What bass would you choose?

[MichelD]

I popped into my local pawn shop yesterday to look at their bass offerings.

I don't usually go into that place, the guys act really shady and I suspect they fence stolen goods despite the city's rule about shops being required to catalogue all their stock.

Anyway, they have a Musicman Stingray for $1000 and an older single pickup Peavey for $300. This is Canadian dollars which today are worth 76% of a US dollar.

The Musicman looks near new so I suspect it is of recent manufacture.

I don't need another bass, I just got a new Fender jazz bass. But if you had the money, what would you do?

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Which Peavey model?

 

[MichelD]

Which Peavey model?

Looks like a T-40 but with one pickup. I looked it up on line. It's a T-45

 

[MD]

I don't usually go into that place, the guys act really shady and I suspect they fence stolen goods despite the city's rule about shops being required to catalogue all their stock.
what would you do?

If this even enters your mind a little, and you don't need another bass?
Do you really want someone at a gig pointing to you and yelling "that's my bass"?

 

[Bass V]

a Peavey T-45 for $400US is probably tops for those currently, they're scarce, if it's a real looker I'd do it.

 

[MichelD]

If this even enters your mind a little, and you don't need another bass?
Do you really want someone at a gig pointing to you and yelling "that's my bass"?

I agree. I go into those places more out of curiosity than anything else.

 

[MichelD]

a Peavey T-45 for $400US is probably tops for those currently, they're scarce, if it's a real looker I'd do it.

Currently, that price equals about $230 US

 

[Bass V]

for that price even if it was the ugliest ever I'd snag it

 

[zachoff]

Yeah, T-45s are cool basses, USA made, all that. $230 is super cheap.

 

[sikamikanico]

If you buy and keep a bass you don’t need, that’s money wasted.

If you resell (presumably for profit) and they are in fact stolen, I wonder if you could get in trouble.

So I’d pass...

 

[godom72]

If it’s a good deal, then buy it. If of course it’s in your current budget to buy another bass for your lineup. Like a previous poster put it, you can possibly resell for a profit later.

 

[MichelD]

If it’s a good deal, then buy it. If of course it’s in your current budget to buy another bass for your lineup. Like a previous poster put it, you can possibly resell for a profit later.

I'm not a reselling kind of guy. It's not in my DNA to buy to sell.

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Depending on the condition i'd hit that.

 

[Kukulkan61]

If you can afford either one why is it even questionable. Get the Ray....

 

[Hevy T]

If you can afford the stingray and are torn, offer 1100 for both! Who knows

 

[Jscriv]

If You don't have a ray I'd go play it. Then make an offer on both

 

[jd56hawk]

I popped into my local pawn shop yesterday to look at their bass offerings.

I don't usually go into that place, the guys act really shady and I suspect they fence stolen goods despite the city's rule about shops being required to catalogue all their stock.

Anyway, they have a Musicman Stingray for $1000 and an older single pickup Peavey for $300. This is Canadian dollars which today are worth 76% of a US dollar.

The Musicman looks near new so I suspect it is of recent manufacture.

I don't need another bass, I just got a new Fender jazz bass. But if you had the money, what would you do?

I wouldn't buy either.
I just read about someone who just recovered stolen merchandise from a pawn shop…he had to psy for it!

 

[Alan Ace Cooper]

MusicMan!!
I had a similar delima last October. I had just purchased a 2005 Fender USA Marcus Miller 5 string and didn’t need another bass. However, I went back to the same store and this, late 80s - 1992 Blueburst beauty was sitting there, waiting for a buyer like me. My only regret... I’ve only played it about 5 times since I got it, but I sure needed to have it at the time.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I popped into my local pawn shop yesterday to look at their bass offerings.

I don't usually go into that place, the guys act really shady and I suspect they fence stolen goods despite the city's rule about shops being required to catalogue all their stock.

Anyway, they have a Musicman Stingray for $1000 and an older single pickup Peavey for $300. This is Canadian dollars which today are worth 76% of a US dollar.

The Musicman looks near new so I suspect it is of recent manufacture.

I don't need another bass, I just got a new Fender jazz bass. But if you had the money, what would you do?

Whether you ever get caught, or not, buying a stolen bass is bad karma. You would be supporting people who steal from musicians.

If I had any question at all whether a bass was hot, I would avoid it like the plague.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I've never suspected the local pawn shops of accepting stolen gear & I've been there when the police make their rounds.
I doubt they'd even be open for business if they were intentionally selling stolen gear.

It has happened here that a "borrowed" guitar showed up in the pawn shop, but the owner was able to get it back before it was sold & the shop pressed charges against the thief.
They had photos of him bringing the guitar in to sell.

Around here they have to hold onto all incoming stuff for 30 days before they can sell it, in case of situations like that.