What are great basses with a really low resale value?

[JimB52]

I don't know about "really low" resale value, but used USA Laklands can be great deals.
I've seen them go for under $1600 quite a few times, which is pretty darn low, in my opinion.

 

[sumpitan]

+1 Alembics are worth like 30% of the cost on a resale value. I bought a Stanley Clarke Standard for $1900 7 years ago, luckily for me I found a buyer this year for $3800 but the list of the bass had risen substantially in the last few years.

Thirded, only more so. I bought a used, mint Alembic Custom 5-str. (based on Series I) for 1000 euros a couple years back, then sold it for 1500 e, the bass being near-implayable due to bad ergonomics (extreme mass & neck dive & gigantic (slab) body dimensions).

Based on alembic.com's Custom Quote, a similar bass fetches 15 600 USD or 12 000 EUR new. That's 12 times the money I spent on one, and 8 times the money the next owner spent on it.

 

[bassplayer1960]

Pedulla's never seem to sell for anywhere near their new value ...........

I am in the market for used MVP fretted and have been finding that prices for used Pedulla's have been rising with the cost of new ones. My understanding is that Mike P is building solo now and new models are becoming somewhat scarce. There are used beaters out there for 1k or less but used (up to 20 years old) buzz or MVPs in good to excellent condition seem to be selling for over 2k. New, they run in the mid to high 3k range.

 

[powmetalbassist]

Warwick and Ibanez. Bought a Warwick for 600 used and resold it a year later for 475. With the economic woes it's been tough. I also had my first Ibanez bass (a 2010 Sr400) bought new for 600 (shipping included) was hard pressed to flip it recently for $300.

 

[rogerbmiller]

I think just about anything you buy new crashes once you take it home. Much like cars. Fenders seem to hold up the best but if you buy one new expect to take a hit.

Over time you have some protection basses made in first world countries as the cost of living in those countries is always increasing and thus so is the price of a bass made there. So a used version would benefit from those increases. Example, Fenders huge across the board price increases in 2009. That made used Fenders more valuable.

Still if you buy new, there is going to be substantial depreciation, no doubt about it.

 

[Dondoh]

I suspect you are asking this because you are looking for a great playing bass at a low cost. With that in mind...
If I had about $300 dollars burning a hole in my pocket and a dream of playing the bass, I would buy a G&L tribute. Really well made, inexpensive, play like a dream, usable in any situation, no resale value. I got an sb-2, but most folks call the L2000 the swiss army knife of bass tones.

 

[MrUsefulAlien]

+1 for Warwicks

I had a '97 6 strings Corvette with wenge neck & fretboard, and bubinga body, got it for $600
i got my '97 Streamer stage 1 fiver for $1200

What rogerbmiller says is true regarding buying new, but it seems that warwicks devalue by 80% or so... i might be wrong, and im sure there are TBers who know way more than me about this

 

[Jungy]

Anything Fender has put out that isn't a J or a P, or P/J, has lower resale.
And probably the same for non standard Fender bodies.

 

[bassmeknik]

I bought a new Gibson V in 1987 and really like it for its tone and slim neck profile. I paid $700 in '87 and have never seen one sell for more than $450. Despite having cult like status in the guitar world Gibson is not famous for its basses from my experience. The low resale value of my Gibson V has surprised me over the years so I think they are a great value in today's dollars.

 

[SJLee]

At the higher end, sadly and unfairly, Mike Lull basses -- which are such good quality -- often don't keep their resale value. (The T4s may be an exception.) A new Lull precision or jazz goes for north of $2,000 but used for mid $1000s. Like I say, a mystery given the incredible quality of the instruments.

I couldn't agree with this more...