NBD bitter disappointment

[Thinline]

I just don't get people that send out an instrument filthy. Even old crusty strings....
I would never do that - but everybody is different. I have received many instruments over the years in that
awful uncaring condition, but have brought back most of them. Some turned out to be real gems.....but not always. Buying used is tricky for sure.

 

[CaribooBass]

People are without a doubt sometimes very deceitful. Yes they can leave the feeling of “Bad JuJu” and it does not make for a good start.
In cleaning it and playing it now what has that done?
In Israel when a Stone Mason works like you did on the bass it is now considered a “Live Stone”.

Interesting concept in other Lands; strong belief to an Israeli.

So where is this going?

A wood based instrument is an organic instrument. In other words it has a presence and travels your time line with you.
Only good people can bring “Mojo” to an instrument. Mojo kicks the crap out of JuJu every time!

You want to know what to do?
Talk to the bass! It has not lied to you, nor hidden anything away.

It has responded to your cleaning and now when you played it.
So in its short time with you, what has it revealed to you or about you…….what about through you?

Before you say I am off my meds, the modern term for this is “The man in the mirror concept”.

I really believe that every instrument we have takes us on its own journey.
Yes the way this bass has come to you is not an easy start.
The previous human involved needs a case of Preparation H that is true, but basses do not need it.

I would keep it just to see what she shows you.
If you want a good read, look up what the owners of Stradivarius instruments have gone through.

Clayton

 

[ultra60]

I see that much rust on an instrument and it's a hard pass. I am weird that way.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

You're not happy with the bass and you want to send it back.

The seller wants you to send it back and the website/platform you purchased it through will guarantee you a refund.

Do I understand the situation correctly?

If this is the case I honestly don't understand the problem here. If you want to keep it, keep it. If you're not happy with it, return it. Do you want strangers on talkbass to tell you whether you're happy with a bass you've purchased??? Seriously?

Would I return it? Sorry, I can't say without playing it, and neither should anyone else. This is YOUR decision.

 

[Thinline]

Can someone explain Carrots????? with respect to Keep it or Send it back pole

 

[Grinderman]

I had one of those back in 1990. A really well made bass but I didn't bond with it - I just don;t care for the P/J combination.

But it is well worth restoring, or at least fixing it up. I changed the pickups on mine, but the stock pickups were OK. Of all the issues you mention, none would be of particular concern to me. I would be looking at the condition of the fingerboard as the critical element. Is the fingerboard close to being flat with the strings off and the truss rod completely loosened? If so the neck is OK. Feeling a little edge on the skunk stripe is not a big deal.

Though the bridge is not original, it is arguably as good as the original black cast zinc bridge that corroded within a few years on mine. I'd replace it with something like a black Gotoh 201. The tuners are good on that bass.

A good clean up and polish should yield a really decent bass, and a good platform for some upgrades if you feel so inclined.

At a local jam I let another pro bassist play mine. He was so taken by it that I almost had to pry it out of his hands to get it back.

So my advice is if you didn't pay too much (???) and you otherwise like it, look past the cosmetics and fix 'er up.They are really good basses.

Same for me. It seemed well made but I didn't bond with it; I learned that I don't care for P/J basses. I kept mine a few years; sold it around '91 to help buy an early '65 L-serial Jazz Bass.

 

[Grinderman]

That doesn't look bad to me with some cleanup.

If memory serves me right, I changed the knobs on mine to the classic black bakelite plastic VVT Fender Jazz Bass type.

 

[sloppy_phil]

If memory serves me right, I changed the knobs on mine to the classic black bakelite plastic VVT Fender Jazz Bass type.

Hope you kept those knobs! They are worth quite the pretty penny these days

 

[KJMO]

Man, that's not just dirty, it looks like he found it in a pond. I'd get your money back and send it back to him.

 

[2thAche]

What were the original pics? Looks dirty AF from smoke, that had to show, but won't make it a bad bass. The crack across the neck is what I wouldn't like

 

[HardNHeavy]

found a better offer and wants me to send it back......only when he sends ur money back. Looks like a nice axe once u cleaned it.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

That "crack" across the neck has me concerned, How deep is it? Looks more like someone tried to cut it in half for shipping. The rest? If it feels good and you like the sound, then it's a keeper. The "crack" would have me return it though.

 

[JonathanPDX]

You don't owe anyone anything. If you aren't happy then send it back. If you aren't 100% sure this is THE BASS for you the only reason to keep it would be because you got such a great deal on it that you can live with it as a secondary instrument for your collection, or that even in it's bad condition you think you can get your money back from it easily at a later date.

If you keep it and aren't happy with it you'll be stuck, and one day when a super cool instrument in actual good condition pops up you'll be sitting there looking at your moldy bass and thinking "I really should have put this back in the mail and waited for something better to come along."

Based on your statements it sounds more like you are trying to get talked into keeping it but your gut says this thing is trouble and you're better off sending it back. Trust your gut and let this one go. There are too many red flags and it hasn't shown you anything so amazing that the positives outweigh the negatives. If it had you would be here asking how to fix it up because you love it, not asking if you should send it back.

 

[mb94952]

OMG it has some wear ! Send it back !!!

 

[BAG]

If that's just a scratch then I'd just sand it back and refinish with some tru-oil.
I recently did just that on a cheap bass I bought as a project/test-bed which had a few dents in the back of the neck. A bit of sanding and around 6 coats of tru-oil and now I can't feel the dents at all and the back of the neck feels and plays fantastically. I'm going to refinish at least one other of my basses necks the same way. So easy and a great finish.

 

[u2brothr]

Everyone needs a "beater" bass? ug.....

 

[devnulljp]

Send it back and buy the one exactly like it from the TB classifieds.

Dude's in Spain.
Americans are notorious for not knowing how to ship things to other countries.

 

[Lackey]

Everyone keeps talking about a crack in the neck... its not with the grain, it ain't a crack. In fact, to me, blind as I may be, looks more like somebody drew on it with a pen... Anyways.

Don't be a sucker and send back a cleaned up bass with new strings for the same price you paid - crazy. At least put the old strings back on it. Selling stuff is a pain so I understand you not wanting to do that.

Also, I don't think mold grows underneath the paint, not enough air exchange...

 

[Aaron David]

If you decide to keep it, you could polish it with a buffer/sander and turtle wax to really bring back the sheen and kill any mold smell that may linger.

 

[majbass]

If you're going to return it, don't write that you restrung it or did any sort of adjustments or repair to it.

That bass looks to me like it's been "wet", stored in a high humidity environment, for a long period of time. It may normalize itself over time, but maybe not.

Does the case smell moldy? If so, it needs to go... you'll never get the mold or the odor out.