LeftyJ

Yes, but that's not the point. That's just comparing the products, not the means of production. A better comparison would be if a paintbrush that was held by Da Vinci at some point would be worth more than one that was used by someone who just finished a paint-by-numbers set for the first time. I personally wouldn't pay more for an instrument used by someone famous. I'm just a regular bloke making a bit of music in my spare time and having fun with a few mates in a band. I will happily play whatever I can lay my hands on as long as it sounds good and plays nicely. A guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix wouldn't suddenly make me able to play or sound like him, and I likely wouldn't even dare taking it out. What always baffles me most are people asking more for a used guitar or bass because it was autographed by someone famous. If anything, to me it just becomes less valuable when someone has scribbled their name on a guitar with a sharpie! I can't stand it.

Nice Ibanez RB650 on Gumtree: https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/left-handed-ibanez-roadstar-bass-1982/1405555073

Thread is gone, but the one that still haunts me to this day is a left handed Modulus Quantum 5. I think the seller was @whynot. It had a beautiful quilted maple top finished in natural, 19 mm spacing at the bridge, and the seller was asking just 700 GBP for it (!!!). I really couldn't afford it at the time, or I would have swam across the Channel if I had to! It was back on eBay within a week for double the original asking price. And there was a Wal Mk1 that I had actually already paid for, but after a lot of hassle at the post office (because the package was too long) the seller decided it was pre-destined and he had to keep it. He transferred me back my 1700 GBP (yes, they're a fair bit more expensive these days!)

I'm bound to agree! I usually don't like gold hardware, but my 2001 Warwick Streamer LX is a nice exception.

I love that Sequoiah Gold Ray! One of the prettiest finishes they've ever done. So far the metallic purple has my vote, followed by bright, shiny white.

Looks a lot better with the black! I did the same with my Streamer LX5, I bought it used around 10 years ago with badly worn gold hardware and it just looked bad. I changed it all to black, and love the look now. I got another older LX recently with gold hardware, but on this one it fits the finish colour of the body so I'm keeping it as is. On waxing the body: the recent Pro Series / Teambuilt German Warwicks actually don't have waxed bodies anymore. They're finished with a very thin satin lacquer finish! Same goes for the necks, with the exception of the fingerboard facing.

Sorry for your loss, but what an awesome way to commemorate someone! It looks incredible, and sounds really cool too in your video. Lovely!

I'm afraid so. This measure is mostly aimed at Aliexpress and the likes, with their low pricing and Chinese state-subsidised shipping.

LOL, my first thought too. "What are you talking about? That's better than the real thing!"

Same here, plus I don't have the cash at the moment. I would have to pay import duties and European VAT too I suppose.

Affordable '77 Fender Musicmaster, because of some mods, partially undone again: https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/left-handed-1977-fender-musicmaster-bass/1404337879 Has had an extra pickup at some point, but the hole has been refilled and the bass has been crudely refinished in spraycan-black. The original Strat pickup was replaced with a vintage SCPB / Telecaster Bass pickup. Looks like a fun player, after some work! For starters, I would order a new pickguard and fix the alignment of that pickup, which is considerably wider than the original Strat pickup and doesn't line up well below the E-string.

Cool, 300 GBP is a great price for one of those! Congrats, enjoy

That's not Thomann, and NOT a post-Brexit thing either. Warwick's webshop has very high shipping costs. I ordered a pickup and a pan pot from them in January and they made me pay €21,80 in shipping with DHL Express. And I'm in the Netherlands, so still in the EU and right nextdoor to Germany!

Wow, that looks incredibly clean! Are there any hidden controls, or is it just the pickup straight to the jack?

Cool, i look forward to pics of the process! Is the Grooveline neck finished? If so, don't sand it. The Ibanez Prestige thing is very much in the neck treatment!

Japanese bass = metric keys, always.

How is this fella not in here yet?

Probably this. There's no way all the pots can be broken at once. Here is a parts list of all the various Ibanez preamps, and they're all pre-wired with pots and everything: https://www.meinlshop.de/en/ibanez/spare-parts/e-basses/equalizer?p=1

EBMM really do the most awesome sparkle finishes around! There have been numerous throughout the years, and most have been incredible. I owned a 2003 (I think) SR5 in Autumn Redburst sparkle and it really was a thing of beauty. I traded it for @Bonin-in-the boneyard's Status S2 Classic 5-string. No regrets, but the anthracite finish on that isn't quite as nice...

Nice. Did you upgrade the pickups to real Barts yourself, or did it come like this? I believe these had the Bartolini-licensed Mk1's originally?

Seems very weird to me why it would have a lefty bridge! Seems impossible to get the intonation right with that in place. That's a fairly rare bridge because not many lefties were made, but it's also damaged (it's bent at the low E side).

I'm usually fine with sharing my cabinet (but I do check with the other bassists if their amp output power and impedance match), but generally don't like sharing my amp. Like @thodrik, I do expect the other bass players / bands to ask in advance.

Unsurprising this came from a company that normally makes family cars roughly similar in size

Makes me think of the insane Ashdown rig John Entwistle used in his last years with The Who. Ashdown designed and built some huge 18" horns for him! Note the stack of power amplifiers in that rack:

This one can imitate a shortscale with digital modelling.