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What goes on in your head when purchasing a bass
- Thread starter xxcody2gunsxx
- Start date
Are you asking if we consider resale value?
I almost never consider short-term resale value. I buy instruments because I like them, and I buy them intending to keep them for the long haul. That's my basic approach: Intend that the instrument will be a lifelong tool...or don't buy it in the first place. It's not about monetary value. It's an emotional and practical thing. I can be just as devoted to a $200 Squier for the long haul as to a $20,000 old Fender. If I like it, and I can use it, that's all I need. I do not "flip" gear, and almost never sell old gear to buy new gear. And I almost never make a purchase that I end up unhappy with. I think the last time I bought a bass or guitar that I ended up selling because it just wasn't that great was in 2003...and I still kept the thing almost 10 years before selling it.
That said, the fact that certain pieces of used gear will do nothing but increase in value, even as I use them and play them with no serious regard for the wear and tear they will receive over the years, is definitely a plus. It allows me to view the purchase as simply "stashing money" for the long haul. Some day, I'll have arthritis, and/or some terminal disease, and having 1,000 instruments will no longer contribute to my quality of life. At least, when buying select used gear, I will have broken even, and probably better, while having got to own and use a beautiful tool all those years along the way. Beats letting corporations borrow your money, and hoping they do okay with it, IMO.
I almost never consider short-term resale value. I buy instruments because I like them, and I buy them intending to keep them for the long haul. That's my basic approach: Intend that the instrument will be a lifelong tool...or don't buy it in the first place. It's not about monetary value. It's an emotional and practical thing. I can be just as devoted to a $200 Squier for the long haul as to a $20,000 old Fender. If I like it, and I can use it, that's all I need. I do not "flip" gear, and almost never sell old gear to buy new gear. And I almost never make a purchase that I end up unhappy with. I think the last time I bought a bass or guitar that I ended up selling because it just wasn't that great was in 2003...and I still kept the thing almost 10 years before selling it.
That said, the fact that certain pieces of used gear will do nothing but increase in value, even as I use them and play them with no serious regard for the wear and tear they will receive over the years, is definitely a plus. It allows me to view the purchase as simply "stashing money" for the long haul. Some day, I'll have arthritis, and/or some terminal disease, and having 1,000 instruments will no longer contribute to my quality of life. At least, when buying select used gear, I will have broken even, and probably better, while having got to own and use a beautiful tool all those years along the way. Beats letting corporations borrow your money, and hoping they do okay with it, IMO.
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Story of my life brother! Just grabbed another pack of wal-hangers to free up floor space, lol
y'all don't want to know what goes on in my head at any point in time, trust me.
The secondary market for custom and boutique is tough. You have to find a buyer whose target bass is the same as yours was when you ordered it.
Meanwhile if you're selling a Fender, there are way more people who know what that is and will buy it.
Nothing more than that to it, I think. I have two totally custom basses I can probably never sell because no one else would value them like I do.
Meanwhile if you're selling a Fender, there are way more people who know what that is and will buy it.
Nothing more than that to it, I think. I have two totally custom basses I can probably never sell because no one else would value them like I do.
It's just easier to buy (and sell) a known brand.I'm wonder the thoughts that one has when purchasing a bass these days? New or Used.
The reason I ask is that it seems that people will pass up a prestige like bass with all the bells and whistles ,handcrafted from a small time luthier company that costs a lot of man hours and $$ to make ,for a Well known name that doesn't hold a candle these days to the quality or craftsmanship of these small time luthiers .
I.E . I spent 5k on a well crafted bass from a small business owner .I sell/trade it for 3k "no bites" even offer it to a Rickenbacker 4003 for a trade and get blown off
Yet when I throw out a name brand "fender with issues "or even a Pat Wilkins bass they come running .
Right Now I have very awesome deals to be had with a couple of Lower Groove Basses on the market Yet, Everyone is jumping on the brand wagon for a cracked Warwick I also have for sale .
Also, not to beat you up, but you should have seen the depreciation coming.
New handcrafted or custom basses will always take a big hit on resale and if it's not a big name it can take a while. I've bought 3 basses from small-shop luthiers. The only one I'd probably break even on is the one which which he used a loaded body and hardware I'd acquired affordably over the years. The others I'd take a guaranteed 30% hit for sure and I might have to take a 40% hit to sell quickly. When I sold my Carvin I got about half (less if you figure in inflation) what I had paid for it new and it took a few weeks to sell.
On the other hand I bought a used Carlo from Carl Pedigo and I could probably sell that at a reasonable profit now, though I have no plans to buy or sell any of my good basses for a very, very long time.
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As to the first question "What are your thoughts when purchasing"?...
After a decade and a half of buying and flipping, about 6 years back I went on a process over 3 years of getting rid of alot of "good" instruments and replacing them with fewer "great" instruments that fit my personal aesthetic and ergonomic preferences. Lots were sold and each bass purchase was considered for:
-Would it be played?
-What role it had in my stable.
-Did it fit my ergonomic prefferences (35" scale, P-width neck, etc)
The result was the purchase of one used bass and 3 small-shop customs (one was an existing instrument with new neck fitted). Of the earlier stable I kept only my first bass and my T-40 for recording. I haven't felt a bit of gas in the intervening 3 years.
This relates to your question in that as others have said, someone looking for a fine custom instrument probably has fairly specific desires that will differ from what you have and if they're in that market they're probably willing to pay for something very specific. So, you end up having to go downmarket to get a larger pool of buyers who might not be educated enough to appreciated what is being offered. It's an unfortunate catch-22.
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- Sep 4, 2010
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- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
It is rather unfortunate I think.. the big thing is that people are afraid that if they purchase this nice high-end small builder instrument, if they don't like it they'll end up having the same problem you have trying to sell it because the builder is perhaps not that well-known and people are reluctant to buy stuff they can't recoup some money onI'm wonder the thoughts that one has when purchasing a bass these days? New or Used.
The reason I ask is that it seems that people will pass up a prestige like bass with all the bells and whistles ,handcrafted from a small time luthier company that costs a lot of man hours and $$ to make ,for a Well known name that doesn't hold a candle these days to the quality or craftsmanship of these small time luthiers .
I.E . I spent 5k on a well crafted bass from a small business owner .I sell/trade it for 3k "no bites" even offer it to a Rickenbacker 4003 for a trade and get blown off
Yet when I throw out a name brand "fender with issues "or even a Pat Wilkins bass they come running .
Right Now I have very awesome deals to be had with a couple of Lower Groove Basses on the market Yet, Everyone is jumping on the brand wagon for a cracked Warwick I also have for sale .
Things that run through my head when I am about to buy ANOTHER bass I don't need?
Kenny Roberts............. You fool.
Then I pay for it and take it home anyway.
Kenny Roberts............. You fool.
Then I pay for it and take it home anyway.
What goes through my mind now is "do I really need this bass? Will it help me play gigs better? Make more money?". Basses are just tools to me, and the ones I have now are workin' just fine.
2 things go through my head when purchasing a bass. (I rarely buy new, so this is about used)
1.is the neck straight
2. Does the trussrod work and is not maxxed out.
That's about it.
Everything else is an easy fix
1.is the neck straight
2. Does the trussrod work and is not maxxed out.
That's about it.
Everything else is an easy fix
Will I mod it to $%#% and lose the grand majority of resale value if I haven't even bonded with it yet?
or
Will I tinker with it anyway and keep it if I do like it? (all while breaking the habit of seeing instruments I enjoy in terms of "resale value" and not just instruments that are mine.)
Personal experience has led me to work with what I got instead of chasing the next new and shiny to "fix" or "fill in a void" of a perceived issue in terms of basses.
or
Will I tinker with it anyway and keep it if I do like it? (all while breaking the habit of seeing instruments I enjoy in terms of "resale value" and not just instruments that are mine.)
Personal experience has led me to work with what I got instead of chasing the next new and shiny to "fix" or "fill in a void" of a perceived issue in terms of basses.
I can never buy a Bongo now. You've ruined it for me. I'm not going to pay £2000 for a toilet seat.
I'm almost certainly not the typical demographic here, but I'll toss in my 2 cents. I've been away from the bass for many years. Decided to get back in as a hobby player. To that end I borrowed a Jazz bass and amp from a friend and got started. Recently I picked up a Rumble 40 just for home practice and began the decision process of purchasing a bass. Because I'm older and a bit rickety I decided on a short-scale. After a significant search I landed on the Chowny SWB-1. Just put my order in today. A big factor was the perceived value and the responsiveness of Mr. Chowny when I sent questions to him.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
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Yup. For me, there really isn't anything on a shelf that fully appeals to me. Colors, necks, pickups, bridge, knobs, controls, whatever
