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The cheapest bass I've ever purchased...

#21
TimBosby said:
So all in all my $25 bass is going to end up being more like $525 after all parts and labor but hell it'll be my own custom creation..sort of..hahah
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Good Heavens, that's alot to drop on an old Ibanez. I don't personally think it's worth it, but I hope it turns out well for you.

I love a good cheapie (less than $150). It's always a thrill to find a good deal, and I enjoy doing little fixups to basses. My rule of thumb for cheapies, is do what it takes to put it in good working order, and if it's not what I like, then flip it.

Example
84 Fury- 50 bucks at SamAsh with a bad input and the hightest action I've ever seen. It got a neck adjustment, contact cleaner to the pots, and a radio shack input jack.
Buy at 50, invest 5, sell for 125.

If I had that bass, It'd get a bit of filler to the rough defret, some dark dye on the fingerboard, and a glueup and nail polish to the input crack.
Buy at 25, invest 10, sell for 90
 
#23
I posted this a couple of months ago...

My guitarist called me up, and said he was looking at an Ibanez Blazer Fretless for £12.99 (about $25)!!. Did I want it?

He brought it to the gig the next night, and I used it for the first set.

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New strings cost me $35!
 
#24
I would have easily payed 25 bucks for that bass, thats a steal! Even beaters can be fun to work on... used to LEARN, on how to work on a bass. Although Im envious,Im glad for you. But as an old art major....forget the creme pups, thats going to severely cheapen the look of the bass, especially in contrast to the gold, black pups is the way to go. Make sure you post pics when its finished. I have to run now.....I have the urge to find / buy another beater bass, thanks to you guys.
 
#28
sound of bass said:
Better choice. It should look real classy with gold hardware. What are your plans for the wood damage?
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I've got a guy who's gonna re-set the cracked part and "clean up" the dings and scratches. I've piled a fair amount of black paint over it already to "build it up" a bit. It'll never be perfect but with some painting, repainting, sanding, and polishing, I think it'll get to the point where it's not as noticeable. I'm going to replace all the hardware with gold, down to the pickup screws, input jack, and neck plate. Then I'm having the fret gaps filled and the whole board treated with polyurethane. And EMG (black cover) active pickups installed. These basses are so easy to play and sound great already, I think with the upgrades and work it'll be a killer instrument.
 
#29
TimBosby said:
Yeah, I know you're right. But this is just my treat to myself.
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No shame in that. There's definatley a real sense of accomplishment in taking a battered instrument and bringing it back to life. It sounds like you may well be very happy with the results.

IanStephenson said:
I posted this a couple of months ago...

My guitarist called me up, and said he was looking at an Ibanez Blazer Fretless for £12.99 (about $25)!!. Did I want it?

He brought it to the gig the next night, and I used it for the first set.

New strings cost me $35!
Click to expand...

That's Gorgeous! I think that is probably the best "deal" I've ever heard about on Talkbass.

Looks to be in great condition too.
 
#30
sound of bass said:
DAMN!!! What a find! You said you gigged with it, how did it sound? Any mods. since buying it?
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Sounded great - I presume those are DiMarzio's pickups, and they're really punchy. Out of the box it played great. All I had to do was put a new set of strings on - it came with only three strings, which isn't a good way to sell a bass. I haven't had much chance to use it - I had an upcoming gig it would have been great for, but that fell through. While it was a LOT of fun playing it on a heavy rock gig (the day I got it), it's not really the best place for a fretless.

The knobs for the control pots are missing - I guess I should replace then. I think I've got some around somewhere.

It's been looked after, but it has been played hard. There's no damage at all to it, but the board is well worn in - not in a bad way, just that it clearly saw some use.

Ian
 

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