So I found a Used Squier P Bass online for $99. From the picture I suspected it was a Vintage Modified. When it arrived I checked and sure enough it has Duncan Designed pickups and was made in Indonesia, nice! As a bonus, even if it was 'used', it's never been used. It's pristine and still has the inspection stickers and protective plastic on the pick guard. I feel like this was a pretty awesome deal, for a total of $130 after shipping and taxes. But I bet some of you have even better stories of amazing finds and deals. How about it?
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What's your best find or deal?
- Thread starter Stolow
- Start date
Dang, that's a good deal. I might have to duck out of this thread because I have a feeling I'll be green with envy by the end of page one.
I've never really gotten any crazy deals. I maintain that the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazz that I bought from a fellow TB member is one of the best deals I've ever gotten. $200 for a fantastic instrument -- one that's responsible for me finally truly appreciating what passive basses can offer. But the CV series are good deals on their own and the price I paid isn't that out of the ordinary.
I've never really gotten any crazy deals. I maintain that the Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazz that I bought from a fellow TB member is one of the best deals I've ever gotten. $200 for a fantastic instrument -- one that's responsible for me finally truly appreciating what passive basses can offer. But the CV series are good deals on their own and the price I paid isn't that out of the ordinary.
I got my warwick thumb neck through 5 string for $2800 NEW. They go for $4299.99 most places online. That's $1500 off the normal price. I even got to pick it out, out of three of them that they had. A lot of things went into that deal. I have a good relationship with the store. The manager sold me 5 different basses, a used Conklin and 4 German made warwicks. he was a sales rep when i got the first one so maybe my expensive purchases helped his career and he wanted to hook me up. And I had been by for parts for the warwicks so Dana b goods who was warwicks distributor back then was great to me. Also super expensive instruments tend to sit around in stores and eventually the stores will get more and more flexible with the prices. Sadly though this is more and more rare these days. Most shops are getting away from stocking high end gear and are carrying more and more inexpensive stuff.
Found my Cort Artisan 4 on eBay being sold by a pawn shop in MN for $85 shipped. It was missing one of the strap buttons, but was otherwise perfect/new. The missing button didn't matter at all, as I prefer to use locks. This bass is still one of my best-playing instruments.
I got my Ibanez SR405QM (new $500) for $200, and it came with a cable, Cry Baby wah pedal, and an $80 padded case. Everything mint and hardly touched.
My to best ever finds or deals were in the early 80's.
Sorry for being a little long winded.
1- 1963-CAR Jazz Bass. Bought of street drug addict.
He can up to me and asked if I knew anyone who played
guitar. I said yes, He then showed me the bass. Not telling
him I played bass.
I offered him $250.00 cash he took it. Deal.
2- While in a local music store looking for strings.
A man came in the shop looking to trade his guitar.
Knowing it was a fender case, I listen in to him talking to
the salesman who was a horn player. The salesmen said
he knew nothing about guitars and to come back tomorrow
When the guitar guy was on.
Then walked away. I asked the man to let me see what
was in the case. He opened it, show a mint Sunburst 1962
Strat. He wanted two Shur 58 mics. I said I would buy the
mics, for the guitar. It cost me $362.00 with tax for the
deal. I sold the guitar 5 yrs later for $6000.00.
These two deals early in my quest for guitars, has keep me
looking for guitars for over 30 years.
I have bought, sold and traded hundreds of instruments.
Crazy deals are out there everyday, if your lucky.
But you have to look.
These are my top 3 finds......
- Ibanez SR1205E for $300 at a pawnshop
- 1979 Rickenbacker 4000 $1250 over TB
- Recently scored an all original 78 bass w/ original HSC in 9.8/10 condition for $1100 over craigslist
- Ibanez SR1205E for $300 at a pawnshop
- 1979 Rickenbacker 4000 $1250 over TB
- Recently scored an all original 78 bass w/ original HSC in 9.8/10 condition for $1100 over craigslist
'88 Kubicki ExFactor for $90 in 1992. The guy thought the truss rod was broken. Turned out it was just stuck and after I cracked it loose played great. Never had anything like that kinda luck before or since.
1993 Rickenbacker 4001v63 - $1200, a couple of years ago.
It was on CL, as part of a huge lot of instruments for sale with no photos, listed as a "Rickenbacker 4001". It was a GREAT one too. Stupidly let it go.
1974 Fender Telecaster Bass - $1100, last year.
Another craigslist deal. AWESOME bass.
It was on CL, as part of a huge lot of instruments for sale with no photos, listed as a "Rickenbacker 4001". It was a GREAT one too. Stupidly let it go.
1974 Fender Telecaster Bass - $1100, last year.
Another craigslist deal. AWESOME bass.
When I was 17- 32 years ago, a guy sold me his pawn ticket for $25. I went to the shop and paid $90 dollars for my 1978 Gibson RD Artist with Moog compressor in Tobacco Sunburst. I still have it.
Sweet!
My best score was a road-worn and sweet 1962 sunburst/tort Precision for $100 with tweed case back in the mid '70s. My mom bought it from her hairdresser, who was the original owner.
Only two great deals. First was kinda recent, found a '99 American Deluxe P at a GC for $500. Pristine condition
The other deal was in 1995 or so. Found a '64 Jazzmaster at a yard sale for $60. Yep that's not a typo, $60. Everything was original. At some point in its life someone painted it with a thick Tangerine color using a paint brush. Looked terrible. My luthier was able to remove it carefully and found a beautiful 3 color burst under it.
The other deal was in 1995 or so. Found a '64 Jazzmaster at a yard sale for $60. Yep that's not a typo, $60. Everything was original. At some point in its life someone painted it with a thick Tangerine color using a paint brush. Looked terrible. My luthier was able to remove it carefully and found a beautiful 3 color burst under it.
As great deals go, getting this early 90s MIJ Charvel JB in a trade for a Boss TR2, DD6 and a set of tuners has to be one of my better ones. It needed quite a bit of work to get it really singing, but it is a really, really nice piece of gear. Someone had already replaced the original fretted rosewood board with a lined ebony one and badly installed a decent Gotoh bridge which was too big to get decent action out of and too close to the treble side of the neck. The old Reflex active pickup system was a bit wacky too. I installed a small neck shim and new heavy brass bridge, got the action nice and low, a Noll TCM3 preamp and some hand wound pickups from Jess Loureiro - check him out if you want great pickups stupidly cheap. This thing is most definitely a keeper now, all for a Boss TR2, DD6 and a set of tuners.
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I have had several good deals over the last 10 years or so:
New Music Man Stingray for $750 at GC (ended up trading it even for an Alembic Epic 5 string)
Alembic Epic 4 String for $750, sold it for $1,200
1977 Fender Precision for $750, sold it for $1,500
2008 MIA Fender Precision for $500, sold it for $800
Carving LB 75 for $250, sold it for $750
MIA Ampeg SVT 6 Pro for $550, sold for $800 then bought another one for $479
Two MIA Ampeg SVT 410HE cabs in excellent condition for $250 each, sold them for $400 each
New Music Man Stingray for $750 at GC (ended up trading it even for an Alembic Epic 5 string)
Alembic Epic 4 String for $750, sold it for $1,200
1977 Fender Precision for $750, sold it for $1,500
2008 MIA Fender Precision for $500, sold it for $800
Carving LB 75 for $250, sold it for $750
MIA Ampeg SVT 6 Pro for $550, sold for $800 then bought another one for $479
Two MIA Ampeg SVT 410HE cabs in excellent condition for $250 each, sold them for $400 each
- Apr 6, 2013
- 425
- 466
- 57
- Disclosures
- Agent for Scandinavian countries: Stick Enterprises Inc.
'72 Electra Longnecker Jazz bass in great condition with a '69 Vox Kensington solid state amp. Package deal, $100. Yard sale that was in my uncles neighborhood as i was passing through. Turns out the woman is Mickey Cash, country singer that is Johnny's niece!!! OH YEA
Came with a white pickguard, i had a black one fitted. Ive called her Betty.
-Jeff
Came with a white pickguard, i had a black one fitted. Ive called her Betty.
-Jeff
