Unreasonable Rant

[NJE]

A small rant because sometimes you just have to.

I frequently look through the sale thread here and Gumtree/eBay and various other selling platforms, and keep an eye out for certain things I would like to own again or like to try. Recently a few things have popped up and I have got all excited until I see photos or the description which basically outlines how the owner has done loads of (unnecessary in my opinion) modifications to the instrument to 'make it better' and now they want basically what the instrument cost new, or close to it, or even in some cases, more than it was in the first place.

I am sorry, but this seriously p*sses me off, why would you badly fit a load of hardware, damage the bass, sand or refinish it yourself and then expect to get so much money for the thing?? Worst of all is that most of the time they don't even keep the original parts to put it back to how you actually want it. I have seen tuners fitted wonky and the person didn't even go to the effort of buying tuners that retrofitted, botched logo changes (seriously who are you trying to kid) huge amounts of damage through use and low and behold its £20 less than I could buy new one with a years warranty!

That is all, I am in a bad mood today.

 

Edited November 22, 2017 by NJE

[Bigwan]

Nothing unreasonable in what you're saying - same thing has annoyed me, on and off, for years. It's a buyers market at the minute, making these folks seem even more "misguided". What some people deem as upgrades or improvements can be quite laughable.

The fact is that folk like this have always existed, it just seems like there are more of them because, you know, internet...

[Tonteee]

Completely fair rant, complaining about the human condition to overvalue one's own possessions.  Everyone wants to feel like they've got a bargain, just like they tend to appraise future value on the high side.

I think the part of the brain responsible for this is just to the left of the bit that creates GAS...

[nilebodgers]

It's a good point, I wouldn't generally consider a modified instrument anyway (unless it was something trivial that could easily be returned to stock, or a genuine fix to a common problem).

 

[nightsun]

Does a signature count ;-)

[Bigwan]

6 minutes ago, nightsun said:

Does a signature count ;-)

Guy local to me is trying to sell a first run Sire for £650 notes because Marcus Miller signed the neck plate. He signed a thousand of them though, so just how collectible is that? Certainly raised a chuckle from me...

[nightsun]

2 minutes ago, Bigwan said:

Guy local to me is trying to sell a first run Sire for £650 notes because Marcus Miller signed the neck plate. He signed a thousand of them though, so just how collectible is that? Certainly raised a chuckle from me...

Bugger...although it isn't Marcus Miller

[Bigwan]

3 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

There's nothing that turns me away from a bass quicker than seeing an autograph on it.

Anywhere else I'd agree. Neck plate is fine as you can swap it.

[fretmeister]

It can be a bit disappointing but it’s not worth getting upset about.

 

There are also many basses in sale in the classifieds that are not modified or badly treated and yet been on sale for months. 

I can think of 2 that have been popping up for years.

 

Clearly they are also overpriced for the current market.  But the owners have clearly decided on the money they want and refuse to accept less. Up to them, it is their property.

 

still on the plus side their repeated payment of subs to the site can only be a good thing!

Edited November 22, 2017 by fretmeister

[discreet]

Agree, mostly. Though I would argue that modding a Harley Benton PB-50 can only improve it! But even then, if it's not done in a sympathetic way and with a certain level of knowledge, it can still look appalling and be unplayable. I've seen some modded PB50s that are hilarious. Mostly of the 'belt sander relic' type.

In any case, you can't realistically ask a lot more than the original price, even if it has better electrics, upgraded pickup and 'name' hardware. In this case you'd be better off parting it out. For example, Schaller tuners and a Hipshot bridge are worth the market rate - unless they're fitted to an HB PB-50!

My view: Caveat Emptor.

 

[Frank Blank]

I agree totally. I have attempted to sell two basses on here, both with modifications, both Fender Modern Players, one with a fretless neck put on and the other with black hardware installed. Both were modified by an excellent luthier but they were nonetheless still second hand and tampered with. What in my eyes is a pleasing modification, even one I consider to be an improvement on the original, might make it, in someone else's opinion, a dog. Just because I have invested money in mods does not necessarily mean someone else should shell out for them, in fact quite the opposite. I wouldn't pay for a modified bass, fair enough to modify your own to your personal spec but no one else is going to dig it quite like you do.

[BigRedX]

What's the problem?

If you don't like the modifications and/or you think it's overpriced just move on. 

I'm sure there will be something you do like popping up in the for sale section very soon.

[Kev]

I get more irked by people asking almost the new cost of used gear that happens to be flavour of the month, and then wonder why they have no interest.  Some people need to learn not to buy new if they are not prepared to lose money when selling!

[Chiliwailer]

I haven’t been looking to buy a bass in a while, (unless Warren wants to sell me his Wal mk3 ), but I do like to keep an eye on the market place for fun and interest  - basically because the prices here can go from bargain to reasonable to dealer price, so some are to gawp at and others to just scratch your head at. Doesn’t bother me though tbh, but I did like the rant 

 

[Chiliwailer]

33 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Ha ha, I thought you might be longing to get the Modulus back.

I have do have a lovely Fodera for sale though 

I’ll be back for the Modulus once I’ve nabbed the Wal 

[stingrayPete1977]

Trying to buy basses 'without' an Adam Clayton signature is becoming difficult, I think the ones without will be worth a few quid in years to come!

[discreet]

9 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I've just seen the new purple Clayton Jazz for sale online which appears to be going for just under £2k. I like it, but I don't like it that much!

Looks like a 'hairdresser's' bass to me...

[edstraker123]

Thomann will be selling them off for £600 within the year !

 

[Bridgehouse]

I have built many guitars and basses from parts.

I have never sold any - I have sold parts separately, but never as a whole. Doesn't feel right to me somehow.

Tell a lie - I sold a Telecaster I built up for £20 to a mate who was down on his luck and needed a guitar - he still has it, loves it and plays it out despite having some pretty expensive ones to go with it now. 

[edstraker123]

Getting back on topic - the instruments are worth what people will pay for them. I recently saw a Ken Smth sell on ebay for £1140 and then a few weeks later it was on here for £2000 .

[dave_bass5]

No ones mentioned JV's yet. The ad's for those are sometimes like reading a fantasy novel. The only reason these basses have risen so much in price is because mugs are prepared to pay for them.

I get that when they came out they were amazing for the money. I had one, but you can easily beat the quality these days for a lot less.

[Frank Blank]

21 hours ago, Meddle said:

Facebook market pages seem especially bad for this sort of behavior. The big fallacy many commit is that they believe they will claw back any sort of money they invested in modifications. Perhaps if you fit a used Alembic active system, or an old Ernie Ball preamp then you might be able to claw back that cost. As I said in another thread, a Gotoh 201 and black Wilkinson tuners are basically sunk costs.

Perhaps other stuff sells quickly with little fanfare? I'm always seeing the same few Fender builds with the counterfeit decals (which the mods seem happy with on here as well, oddly enough), the reshaped headstocks, the Ebay decals buried under a big orange-peel mess of rattle can lacquer.

'Sunk Costs' perfect. The title of my autobiography, there.

[uk_lefty]

I bought a nodded jazz bass. It's from the worst era of MIM basses (mid 90's) but with the first owners mods and now more from me I love it as a gigging bass! It's worth the square root of bog all though, if I ever sold it I'd need to break it up, the neck and body are so beaten up they're worthless... But I gig it so for me I got a good deal. Dumb luck though

[T-Bay]

I wonder with some if it’s an effect of the Gumtree knuckle dragging buyers. I recently sold a Yamaha bass for a truly bargainous price of £100, I put it up at £110 ovno making it obvious that I wanted £100..... or so I thought. I had quite a few idiots offering £40-60. Bear in mind it was the only one below £150 as it was. Eventually a bloke offered sensible money and picked up the same day, it could not have gone to a better guy. But it makes me think that some stuff I see overpriced is maybe building in the idiot factor, I want £100so put it up at £200 and when they offer half that you are there.

Edited November 23, 2017 by T-Bay

[PaulWarning]

and nobody's mentioned Mr Phillips yet