Inexpensive, quality 6 for testing the waters?

[wyleeboxer]

theres a older SR506 with emg's pups and the BQS system for sale in the classified section? The key to any inexpensive bass is replacing the eleteronics. This one is already done up and Ibanez basses in general are very well made as far as woods, hardware, and quality. I think he's asking $500 for it?

 

[greenboy]

theres a older SR506 with emg's pups and the BQS system for sale in the classified section? The key to any inexpensive bass is replacing the eleteronics. This one is already done up and Ibanez basses in general are very well made as far as woods, hardware, and quality. I think he's asking $500 for it?

Some years of 506 have what has been a premium preamp that's also been moved into upline models. These are three bands with vari-mids. Actually I like them better than a lot of the Big Name three bands tonally, at least with active pickups. Good s/n too. No passive bypass though (of course when coupled with active p'ups that would make little sense anyway). They aren't that fun to work with though, fairly big circuit boards with a lot of wires leading to and from with nary a modular connector in sight.

 

[Tony G]

He's dead wrong. Buying with no intention of really keeping the bass is very wrong. Now the company has a returned bass which they will likely sell as a blem or repackaged item which will cost them money. Let's say someone offered you a gig out of town. Let's also say it cost you $25 to get there and back. Now let's say that the guy who offered the gig really had no intention of using you; you were just a backup. Anyway, you get to the gig and are told: sorry but I really don't need you; go home. You are not happy. Why? You need to lighten up.

You're right. Everyone must make up their own mind about these things, but in my eyes buying something to test it out, and knowing that you're going to return it is wrong. Of course it doesn't help that the stores turn a blind eye towards this kind of stuff.

I think you guys are missing the point of their 45 day return policy. This is their way of simulating walking into any guitar store to try out a bass. Do you always walk into a store and play with a bass only with the intent of buying it? I think not. If they didn't offer this 45 day return window, they would have a lot harder time selling things to people that aren't really sure what they want. Musicians friend is a mega company. You aren't hurting them by buying an instrument to try it out, and then returning it. At the very least, they want you to do that. Who knows, you may get something you do like very much and decide to keep it anyway.

 

[mobax]

I think you guys are missing the point of their 45 day return policy. This is their way of simulating walking into any guitar store to try out a bass. Do you always walk into a store and play with a bass only with the intent of buying it? I think not. If they didn't offer this 45 day return window, they would have a lot harder time selling things to people that aren't really sure what they want. Musicians friend is a mega company. You aren't hurting them by buying an instrument to try it out, and then returning it. At the very least, they want you to do that. Who knows, you may get something you do like very much and decide to keep it anyway.

I understand your point but I believe the policy applies to good faith purchases where the buyer is unhappy with the quality or some other aspect of the product. I don't think ordering with no intention of keeping the product is a good faith transaction. There are costs involved in processing returns and no company that I've had experience with is interested in shipping goods to people who have no intention of keeping the product.

 

[Pneuma]

Inexpensive is relative, if I can sell it for what I pay for it, then it doesn't matter (to a point). I'd be most happy if it was under 800, hugely happy if it were under $500. Though, if I can quickly resell it and lose no money except shipping, I don't really care heh.

used Cirrus? They play great, and fit in that budget.

P.

 

[Paulhauser]

I have recently purchased an 'almost new' SR506 from Ebay for 340 US + shipping. (This is a '06 model with Barts etc.) I see similar SR506' sold on Ebay for around 300-350 US almost every week.
This a very good bass considering the price, if you dont mind buying used instruments. And you can sell for the same amount, or slightly less.
I found that the SR506 is not working really well in my band, but for playing at home and practicing on a 6 stringer it is perfect. as someone said before that woodwork and the overall quality is really good. Also the playability is much better (for me) than the 6 string BTB's (I also had one 556)

 

[doctorjazz]

I understand your point but I believe the policy applies to good faith purchases where the buyer is unhappy with the quality or some other aspect of the product. I don't think ordering with no intention of keeping the product is a good faith transaction. There are costs involved in processing returns and no company that I've had experience with is interested in shipping goods to people who have no intention of keeping the product.

I'd guess that a company as smart as Musician's Friend realizes this, so you're not "cheating" them out of anything, just lowering their profit margin very, very slightly. Personally, I think of it more as a service provided by the company, and a very good and important one considering the conflict between the close personal touch of the "right" instrument and the cold impersonality of mail-order services.

If they intended it to only apply to good-faith purchases, they would have probably worded the refund policy to only apply to exchanges of the same product, no cash refund allowed.

 

[Groovin]

I understand your point but I believe the policy applies to good faith purchases where the buyer is unhappy with the quality or some other aspect of the product. I don't think ordering with no intention of keeping the product is a good faith transaction. There are costs involved in processing returns and no company that I've had experience with is interested in shipping goods to people who have no intention of keeping the product.

You guys are a bunch of pussies. This is a capitalist society. If you knew what corporations did to make a buck your head would spin. I'm not saying its right but hey, either be a part of the system or manipulated by it. Your not buying it from a TB'r then giving it back, MF gives such a generous policy b/c it saves them a TON of money in legal fees/etc when they dont have to nickel and dime a customer over a few grand (worst case scenario). $10k to them is like $20 to us. Gimme a big fat kit kat bar break.

Oh, and "good faith" is hardly exercised in private transactions, much less in corporate ones. In this century it is about quantity. If you disagree ask me what Americas manufacturing industry looked like before we started going overseas.

Bottom Line: MF has a policy b/c top dollar lawyers told them it was a good policy, not because they believe in the honesty of thier buyers

 

[mobax]

You guys are a bunch of pussies. This is a capitalist society. If you knew what corporations did to make a buck your head would spin. I'm not saying its right but hey, either be a part of the system or manipulated by it. Your not buying it from a TB'r then giving it back, MF gives such a generous policy b/c it saves them a TON of money in legal fees/etc when they dont have to nickel and dime a customer over a few grand (worst case scenario). $10k to them is like $20 to us. Gimme a big fat kit kat bar break.

Oh, and "good faith" is hardly exercised in private transactions, much less in corporate ones. In this century it is about quantity. If you disagree ask me what Americas manufacturing industry looked like before we started going overseas.

Bottom Line: MF has a policy b/c top dollar lawyers told them it was a good policy, not because they believe in the honesty of thier buyers

So I'm a pussy and you are one of the great cynics of the 21st Century.

 

[Bass4LifeRS]

I think you guys are missing the point of their 45 day return policy. This is their way of simulating walking into any guitar store to try out a bass. Do you always walk into a store and play with a bass only with the intent of buying it? I think not. If they didn't offer this 45 day return window, they would have a lot harder time selling things to people that aren't really sure what they want. Musicians friend is a mega company. You aren't hurting them by buying an instrument to try it out, and then returning it. At the very least, they want you to do that. Who knows, you may get something you do like very much and decide to keep it anyway.

That's a good point.

 

[eboe]

I'm not much for 6 string basses (i never even really play my 5 stringer) but those Douglas ones from Rondo look like they would fit the bill, if nothing else beside the fact that the are $170-$180. You could buy one, if you don't like it, let it loose on ebay for $150 or even $160 buy it now and only be out a little bit. Those bridges on them fascinate me though!

 

[the_fonz]

How is that immoral? You aren't stealing anything. They offer a 45 day 100% satisfaction return policy. They send you the bass, you play it, then you send it back saying it isn't for you. Lighten up.

dude, i heard of a band that did this to record an album
Flaw is what i think they were called. they bought all their recording gear from Musician's Friend and returned it in 45 days. free album.

 

[BassGod]

Peavey Cirrus - used, for ridiculous prices.

Graeme

 

[BassGod]

You guys are a bunch of pussies. This is a capitalist society. If you knew what corporations did to make a buck your head would spin. I'm not saying its right but hey, either be a part of the system or manipulated by it. Your not buying it from a TB'r then giving it back, MF gives such a generous policy b/c it saves them a TON of money in legal fees/etc when they dont have to nickel and dime a customer over a few grand (worst case scenario). $10k to them is like $20 to us. Gimme a big fat kit kat bar break.

Oh, and "good faith" is hardly exercised in private transactions, much less in corporate ones. In this century it is about quantity. If you disagree ask me what Americas manufacturing industry looked like before we started going overseas.

Bottom Line: MF has a policy b/c top dollar lawyers told them it was a good policy, not because they believe in the honesty of thier buyers

Damn fine post. With a delightful hint of cynicism.

Graeme

 

[rockin982]

Just a comment on the morality (or supposedly lack thereof) of buying and returning ...

If you intend to buy a bass and think you might end up with one from Musicians Friend, then there's nothing wrong with buying one to try it out and returning it if it doesn't feel right. Remember that you are purchasing an expensive musical instrument sight unseen. They are an internet only company with no way to allow you to try and feel the instrument as you would undoubtedly do in a retail music store - their liberal return policy is thier way of addressing that issue. In fact, if you were to tell the salesman that you are trying to decide between 2 or 3 basses that they offer, he would probably suggest you try one and send it back if you don't like it to try another. It will cost you a little something in shipping fees, but hopefully their competitive prices help offset that.

On the other hand if you aren't serious about purchasing a bass (which doesn't sound like the case here) or if you know for sure you want it from somewhere else, that's a different animal. But don't feel bad; that is what the return policy is designed for.

 

[jonly]

They are an internet only company

Except for that whole Guitar Center thing.

 

[Altitude]

Whenever I gas for a toy, musical or otherwise, my wife (bless her heart) tells me to go ahead and buy a decent one so that I won't be wanting another one in a year.

She is always right about everything, so I have developed an alternate recommendation for you - get a decent 6 string, at the (high) quality level of your 5 strings, and make a commitment to it. You certainly know that there will be some transition period, and my thought is that if you feel some sense of ownership, you will try harder, get up the learning curve, and be able to truly determine if a 6 string is your thing. If, on the other hand, you cheap out, and you don't like your experience, you will never know whether it was because a 6 is not your thing, or that the 6 you had was inferior to your other instruments so you naturally liked it less.

Having said all this, I might suggest that a Yamaha TRB6 is a high quality, mid-priced instrument, although large-bodied and heavy. That might be a good try.

As for the Musicians' Friend discussion, two wrongs don't make a right IMO.

 

[DrGroovenstein]

Whenever I gas for a toy, musical or otherwise, my wife (bless her heart) tells me to go ahead and buy a decent one so that I won't be wanting another one in a year.

She is always right about everything, so I have developed an alternate recommendation for you - get a decent 6 string, at the (high) quality level of your 5 strings, and make a commitment to it. You certainly know that there will be some transition period, and my thought is that if you feel some sense of ownership, you will try harder, get up the learning curve, and be able to truly determine if a 6 string is your thing. If, on the other hand, you cheap out, and you don't like your experience, you will never know whether it was because a 6 is not your thing, or that the 6 you had was inferior to your other instruments so you naturally liked it less.

Having said all this, I might suggest that a Yamaha TRB6 is a high quality, mid-priced instrument, although large-bodied and heavy. That might be a good try.

As for the Musicians' Friend discussion, two wrongs don't make a right IMO.

You mean there are periods of time where you don't GAS for something?? Man, I gotta learn how to do that heheh.

This is the exact reason I stretched my budget, I could probably get something of excellent quality used like a Yamaha or Peavey, and not be able to blame my inability on the bass's lack of playability.

That being said, I've given up before I even began. I decided to focus on some other things before committing to a 6 string.

 

[rockin982]

Except for that whole Guitar Center thing.

They are two seperate companies and operate as such. The guitars in question aren't readily available at GC locations, or else he could just pop in and try them out before he bought anything, making this entire discussion irrelevant.