One man's trash is another man's treasure...

[Hammerfield]

I care about them, because I can find great prices in the used market ! Thats the way I score my Lakland Skylne and Fender P (they are keepers) if not, it was very difficult for me to buy them at regular prices, In my country any Fender is excessively expensive. (used standard MIM cost around $800 and up)

 

[Bassdirty]

I’ve done that with so many. One I’ve kept is an “offset neck” Alvarez Dana bass that I got for $50, a few years ago.
View attachment 3826578

AAhhh...make it go away! That hurts my brain to look at..

 

[spot65]

Purchased a Fender Player P bass from Sweetwater a year and half ago. Very small ding on the head stock. Wouldn't even know it was there unless it was pointed out. Bought it at a great price.

 

[baxter_x]

Ok!! Thanks for you input, I did misread.

 

[mongo2]

I bought a new blem Squier VM Cabronita bass for real cheap. The blem was the head of one of the screws on the D string tuner had sheared off. Other than that blem it's a very nice bass but I never really used it since soon after I bought it I switched to shortscales only. I decided to pay it forward by giving it to one of my wife's coworkers who wants it as a birthday present for her son who wants to learn to play.

 

[39-Bassist]

depending of course on the price being paid...BUT, I would say if it ain't a really bad issue/ding, then so what, you are gonna put some on the bass no matter what anyway.

 

[luciens]

Yes. My last 4003 was a factory blem when I bought it in 2000. It had chips in the finish around the binding on the body but was otherwise NIB. IIRC the discount was about $200. It's now deceased, may it R.I.P., destroyed in an incident last summer.

As for would I do a blem/b-stock again, absolutely, unless it was a collector or "investment" bass. Where the cosmetic condition is the primary importance.

But for a player, b-stocks and factory blems can be really good deals on a player. If it had an actual functional defect, I'd have to kind of weigh what the defect was over against the discounted price, of course.

I virtually always have to buy new, since I'm an FL player full-time and my selection of basses is 1% of what the selection of fretted basses is. Used, I haven't yet found one that's exactly what I've wanted, or it's in a foreign country and too expensive/too risky, and so on.

So factory blems on a bass I would want are also rare as hen's teeth, unfortunately, but if I find one I'd do it.....

L

 

[Paulabass]

I’ve done that with so many. One I’ve kept is an “offset neck” Alvarez Dana bass that I got for $50, a few years ago.
View attachment 3826578

Wow!! I thought the shrooms had kicked in! Then I remembered I last took shrooms in '76.

 

[JakobT]

Any blemish, scratch or dent is a deal-breaker for me, even when buying used, which I guess is why I don’t buy used.

 

[Lowbrow]

I bought a 'blem' American Original 60s Precision off Musicians Friend for $600 below regular sale price. Still looking for the blem.

 

[fishdreams]

Yeah, all the time. The Geddy I picked up from Sweetwater recently was one of those.

I personally feel awkward playing basses that are squeaky clean. If I get one, I know I'll put a dent or scratch in mine within a week of actively playing it.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I bought some Epiphones from MF with their 'Scratch & Dent' offerings.
It was always hard to find a scratch, and there never was a dent. Maybe the box was dented.
I don't understand all the fuss about ordering a bass and finding a tiny blemish...but that's just me.

 

[JRA]

Is a rear blemish a deal-breaker for you?

no.

have you ever felt like you scored on an instrument purchase because of some defect that didn't bother you?

sure --- a few, years ago: usually buying new but getting a discount because of flaws (finish/cosmetic flaws).

In my country any Fender is excessively expensive.

--- they're "excessively expensive" (overpriced) in my country, too!

 

[deff]

View attachment 3826569 Have you ever bought an instrument at deep discount because it had a flaw that you either didn't care about or was easily fixed? I bought a Player Precision off Sam Ash that had been returned. Within seconds, I understood what the previous owner's beef was... Horrible buzzing on the A string. The nut was cut incorrectly. I did a fix with super glue and baking soda which worked but ultimately just replaced the nut with a TUSQ. So, for $12 it became a perfectly playable bass. The other two pictured are a finish flaw (Telecaster Deluxe) and a dent (Performer Jazz), both of which are on the rear or bottom of the instruments. For a big markdown in price, I have absolutely no problem with that. Two questions... Is a rear blemish a deal-breaker for you?... and have you ever felt like you scored on an instrument purchase because of some defect that didn't bother you? Pictures encouraged but not necessary.

That Guild tho........sigh

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

Finish imperfections are of no importance to me, but playability ones (not like a bad setup, but less correctable ones) are a no-go. A blemished or b-stock instrument, however, usually doesn't come with a significant-enough reduction in price to make me look twice. I LOATHE haggling, and essentially won't even consider asking about an instrument that I feel isn't priced right. 50 or 75 bucks less than an immaculate version isn't really worth it in my mind, and very often that's about what the difference is.

 

[Corevalay]

Blems are my best friend! I generally don't care about the look of an instrument as I play them hard and ding them up anyways.

My best score so far was a brand new PRS Guitar. It was listed at $1600, but was a scratch and dent reduced to $1000. The blemish was a roughly inch long scratch on the back of the guitar, that was BARELY visible. I scooped her up immediately and have been playing the heck out of that guitar since.

 

[rtslinger]

View attachment 3826569 Have you ever bought an instrument at deep discount because it had a flaw that you either didn't care about or was easily fixed? I bought a Player Precision off Sam Ash that had been returned. Within seconds, I understood what the previous owner's beef was... Horrible buzzing on the A string. The nut was cut incorrectly. I did a fix with super glue and baking soda which worked but ultimately just replaced the nut with a TUSQ. So, for $12 it became a perfectly playable bass. The other two pictured are a finish flaw (Telecaster Deluxe) and a dent (Performer Jazz), both of which are on the rear or bottom of the instruments. For a big markdown in price, I have absolutely no problem with that. Two questions... Is a rear blemish a deal-breaker for you?... and have you ever felt like you scored on an instrument purchase because of some defect that didn't bother you? Pictures encouraged but not necessary.

As long as the trust rod works and there are no major cracks. No small dings and dents are not a deal breaker,
I gig all my basses and they are going to get that happen to them sometime, so I am okay with it.

 

[Tom Gallo]

I got a great discount on my first Rick guitar due to some finish damage.

 

[Tom Gallo]

This one's a little dinged-up, I'm going for 20% off!
View attachment 3826661

That's Paul Simonon's bass, the one he's smashing on the cover of London Calling

 

[6Bass101]

I’ve bought many used guitars and basses for under $100 because one or both pickups were “broken.” Every time I get them home it’s a bit of resoldering a loose lead and it’s good as new.

One time I got the guitar home, plugged it in, and no sound. I was tired so I decided I would work on it the next day. When I got up the next day my son is playing the guitar. I asked him what he did to get it to work. He said, “Umm... plug it in...” For some reason I t just started working. To this day it still works fine.