NBD what would you do, issues not disclosed?

[therhodeo]

no....

Important detail unless you want the mob jumping you for getting an upgrade on the back of a repair.

 

[Johnny Alien]

Everything else aside if the pre costs $300 and the labor and shipping is over $300 then I would return the bass. Over $600 for a pre repair is crazy.

 

[therhodeo]

Is a real deal Ken Smith or a KSD? That would make the decision for me.

 

[Stumbo]

If you got bass for half of what it should go for , IMO the seller knew there was an issue with it.

This! ^^^

Which was stupid so you deserve what you get don't ask questions without giving all the information and then get upset when you get jumped on!

not this^^^

 

[armybass]

maybe so but it is a mute point and the deal is done....my apologies to mjac28 for the childish way I acted...

 

[SirMjac28]

I apologize for my posts and removed them.

 

[TRichardsbass]

It is buyer beware. I have gotten several basses over the years from Craigslist and other sources (not TB) and have had super success and also super failure. I am lucky in that I do most of my own work and have access to people who can do the more difficult stuff.

Great example was a Steinberger Q4v2 I purchased that looked great in the pictures and the guy sounded okay on the phone. I paid about 60% of what they normally go for but he did disclose some of the finish issues and some minor changes he had made to it.

Arrived and it made zero sound. Then, after doing the obvious things, I noticed a hiss but still no sound.

I dismantled the entire bass from neck to bridge, and discovered that in replacing the original pickups at some point there were no grounds soldered to anything and also the main on one was completely unattached. Now honestly, that is something they knew. Also, two of the string jaws were seriously cracked and one adjustment screw was bent.

If you add up the time I put into it and the new parts I wound up putting what would be just under half of the purchase price into it. (Again, lucky I could do the labor myself, so my actual cash outlay was much less.) All said and done, I actually sold the bass a while back for a couple of hundred more then the cost plus the work and parts, so not bad. But you always take a risk.

Same for my Gibson 20/20. She was a rescue, but didn't look like the pictures when she arrived and well, I wish in some ways I hadn't pulled the trigger, even at the stupid low price I got it for. Why? Because there is no way I won't put it back to working order, so I will spend more money on it. Right now I'm at about $250 to get it functional, and it needs a tuner rebuilt by Sperzel, a new pickguard, a new complete cavity rewire and then a fret dress.

I spent way less then they normally sell for. When I'm done, it will cost me a lot more then it is sellable for. But I just can't let it not get healthy.