Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Who buys all the new basses?
- Thread starter DLEE
- Start date
+1 on the financing options factor.
Financing options today far exceed those available for us years ago. ($0 down, $xxx.xx per month, "interest free", etc.) When I bought my first bass, I didn't even have a financing option because I was kinda young. I saved for a very long time for a deposit before the store would order the instrument for me. And of course I needed to pay for the instrument in full before taking it home.
Financing options today far exceed those available for us years ago. ($0 down, $xxx.xx per month, "interest free", etc.) When I bought my first bass, I didn't even have a financing option because I was kinda young. I saved for a very long time for a deposit before the store would order the instrument for me. And of course I needed to pay for the instrument in full before taking it home.
I'm not saying just because I don't buy them new no one else does. I'm not talking about financing or buying on the internet.I just can't wrap my head around the fact we need this many instruments produced a year that's all.Hey,more power to them if they are selling everyone that rolls out of the plant.
I have bought three basses new, and three basses used.
If you plan on keeping the bass, it's nice to go to the store, play the bass, and buy the one you played and liked. I'd rather spend a few hundred more bucks to get the bass I know I like versus gambling.
On the flip side, if you just want to try a bass, and can't find one locally, buying used makes sense. Buy it, play it, and if you don't like it, sell it for no or very little loss. If you got a good deal, you may even make a profit. Two of the used basses I bought I sold for a profit, one I still own.
As it stands now, I have four basses that cover pretty much any music I would ever want to play. In fact, I could probably sell two of them and still have everything covered. Now gear is another story, I have an addiction that I fight regularly to NOT buy any more gear.
If you plan on keeping the bass, it's nice to go to the store, play the bass, and buy the one you played and liked. I'd rather spend a few hundred more bucks to get the bass I know I like versus gambling.
On the flip side, if you just want to try a bass, and can't find one locally, buying used makes sense. Buy it, play it, and if you don't like it, sell it for no or very little loss. If you got a good deal, you may even make a profit. Two of the used basses I bought I sold for a profit, one I still own.
As it stands now, I have four basses that cover pretty much any music I would ever want to play. In fact, I could probably sell two of them and still have everything covered. Now gear is another story, I have an addiction that I fight regularly to NOT buy any more gear.
...but apparently enough to keep the majors (EBMM, Fender, etc) in business. If you want some insight into the instrument manufacturing business, hang out in the EBMM forums for a few months; Sterling Ball does pop in and post, and it's interesting to see things from his perspective.
It's a low margin business; what the manufacturer gets is piddly compared to what the retails add on. They do what they can to gain and maintain wall space (real and virtual on the e-tailer sites), and there's only two business models for domestic production: high touch/low tech (eg, Sadowsky) and CINC-maximum automation (Fender, Music Man, etc). EBMM invested quite a bit in automating a lot of the work a few years back; they have to sell enough to cover that investment and apparently they do. It is, of course, mostly "advanced enthusiasts" (those of us with day jobs) that buy the mid-high level instruments. At one point on the EBMM forum several years ago, I hypothesized that most of these instruments were being purchased by guys just like me - middle aged former high school garage band heroes with disposable income....and that is actually the correct answer. The low end market is covered by the afterforementioned wankers with occasionally indulgent parents. When I was a kid, there was no low end - you saved for that EB-0, Precision, Jazz or Hoffner or you had nothing to play.
It's a low margin business; what the manufacturer gets is piddly compared to what the retails add on. They do what they can to gain and maintain wall space (real and virtual on the e-tailer sites), and there's only two business models for domestic production: high touch/low tech (eg, Sadowsky) and CINC-maximum automation (Fender, Music Man, etc). EBMM invested quite a bit in automating a lot of the work a few years back; they have to sell enough to cover that investment and apparently they do. It is, of course, mostly "advanced enthusiasts" (those of us with day jobs) that buy the mid-high level instruments. At one point on the EBMM forum several years ago, I hypothesized that most of these instruments were being purchased by guys just like me - middle aged former high school garage band heroes with disposable income....and that is actually the correct answer. The low end market is covered by the afterforementioned wankers with occasionally indulgent parents. When I was a kid, there was no low end - you saved for that EB-0, Precision, Jazz or Hoffner or you had nothing to play.
I prefer to buy new - for the following reasons:
1. around here there's no well developped SH market and the very few instruments that are sold used are priced by their owners just a notch under the retail price; reasonably priced instruments are a rare thing because most folks don't seem to understand the price of their instrument starts to go down the second they buy it from the store.
2. I don't know the seller => I can't trust him => I don't know how the bass was kept and maintained. Buying used, especially from an unexperienced player that has no clue how to keep a bass in tip top condition is too much of a gamble; I prefer to have the warranty offered for a new instrument.
3. last, but not least: ok, it's a personal thing, but I prefer the feel of a new bass as opposed to the "mojo" of an used instrument. I hate to see dings and scratches on my basses but since it's inevitable, I prefer to be the one adding such marks to my basses.
1. around here there's no well developped SH market and the very few instruments that are sold used are priced by their owners just a notch under the retail price; reasonably priced instruments are a rare thing because most folks don't seem to understand the price of their instrument starts to go down the second they buy it from the store.
2. I don't know the seller => I can't trust him => I don't know how the bass was kept and maintained. Buying used, especially from an unexperienced player that has no clue how to keep a bass in tip top condition is too much of a gamble; I prefer to have the warranty offered for a new instrument.
3. last, but not least: ok, it's a personal thing, but I prefer the feel of a new bass as opposed to the "mojo" of an used instrument. I hate to see dings and scratches on my basses but since it's inevitable, I prefer to be the one adding such marks to my basses.
I talked with a guy from my local GC concerning how much product they go through. His comment was a tractor trailer load of gear is delivered once a week and of that, 90% is used to restock what has been sold. The remaining 10% is comprised of new models or GC special orders.
As said earlier, if you are patient and look around, you can often find better prices on new versus used gear. I just had a friend pick up a brand new MM Classic Ray for $1,200 shipped and look at how many TB member alone took advantage of the MF's RIC sale.
As said earlier, if you are patient and look around, you can often find better prices on new versus used gear. I just had a friend pick up a brand new MM Classic Ray for $1,200 shipped and look at how many TB member alone took advantage of the MF's RIC sale.
Bassorama57,thank you for bringing us back on topic.I understand as the tail end of the baby boomers we are a very large market.One only has to look at Harley Davidson to see the power of the BB'ers.
Many musicians prefer to be buried with their instrument(s). That's where a lot of basses go. 
Ashes to ashes...
Ashes to ashes...
I do both and both can be great. you just keep your eyes open and there they are! There are great buys on used and also on new (especially when management wants to move something that's been around a while). But that's me.
But noobs tend to buy new because unlike me, they don't have the experience to judge the condition of used basses or the knowledge to fix minor stuff that really can drop the price of either new or used basses. So often mom and pop just have to rely on the store guarantee and factory warranty in case junior has trouble.
You go to the store to wank, then buy online because its cheaper.
I don't know about that. I still wank the manual way, at home, and it's free. Hard to beat that.
According to my wife - I DO!!
And I have 6. I guess I should have stopped with the ones she bought me - Ken Lawrence Brase 5 and a Lakland 55-94.
Dan K.
And I have 6. I guess I should have stopped with the ones she bought me - Ken Lawrence Brase 5 and a Lakland 55-94.
Dan K.
You go to the store to wank, then buy online because its cheaper.
That is exactly what I just did . Wanked in the store then came home and bought online , will probably wank again when UPS drops off my box tomorrow .
