Not if the truss is maxed, neck is warped or the saddles are frozen. Depending on the bass (or seller) if it isn't listed in some fashion, I will often ask about action or setup. I have years of expert level setup experience, meaning I can work with alot of less than excellent scenarios and come out with a setup that is usable for me. Granted the instrument is capable of it. That said, 'medium to high' action might prompt more questions as it could be an indicator of a poorly maintained instrument worth avoiding. Still I have noticed alot of players actually are not very tech savvy, so you might be taking an inexperienced opinion at best.
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ornary sellers?!?
- Thread starter jzucker
- Start date
I think. If you are buying from a "bass" player you will know it. Everything they would ask will be in the ad. Most of the sellers are just resellers. Last week they sold metal chairs and this week it's a bass they grabbed at a flea market/yard sale. They have never touched an instrument or amp and are just looking for that quick flip that's all.
I sold a Jack Casady earlier this year.
I took a lot of time with my very nice digital camera with appropriate lighting to get some stunning pictures. My description was complete.
The guy that bought it fawned over the pictures saying how good they were of the bass and it made him want to buy it.
I got some pretty good coin for a 7 year old use bass But it was probably a 9 out of 10 in condition so that helped.
Accurate descriptions and pictures seem to speed up the process of selling.
I took a lot of time with my very nice digital camera with appropriate lighting to get some stunning pictures. My description was complete.
The guy that bought it fawned over the pictures saying how good they were of the bass and it made him want to buy it.
I got some pretty good coin for a 7 year old use bass But it was probably a 9 out of 10 in condition so that helped.
Accurate descriptions and pictures seem to speed up the process of selling.
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Largely true only there are plenty of situations where the specs of what you're selling has changed over the years ... production moved to somewhere in Asia after 20XX, 1/4" jacks replaced w/Speakons after 20XX, pickups changed in some way between a certain range of years as a few examples. I find it tedious to answer questions about what I'm selling so I think hard about what might I like to know about said item if I were considering buying it as I'm writing the ad copy and that really helps. Then the real Zen of the whole thing becomes will they actually read the ad copy before asking you questions.
I'm glad for dumb-headed sellers and with rude manners. It lowers the bar so that my listings (good photos, accurate descriptions) and my respectful replies to ALL seller's inquires look so good in comparison.
It’s not that difficult to produce one. In times when more and more is being transacted from home, a scale is a basic household item. A trip to a nearby post office or a FedEx store would work as well.
If a seller is dealing in mid-to-higher end basses, the potential buyer is probably older and more interested in weight. And really, spending 10 to 20 bucks on a scale when one is moving thousands of dollars in instruments seems like a very minor deal.
OTOH, if it's somebody flipping Squiers on Craiglist, a scale probably doesn't matter.
This true.
Yet, when it is time to ship the item, a scale is really handy. They're not just for weighing basses. The $$ I've saved by being able to pick lower cost shipping (which requires you have the package weight) has more than paid for the cost of the scale.
So a seller who has no scale is clearly not very serious about selling.
I think that's probably a bit of an overstatement. If somebody rarely sells a bass, they might not need one. Not everybody buys and sells like crazy. Some people might only sell one or two things.
If somebody does it a lot, a scale would certainly be a good investment.
Some people sell very infrequently or only once.
if it was something enough people asked for, more retailers would do it.
Simple enough. If you buy according to weight you skip the lower priced basses.
IME, most private sellers (and buyers) are woefully under informed on the object they are selling (or buying). If the pics or ad copy look sketchy or scamish, i just move on, but if it just looks like someone is just trying to sell something they are not familiar with, i’ll follow up until they demonstrate their intentions are not honorable.
Bottom line is it’s fine to ask about weight because it’s different for each bass and it’s potentially important. Some folks will respond with “I don’t know” and sometimes you may want to move on to something else in that case.
Probably true but just because a lot of people haven't yet asked for information does not diminish my or others need for that information.
If any information I want isn't readily available, I ask for it. If I get a refusal or attitude, I shop elsewhere.
And many "people" scales aren't generally accurate in the sub 20lb range. 
Something to consider, it's really only an estimate anyway.
Something to consider, it's really only an estimate anyway.
And many "people" scales aren't generally accurate in the sub 20lb range.
Something to consider, it's really only an estimate anyway.
These days ten to twenty dollars gets you accurate digital scales, (not bathroom scales) which handle weights sufficient to weigh bass guitars. It's easy to check if they're reasonably accurate, just weigh something of known weight, like a bag of flour, which you could weight check on the fresh produce scale at the supermarket you buy it from.
It's really not that hard to get accurate weights, but if some people don't see the need, or don't want to go to the trouble that's fine.
What you’re describing may be fairly typical of a seller on Talkbass Marketplace, but it is not typical in the online marketplace in general.
I use a digital fish scale (no pun intended) that cost me under $20 a few years ago. It's supposed to be accurate in the 0-50 lb range but I haven't tried it at higher weights. It's very accurate in the guitar/bass weight range I've tried.
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