Wishbass Club pt. 2

[LexTron6K]

It's the dust that I'm talking about. That thing looks filthy. Whether the bass would look good after it's cleaned is a whole different topic of discussion that I'm not allowed to go into on these boards. But I can tell you that nobody wants to buy a filthy instrument, Wishbass or not.

Anyways, that's my two cents. Take it for what you will.

 

[Thunderitter]

it's a wishbass.. aside from some extra dust on this one, all the "raw" ones i've gotten are like this.

It's the dust that I'm talking about. That thing looks filthy. Whether the bass would look good after it's cleaned is a whole different topic of discussion that I'm not allowed to go into on these boards. But I can tell you that nobody wants to buy a filthy instrument, Wishbass or not.

Anyways, that's my two cents. Take it for what you will.

...and from what I've seen most raw, used Wishbasses don't sell for much over $250 on eBay - options or not! Just look at the refinished ones 49sfine sold recently, maybe the market isn't there at this time, but a refin did sell 3 weeks ago for $900 or so - it was clean and had great pics!

You'd might be surprised at how good pictures of clean things sell better and at a higher price than dirty things!

A couple of pointers re the pictures - choose a dark background that is as uniform as you can and don't use flash as it highlights the finish on the bass and IMHO makes it look way worse than it is; indirect flash or daylight is the best. Make sure the shots are in focus - you can always enlarge using a photo-editor.

I've resold stuff for friends and in a couple of case doubled what they paid because of preparation and some good shots! You don't have a location on your profile, but I'd be happy to do the same for you if you were close by, else good luck with your sale!

 

[49sfine]

I agree with Thunderitter. Several decent photos of the Wishbass, as clean as the bass can be made, is always preferable. I just proved that theory by buying 2 used Wishbasses and selling them very soon after and actually making a little; just by taking more pictures and adding as many details into the descriptions as possible. For example; when I bought #168, there was only a couple of bad pix in the original auction and I got that one for under $200, with a great Gator case. I kept the case for another bass, cleaned up the FB, added new strings and sold it for more than I paid for it (although not a lot more admittedly). Keep in mind I am not buying these for the purposes of resale, but after buying and selling a few of these now, I am thinking it is do-able. Still, there is very little profit to be made from doing this and I am in it for the pleasure of refinishing/improving these different Wishes, not to make money.

As far as this particular bass is concerned, I can't imagine someone paying $500 for it, even with the options it has (frets, 2 pups, inlay, etc.) - I am just not sure the market is there at this time, at least in one that has not been re-done. Anyway, just my thoughts - may not be worth much!

 

[newfuture]

As far as this particular bass is concerned, I can't imagine someone paying $500 for it, even with the options it has (frets, 2 pups, inlay, etc.) - I am just not sure the market is there at this time, at least in one that has not been re-done. Anyway, just my thoughts - may not be worth much!

Agreed...I picked up my scroll for $225, shipped, off an ebay auction. It's fretted, a 5 string, with hipshot bridges, a kent armstrong humbucker, and a hard case. Actually reasonably well finished too. Adding the pricing from wish's site, it probably cost the original owner close to $800. Unfortunately, resale isn't one of Wishbass's strong suits.

 

[jbybj]

Agreed...I picked up my scroll for $225, ........... Unfortunately, resale isn't one of Wishbass's strong suits.

this is precisely why you should only buy Wishbasses, and never sell them

 

[49sfine]

Agreed...I picked up my scroll for $225, shipped, off an ebay auction. It's fretted, a 5 string, with hipshot bridges, a kent armstrong humbucker, and a hard case. Actually reasonably well finished too. Adding the pricing from wish's site, it probably cost the original owner close to $800. Unfortunately, resale isn't one of Wishbass's strong suits.

I hear that! Basically, if I put a pencil to it, I have really only broken even on all the buying and selling I have done over the last year - which in my mind is fine, but is kind of a sad commentary in a way. Still, I plan to keep doing more of this to some degree or another, but not until I get moved and get my shop in place. Hmmm, there still are a few body styles that beckon me (Peanut, Flame, Swirl, etc, etc) ...

One thing is for certain though, every time someone sees any of my Wishbasses, they immediately ask about them, whether they are musicians or not. They guarantee a reaction, every time, every one - that's kool if you ask me. They just have an aura about them, I tell you!

James is right though - if you can, buy and don't sell!

 

[Thunderitter]

I hear that! Basically, if I put a pencil to it, I have really only broken even on all the buying and selling I have done over the last year - which in my mind is fine, but is kind of a sad commentary in a way. Still, I plan to keep doing more of this to some degree or another, but not until I get moved and get my shop in place. Hmmm, there still are a few body styles that beckon me (Peanut, Flame, Swirl, etc, etc) ...

One thing is for certain though, every time someone sees any of my Wishbasses, they immediately ask about them, whether they are musicians or not. They guarantee a reaction, every time, every one - that's kool if you ask me. They just have an aura about them, I tell you!

James is right though - if you can, buy and don't sell!

...unless you stick fretlights on and sell for $900!

(you can see that I'm fixated with that bass!)

 

[49sfine]

this is precisely why you should only buy Wishbasses, and never sell them

James: You will find this interesting! The winning bidder of famed flamed neck Scarab (#168) just informed me that he is not going to be buying the bass after all. Seems as though he "forgot" he had bid on it and ended up bidding on and winning another bass, to the tune of $900 - so when his high bid won the Scarab, he was out of cash! Geez, it takes all kinds! I don't know if I am happy or sad. I think I will unpack her, plug her in and see how I feel about maybe keeping her after all ... (It's the economy stupid!?)

What do you think you guys?

 

[BillyB_from_LZ]

...What do you think you guys?

At least turn 'em in to get your fees back...

 

[Thunderitter]

You're a nice guy!

Economy or not you put a winning bid in on eBay you have a contract to buy.

It precisely because of folks like this that the economy is where it is! If you can't afford it, don't bid/buy/sign/commit/etc.!

In saying that I personally thought your scroll was worth more that it sold for. So maybe see if you can fall in love again and if not stick it back on the 'Bay at a later date - with some fretlights!!

(#1010 arrived this evening - one of Wish's better basses, light and well put together, the refin should be pretty straight forward!)

 

[49sfine]

At least turn 'em in to get your fees back...

BillyB; I plan to do that - negative feedback too. It's too bad really, after all the guy is a fellow bass player. However, I am glad he did not get it - after all, how you do "forget" a Wishbass??? He must not really be worthy or he could never have behaved this way . Thanks for chiming in though.

 

[49sfine]

You're a nice guy!

Economy or not you put a winning bid in on eBay you have a contract to buy.

It precisely because of folks like this that the economy is where it is! If you can't afford it, don't bid/buy/sign/commit/etc.!

In saying that I personally thought your scroll was worth more that it sold for. So maybe see if you can fall in love again and if not stick it back on the 'Bay at a later date - with some fretlights!!

(#1010 arrived this evening - one of Wish's better basses, light and well put together, the refin should be pretty straight forward!)

Thunderitter; I am excited for you. I love the Lobe shape and I think yours promises to be a really nice one. I keep watching the cherry Lobe up on Ebay now and wondering why no one is biting. Must be because the wood does not have a lot of grain activity, or something like that. Keep us posted.

Oh, I am still waiting for my lacewood mando that Wish is putting together for me out of some of his scraps. I don't know how to play one, but I can learn! He is sending it off unfinished too.

 

[Thunderitter]

BillyB; I plan to do that - negative feedback too. It's too bad really, after all the guy is a fellow bass player. However, I am glad he did not get it - after all, how you do "forget" a Wishbass??? He must not really be worthy or he could never have behaved this way . Thanks for chiming in though.

I'd leave the fellow bass player out of it. Look at his negative qualities instead.........

To me it sounds like he saw something he liked more and bought it without considering the consequences - deadbeat!

 

[BillyB_from_LZ]

... (leave) negative feedback too. ...

I would have suggested that except eBay neutered the feedback forum a while back by eliminating the seller's ability to post negative (or even neutral) feedback. From the eBay "help" pages (http://pages.ebay.com/help/feedback/howitworks.html):

"For each transaction, buyers and sellers can choose to rate each other by leaving Feedback. Buyers can leave a positive, negative, or a neutral rating, plus a short comment. Sellers can leave a positive rating and a short comment."

IMO, there isn't a lot of logic behind some of eBay's policies, and this is one of them.

 

[49sfine]

BillyZ; Gee, I didn't know that. Sounds pretty backwards to me. I did open up a case against this guy and he will receive an "Unpaid Item Strike". Problem with doing that is that it delays my ability to relist the bass (Feb 5) and gives this guy more time to just tell me he still doesn't want the Scarab (or can't now afford it).

I still am thinking I will relist it in spite of it's awesome flamed maple neck. Anyone out there want a nice older Scarab for this guy's "winning" bid? if so, PM me.

Oh well, each day is an adventure!

 

[LexTron6K]

Does anybody have any idea what the build-time has been like for recent Wishbasses? I ordered my bass on Nov 23rd, so I'm just past the two month mark, and boy am I getting giddy.

Also, does Wish just generally send photos of the work in progress or the finished work, or is it normal to ask Wish for some photos? What have you guys used as an approach on this topic?

And, finally, a little heads up to fellow bass lovers: I was watching a great 8-part Carl Thompson interview on the Carl Thompson website last night, and I would highly recommend it to anybody that has an interest in bass guitars on the level that I see here.

 

[jbybj]

Does anybody have any idea what the build-time has been like for recent Wishbasses? I ordered my bass on Nov 23rd, so I'm just past the two month mark, and boy am I getting giddy.

Also, does Wish just generally send photos of the work in progress or the finished work, or is it normal to ask Wish for some photos? What have you guys used as an approach on this topic?

I don't know about recently, but my customs always seemed to take about 12-16 weeks. And I never asked, but he would send pictures just before shipping the bass. Good luck.

James

 

[49sfine]

Does anybody have any idea what the build-time has been like for recent Wishbasses? I ordered my bass on Nov 23rd, so I'm just past the two month mark, and boy am I getting giddy.

Also, does Wish just generally send photos of the work in progress or the finished work, or is it normal to ask Wish for some photos? What have you guys used as an approach on this topic?

And, finally, a little heads up to fellow bass lovers: I was watching a great 8-part Carl Thompson interview on the Carl Thompson website last night, and I would highly recommend it to anybody that has an interest in bass guitars on the level that I see here.

Ditto what James said. I custom ordered a Fantasy last summer and it seems like it took about 2 months for mine. I was surprised it went as fast as it did, in fact. I did not really ask Wish about progress during build time, but he emailed me the standard front and back photos of the finished bass in that famous chair of his. Once receiving those, I approved the build completion, sent the balance I owed him and he shipped the bass out the next Monday that rolled around. It all went by pretty fast I thought.

You have to keep in mind too, he gets busy with the Wishnevsky Instruments stuff and other hobbies he has (cars). It's hard to say how much time he focuses on Wishbass. I know right now he is building 2 mandolins in the Wishbass style for example - one of which is mine! He told me this week that he is close to being done but I only know that because I emailed about something else and he included an update with the answer to my other question. I try not to bug him too much at all. It does get hard waiting though, doesn't it? Good luck with that!

 

[49sfine]

Here's a shot of the completed JB.

For some reason, Photobucket is giving me fits tonight and will not let me load more than one at a time. Geez, I have 16 snaps I took! I'll try again after posting this one.

My other plans for this bass are to change out the strings again (GHS Flats I think - D'Addario Chromes are on it now), swap out the pup for something better, and fabricate a walnut veneer control plate cover - that should really set off the front on this little guy ...

 

[49sfine]

Obviously, a shot of the back. Isn't this grain insane? It really 'popped' after I applied the TruOil. I like the back more than the front I think!

The woods used on #947 are: Walnut body front and back, with mahogany, maple and walnut stringers in the neck. FB is purpleheart. Neck is unusually thin for a Wish, but a bit wider than most too.