Would you buy a bass without trying it out due to it impossible to try?

[Bass V]

I buy'm in the parking lot of the corner 7-11 lol other than my cool but v pitchy Squier Dimension (flatwounds coming) I've done well. half my basses are shipped from the USA, gut feelings have won out every time.

 

[GIBrat51]

I have to say that... First, I'm always amused at threads like this; full of trepidation and angst. It must be scary, to be right handed... Second; I'm left handed, so - yes, I've bought LOTS of basses (and guitars; and a banjo; and a mandolin) without trying them. It's pretty much the only way lefties can buy them - unless you want a room full of black Squier P- and Jazz Basses from Guitar Center... Out of 21 basses, this A-necked '78 P-Bass is the only bass I've ever played before I bought it. I got it from a friend I was stationed with in the late '80s, in the UK. Everything else? Did my research, then - paid my money, crossed my fingers, and prayed.... With a couple of them, I have noodled around on a right handed version in a store, just to get an idea of how the neck felt, but... if I decided I wanted one? Paid and prayed...
How do I deal with GAS? I don't have it, is how. Years ago, I made a list of things I wanted; and, with only one or two slips (perfectly justified, IMO), I've managed to stick to that list...

 

[A9X]

But my question to you TB'ers is, would you ever buy a bass without trying?

I've done it many, many times, maybe 150-200. However, this was mainly in a period when the exchange rates were in my favour, ebay and online selling were less well known, and I could buy an instrument, have some fun with it and move it on either because I didn't like it, or I made some money on the transaction. WRT money, I'd reckon I'm probably even or maybe a bit ahead - probably enough for dinner and the movies.

In recent times I've bought 3 sight unseen: my Ibanez SR706 and SRC6 and a PRS guitar. I have another I'm GASing for badly but is not imported here for some reason, so I'm going to get it out of the US in the new year, so definitely buy before play on this one too.

Most of the instruments I bought were on the more modest end of the price range, <$US1k, but I also bought 3 second hand Alembic Series basses this way, with the only regret being selling them.

If I think about it my XL2, which we bought new in 86, was unplayed before the final payment (layby/lay away) was made. My favourite bass ever.

Others have covered the potential, and pitfalls pretty well.

 

[Riff Ranger]

View attachment 3602847 I have to say that... First, I'm always amused at threads like this; full of trepidation and angst. It must be scary, to be right handed... Second; I'm left handed, so - yes, I've bought LOTS of basses (and guitars; and a banjo; and a mandolin) without trying them. It's pretty much the only way lefties can buy them - unless you want a room full of black Squier P- and Jazz Basses from Guitar Center... Out of 21 basses, this A-necked '78 P-Bass is the only bass I've ever played before I bought it. I got it from a friend I was stationed with in the late '80s, in the UK. Everything else? Did my research, then - paid my money, crossed my fingers, and prayed.... With a couple of them, I have noodled around on a right handed version in a store, just to get an idea of how the neck felt, but... if I decided I wanted one? Paid and prayed...
How do I deal with GAS? I don't have it, is how. Years ago, I made a list of things I wanted; and, with only one or two slips (perfectly justified, IMO), I've managed to stick to that list...

As father to a budding left handed musician, this has started to dawn on me.

 

[Dragan]

A lot. And never missed.

 

[JW56789]

Yes.

I've been at this a long time, I'm not real fussy about things (like the xx-mm-spacing-or-else-guys), generally know what works and doesn't work for me, and can usually finesse something that's close to good enough.

Basically . . .

-it's got to look right (Natch !)
-it must be quiet electronics-wise (I only want to listen to WSM thru a radio . . . .)
-it must get in tune and reasonably stay in tune (An axe that won't stay in tune is firewood, or at least a boat paddle)
-a reasonable weight (8-10 lbs, maybe a bit more if it's really compelling)
-no 'baseball bat cut in half' neck profiles (hate them !)
-and it has to take a setup and hold it for a reasonable period (I do my own, tweak the nut or bridge saddles, frets OK, usually I can reel them in)

Pass those hurdles and I'm fine. I never buy vintage, only new or barely used. I did have a custom Alembic built, and of course there was no trying it out first . . . . but honestly I was WAY more worried about UPS Shipping than I was how it would be when I got it, and of course it was perfect.

I've rarely been disappointed as I did my homework first.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Got G.A.S (it physically hurts lol) but a trouble for me is not so much getting over it, but the fact if I wanted to try a bass out, it is impossible. Why? It's a headless, so that already narrows it down, 2) It's a Strandberg bass, so not only would it be uncommon, but to be able to try it out would mean you'd have to find someone or some store selling it (which would not be possible since Strandberg does not have a physical store you can just walk into, ask for their $2k bass, and try it out)

But my question to you TB'ers is, would you ever buy a bass without trying? Would you look into it heavily, research everything about it, perhaps even see if their are any artists related to the genre you play who use it, and have that be your decision? Does G.A.S plague you, if so how did you psych-yourself out of it?

Sure but for a custom I would definitely pay closer attention to Specs like neck profile, string spacing and nut width and stuff and know exactly what I wanted and do a lot of research checking out the builders other builds before spending a considerable amount of money.

Most of the time I’m lucky enough to try the same model or one extremely close to it and that definitely helps. Take Dingwall for example. I didn’t get to try an NG before buying mine but my local GC did have a used combustion standard that I got to try. With my standard jazz 5 I had never actually tried one before but I had owned a 4 string Fretless jazz and had tried other jazz 5s like the deluxe active and American stuff.

 

[1bassplayinfool]

I did a trade with an approval agreement. I paid to ship the trade back, worked out great.

 

[Julian G]

I like to try everything out before I buy it, so whether bass guitar, amp, effects pedal I try before buy - however that means due to the lack of good music stores in and around Dubai I end up having very few options so recently I've found myself studying the world of Thomann and now even have a wish list. But I've still not pressed the button and bought anything.

I like the idea of having a Sire/Marcus Miller V7 or V9 and keep looking at them and even though all I see are positive reviews I still can't seem to hit that buy button. (mind you the wife would probably be none too happy if I bought another bass guitar right now as all our funds are apparently for landscaping the garden!!)

 

[Sperling]

Hell ya! Bought 2 sandbergs based on reviews. My Marlow showed up and was awful. Put a lighter gauge string on, raised the pickups, leveled a couple frets
My soulmate now

 

[Volker Kirstein]

...
But my question to you TB'ers is, would you ever buy a bass without trying?
...

Every NIB bass I've ever bought has been bought sight unseen* and untested. I'm aware of the "dangers" of this practice, and have been bitten, but whatcha gonna do? I'll do it again in the future.

*other than photos

Even used ones usually get no more than a quick walk/run and a fiddling of the knobs. About 2 minutes worth of examination.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

I've bought instruments of all kinds without trying them. I've actually had better luck with those than the ones I did try.

 

[dmt]

Bought my first nice guitar, a PRS McCarty back when that was a new model, without trying one out first. Did it on the basis of reviews and specs and such (research). I was quite satisfied with it for a few years before moving on (i.e, I would have bought it anyway if I’d tried it first).

Also bought my first nice guitar amp that way. That’s kind of a funny one - it actually didn’t sound at all like I’d expected (this is back before YouTube and all the user demos we have now). I immediately sort of liked it, but it just gave me a different sound than I’d ever expected to have. I actually wouldn’t have bought it if I’d tried it out first as it was expensive and not what I was looking for. Nevertheless, it came to be "my sound" and I’ve been with that amp about 20 years now.

The last couple of basses I bought were used, via meeting some guy with it in some outside location such as a subway station. In such cases, I didn’t get to plug it in, but I at least got to inspect the condition, roughly gauge the weight, and see how I liked the feel of the neck.

Basically, it’s better to try before you buy. However, there have definitely been instances where I’ve bought music equipment I tried before buying and then later regretted the purchase, while on the other hand, I’ve bought stuff without trying first that I’ve loved. So, I try to try before buying, but I’m willing to take a chance sometimes - and sometimes it works out!

 

[Kijuer]

Ummm....I'll tell you how it feels when I'll receive It...maybe by NEXT Xmas

(Just a test image for an evaluation of the custom pickguard)

 

[Luke the Fluke]

I have advised against it, but also done it In fact, one of my biggest bass purchases was an online impulse buy.

You just have to be prepared for dealing with the cost of returns or reselling.

Edit - My sneaking suspicion is that people who ask on TB about dream basses they can’t try in person generally can’t afford to absorb the cost of a “bad” choice. This is why I generally advise against blind purchases.

My golden rule is: if the market or economy turned, or it turned up with issues that made it unsellable - would I be happy, both financially and with what it is, getting stuck with this bass?
If I can’t afford it financially I walk away, if it’s a competent bass at a good price - but there’s nothing there I love or get excited about - I walk away.

I have bought sight unseen many times, if you go second hand and are canny you can try lots of cool stuff and sell it in a few years for what ends up being postage and new strings cost. However as I’ve played more and more I think I’m more interested in the difference between a “good” instrument and a “great” instrument- and go into any guitar shop and try a bunch of stuff and you realise that it’s all a based on chance and the great instrument might be the cheapest or most expensive- that’s why I’m getting less into buying sight unseen

 

[Watchootognbout]

Is every last bass that you want to try hanging in a local store?
Some are hundreds of miles away.
Are you gonna fly out there to try it?

 

[Master Chief]

I own 4 basses and and only tried my first (Cort EVL-Z4b) before buying it.

Fender Aerodyne Jazz and 2 EGCs, I only played when I received them. Fortunately I have no regrets.

 

[andruca]

I have, mostly successfully. About 1/3 of the basses I've owned (8 out of ~25) were bought without trying. Funny enough, all the basses I keep today (just 4 + a kit build) were bought without trying. My first (and lifelong) Stingray5s was bought off eBay, from the US to Argentina. That was the first bass I bought this way. Unlinke with some other brands, I learned it's real HARD to get a lemon from Ernie Ball. Made it easy for my second Stingray5 to be bought the same way (this time from the UK, thru' some friend's deals, to Spain, where I live now). Then I have this Schecter CV-5 I bought from the US early this year and I'm in love with (after also trying so many Schecters -just not this model, impossible to find in a store here- before and since I know this is another brand I can confidently buy online without trying). And I have an Epiphone Viola that was a gift from my wife (bought from Thomann) so, again, not tried before purchasing. This Viola is a NICE bass, way more solid and consistent sounding than the cheap Hofners IME. Sadly I have no use for it lately, will try flats on it just to make sure I won't miss it in the studio to give me something my other basses can't or anything before I decide it's time for it to go. The other 3 are KEEPERS and have made me less GAS prone thru' the years. All bought without trying.

My point, thru' experience, is this: you can't really know if a bass is going to fit you in a 10 minutes tryout (less so with some random amp at a random room). So the "try before buying" is pretty relative/imprecise IME. I've bought some basses that were OK when trying them, then ended up not linking 'em much as soon as I spent an x amount of hours playing them (namely Yammie BBs) or plain hating them in the long run (G&L L-1505).

Online buying brings us close to very specific stuff that, bacause of that same specificity/rarity is less probable to be available in our area to go try. It's the way of our times. It's not a bad thing at all. On one side we have all these great return policies competence has put at the consumer's disposal (you can really try, with your gear, in your space, with your band, then eventually send it back if it's too far from what you were looking for). But also brands are forced to up their QC game in order not to get too many returns (and a terrible rep amongst consumers who mostly shop online in the XXI century, thus need a basic guaranteed level of craft, a product that at least has no obvious defects and can do what it's designed to do for a reasonably long time).

 

[jamro217]

I've bought instruments online without playing them first and haven't gotten a bad deal yet. That includes two Rics and a MIJ P bass. If you realize the potential danger of getting a poor instrument, it's a gamble worth taking. I would stick to well known brands as they would be easier to flip if you're unhappy with your purchase.

 

[FerK]

I did that TWICE with my Dingwall NG2, and a few years later with an Afterburner. No regrets.