What are the best added 'extras' you've received with a bass purchase?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Somethimes when buying secondhand, you get an accessory or two thrown in as a freebie. This week I bought a Fender starcaster bass which was listed as coming with a case. I expected a ratty gigbag, but it actually came with a (very slightly tatty but fully intact) epiphone Jack Casady hard case.

 

Also included was a very nice worn-in Gibson 'modern vintage' black leather strap and a set of schaller strap locks (not copies). The strap goes for £58 new from gibson and might be . I'm not a fan of schaller strap locks and have ordered a set of gotoh fender-style buttons to go on the bass to be used with grolsch-style rubbery strap blocks, but the schallers should be worth the price of a few pints if I sell them.

 

A nice bargain came from Cash converters where my black epiphone vintage pro thunderbird eventually only set me back about £100 once I had sold the humongous heavy duty aluminium flight case that came with it.

[Shambo]

I bought a jap jazz from France that had been fitted with some glorious Hepcat 62 pickups. Best I've ever heard.

Foolishly returned the Jazz to stock and moved it on because we didn't quite bond.

Eventually sold the Hepcats as they were languishing in a parts drawer (i'm a P player these days).

 

I'd love another set but they'd set me back €240 plus import fees... the pups that got away.

[Elfrasho]

18 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Somethimes when buying secondhand, you get an accessory or two thrown in as a freebie. This week I bought a Fender starcaster bass which was listed as coming with a case. I expected a ratty gigbag, but it actually came with a (very slightly tatty but fully intact) epiphone Jack Casady hard case.

 

Also included was a very nice worn-in Gibson 'modern vintage' black leather strap and a set of schaller strap locks (not copies). The strap goes for £58 new from gibson and might be . I'm not a fan of schaller strap locks and have ordered a set of gotoh fender-style buttons to go on the bass to be used with grolsch-style rubbery strap blocks, but the schallers should be worth the price of a few pints if I sell them.

 

A nice bargain came from Cash converters where my black epiphone vintage pro thunderbird eventually only set me back about £100 once I had sold the humongous heavy duty aluminium flight case that came with it.

 

Not the most exciting but I once bought a 6 string fretless bass on gumtree. When i got it home I realised there was quite a heavy duty strap in the case. I used that strap for years! The bass... think i had it for about 3 weeks!

[lozkerr]

Bought a new Mono M80 from the Gallery a few years ago. When I got it home, I found a padded Mono strap and a 10-metre cable inside. Bonus!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

When I purchased my Washburn status from macaris in Charing Cross Road/ Denmark street back in the day, I paid full price.

However I did get a nice padded gig bag ( which lasted many years) and a load of picks emptied from their jar! Paying in cash helped I guess.🙂

It’s a shame that I never purchased another gig bag as it was the perfect fit . Made by Levnson ..

[stewblack]

Bruce Thomas autobiography, signed and still there with my Profile when purchased on this very site.

Reading it again at the moment. Wonderful.

[Steve Browning]

I got a wonderful and varied career with my first bass. Whether it was free is open to debate!

[Mediocre Polymath]

Many years ago I bought a secondhand Warwick corvette from the bass gallery that came with a simple, lightweight Levy's gig bag. That freebie remains the only gig bag I've ever owned with its straps at the right height to not smash your bass into every doorframe, lintel and overhanging branch. Was a sad day when it started to disintegrate.

[Paul S]

I bought an early 70s MIJ Encore P bass on eBay.  When trying to date it, I (with some help from people who know things) found that the pickups were actually Fender ones of the same vintage - worth more than the bass cost me.  Sold in its entirety to someone on here.  Damned fine bass, that one.

[Cornwall Steve]

Oh boy, this is a great topic to respond to!😍

Since retiring a few years ago, I've treated myself to quite a few secondhand (and also a few new) basses (plus a couple of guitars too !). The unexpected goodies that these bad boys have turned up with over the years never ceased to surprise me. I can remember: two hard cases, several gig bags (of various quality and condition), numerous straps, leads, and picks, two decent electronic tuners, spare strings, a microphone, a pedal, and even an e-bow (okay, it wasn't working!).

Sadly no hidden cash though 😂😂

[stu_g]

i bought an ibanez sr1000 japan soundgear years back that came in an early 70s fender hardcase which i still have.

[ossyrocks]

I bought a vintage 70's P bass a few months ago and in the case was a 70's Melos Mini Fazer (Univox). It even had a decades old battery in it. I swapped the battery and it works fine!

[Reggaebass]

I bought a US jazz off a guy in clacton on sea one Saturday about 7 years ago, and he gave me an old HH VS bassamp and an Ashdown 15 cab he no longer wanted, I think he was moving out of his flat, I’ve still got the amp, a few of the knob’s have a slight crackle but it’s still going and sounds quite good .

a few years later an elderly gentleman came round to see my Ashdown mag amp I had advertised, he hadn’t played for years and wanted to get back into it, he bought the amp and I gave him the cab for free