bassatnight

As an owner of several SB's in the past all I can say is that the SB series is of a higher quality particularly the 1000 series which is a very good instrument and I will always have one in my collection I just think the SBr's are a newer series with perhaps better quality electronics but poorer finishes.[quote name='W1_Pro' post='696165' date='Dec 30 2009, 10:49 AM']Hello folks, I've noticed a few SBR 60's and 80's up for sale- I wondered wht the difference was between them and the SB basses. Can anyone enlighten me? Many thanks Stuart[/quote]

Your a braver man than I, I sold a mint Lakland 44-01 on the bay with no reserve and got less than £400 for it it hadn't even been played. That was a lesson learnt, there is always a chance you will not get the bidders and could potentially end up giving a decent bass away! If its a Wal or Sadowsky or similar your theory would probably work but what a risk to take! [quote name='Bassassin' post='696069' date='Dec 30 2009, 02:13 AM']Theoretically yes - but it's highly unlikely if you have a good, easily-searchable listing, with detailed, honest description & good photos. Helps if what you're selling is fairly desirable in the first place. Why is a reserve (and therefore a"pretend" low start) better than just starting at a price you'd be willing to accept, assuming you don't have the guts to risk a low start? What - and have hundreds of potential bidders swarming around it, hoping it's going to be them that bags a £10 Rick 4003? That's [i]exactly[/i] what you want. If it's an item with a known & specific market value (like my theoretical Rick) you can be assured that it will reach that, will have attracted probably hundreds of watchers, dozens of little low-bids, and if it's still low in the last 12 hours of the auction (which again, is what you want) then there's a very strong likelihood that you'll get some serious 3 or 4-way competitive bidding in the final few minutes, which will shove the final price significantly higher than market value. People take bidding really personally, and there's nothing like a grudge-match mixed with Ebay Madness. I've sold 50 - odd guitars & basses on Ebay and have seen this dozens of times. For the record, every one of my auctions has been 99p, no reserve, and even with Ebay's exponentially growing fee structure, I'm very, very happy with the end results of my sales. The actual process of dealing with bidders, stupid questions, people who can't/won't read listings etc is another matter, but goes with the territory. J.[/quote]

It a tough one as the seller you want the most money possible for your item and as a buyer you want to pay the least amount possible. If you have a Bass thats worth at least £1000 you would be an idiot to have no reserve and put it on at say a £10 start and if you start the auction at say £900 you just won't get any bids so from that perspective a reserve is common sense - it at least gets the ball rolling as it were, pepole with smaller budgets may think they will strike lucky and start bidding. If you go to an auction house you will not be told a reserve price so why should E-bay be any different? As a buyer on E-Bay you are looking for a bargain, you are hoping that someone with no sense will put an American Fender or a Wal or whatever on and sell for £250 so when you see the bass you really want and there is a reserve you are asking the seller because if the reserve is high (for you) you will look elsewhere and not bid. As the seller is it in your interest not to divulge the reserve and put potential bidders off? I suppose the answer is already there on the site - as the reserve price is not shown and is only known to the seller. (You also have to pay extra for a reserve price) [quote name='Conan' post='695672' date='Dec 29 2009, 04:03 PM']Complicated innit? I was under the impression that if you didn't set a reserve price, then you had to let the item go for whatever the highest (or only!) bidder was prepared to pay? Surely then, not putting a reserve on it is very risky as you could potentially have to virtually give away a valuable item! On the other hand, an item is only worth what people are prepared to pay for it - so it kind of pisses me off when people list items for a certain price and refuse to go any lower. Why use an auction site? Just stick it in the local paper! Or maybe I'm just jaded as the two basses I listed on there just before Christmas only just failed to reach their reserves... [/quote]

This was my rude response (apparently): [i]Might be worth seeing if you win the auction first mate. I am afraid the reserve price is private. (I usually give it out but his bluntness annoyed me) As for ringing you, not sure why I would want to call you, as you haven't won the auction yet?[/i] [quote name='bassatnight' post='695509' date='Dec 29 2009, 12:01 PM']Just had a very irate person calling me the rudest person he has ever dealt with on E-bay in 10 years (He has only had an account for 4 years!) He sends me a message demanding I call his expensive mobile number without giving a reason for the call (but no doubt wanting me to sell to him outside of E-Bays Protection) Then when I refuse to call him he sends me a tirade of hate telling me how bad a seller I am etc, he has 30 sales/buys and I have 400 all positive - Some people! Steve. (losing it with mankind)[/quote]

Just had a very irate person calling me the rudest person he has ever dealt with on E-bay in 10 years (He has only had an account for 4 years!) He sends me a message demanding I call his expensive mobile number without giving a reason for the call (but no doubt wanting me to sell to him outside of E-Bays Protection) Then when I refuse to call him he sends me a tirade of hate telling me how bad a seller I am etc, he has 30 sales/buys and I have 400 all positive - Some people! Steve. (losing it with mankind)

The reserve price is a tricky one as telling potential bidders may cause them not to bid at all and thus not knock the price up a bit but I do generally tell them. [quote name='OldGit' post='695453' date='Dec 29 2009, 10:51 AM']Some of those remind me of the begging adverts in Private Eye "trouble paying child's school fees. Please sent £50" etc .. Incidentally I often ask the reserve and always tell people if they ask. I don't see the problem.[/quote]

Folks, I have just put a couple of basses on E-Bay and have been inundated with stupid and in some cases incredible questions from potential buyers already. I have put a few of them below for your entertainment put have obviously removed the names etc - can anyone else top them!? [i]HI, I am seeing your bass on Web and want it. I have £150 I know that is lower than your starting cost but I am quite poor and like basses I think it is good to help poor people can I have your bass for that cost or lower please/?[/i] [i]Hey, I am new to E-bay can I reserve your bass as I get paid next week and will hopefully have the money then?[/i] [i]Hi, What is the reserve price? (I had 7 messages asking this)[/i] [i]Hey, I live near you can you call me?[/i] I could put more up but I am still laughing/crying over these ones! Steve.

I had a feeling that it might be a cheaper model, oh well lets hope its ok! Thanks for the comments lads... cheers, Steve.[quote name='oldslapper' post='694324' date='Dec 27 2009, 03:31 PM']If it's the black status shark 5 string fretless I saw ending recently, it's still a great buy for £330 even with a "wood" neck (2 reinforced graphite rods I believe?).[/quote]

Folks, I have set my heart this coming year on getting to grips with a fretless and was also thinking about getting my first 5 string. I though I'd start with something farily cheap in case I don't get on with it so have just won a 5 string Status Graphite Fretless on E-Bay for £330. This was very much a punt as I have no idea if its worth the money I paid which is unlike me, to be honest I am gob smacked I won it I was full of Christmas ale at the time - and thats my excuse! Does anyone know of their pedigree are they any good or have I just wasted £300? Steve.

Having owned and still own a Mex and an American the construction and finish of the American is of a higher quality, 9 times out of ten with an American you will get an excellent Bass with a Mexican its more like 5 times out of ten, I would personally look at Japanese Fenders as they tend to be somewhere in between the two for my money. I certainly won't pay more than £700 for an American Jazz as there are plenty around for sale at any time in that bracket. (mind I am selling one at the mo!) Steve. [quote name='jamieariss' post='693640' date='Dec 26 2009, 11:59 AM']So what is the actual differnce between the american and the mex?? surely the electronic cant be different just the wood and name ?? [/quote]

Sylvian ripped the others off big time taking credit (and the cash) for songs that were written by the others and treated them in the end like session players, I would say Karns bass is the most memorable thing about the group Japan there's no way Sylvian came up with those bass lines which were the bones of all of there songs. Still the book reveals all. [quote name='Spoombung' post='691240' date='Dec 22 2009, 08:44 AM']If you're referring to Sylvian - he's not skint! He's made a fortune by gazing wistfully away from the soft-focus camera and croaking about his 'alone -ness', (the poor fragile soul that he is).[/quote]

Japan were the first band I saw live back in 1980 my memories of Mick were of him just standing there with his Travis Bean swaying slightly but I do recall the iffy dancing a couple of years later. Mick is a very approachable guy and I have had a few letters off him and E-mails answering specific questions for a book I was putting together in 2004 - its a real shame that he and the other guy's are so ignored and thus skint. He had his first Travis Bean stolen with the serial number 03 and a year later it turned up at a shop in Denmark street and the cheeky buggers wanted him to pay £500 for its return - they settled for autographs and pictures in the end! Mind you what would that Bass be worth today!? Anyone played an old T-Bean fretless? [quote name='iconic' post='691217' date='Dec 22 2009, 07:46 AM']I'll have to get that book for christmas, he is also one of the reasons I love bass, the noises that guy can get out of bass amazes me... [b]ohh, and he can play and dance....sideways[/b][i][/i] see 4:30 onwards from Oil on Canvas ,Live - The Hammersmith Odeon - 1983 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPntP1sIAc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPntP1sIAc[/url][/quote]

Just finished Mick Karns Bio entitled Japan and self existence and have to admit it was a very good read. Mick comes across as a sensitive soul who like most of the ex band members of Japan saw little in the way of money, a real eye opener on his life and thoughts on all things Fretless. He hates to talk about Basses and particularly strings, his attitude is refreshing in that he has no preference to strings its whatever is to hand and that he only changes them if they snap and usually will have the same set for 4-5 years. Worth a read if only for his humourous and shocking tales of stalkers!