Pathetic local selection

[Dan Dare]

Not great where I live (Hants), but I don't expect it to be. Specialised items tend to be thin on the ground away from major centres of population, unsurprisingly. Say, for example, that one in ten thousand people play the bass and so will have the occasional instrument to sell. In the Greater London area, with approx 10 million inhabitants, there are likely to be a few hundred to choose from at any one time.

 

Move to where I live and you'll find a couple of dozen at best. Better players (excluding the rich and famous who have bought a mansion in the country) tend to live in major population centres because that's where most gigs are. Unless you want a used Squier, there ain't likely to be a lot to choose from.

[Bagman]

this week on NZ Trade Me

Pedulla MVP
Tobias Classic V

Alembic Mark King

1966, and 2x1972 Fender Jazz

Stingray , Rickenbacker, Warwick options

[Terry M.]

On 27/10/2025 at 16:57, neepheid said:

Just having a random moan about living in the sticks, relatively speaking.

 

For excrement and amusement I had a look at bass guitars within a 100km radius of Aberdeen on FB Marketplace.  This yielded a choice of... 20.  And which one would I buy?  I'd rather just keep the one I'm trying to sell right now.  How pathetic is that?

 

Just a random Monday grumble for you.  How abundant (or pathetic) is your local bass marketplace?

Just heard Kenny's Music has closed all Scottish stores 🤔

[neepheid]

5 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

Just heard Kenny's Music has closed all Scottish stores 🤔

 

Indeed, sad times.  The Kenny's in Aberdeen was your typical small town "try to do everything" shop which didn't really stock a lot of stuff useful/interesting to me, but I would buy sundries/strings/accessories from them from time to time.  Ahh well.  Only one shop left (Ramjam) but it's mostly a second hand place, will be interesting to see how they do in the void which has now been created.

[jezzaboy]

30 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

Just heard Kenny's Music has closed all Scottish stores 🤔

I have spent a few quid in there over the years and even before that when it was Sound Control. It`s a sad day when they have moved loads of gear but still can`t make it pay and makes me worried for the likes of Merchant City Music in Glasgow. 

[mcnach]

On 27/10/2025 at 17:48, Len_derby said:

Come to lovely, sunny Derby. It’s……..erm……..in the middle. 🤪

 

You know the island doesn't stop at Hadrian's Wall, right?

[Phil Starr]

I'm a regular user of Marketplace but I don't have high hopes of it. You are largely trawling the bottom of the pool, people clearing out their houses of unwanted trash. Pricing is all over the place and I've seen a lot of stuff where the asking price is more than the new price. You aren't buying from experts by and large. In the case of basses a lot of the stuff is parents selling off starter instruments. Most musicians wouldn't expect a top price through FB and are going to advertise elsewhere, like on Bass Chat . On the plus side a lot of people don't know what they are selling so you'll sometimes see a real bargain pop up. I might sell my Cort Action bass on Marketplace but I'm not going to sell my MIA Fender Deluxe that way. If I was going ot use FB I'd go to some of the FB groups that specialise in buying selling Musical instruments.

 

Having said that I've picked up some quality PA gear on Marketplace including a pair of RCF ART745's as new, and in RCF cases for £1200.

 

Anyway if @neepheid buys any more basses he's going to need a bigger truck next time he comes down here, what a fabulous collection

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Phil Starr

[Len_derby]

25 minutes ago, mcnach said:

 

You know the island doesn't stop at Hadrian's Wall, right?

Ah yes, being unforgivably Anglocentric. It’s all those years being told I live in the Midlands!

[Terry M.]

18 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Pricing is all over the place and I've seen a lot of stuf where the asking price is more than the new price.

Just seen a Fender Mexican Player Plus Jazz V on E-Bay £1.6k or best offer. I nearly spat my tea out!!

[Dad3353]

Mmm... Tea...

[basexperience]

Oh man, I remember sound control <sniffs> - got my first bass in the one in Dundee!! Visited the one in Edinburgh. Bought my first decent amp in Dundee, TNT150 and a 2x8 bright box which I still have. All way back in the late 80s / early 90s.

[Cornwall Steve]

On 27/10/2025 at 16:57, neepheid said:

Just having a random moan about living in the sticks, relatively speaking.

 

For excrement and amusement I had a look at bass guitars within a 100km radius of Aberdeen on FB Marketplace.  This yielded a choice of... 20.  And which one would I buy?  I'd rather just keep the one I'm trying to sell right now.  How pathetic is that?

 

Just a random Monday grumble for you.  How abundant (or pathetic) is your local bass marketplace?

I have nothing but empathy. In fact I've had the same moan myself here on basschat more than once over the past months. Living in rural Cornwall, it's a 240 mile round trip to Bristol before you get to any half decent outlets with any choice. Even then I've made the pilgrimage only to return empty handed. Locally, we have a handful of small music shops stocking a disappointingly low range of basses mostly comprising the usual uninspiring budget brands with the occasional more premium instrument nearly always at inflated RRP £. I often return home feeling I've got more basses resting in my guitar racks than the local, regional shops have on display on their walls. Sure, they're willing to order in anything you want to buy. But who wants to commit to placing an order without first seeing or trying the instrument first.

[Geek99]

On 02/11/2025 at 11:19, mcnach said:

 

You know the island doesn't stop at Hadrian's Wall, right?

Who knew?