Annoying Twit

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1415147609' post='2597308'] If you're selling a bass for £50, then you're not charged anything for the advert. [/quote] I didn't know that. What is the cut-off price whereby people have to pay? It did seem to me that there are fewer cheap basses nowdays. Maybe if I went back and counted, the numbers of cheap ones might not have changed.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1415144989' post='2597293'] Your second bass, I'm squinting my eyes does that read Ibanez ? [/quote] Yes. An approximately 1977/78 Ibanez Artist bass.

<off topic>I started bass when I was a young teenager, but had a long gap before starting again as an adult. (Several times as that's another story).</off topic> <possibly on topic>My first bas was an unbranded P-bass copy with a mile high action. Plausible it could have been Japanese</possibly on topic> <on topic>However, for my second bass, my father bought me one of the basses pictured below. I wish I still had that</on topic> i've heard that Kays, when they are bad, are very very bad. But, the neck through Cort built ones as in the ebay listing, are quite nice.

I'm not versatile. I gave up playing my guitars until I tuned them into all-fourths so that I could play them like a bass. My guitar playing is getting more guitar-like again since I started getting better at the all-fourths chord shapes. The 9th barre chord is fairly challenging. Anyhows, pictures. I have more, but this my favourite.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1414962243' post='2595166'] Is it related to the introduction of fees? (I realise this discussion has probably been had already). The meat and potatoes stuff can often sell quite easily through free local adverts, so perhaps sellers are trying there first while the guys selling more specialised or higher end instruments see the benefits of advertising here rather more. [/quote] I've noted that there are fewer cheap basses on sale here since fees were introduced. If you're selling a bass for £50, then £7 is a fair chunk of that. Particularly since there's no guarantee of a sale. I'm not worried about there being fewer cheap basses here. There are still ebay/gumtree/etc.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1415103615' post='2596637'] Yep, that's true. Returning goods 'face to face', as Weststarx is doing, is slightly different but the 4 week limit is the same. The pertinent headlines for this case are: If the goods are returned as faulty within the first 4 weeks of ownership he is entitled to a refund. After 4 weeks he is entitled to a replacement or a repair up to the 6 month point. After 6 months the options are limited to repair - this is where Weststarx is. Now, these are the [b]minimum[/b] expectations of the Sale Of Goods Act and most savvy retailers will be doing more than the minimum requirements in order to keep the customer happy. It certainly can be complicated. The Sale Of Goods Act was written in 1979 when 'plain English' wasn't a requirement. [/quote] I don't believe that's true. That he has to accept a repair. The 6 month thing only affects the burden of proof as to whether the goods were fit for purpose at the time of sale. Up to six months, the goods are presumed to be faulty. After six months, the purchaser must prove that the fault is an inherent fault, typically by obtaining an independent engineer's report. I believe that if the shop isn't able to successfully repair the item, then they are still obliged to replace or refund. The refund may be discounted by an amount that takes into consideration how much use the buyer has had from the goods. In this case, not much. There's information about consumer rights of the retailer is unable to repair the goods (which should include the situation where continual repairs are needed) here: http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/webcontent/home/services/community+and+living/consumer+advice+and+protection/es-mw-tradingstandardsfaq#remain [quote] [b]What if a retailer repairs goods but they remain[/b][url=""][/url][b]faulty? [/b] You have the same rights as before you agreed to the repair - let the shop know you are reserving the right to reject the goods when you agree to the repair attempt. Alternatively you can ask for a replacement if the repair is unsuccessful - you do not have to accept further attempts to repair. You should give the shop a reasonable opportunity to repair goods - especially if the fault is minor and the goods can be put into a satisfactory condition bearing in mind their age and use. Repair and replacement have to be carried out within a reasonable time scale and without significant inconvenience to the consumer. For example, if you think that four weeks is too long to wait for a repair to your washing machine you can request a replacement immediately. [/quote]

I told the seller that it was a Korean bass some time ago. They haven't updated the listing even though they've added other information. IMHO the seller knew it wasn't Japanese from the start. @Kodiakblair - Paul McCartney played a Kay for a bit. I thought there were a number of good ones released over the decades, depending on who made them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEil2e_bUvg

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1415041906' post='2596045'] Some of the items have close up photos showing the defects. There were a couple of acoustic HB basses with a 10p sized dent in the back, for example. [/quote] Amazing when you compare what Thomann sells us 'Decoration only' to what Gear4Music sells as 'damaged' on ebay.

I have to agree with BigRedX. Sound is a subjective thing, but I don't think that either of them sounded wonderful. I'm wildly guessing that it's because I don't really like the sounds of flats on a P. They both sounded better on the blues tracks, possibly because the tone was rolled off more. If I have to choose then I think that bass nr 2 has a smoother sound. But, there isn't much in it.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1414925667' post='2594634'] I bought a Jazz 75 a while back and the only fault was a few sharp frets. Maybe because of this it's not "Playable out the Box" so because it needed a little work they can't sell it as an instrument.I think the definition is " Fit for Purpose " Don't know how you would return something not fit to hang on the wall though,maybe the marked ones sell as B-stock and the ones with QC faults go as decoration only. Would that cover them regards the return policy AT ? Oh Jewey hope yours arrives in good nick and just needs a wee tweek [/quote] Selling them as decoration only should mean that people can't return them under the Sale of Goods Act. In that they only have to be fit for the purpose of decoration. However, I believe that you can return them under the terms Consumer Contract Regulations (2013). There are two ways that you can return things. You can return them because they're faulty, not fit for purpose. Or, if you buy stuff at a distance such as across the internet, then you can return them within a short time for any reason you want. I'm sure someone on the German music forum returned a 'decoration only' item with no problems.

Maybe s/he's an art student doing some sort of project.

MIJ? the listing says. Looks early Korean Cort to me. No sign of a brand on the headstock. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/271654452017"]http://www.ebay.co.u...ke/271654452017[/url] Edit: Yup, Korean. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/226006-through-neck-bass-korean-cort-for-sale-price-dropped-to-l125-posted/

I've seen a number reviews of decoration only purchases in various places, e.g. on the German music forum. Most people seem happy with what they get, although they often report some work they had to do on the bass, and cosmetic issues that don't affect playability. With your purchase of an acoustic bass, the risks are perhaps higher than for a solid body electric bass. But then your legal rights mean that if you get something that is truly 'decoration only', then you should be able to return it under the law whose name I keep forgetting which has replaced the distance selling regulations.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1414866147' post='2594181'] It's also a shoddily flung together, bodged-up piece of crap. [i]How [/i]much??? [/quote] I presume you saw the rear view of it

Not sure if there's anything I can name that floors me, but I always liked Paul McCartney's late 60s to late 70s bass tone. I bought my Rickenfaker because through an amp at the shop where I bought it, it had a similar tone to Macca's. Nothing spectacular, bassy, solid, and firm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgmXiTG21yM

I hate floppy strings. After reading this, I've tuned my five string to CFA#D#G#. Tension feels better, and it's now nicer to play. Not sure that I'll keep it that way however. But from what's written here, it looks easier to get better tension by tuning up, rather than switching to what would have to be higher gauge strings.

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1414709852' post='2592664'] It just has AT. FEND3R's T-40 LaCabronita was too good to miss. [/quote] Congratulations. I presume you're not bidding on the low starting price T40 on ebay right now.

"Only" £550 starting price, or £1495 BIN for this 'unique' (cough cough) bass. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Betty-Boop-Bass-Guitar-/191393797385?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2c8ff59509

Wow, that Greco looks amazing. I thought that second hand instrument prices had come up in Japan, and were now more than they used to be. (I don't want to think about what I might have been able to buy when I lived there from '87 to '91 and for how much). It made me curious what second hand prices are in Japan at the moment. Having a quick look on Ishibashi Gakki, prices do seem low. £184 for this Japanese Fender. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/09-325056403 Gosh, what is that rather odd looking pink bass by Fernandes/Burny that is vaguely in the shape of a well known litigious American instrument maker? At £105 pounds, even s/h, I'd guess that's not MIJ, so not relevant in this thread here but I had to mention the so-bad-its-cute-ness. £316 for this 1979 Greco. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/08-325016503 I'm not sure the price would be that much higher in the UK. Another Greco, for the same £316. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/06-326949002 £369 for this. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/08-326855702 Only £68 for this, but it makes me sad to see what has happened to the Greco brand. http://store.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/pro/disp/1/09-325056803

A baker's dozen of Peaveys then. I'm sure the number will increase at some time

It looks interesting. But when I saw the thread, I assumed that it would be some sort of MIDI bass. I've just googled, and the makers of the 'Yourock' MIDI guitar (which can be put in all fourths tuning I believe) are working on a professional version.

Bass Collection, £75 start. Needs a clean. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bass-guitar-collection-bass-very-old-and-dirty-and-road-worn-works-really-well-/181568825919?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&amp;hash=item2a46586a3f Or: 99p start. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bass-Collection-SGC-Nanyo-SB310-/331356211125?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4d265e87b5

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1413715666' post='2581057'] Good luck! You never quite know with eBay how it will pan out. I've made a couple of good buys recently with low bids. One was a bass, one was a 'beer fridge' that I want to use in my greenhouse to keep seeds in - not sure my kitchen fridge is the best place for the seeds I collect... got that for 99p. [/quote] The fretless Thunder 1A sold for £62 versus my lowball bid of £51 or thereabouts.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that it was a Hardcore Max, now that you prod my imperfect memory. Thanks for the feedback, I think I'll give this amp a miss. I'm not 100% sure what sort of amp I want, so 300w/1x15" isn't something I have my mind set on. I'm just keeping my eye out for something local to see what turns up.

Today I noticed a Laney 300w 1x15 combo second hand in town for £120. It was heavier than I expected. The front grill was made of some tough seeming material, not just a cloth grill. It looked very much like this: http://www.musicworks.co.nz/bass-combos/rb8-laney-richter-300w-1x15-bass-combo/ But, the Laney logo on the front had something else written on it, e.g. "mad <something or other>". Does anyone know what model of amp it's likely that I've seen. It looked very much like the RB8, but I'm wondering if it's an earlier model. From looking around, it seems that there were some other models around before the series was named "RB", but I can't find a 1x15" model. Any help/advice/opinions would be appreciated. I think I'm likely to wait longer to buy something, but while this amp is available at what seems a reasonable price, I do want to check it out.