Burns-bass

Agreed. Let's take a bog-standard US Musicman Stingray. I've seen these for sale used in shops from between £1400-£1500. Private sellers are trying to achieve the same prices without considering the costs of new strings and set up, delivery costs, credit card fees (2-2.5%), a small profit for the retailer.

I’m with you on this. Before picking up bass I played keyboard and guitar (and failed). My dad said “you pick something you want to do and you pay for it” - so I did. Played for hours and hours every day to get it right, and since then he’s been a hugely supportive fan.

People can obviously advertise things at whatever prices they wish. But when you’re trying to get £500 for a Fender Player Series jazz bass I’d take it as a sign you maybe have priced things a bit too high and save the exasperated posts.

As I’ve said before, a guitar shop owner told me the used market is “a lot of people which not very desirable items trying to charge shop prices then getting upset when they don’t sell…” The whole used market is due a reset. Too many people trying to charge what shops do with none of the benefits. The stuff that hangs around (there are some listings here that get bumped every week with no change to price) are pretty much all over-priced items that are common.

I had one of the first batch of Sire basses and it was an exceptional instrument for the price. The problem is that they're not professional level instruments, and if you play regularly you'll have to make changes that (in my experience) often add up to the same price as a premium bass, minus the resale value...

Please just take your time to heal properly and don’t rush it.

Hey, it doesn’t matter because it plays so well. (£14,000 worth, apparently…)

Hey, I’m charging £14,000 and a few things may have changed, but it’s not about vintage it’s about how it plays etc. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176427396275?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=FOG9Z1W2SD2&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=tlvCI0P7RsO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Excellent to get expert advice. Thank heaven for friends, eh?!! Good luck with the new business venture. Even though you’re taking on an existing lease you might be eligible for a new business grant. My brothers wife received £10,000 to refurbish a hairdressing salon recently. Obviously depends on where you are, but you should be able to find details.

Legal minefield. My recommendation is to get professional advice. You’re also a small business so start scouting the grant directories locally and nationally to see what cash you might be eligible for.

I’ve been to jam nights with killer players and 9 times out of 10, they’re lovely people. The best part about a band like that is they’ll make you sound good and work to keep the song going. When you play a song you know you’ll absolutely storm it.

I’ve run successful and profitable businesses for decades, so save me the patronising response. No debt, paid off my mortgage at 42, currently work 3 days a week, happy days. We know the venue had a budget and a limit as to what they would pay. If they’d have told Stew, there would be no confusion or cause for anyone to get upset or feel hard done by. And have I ever paid more for something? Absolutely. We use freelancers at times and if they do a good job or secure us a profitable project then I’ll give them a bonus. Sometimes people will underprice themselves and I will tell them that. Why? Because I’m the they will always put you first, do their best work and make themselves available when we need them. You could call it compassionate capitalism. But it’s just common sense. Anyway, have to work on a project now so as you were.

Think you’ve done a great job.

Judging by Stews response he agrees with me. Business isn’t (or perhaps, shouldn’t be) about short term gain, it’s about building relationships over the long term. A happy and well paid will deliver a better show than one, ultimately giving punters a better time and increasing return custom for the venue. Almost every business that argues over a few quid here are there isn’t worth working for or with. Hope the gigs go well.

Didn’t read this before posting. This is precisely what I said would happen has happened. When in negotiate fees in my job everything is done transparently so everyone accepts it. (They’re not always happy, but that’s a different thing.)

No offence, but I don’t need the basics of business explained to me. I just don’t understand why grown adults running a business would waste everybody’s time to screw a band out of a few quid. They will have a standard rate they pay to covers bands. It’s how budgets work. They should tell you: this is how much we are prepared to pay, would you like the job. This way leaves the band wondering whether they could get more and resenting the venue if they find out this is the case. It’s the opposite of how good business is transacted.