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$how your bargain bass buys!

#61
I paid just $85 for this Dean Edge 09 at a pawn shop. It is like new and with a simple setup and new D'Addario Chromes, plays and sounds great. :D

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#63
Was interested in exploring a 5 string and found Ibanez SR series most playable of the bunch. Decided to buy cheapest (with two pickups) I could find on GC site. This 2003 SR305 has been terrific at $99.00. My other bass is an SX Ursa 1 shortscale fretless (avatar). Paid full price for that one but $115.00, still feels like a bargain. For $214.00 i have covered 4 & 5, long and shortscale, and fretted, fretless. Now if only I could play 'em!
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#64
jaybones said:
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)
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5120e that I bought for $50....in 1973. Had a different bridge and could never find an original so I had the rosewood bridge made.

Electronics get repaired every 10 years. The neck is also collapsing but my luthier buddies won't touch it. Still play it at jams and at home.
 

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#69
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#70
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Scored this '98 MIM standard jazz 5-string for $380. A fair deal as is, but this particular bass had a few good upgrades: bartolini pickups, badass V bridge, CTS pots. Most importantly, the bass sounds plays, sounds, and looks great. A perfect instrument for "bar gigs"! I've replaeced the "Strat knobs" with more traditional Fender jazz bass knobs, and sported an old set of DAddario flats I had lying around... I love the flame on the heqdstock and neck! ¡Viva Mèxico!
 
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#72
No pic because it is in storage right now but my Acoustic Control Corp 122 amp cost $80. The lady had an Ampeg Portaflex for $150 but it had already been spoken for. I did explain that she wasn't getting top dollar but they had been left there for over a year by her ex and she just wanted them gone.
 
#74
ghostinthemach said:
Saving money is a popular theme here on TB. In fact, it's almost as popular here as spending money (almost).

It's great fun for me to ferret out buying opportunities that I recognize (IMHO) to be 'worth more than that'.

My first examples are from my local music store. Won't mention a name but the initials are GC :thumbsup::

1999 Suhr era MIM Deluxe Jazz $179.00
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Brice fretless active/passive 5 string plays great-amazing neck $179.00
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Cort fretless with wenge neck, Bartolini licensed Mk1 system and pups, 'fortress bridge' (this is a main player for me now) $299.00
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Yes I know you get what you pay for the vast majority of the time, but each of these is worth more than I paid to me and sometimes that translates to a more universal agreement. What say ye (?)

Show us some bargains to haggle over. Include why it's a bargain to you.

I have made improvements to these basses after purchase costing $0-70.00 max.
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Nice. I have an 8 string version of that same Bryce bass I got used for about 300. A few other relatively inexpensive basses but no steals.
 

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