How do YOU make sure you're not buying a lemon...

[catcauphonic]

I'm curious what others testing process is when checking out a new USED bass? Particularly if it's sold as is with no return.

From the more obvious ones like looking for scratches or chips in the finish, fret buzz, balance, etc, up to more rigorous detail inspection. What is you're personal checklist of things you always look for before paying?

 

[bolophonic]

I don't know, man... I just pick it up and play it a little bit. Also: I don't bother with off-brand garbage in the first place.

 

[stelles75]

If I had the luxury of testing it in person, I would play it a bit to make sure the action feels right and I would listen for any unusual sound coming from the electronics. Of course, if I'm buying a used bass, particularly one that looks worn, I probably already plan on replacing some things anyway. I guess a warped neck would be something I'd have to avoid entirely.

 

[Davo-LON]

I look for a number of things, shown below in any order:

- how does it feel? You need a strap (preferrably yours) so that the bass can be adjusted to your normal height. How does the bass feel interms of weight and neck dive?
- how does it play? Is the bass easy to play? The action should be medium to low. If it is high then move on. I know this can be adjusted but the store hasn't done it or can't do it. There are cases where the the rod may be maxed out so this is a fail for me. The bass should feel comfortable in your hands. The frets shouldn't be sharp and should be easy to slide your hands up and down the neck.
- is the neck straight. This is one of litmus tests. I hold the bass body up to my eye and a look all the way down the neck. I prefer dead flat necks but some prefer a little relief. Either way it should be as straight as possible in my view because it's easier to add relief than remove it.
- is the finish to your liking? If it's a vintage bass then you need to view the finish accordingly.
- are the strings dead central on the neck? Can't tell you many times this isn't the case.
- do all the controls work. Take time to try out all the controls and make sure they are performing correctly.
- is there any movement on the neck? If there is then reject.
- is the bass authentic? - you may need to take advice on this or see what guarantee you get from the seller.
- is the output the same across the strings? Make sure that the output is balanced across the strings.

if it passes all the above then you've probably bought it already ...

Davo

 

[Matthew_84]

I first try and and just play it for a bit if it's something that I'm not used to (scale length, string spacing, neck profile, body, etc).

I'll plug it in to make sure all electronics and knobs work. Make sure the pots react and turn well. If the pickups have exposed poles, I'll touch all of them to see if they all make a sound.

I also play every single fret on every string to listen for dead spots, or any weird rattling.

I check the frets to see how they're dressed, if there's any sharp edges, or if any of them look significantly worn down.

I make sure all hardware (strap pins/locks, bridge, saddles, tuners, etc) are secure.

I also check the relief on the neck, and if it's an expensive bass, I've bring various truss rod adjustors just to make sure it's not spinning in there.

 

[strictlybass_ic]

Play every note on every fret.
Work and try every knob all across it's range.
Play it without an amp and dig in, listen for rattles or buzzes (loose components somewhere).
Sight down the neck to check warp/bow/twist.
Try to whittle the seller down as low as they'll go so if something does come up you don't feel as bad.

Take it to a good tech and have it set up exactly to my liking anyway.

 

[2.6kHz]

Inspect every last inch of the neck, move the surface of your thumb all over the back of the neck. Feel for cracks. Some expert repair jobs can be really hard to detect, but 99.9% of the time you can spot it if you take a few extra minutes to look.

Bring a strap and check the balance. People like to tinker/mod their stuff a lot and can ruin balance in the process, like causing neck dive.

Bring a multimeter and do ground continuity checks. Make sure bridge is grounded to output jack, etc. Someone may have molested the wiring badly.

 

[bassbully]

To me the neck is the #1 issue. Check the truss rod!!!! if the neck is straight, flat with no twist, no ski jump and frets have life .. its good. The body as long as its in one piece is next. Things like pups ,tuners, pots wire and bridge can all be replaced. Best bet it to play it let your ears and hand be the judge.

 

[catcauphonic]

As usual, great replies here ... keep 'em coming!

 

[catcauphonic]

How about taking the screws off and checking out the battery compartment? I was once hesitant on a P-Lyte because of the jumble of electrical taped non factory wires stuffed in there.

 

[nostatic]

Combustion test. Weigh the bass, burn it, then weigh the residue. I avoid anything that has over 42% decrease in mass. I have yet to have a seller understand my methods...

 

[jmverdugo]

Buy from reputable sellers

 

[TechJunky]

If I find it in a store, I just check it all in regards to normal playing. Tune it up, play a while, see if it holds tuning well. Play it all over the board and make sure there aren't any major issues. Sight down the neck to make sure it's not twisted. Mess with all the controls and ensure they work well and do as they should. Basically, if anything seems wrong, I either don't get it or I make sure it's something I can live with (cosmetic) or can be repaired easily. Most of all, I make sure the price is inline with fair value so I can turn around and sell it quickly if necessary. Also, if it's a major problem (such as broken truss rod), I don't care if it's a no-return policy, a case like that means it will returned or amends will be made.

If buying online, I just make sure to ask all the right questions such as what I mentioned above, and try to view as many pictures as possible. Definitely a higher risk, but if it's a reputable seller or store, I don't feel so bad. Generally speaking, though, I won't buy online from a store unless there's a return policy (at the very least to return in the event the instrument isn't as described), but mostly I just buy here on Talkbass where I can ask a lot of questions and know the fellow members are more likely to make things right. Thankfully though, with all my transactions, I've never received anything in a condition other than described with the exception of some small cosmetic issues, which I don't really care because I expect a used instrument to be used. I'm more surprised when they arrive in near-mint condition (and it's almost always the sellers who DON'T use the term "like new" or "near mint" or anything like that who have the better conditioned instruments. Nearly everyone who's said the bass is "mint" has always had a noticeable issue, but again, that's what pictures and realistic expectations are for).

 

[xUptheIronsx]

I pretty much follow the same steps I do for buying new, but I know going in that some things - like dings in the finish - are out of my control. Things like appearance and string age don't matte as much to me since I am usually buying used expecting some mojo ,and that I am going to replace the strings anyway. Things that I know I can't change - like body/neck condition and construction - are the 2 most important things.

 

[ZenG]

Have a look at the nut....to see how the strings are sitting in it......and if the nut grooves are worn down excessively.

Look at the frets .......are they noticeably worn in spots?......eneven, dished etc.

I don't know why but the first thing I look at on any bass is the bridge before I even play it...if it's got a cheapo junky bridge and components are poorly put together I hang it back up without playing a single note ( however I'm not into rebuilding basses much at all...plenty of others are though...).

 

[friendlybass]

I look at the label, if it says "lemon" I promptly leave the produce area and go back to the basses.

 

[tjh]

.. the best thing that a buyer can take with to look at a bass is knowledge ... do your homework and know your components, know what is stock to that piece, know what is a modification and how it affects its value, and most importantly know when something is not right when you look at it ...

... then you can start doing all the playability, mechanical and sound type checks people have mentioned on this thread ...



JMHO's as always ...

 

[bassbenj]

Play every note on every fret.
Work and try every knob all across it's range.
Play it without an amp and dig in, listen for rattles or buzzes (loose components somewhere).
Sight down the neck to check warp/bow/twist.
Try to whittle the seller down as low as they'll go so if something does come up you don't feel as bad.

Take it to a good tech and have it set up exactly to my liking anyway.

THIS ^

While everyone else at GC is trying to impress everyone in the store with their slapping technique, I'm quietly sitting there with a bass I'm considering carefully playing EVERY note on EVERY fret and carefully listening to what it sounds like. I'm sighting down the neck for warps. I'm looking for high frets that will buzz. I try ALL the controls and look for sticking, crunchy action, or just plain not working (Note that in say a passive bass electronic problems are easy to fix and make a great lever to lower price. In an actives (like say an Ibanez) electronic problems can be a nightmare to fix with special parts you can't get without a huge hassle.) Also try it unplugged. How does it feel in your hands? Does it have a nice solid vibration when you play it (good) or is it kind of clanky and rattly (bad...some Squiers are this way and it's a bad sign)

It can take some skill and knowledge to properly judge a bass since high action in the store can cover up defects like unlevel frets. My Used Conkiln 7 string was that way and even though I caught the defect, the instrument was cool enough I bought it anyway adding $200 onto the price in my mind for the Plek job I had done later. I was right. The Plek job turned that bass into one absolutely amazing instrument.

So it's all about recognizing what the given bass can do for you and then what you have to do for the bass to turn it into the bass of your dreams. It CAN happen!

 

[Iridescentone]

Every gear whore has their set of criteria. Here's mine;

1) Neck issues. That includes truss rod function, fret condition, neck relief, any humps, twists, dips, or any abnormality.

2) Any electronic issues.

3) OEM parts. Missing parts. Replaced parts. Damaged parts.

If any of the above don't pass muster, I'll probably just pass altogether. Not really into "projects", and usually not at all interested in "modded" gear, either.

 

[JTE]

"Playability" isn't really a good measure. Most of that's down to adjustments if the contour of the neck is right for me and the things that can be adjusted work. Here's where having a good bit of experience setting up instruments comes into play. It's a lot easier to determine if a bass that doesn't feel comfortable to play is that way because of how it's built or because of how it's set up. So I check each fret/string combination, I check the nut (because almost no nut is ever cut correctly anyway, but it tells me if I have room to make it right), I gently flex the neck to see how limber it is, I look down the fingerboard both from the headstock and from the body end to see it the relief is consistent or if the neck has wiggles. I check each fret visually to make sure it's seated correctly and crowned. I look at the truss rod nut to make sure it's not bunged up, corroded, or stripped. I drop each string at least a whole step and retune it to see how the machines work and how smoothly it comes back into tune. I inspect the hardware for corrosion, stripped threads and/or slots, etc. Only after all that do I plug it in to see if the electronics work. Make sure every knob/switch works without being noisy.

If the action is high, or the relief excessive, or the nut too high, I can fix those things. But if the neck is too skinny (I'm looking at you Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass) you can't change that.

Of course all this is dependent on playing it unamplified first to see what the BASS sounds like- the pickups only translate what the strings are doing. While PUPs will have a huge impact on the sound, they can't make a heavy ash bodied bass that's all attack and sustain sound like and alder one with blossom and bloom to the notes. There's a certain characteristic that's inherent in the combination of the woods and metal that electronics will not overcome. So I start with that- and the bottom line is if she says "Hi, honey, I'm home!" then I get it. Since I started doing that I've bought hardly any basses, and kept each one that did measure up to that.

John