$how your bargain bass buys!

[Greg Waldon]

Thanks Ghost.

Always try to get the best bang for the buck. Got an Acoustic B100 today in excellent condition for $119.99 + tax + shipping. Shopped to find that deal for about 3 weeks or so. I think I am done shopping for a while.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Walked into a guitar shop to check out a fancy bass I had read about and was excited to try.
Hated it but on the way out the door this followed me home. And I really like it. So much so that I bought a 5 string version with burl top a few days later

$99 Canadian ...that's like $65 US! (To put it in perspective, it cost me $100 to fill up my Lexus on the way to a gig last night) A nice bass for less than the cost of a tank of gas.

It plays and feels like an expensive bass. Actually has a shape similar to my Alembic.
2001 and is so nice it even has the plastic still on the back cover.

 

[lakefx]

Paid less than $200 beat all to crap. I spent about as much refinishing it and getting fret work done.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

View attachment 2796918

That looks like a SR800 I checked out not long ago, with the variable mids knob.

GC has one now:

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[KillerEddie]

Paid $150 for this thing in a pawnshop 17 years ago. That’s probably a rip-off honestly. Pickups were crap, the nut was damaged, it was filthy, someone carved the word “boobies” into the back cover, (which I mean really, it would probably be more of a shock if this instrument DIDNT have the word boobies carved into it) and it was barely worth that price without all of those problems. But look at it, how often do you see anything like this? Over the years I’ve literally replaced everything, all electronics, all hardware with Hipshot stuff. It may be fugly and stupid but I love it. It just has mojo.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

looks like something George Lynch would play, if he played bass

This is a George Lynch Kamikaze, but I can't seem to find a photo of him playing one.

 

[ghostinthemach]

View attachment 2796931 Paid $150 for this thing in a pawnshop 17 years ago. That’s probably a rip-off honestly. Pickups were crap, the nut was damaged, it was filthy, someone carved the word “boobies” into the back cover, (which I mean really, it would probably be more of a shock if this instrument DIDNT have the word boobies carved into it) and it was barely worth that price without all of those problems. But look at it, how often do you see anything like this? Over the years I’ve literally replaced everything, all electronics, all hardware with Hipshot stuff. It may be fugly and stupid but I love it. It just has mojo.

It's not my cup 'o tea but I definitely get the mojo vibe and it's got some 'one of a kind' going on there, as well.

 

[Maxdusty]

Two deals I can think of off the bat both bought on CL:
A Yamaha TRBX305 for $75. in like new condition bought for my son.
The US EBMM Musicman Sub bass in my user pic with case for $160.

I saved the CL posting for the Yamaha because I couldn't believe it at first and saved the ad just in case it was some kind of scam lol..well, it turned out to be for real, as advertised and yes only $75. the seller didn't seem all that concerned about making money on the transaction ..

 

[jaybones]

Baltic blue Squier Affinity, CL for $80.
GC budget gig bag $20.
Replaced single ply PG with Fender MIA red tortoise $20.
Replaced stock pup with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound $40.
La Bella tapewond strings $35.
Rosewood thumb rest $10.
"Fender 60th. Anniversary" blue suede strap (Chinese knockoff probably) $3.

Bass is about $200, that plays and sounds like a bass costing 2-3 times as much.

(during string change took pic before low I is on, and before thumb rest)

 

[KillerEddie]

looks like something George Lynch would play, if he played bass

View attachment 2796943
This is a George Lynch Kamikaze, but I can't seem to find a photo of him playing one.

Funny thing is, Kaman built a model of this bass with a crackle finish like that although I’ve never tracked one down, these GTX53 basses are actually pretty rare. They’re really decent basses for what they are. Not like a lot of the plywood stuff Kaman was known for at that time

 

[Killed_by_Death]

A Yamaha TRBX305 for $75. in like new condition bought for my son.

I've bought two Yamaha RBX basses for under $100 each. One was a mango body RBX170EW & was quite good, except for the chintzy tuning machines.
The other was a RBX270 with the good tuning machines, but with horrible pickups & the truss rod was maxed out, which was a shame.
I had big plans for that one, was going to throw a G&L SB-1 pickup in there, wire it in parallel & then put in a no-load tone pot & make my own no-load volume pot, so it would essentially be straight to the jack when both knobs were fully clockwise.
Sometimes I still think about finding a bass for such a project.

 

[KillerEddie]

Baltic blue Squier Affinity, CL for $80.
GC budget gig bag $20.
Replaced single ply PG with Fender MIA red tortoise $20.
Replaced stock pup with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound $40.
La Bella tapewond strings $35.
Rosewood thumb rest $10.
"Fender 60th. Anniversary" blue suede strap (Chinese knockoff probably) $3.

Bass is about $200, that plays and sounds like a bass costing 2-3 times as much.

(during string change took pic before low I is on, and before thumb rest)
View attachment 2796945

Really digging that blue with red tort gaurd.

 

[JIO]

View attachment 2796931 Paid $150 for this thing in a pawnshop 17 years ago. That’s probably a rip-off honestly. Pickups were crap, the nut was damaged, it was filthy, someone carved the word “boobies” into the back cover, (which I mean really, it would probably be more of a shock if this instrument DIDNT have the word boobies carved into it) and it was barely worth that price without all of those problems. But look at it, how often do you see anything like this? Over the years I’ve literally replaced everything, all electronics, all hardware with Hipshot stuff. It may be fugly and stupid but I love it. It just has mojo.

Actually that is a crazy unique bee-hive meets leopard skin finish-scheme!

 

[jaybones]

Also think this one's a bargain.

~1970 Epiphone Rivoli (MIJ EA 260 bolt on neck). Bought from best friend from kindergarten and former bandmate for $150 w/ OHSC and a nice wide soft leather strap. Dan Erlewine replaced the poorly repaired neck block. Said "Looks like someone used a rusty steak knife to hack out a hole in the original neck block. Used same steak to rough out a piece of oak, the glue it in with white glue."

Asked me how long it had played (until the neck wasn't stable enough to tune up). I said years, and he was shocked that it didn't give way upon tuning first time.

He "Cleaned up the rough cuts on the neck block, cut a proper block from pine and glued it in with Titebond. Put a shim in and reinstalled the neck." Charged me $250.

It's a bargain since it looks like a set neck Kalamazoo Rivoli, except it has 2 pups and a trapeze tailpiece and floating bridge (stuck down with carpet tape so I don't have to rely on a pencil mark to put the bridge back then intonate it with every string change. Now I just check intonation and it's rarely off more than a hair).

(before with DR Lo Beam lights, now has La Bella tapes)

 

[jaybones]

Really digging that blue with red tort gaurd.

Thanks!!

I never got into tortoise PG's until this. In fact, I'd lumped them with mother of toilet seat ones.

Still don't care for MOT, but who knows?

 

[PDGood]

SRX2EX2 with hard case - $160 out the door:

View attachment 2796925
probably the best pickups Ibanez ever made

I agree 100%. I bought this same bass and then bought another fancier one with a flame maple top, sunburst, and ivory binding. Sounds the same, just prettier. Great playing and great sounding basses. One of the best kept secrets in the bass kingdom.

 

[PDGood]

February 1967 Rickenbacker 4005WB.

$175.00

View attachment 2796876
Photograph Copyright © Jeffrey P. Scott 2004 All rights reserved.

Major score!

 

[JIO]

Not an extravagantly great deal - but for $125 (used in VGC) this cool MII De Armond P version of the Guild Jet Star bass is really a good quality nice playing bass.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Bought a like new SR300EL (normally 399 plus shipping) for $179. The bass was in brand new condition when I received it. I saved the online ad.

Left handed SR100 in like new condition. Bought for kid who put two decals on it and left it in a closet. Dad removed decals and sold it to me for $123 with shipping.

 

[ghostinthemach]

Also think this one's a bargain.

~1970 Epiphone Rivoli (MIJ EA 260 bolt on neck). Bought from best friend from kindergarten and former bandmate for $150 w/ OHSC and a nice wide soft leather strap. Dan Erlewine replaced the poorly repaired neck block. Said "Looks like someone used a rusty steak knife to hack out a hole in the original neck block. Used same steak to rough out a piece of oak, the glue it in with white glue."

Asked me how long it had played (until the neck wasn't stable enough to tune up). I said years, and he was shocked that it didn't give way upon tuning first time.

He "Cleaned up the rough cuts on the neck block, cut a proper block from pine and glued it in with Titebond. Put a shim in and reinstalled the neck." Charged me $250.

It's a bargain since it looks like a set neck Kalamazoo Rivoli, except it has 2 pups and a trapeze tailpiece and floating bridge (stuck down with carpet tape so I don't have to rely on a pencil mark to put the bridge back then intonate it with every string change. Now I just check intonation and it's rarely off more than a hair).

(before with DR Lo Beam lights, now has La Bella tapes)
View attachment 2796949

Stunning.