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With so much good used gear on the market...who buys new anymore?
- Thread starter powmetalbassist
- Start date
I am actually not surprised that you are happy with your Foderas. I am sure they are wonderful instruments. It seems to me that having basses custom made is not exactly like buying new, at least in the context that I was describing. When you have a bass custom made, it arrives with a history and story of it's own; one that is created by your collaboration with the builder. The "soul" that these instruments posses is a culmination of all of your experience and requirements, the craftsmanship and skill of the builder, the communications between you, the decisions that are made, and the several months to several years of time invested in the process. A custom build is uniquely personal, and I wouldn't describe it as being sterile, soul-less, or evil.
A used old Coronado in Italy costs an arm and a leg! Bought my beloved reissue. (New: could not wait an occasion on the used marketplaces!)
A custom bass made to my specs is unlikely to be found used! Had it done for me (new).
But I mainly buy used!
A custom bass made to my specs is unlikely to be found used! Had it done for me (new).
But I mainly buy used!
Most of my basses (and guitars) are ones I bought used. In fact, only my mandolin, 2 guitars, and 1 bass were bought new. Mainly because:
- I'm a lefty, and we usually don't have a lot of choice; and
- A lot of the basses I wanted/still want are no longer made (any Gretsch bass, for example, or Rick 4001s or Aluminum necked Kramers).
But, I have no problem with buying new if that's the only viable way to get what I want. I need a good short scale solidbody bass, for example; since I'm tired of waiting for a lefty Rick 3000 to come along, and nobody makes a non-custom one, I'll have no qualms about picking up the phone tomorrow morning and ordering a Birdsong Sadhana.
- I'm a lefty, and we usually don't have a lot of choice; and
- A lot of the basses I wanted/still want are no longer made (any Gretsch bass, for example, or Rick 4001s or Aluminum necked Kramers).
But, I have no problem with buying new if that's the only viable way to get what I want. I need a good short scale solidbody bass, for example; since I'm tired of waiting for a lefty Rick 3000 to come along, and nobody makes a non-custom one, I'll have no qualms about picking up the phone tomorrow morning and ordering a Birdsong Sadhana.
Fair point.
"Hand-finished" would be a more accurate description. Or maybe "less-automated" 
Watching his promo videos, one would be tempted to believe that Sterling Ball personally inspects and even plays many of the thousands of instruments his company manufactures every year.
I love Sterling and what he's done for us bassists, but he's a hell of a marketer also.
I love Sterling and what he's done for us bassists, but he's a hell of a marketer also.
For me, I always buy used amps, pres pedals and so on. Figure, a gk 1001 is about $750 or so new plus tax if I buy in a store. I can go get one that's just as good as new for $500 and I bought mine on CL for $350 and it was mint. These type of things seldom have any issues, so why spend way more for new? I bought a big ol rack for $150 where a new one is about $300. Its a buyers market for sure.
Far as basses I'm lefty so fagedabowdit. Never anything I want and if I bought new I'd spend a bunch more making it how I want it. I find a body and neck cheap and I'm off. Now I've learned to paint so color isn't even an issue anymore
I buy new and used basses. But the prices of those basses have been drastically different. Paid $200 for a used ibanez 5 string, $300 for a used fretless jazz, $700 for a used conklin gt7. As far as new basses other than the pbass my parents bought me when i was like 12 years old, every new bass was north of $1500. Musicman stringray, musicman bongo, warwick thumb nt5, thumb bo5, corvette FNA, and corvette standard. And the deal with that is really simple. It's about zero percent financing and layaway programs. Zero percent financing is nice because the wife doesn't freak out about big purchases. Layaway is nice because I'll play a bass and like it put it in layaway then sell some gear to help pay for it.
I love a bargain price same as the next guy. So I have a lot of used basses. It saves money satisfying your GAS. But the downside is that all the features are someone else's favorites and may not be yours. For example my L2500 fretless main axe has a lined neck that I wouldn't have ordered. So my new Carvin AC50 and Alembic are exactly what *I* wanted. But it costs more to have it your way. Oddly enough, not only my most expensive basses were new, but also the cheapest! My herd of SX were all bought new. Of course in that case the customization was all done by me.
My Xaviere P bass and SBMM S.U.B. RAY 4 were both purchased new.
Just getting back into bass a couple of years ago I bought a used GSR Ibanez and a Used Acoustic B20 from GC.
After realizing that I had come back to stay, I bought the Xaviere and sold the GSR to a young engineer at work who had expressed interest
in getting a bass. Sold as a no profit deal.
Last year, after reading here about the new model S.U.B RAY's I purchased the 4 to cover the P, J, and MMish spectrum.
No regrets whatsoever as now I have a precision bass, a very nice 2010 MIM Jazz bass, and the S.U.B.
These fill all my needs. The MIM Jazz came to me by way of a trade here on TB.
I went new as I remember the feeling I had when I bought my T40 brand spanking new way back in the day.
Great feeling to own a bass no one else has ever played.
Jeff
Just getting back into bass a couple of years ago I bought a used GSR Ibanez and a Used Acoustic B20 from GC.
After realizing that I had come back to stay, I bought the Xaviere and sold the GSR to a young engineer at work who had expressed interest
in getting a bass. Sold as a no profit deal.
Last year, after reading here about the new model S.U.B RAY's I purchased the 4 to cover the P, J, and MMish spectrum.
No regrets whatsoever as now I have a precision bass, a very nice 2010 MIM Jazz bass, and the S.U.B.
These fill all my needs. The MIM Jazz came to me by way of a trade here on TB.
I went new as I remember the feeling I had when I bought my T40 brand spanking new way back in the day.
Great feeling to own a bass no one else has ever played.
Jeff
I generally can't bring myself to buy used, though I have. No particular reason, I just prefer a 'factory pristine' bass, that I can then put my own dings into over the years. The last few basses that I bought, used didn't even enter my mind as an option- went for the new straight up. All that being said, if when I was buying the new basses, and they had used, right there to try, I'd go through them. If the best of the lot was used, that would be the one I'd take.
I've only ever bought two used basses, because they were discontinued Reverend 5L's. I've got 12 basses, though a few are Warmoths and customs. I've never been less than totally happy with all of them, and would only buy used if I had no other choice. Also, I don't consider any bass on a music store rack new, most have more wear and tear than a few of my own do, and I would not even consider paying a new price for a used bass. I'll do my own breaking in, thank you.
Basses? All used. Heck I buy almost everything used except a few cars over the years. Doesn't bother this guy in the least that I'm not getting that 'new' smell.
to be honest, I can't afford to throw away money.
I own and have owned some amazing basses over the years. without exception every one was used. they were mostly all exceptionally good. many are our were mint.
I've paid at most roughly 40% of new price and zero taxes on every one... with one or two exceptions where I paid too much.
if I'd paid new for each id have spent possibly 20000 more than I actually needed to.
for me, buying new is not just hard to justify, it's very hard to even comprehend.
I own and have owned some amazing basses over the years. without exception every one was used. they were mostly all exceptionally good. many are our were mint.
I've paid at most roughly 40% of new price and zero taxes on every one... with one or two exceptions where I paid too much.
if I'd paid new for each id have spent possibly 20000 more than I actually needed to.
for me, buying new is not just hard to justify, it's very hard to even comprehend.
