Burns-bass

I think that's a really fair price for the bass. I was alerted that 4 people were bidding at the end of the auction, so I have no doubts I would have been outbid by someone. Luckily it was Chris.

I’ve already expressed my disgust to Chris in a personal message…. Only kidding. Good addition to the Basschat family. My worry is that it would end up being shipped off somewhere else to be in a display case. Seems that won’t happen here. Can’t wait to see the unboxing video 🙂

I meant eBay is full of time wasting bidders (not sellers!)

Haha, I got pipped at £2509.66 - so whoever bid after me got it. I’ve messaged him as eBay is so full of time wasters nowadays.

Lost out at the last minute! Hey ho. Plenty more basses in the sea.

Crikey. Seems my meagre bid won’t get near it then. Perhaps that’s a good thing given the value!

True! I’ve got a Bryant double bass that I bought from new. It’s amazing, sounds incredible, but is a bit too refined. When I took it out of the case there was a hushed awe and it just felt too nice an instrument to take out to the practices and stuff I do. If this one doesn’t work out, I’ll pick up a cheaper ply bass or old carved one (interested in the one listed here!).

Set your price and stick to it, that’s the theory.

It’ll also do expensive! Let’s see what happens.

My tax bill has come in and a great degree under predictions, which means I’ve bid on this. Quite possibly I’ll get nowhere near it, but you have to try. I’ve had a nice chat with the seller and he seems like a great guy so if I don’t win it and you do, I’m sure you can be confident it’ll be everything it says it is. But please let me win it.

Yeah I bid up to £250, but that’s because I’m up that way so no pick-up hassles.

Yeah, that would be amazing! I’ve seen Keith play. Be great to see you when you’re down here gigging, so please share details.

UPS did the same with a Martin guitar I own. Despite the instructions to only leave it with me, they gave it a to a neighbour and didn’t tell me.

Cheers Jack! This is an acoustic gig with a blues singer. He’s really good and gets a lot of paid gigs in fairly small places, so the bass has to have that percussive feel to fill out the sound.

All good. This has really helped! Now for some practice and see if I can get the gig.

This is *exactly* what I was talking about!

Hi Chris, I meant our friend 3Below suggesting I change strings and set up. I’ve had a chat with the guy, and it seems I’ve sort of missed the point. He wanted me to play in a more rough and ready fashion, rather than the “refined” jazz approach. It seems I’ve misconstrued his request, and what he really want led me to do was to be a bit rough and percussively. So what you’ve said nails it. Because I still like to try and play my jazz stuff, and I’m trying my hardest not to spend cash, I’ll stick with what I’ve got and play with a little less of the mind and more of the heart! Really appreciate all the replies. I’ve very much enjoyed the DB journey.

It’s the value of both has been artificially inflated by guitar dealers and speculators. They are no rarer than they were 10 years ago, it’s just that people now view them as investments. I’ve stated this many times. People are paying ludicrous prices not because of their intrinsic value (or even quality) but because they’ve been duped into believing them to be safer than cash in the bank.

If they're knocking out 10 a week over 20 years, you're looking at 10,000 instruments. I'm sure it's lower than that by a large magnitude, but even so, they're not by any definition rare.

Relative to what? They're a mass produced item. A quick search finds 9 currently for sale... https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Wal&make=wal&product_type=bass-guitars It's interesting how they're all advertised for pretty much the same price... Again, you can buy what you want with your money. But at these prices, you're being played by the system.

The madness of the market encapsulated in one thread: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/240769/20k-to-splurge-what-s-the-closest-i-can-get-to-a-59-burst#latest No idea what to buy. No idea of value. Asking random people on the internet to help him spend £20k on something that will keep its value.

They're directly comparable. 70s Fender were worth almost nothing (I used to import late 70s Fenders from the States for £350 a time). They increased in value recently, as the interest in vintage guitars has grown and people have considered them a safe investment vehicle. Their value isn't about playability, sound, weight, or refinement (because they all score pretty low on all those factors, objectively speaking), but perceived value and investment potential. Check out how many vintage guitar dealers have completed changed their view on these instruments. They're now pushing them out to people who assume that vintage = value. Why? Because most of the good condition pre-CBS stuff is in the hands of collectors and they need to keep earning. The same dark forces are pumping up the value of these instruments. (New basses are subject to market forces, including increases in raw material costs, transport, production, etc.) None of these affect Wal. Dealers work between themselves to pump an asset and inflate prices. That's what's happening here, and will happen again.

A 6 string Wal bass would cost you £3000 in 2012 (check on BC!). Today - when there are more of them in the world than that - it’s 4 times as much. Ask why it’s increased so much in value? By any metric, Wal basses are not rare. If you want one, they’re almost always for sale. It’s because the vintage industry has peaked in terms of pumping Fenders, and is now doing the same to Wals. We’ll probably see the same with PRS guitars at some point, and a load of 80s stuff that’s somehow now ultra-desirable. My point is that the prices are being pumped by guitar shops and dealers, and its customers who take a hit because they think these are rarer than they are and will continue to increase in value (no guarantees this is the case). Maybe it is pension cash coming through, people too rich to wait (nobody likes the thrill of the chase), or people assuming these are good investment vehicles. Tulips, innit.

Ahh, I’ve found this book. Has anyone used this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnny-Hatton-Rockabilly-Bass/dp/1480354740/ref=asc_df_1480354740_nodl?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310081590442&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17914596399938464515&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045622&hvtargid=pla-521651458700&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&dplnkId=ed1c61b5-609f-44cc-af66-b81e86f96c37