Something bad happened

[Owen]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/184621401586617/permalink/5703553439693358/?sale_post_id=5703553439693358&sfnsn=scwspmo&ref=share

[Mudpup]

I was looking at that too - it popped up on Farsebook Marketplace. How you come to the conclusion that butchering a nice bass adds a chunk to the value is beyond me. Still, GLWTS if you're on here....

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Mudpup

[Beedster]

Comedy

[paul_5]

Bongo to Wrongo in two swift cuts.

 

people? You can keep ‘em.

[Eric.C.Lapton]

 

[Beedster]

flip me he wants £2k

[PriZeMaN]

Ohhh a lot of haters using negative words, hahahah. Guess some people like marmite, some don't.

As for the price, these are £2.5 new and the ETS hardware cost over £300 as well as hours of hard work..but it's not for you guys and girls.

Calling on Bassists with similar taste...SHOW ME SOME LOVE

[Waddo Soqable]

In defence of the gent above, I confess to have been contemplating a headless Stingray over the last few days, OK so I wouldn't be butchering a full fat EBMM Stingray but a "Sub" type.. 

[Beedster]

A personalised customisation is OK, but then selling that for more than the original bass would sell for used certainly invites comment. Might be a huge improvement, but it will not be an easy sell on if not 

[Beedster]

What I don’t get from the listing is why do it and what has been improved? 

[TheGreek]

Brave move with a £2k bass. 

 

Not sure how big the market place is for a headless Bongo 

[Waddo Soqable]

Certainly a "rich" asking price, no doubt he's ploughed a fair bit of dosh into it.. However it's a very "niche" bass now, ( tho clearly I like the idea of it) it's the sort of thing you'd do if you really wanted that mod. yourself to keep and use it...  I reckon you're fairly sure to lose money on it if you decide to flog it unfortunately. Still, a bold move I guess and I wish him luck 🙂

[Beedster]

Time will tell 👍

[PriZeMaN]

33 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

In defence of the gent above, I confess to have been contemplating a headless Stingray over the last few days, OK so I wouldn't be butchering a full fat EBMM Stingray but a "Sub" type.. 

 

20 minutes ago, Beedster said:

What I don’t get from the listing is why do it and what has been improved? 

Why get an off the shelf bass when you could have the only one in the world? I own a custom ACG Krell and I'm more of a unique collector.

It's a personal thing, some might be of the opinion that the looks have been improved but most will like the original, I didn't create it to cater for the masses

[Beedster]

7 minutes ago, PriZeMaN said:

 

Why get an off the shelf bass when you could have the only one in the world? I own a custom ACG Krell and I'm more of a unique collector.

It's a personal thing, some might be of the opinion that the looks have been improved but most will like the original, I didn't create it to cater for the masses

So why sell the bass you created for yourself? 

[Beedster]

Sure it’s fine, might even be a huge improvement on the original, but I suspect any buyer would want to know a few whys. Why did you do it, why is it better than the original, and why are you now selling it? 

[yorks5stringer]

Looks OK, not the usual 'cut and shut' but if only he'd trimmed those strings so they matched the contour of the headstock, and what's going on with those set screws  on the B and E strings, as they seem a lot more recessed?

[paul_5]

not just trimming the strings either - that's small potatoes compared to the unfinished wood he's left at the bottom and lack of rear strap peg.

 

[Paul S]

To be fair, it comes with an afro comb headstock as standard and free Bongo bottle opener made from the discarded cut off.

[dyerseve]

2 hours ago, PriZeMaN said:

 

Why get an off the shelf bass when you could have the only one in the world? I own a custom ACG Krell and I'm more of a unique collector.

It's a personal thing, some might be of the opinion that the looks have been improved but most will like the original, I didn't create it to cater for the masses

Why is it unfinished though? What's with the unpainted areas on the back of what's left of the headstock and the cutout for the new bridge? Not to mention the hideous looking area around the bridge?

If you are going to ask top dollar, you should at least make it look like a finished article!

 

As for it bring unique, anyone can drill holes in any bass and call it unique...

[binky_bass]

If it was properly finished and that fugly triangle headstock cut off, then it might well achieve 2k. As it sits, the unfinished looks and the weird angular headstock will (in my opinion) make it utterly unsellable at £2000. My 2 cents would be tidy up the headstock, make it look like a proper headless and for the love of God finish it! 2k for a bass that still needs a full refinish is just not viable. The comment about owning a unique 1 off bass is fair, but no one gets a custom bass that still need a total paint job.

[PriZeMaN]

10 minutes ago, binky_bass said:

If it was properly finished and that fugly triangle headstock cut off, then it might well achieve 2k. As it sits, the unfinished looks and the weird angular headstock will (in my opinion) make it utterly unsellable at £2000. My 2 cents would be tidy up the headstock, make it look like a proper headless and for the love of God finish it! 2k for a bass that still needs a full refinish is just not viable. The comment about owning a unique 1 off bass is fair, but no one gets a custom bass that still need a total paint job.

By painting it I just narrow the potential out of the infinite possible finishes, hence the buyers choice. 

The headstock matches the angle of the horns that's why I created that angle. Nearly all headless basses are cut at a horizontal but my choice is different and out of the box

[PriZeMaN]

51 minutes ago, dyerseve said:

Why is it unfinished though? What's with the unpainted areas on the back of what's left of the headstock and the cutout for the new bridge? Not to mention the hideous looking area around the bridge?

If you are going to ask top dollar, you should at least make it look like a finished article!

 

As for it bring unique, anyone can drill holes in any bass and call it unique...

Dude, that's pretty mean!

I had to route out the complete lower section and create a matching basswood shelf to accommodate the hardware. The shelf was painstakingly sculped at the precise height to allow for correct string height with fine tuning adjustment and the tuning block sits at another precise angle corresponding to the bridge. The existing helicore/brass inserts that the original bridge sat in also had to be pilot drilled out and plugged with custom dowels made on a lathe.

As for the unfinished wood, the whole bass would need to be stripped back and repainted costing up to £500 as you can't just retouch poly paint and expect it to seemlessly match.

[binky_bass]

So on one hand you won't finish the bass because it'll narrow down options for the buyer but on the other you impose a very odd looking personal choice for the headstock? A curious double standard!

 

Separately to that slight conflict - I would heavily argue that a finished bass in any reasonable colour is infinitely more sellable than an unfinished bass such as this. My assumption here is that you don't have the facilities to refinish a bass to a high standard so are saying 'it's unfinished to allow the customer to choose their own finish' is an escape route from further investment at your end. 

 

Speaking as a 6 string bassist, and one that likes headless AND one that has owned several Bongos, I'd also argue that on a very good day I am one of maybe 6 people in this country that might be a buyer for such a thing, but as it sits with it being unfinished thus me having to pay someone a good deal of money on top of the rather challenging 2k asking price just to get it to a decent finished standard, along side your curious personal choice for a headstock means that there is just no feasible way I'd have even a glimmer of interest.

 

I mean it's a cool project, it is... I'm not knocking it, but you have to be realistic in that 2k is a price asked for the very finest of second hand instruments made by very well known builders, and these basses are finished items. 2k for your unfinished offering, which at best must be described as second hand is going to be a price I simply cannot see anyone paying. 

 

This is absolutely not intended to be mean spirited - it is just putting forward my opinion based on the fact I am one of very few people that something like this would appeal to, but for me - because of the points mentioned, I firmly believe this is missing a good 90% of your potential target audience.

 

In any event, I hope you get what you want for it! 

Edited December 18, 2022 by binky_bass

[binky_bass]

1 minute ago, PriZeMaN said:

As for the unfinished wood, the whole bass would need to be stripped back and repainted costing up to £500 as you can't just retouch poly paint and expect it to seemlessly match.

Just to second my above note, by your approximate estimate for a refinish, any potential buyer will be looking at a full price of £2500. Again, I hope you sell it, but I must ask, do you genuinely think that price is achievable? That's not to sound sarcastic, it's asking the question genuinely. I have no idea what someone would pay to commission something like this.