobby he had in mind. Recently, I picked this up, the seller didn't want to play the bass anymore and it was apparently only but a fleeting interest. He certainly didn't need the money given the looks of the place he lived when I picked up the bass. I saved a screenshot of the ad because I couldn't believe it at first and just in case it was a scam or I was kidnapped and held for ransom- it sounded a little too good to be true.
It was in immaculate shape as advertised and nothing at all wrong with it- not a scam. The seller only had it up for less than an hour before I responded and wanted to buy it.
So yes, luck and right place at the right time.
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Yeah, keep looking in those places and I check some of the marketplace apps too,... then it’s just luck. Sometimes you’ll get one, sometimes you’ll just miss one, sometimes nothing shows up...
I bought a mint condition, brand new - still had Fender factory strings on it, not a scratch - Fender MP Jaguar Bass for $40 (four - zero) from a lady on OfferUp (That’s the cheapest, but I’ve been lucky enough to find a number of great deals!)
Did she not know what she had?
Her S/O really piss her off?
Just desperate for exactly $40?
I don’t know, and honestly not my business...(as long as it’s not stolen, but that app IS NOT anonymous, so selling a stolen Instrument there would be D-U-M-B).
Just keep eyes open and something will hopefully pop up sooner than later.
Good luck!!
Added: I’m sure it definitely helps I live in a rather large city. Obviously more ppl, more Basses...
I bought a mint condition, brand new - still had Fender factory strings on it, not a scratch - Fender MP Jaguar Bass for $40 (four - zero) from a lady on OfferUp (That’s the cheapest, but I’ve been lucky enough to find a number of great deals!)
Did she not know what she had?
Her S/O really piss her off?
Just desperate for exactly $40?
I don’t know, and honestly not my business...(as long as it’s not stolen, but that app IS NOT anonymous, so selling a stolen Instrument there would be D-U-M-B).
Just keep eyes open and something will hopefully pop up sooner than later.
Good luck!!
Added: I’m sure it definitely helps I live in a rather large city. Obviously more ppl, more Basses...
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Call in for the 15% holiday sale and this comes out to $212 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/ibanez-tmb105-5-string-electric-bass-guitar?rNtt=tmb bass&index=4. If you sign up for their backstage pass program that makes the final price $195 cuz you get another 8% back to spend on other stuff, like strings.
Or there's this Link Removed.
Both brand new.
Or there's this Link Removed.
Both brand new.
Live in near a major metro area in California, scour CL during smoke breaks
, have $ ready.
Check out HardLuck Kings.
Link Removed $200
Link Removed $200
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Keep looking on CL and be ready to jump as soon as you see it. I check on a daily basis.
Never thought much about Ibanez until I played the TMB 310 and 600.
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godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
- 38,448
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
Just keep shaking the trees! Not a 5ver but I picked up my USA 80's Peavey Patriot for 99 bucks, killer bass!
How to find the deals? One word for ya’....patience.
NicJimBass
Flossin'? I thought your name was Munson!
Patience and spending time scouring all available outlets are both key. It helps to know where to look, and it equally helps to know what you want. I do a daily search for several specific brands (and specific models) that I've had good luck finding deals on in the past. Brands like Peavey and Spector have used the same model names on different instruments, which leads to confusion, and, sometimes, a great deal.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Another thing you can do....
Search out all the store deal threads here, subscribe to them with email notifications, and click those threads the second you get them. On th Amazon thread someone picked up a brand new Flea bass a week or 2 ago for about half the going price.
Search out all the store deal threads here, subscribe to them with email notifications, and click those threads the second you get them. On th Amazon thread someone picked up a brand new Flea bass a week or 2 ago for about half the going price.
Work hard, save money, buy something worth playing.
I love Reverb. This year I got a near mint ESP LTD D-5 that retails for nearly $600 for $275, and that's including a new hardshell Gator case and a 4" wide solid leather strap. Funny thing is, I was actually on there looking for a new case and the search engine pulled up the guitar w/case. Couldn't pass that one up.
