binky_bass

43 minutes ago, velvetkevorkian said:

The neck profile on these is so nice. Looks like you got a nice clean one, congrats!

Except for some light tarnishing, the BD signature having worn off the pickups (happens with all of them!) and 2 missing screws in the rear cavity cover, it is immaculate. Came with a spare set of SIT strings, second cavity cover and a semi-hard case too. So all in, there's agreed price was a bit of a steal...

Back from 2 days 'business' in Cologne to find the Conklin patient waiting for me upon my return! I forgot just how well made these things are... unbelievably thin neck profile, no real visible or 'feelable' difference in build quality to that of my USA Conklin (hardware, pickups, preamp, woods etc aside...)

16 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Mrs Steve ? 

Sounds like a budget Doubtfire rip off! 

Mine doesn't care too much either... the occasional eye roll, but generally I only buy second hand and at a price I know I won't loose money on if/when I sell. I'd rather have a collection of things I can enjoy (and sell if need be) than a bunch of cash in the bank that will gain bugger all interest and be no fun! 

12 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

5 string Conklin here for £550… https://www.facebook.com/groups/321515614550229/permalink/23978327848442340/?sale_post_id=23978327848442340

 

 

I don't have Facebook so can't access that link. I suspect it's a Korean made 5 String Conklin Groove Tools? 

Guessing it's this one thats for sale for £550 on The Fretboard. 

14 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Many, many moons ago I did a stint on the Conklin stand at a guitar show when it was held in Docklands.  Honestly no idea how it came about; drummer at the time had a Yamaha endorsement and he seemed to have this lucid connection (by association) with the UK importers of Hamer and Warwick (who were based in Ascot at the time).  

 

So we drive up.  Get lost in Docklands, are followed, then pulled over and questioned by the police.  We're late and arrive, I'm in the booth and told to play the seven-string.  I notice that the bridge doesn't fit the body shape and was told to try and cover it up with my right hand while playing.  I do 45-60 minutes and it's all over.  I'm rewarded with an EBS Octaver pedal for my trouble and as I had a lanyard, I have blagging rights (so free Rotosound strings and I get to meet Jim Marshall).

 

What a day.

I may have been at that one... what year was it? I went to 3 guitar/bass shows around 2001-2006ish and met Jim Marshall at all 3. I still have 3 Marshall posters (one of Jim in front of a wall of Marshall stacks, one of Jim and Nico McBrain and one of Hendrix) all signed by Jim and made out to me and all with different dates on them. Two are on my studio wall next to a Birdhouse flyer signed by Tony Hawk, a few signed set lists from various gigs and a Tim Russ (Tuvok from Star Trek Voyager) signed promo photo! Not sure where the third is Jim poster is... 🤔 

Found a photo, 2003, 2004 and 2005. 👍 

2 hours ago, Paulhauser said:

Nice score Russ! The GTBD was on my bucket list for a few years albeit I was not succesfull in getting one. I had a GT-7 though for a few years, the regular overseas Conklin 7er and that was a great bass, heavy but balanced exceptionally well with the huge body and fat neck. I seem to remember that the neck on the Dickens model is somewhat narrower and thinner than the GT-7. I think you are up for a treat!

I've had 2 or 3 of these over the years, then genuinely are very good basses, even at the price point they were when they were new. Looking forward to giving this one a blast in a day or two! 

No, I've not played a full fat US Bill Dickens, but I do own this US full fat Custom Shop 8 string Conklin, which I imagine wouldn't be too dissimilar! And probably weighs similar!

4 minutes ago, itu said:

How do you tune that smörgåsbord? What's the scale length and string spacing in the bridge? 

 

Congratulations on a fine bass! 

I'll probably go with BEADGCF tuning. I have a USA Custom Shop 8 string Conklin, an ACG 9 string and a Bee Bass 10 string (Binky), so I'm used to these oversized beasts! Scale length I believe is 35", spacing I think is 17mm.

I frequently trawl various 'instrument for sale' sites when I've got nothing better to do of an evening once the boy is in bed and after the wife and I have had some dinner... 8pm to 9pm is my prime hour!

I stumbled across a Conklin GTBD-7 on eBay yesterday, not too many of these were made, they were meant to be a cheaper, more accessible version of the USA Custom Shop Conklins, however they were very expensive to make and the quality was exceptionally good, not too far off that of the USA Custom Shop basses, so they stopped production after maybe a year or so. They did the GT-7 (the cheaper version) and this GTBD-7 versions with Bartolini pickups and preamp as well as a premium top and through neck. 

I've owned a couple of these over the years as well as two USA Custom Shop Conklins (one I still have and I will die with), so I'm very familiar with them vs the USA stock and they are really great basses. 

I made an offer on this one, we had a quick chat about logistics, and the offer was accepted! Should be with me Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. Comes with a spare set of strings and a hardcase too. 👍 

Damn you eBay for FORCING me to buy this! 😆

It was more a request for photos of @HDG specific bass due to the mention of that model number I'm not familiar with! 

Is this the giant bodied Ernie Ball 70's acoustic bass with Schaller machine heads? I know what an Earthwood Acoustic Bass is, but I dont recognise that model number. Any photos?

A standard eBay AI description from the spec and the title the seller provided. 100% not written by the seller. 

1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Well, I a not buying a bass as an investment, if I was I would be a poor businessman, considerably more profitable things to invest your money in.

 

I am buying it to actually play it.

 

And to me it would be worth much more, though not in money.

 

Knowing I can earn money on something I don't enjoy playing is pretty worthless, even pointless for that matter.

 

It's subjective isn't it. If you were in the market for an ACG let's say, some might look to buy new and spec it up to their liking and pay full retail, some might be very happy with something 90% to their liking and pay say 30% less on the second hand market. Neither is 'right', its entirely subjective.

I've bought many basses that I simply wanted to try, some I've loved and kept, some I've enjoyed for a short time and moved on, some I've broke even, some I've came out on top a little and some I've lost a little on. 

For me, buying second hand at a price I'm reasonably confident I won't loose money on allows me to enjoy and play significantly more basses than I ever would do if I'd only bought new. It's also vastly broadened my horizons in terms of what I now really look for in a bass - it's honed my 'wants' to an extremely specific list that I know suits me perfectly. 

As I say, tis all subjective with no correct answer! Do what suits you. 

13 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

So I guess the diffrence is if you are buying something for an investment or an instrument to play

Potentially, I'm lucky enough to have a few from both sides of this particular fence. I have a few ACGs Alan made for me and of course Binky the 10 string Bee Bass. I also have some I've bought well under their market value that I doubt I'll ever sell and some I've bought for about their market value as I wanted to try it but also didn't want to buy new and loose a chuck after the initial purchase. 'Orses for Courses as they say! 

14 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

No way I would ever do that!

 

If I had that kind of money I'd have luthier make me an amazing bass exactly to my personal preferred specs.

I suppose the difference being is that if you spent 4k on a custom build it'll be worth approximately 2k the day its delivered to you, whereas if you buy a 4k bass on the second hand market (Wal, Fodera etc.) it'll probably be worth 4k if/when you move it on, assuming you haven't paid well over the odds. 

22 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

OTOH, I've just bought a bass from a bricks and mortar auction house. Seller's premium about 25%, buyer's premium about 25%. So if I bid £800 for a bass, there's £200 buyer's premium added so I pay £1k, and £200 seller's premium taken off the £800, leaving £600 for the seller. That's a rather bigger gap than the gap between £600 and £618.75 or £800 and £822.75.

Its not about the fee, its about the underhanded marketing. eBay provide a service so should be compensated, no arguement there. But doing it in such a way to hide their fees is my gripe.

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

 

I've been using eBay to buy and sell for over 20 years now and I have never paid anything to list an item for sale. 

Of course you have. 

If I said I've ridden a dinosaur, you'd respond with 'yeah, well I've ridden 2 dinosaurs'. 

We get it, you're winning at life at the rest of us, compared to you, are mere pond scum. 

🙄

11 minutes ago, Tdw said:

I think it's related to ebay (and probably others) offering to sell items with no fees for listing. People stick things on for crazy prices thinking that if it doesn't sell its no loss and that they might get a big windfall.  People with stuff to sell then see these items and think that's the market price, they then put their items on for these unrealistic prices.  A small weekly listing fee could probably change this.

eBay are really quite underhanded with their latest round of marketing...

The format used to be that a seller pays a fee to list an item and the buyer didn't pay a fee. Now the fee is transferred to the buyer under the guise of a 'buyers protection fee' and is charged at a higher rate than the old sellers fee. So now they market to all as 'free to sell' and mention nothing of the increase in cost to buyers. Legal sure, but very morally questionable. But hey, that's business for you! 

Vandolin.

Best just swerve these tryers. There's a number of regulars on here that are clearly dealers or at least semi-pro buyers and resellers that always have basses sat for years on end. We all know who they are! 

There's 3 options really:

● Price high and wait for years to sell if at all.

● Price about right and prepare to sit on it while until person that wants what you have comes along.

● Price lower and sell sooner.

The market often dictates price, so crazy prices just won't shift! 

1 minute ago, Hellzero said:

Hocus Pocus Red Bus...

 

 

 

Which bus will you be taking to London??

If you could please have this fretted, then sent to me and not ask me to actually pay you, then I'd take it! 😉 

I'll own a Leduc one day, perhaps when the world becomes sane again... (or when you take the bus to London!) 

For anyone IN the UK, I once took a bus from London to meet Tony - yes it was a TERRIBLE journey, but it's doable if you want to smuggle it back in your hand luggage! 😂

I threw them a cheeky offer, they dropped the price online to £260, then someone bought it before I could! 😂

Oh well, I definitely did not need it! Hope someone from here got it.

There is a Markbass SD1200 for £250 on CC too, now that is tempting.