joegarcia Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Ok, so my 21st birthday is coming up and I'm intending on spending all my bonds, savings and birthday/christmas presents on my dream bass. It's a pre Ernie Ball Musicman Sabre. I have found one in a guitar shop and it's exactly what I want. It's beautifully worn and mojo'd and is really really stunning. Only thing is the truss rod has been broken. It's been professionally repaired and seems totally fine but it's a bit of a niggling worry. It would be a massive investment and the biggest amount of money I've ever spent. I am buying it as a player not a collector so does it really matter? The asking price is £1150 but the seller says it is negotiable. It may well work in my favour as I can get it cheaper but will it drastically affect its value in the future? I don't think it really bothers me to be honest if i can get it at a good price and it still plays and functions well but am just curious what others think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozbass Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Personally, I'd want full details of the repair (name of luthier, date, price, parts etc.) and an independent verification of the quality of the work and current stability of the bass. The shop (if it's any good) should understand this - over £1000 is a big investment and both parties will benefit from re-assurance. Maybe you could split the cost of verification and factor this into the negotiations on final price if you decide to go ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adee Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Lozbass is right get as much info as possible and as long as your happy & confident that the repair has been done to a high standard and that the rod functions correctly . . . Then haggle HARD and go for it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Joe, judging from recent scary Bass Gallery prices and the fact that Sabres are rarer than hen’s teeth I’d say that was a good buy – but obviously try and haggle. Truss-rods can break on any guitar, and personally I wouldn’t find a replaced/repaired one a big deal. I’ve played all sorts over the last 30 years and after getting the Sabre a few years ago never needed or wanted another fretted bass – it’s like a cracking Jazz bass AND a ‘Ray rolled into one and funks like a b@stard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 (edited) MB1. Find out as much as possible about the repair!.If the seller knows nothing , leave well alone,if youve still got GAS for the bass? get the owner to take the strings off it and see what the neck does,.Replace the strings......the action should be exactly the same as before when retuned .I personally wouldnt pay that sort of money for a sabre.Knowing what you know already, i think this price is too steep!. Edited November 22, 2007 by MB1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegarcia Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 Thanks for the feedback guys. He gave me full details of the luthier who did the work (can't remember his name off hand but I intend to check him out). I fully intend to haggle the price down. The seller was very freindly and said encouraged me coming to see it in person as it's a long way away and offered to hold it for me in the mean time. He can also trace the history back to the original owner so will check that out too. Great pic up there, thats exactly like the one I'm looking at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbloke Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 A mate of mine temporarily traded his Jackson 5 string for a Sabre with a pro bassist who wanted the extra low end. If the battery on the Jackson hadn't died mid-gig the other guy would probably have gone for the swap. Needless to say my mate nearly killed himself for having not shoved a fresh duracell in there before handing it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 You're rightly concerned about the truss rod repair , which is why you've asked us , and it represents a mssive investment for you. Ask the shop while haggling if they're happy for you to leave a returnable deposit so you can take it to an independent luthier for his opinion. He won't charge much for that and you can include his fee in your haggle. I hope this works out well for you - a sabre is a fine and versatile pro's tool. Remember too that you're buying this from a dealer - that means you pay more han a private sale but should expect some afterservice and a warranty of some sorts. Do talk about this during the haggle and make sure it's written on your receipt - peace of mind is something as valuable as pound notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Also, with most purchases of this kind, if you pay cash, they'll probly drop the price those few pounds more! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elom Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Don't be afraid to bargain hard and remember they [i]have[/i] to sell this bass, you don't have to buy it. That puts you in the driving seat. If you are prepared to walk away then you are more likely to secure a better deal. By pricing it at £1150 they are inviting bids of £1000, which they will accept after a nominal struggle. You need to start your negotiations well below this level if you want to end up in the right sort of ballpark. You also have the trussrod for leverage (excuse pun) so use it. Lots of people are embarrassed to haggle for fear of looking stupid but I reckon it's worth it to potentially save hundreds of pounds. Hell, I look stupid most of the time for free! best of luck, elom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 my 1979 sabre only cost me £550 i'd haggle VERY hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegarcia Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 [quote name='ahpook' post='93031' date='Nov 22 2007, 10:40 PM']my 1979 sabre only cost me £550 i'd haggle VERY hard[/quote] Blimey. Thats a bit of a bargain. Am absolutely gonna haggle and pay cash, afterall he even said he was negotiable and sounded a thoroughly reasonable fellow. I was going to offer 1k until I found out about the truss rod repair, now I'm thinking of starting at £800. Does this sound sensible? I think he said the name of the luthier was Martin Dixon. Anyone heard of him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoe_BillySheehan Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Have a look at [url="http://web.ukonline.co.uk/mdguitars/index.htm"]MARTIN DIXON[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegarcia Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 Ta, yea was looking at that that a few minutes ago. Seems like a respectable chap, not too keen on some of his custom guitars though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedontcarebear Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I wouldn't buy it, but that's because it barely looks any different to a sterling/stringray which could be had in the market of the moment for £600 without any broken parts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegarcia Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 [quote name='thedontcarebear' post='93197' date='Nov 23 2007, 09:49 AM']I wouldn't buy it, but that's because it barely looks any different to a sterling/stringray which could be had in the market of the moment for £600 without any broken parts![/quote] Such a different beast to play though and it sounds totally different. I have totally fallen in love with worn pre EB lacquered necks. I really think they're worlds apart from modern Sterlings or Stingrays, even the double humbucker models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Save up and buy a house... or spend your money on a good Jazz....mmmm.....Jazz...... I'm not a music man fan as you can tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegarcia Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 Bah, I need HUMBUCKERS! The only other things that are tempting me are a Gibson RD Artist and a G&L L2000 (but not nearly as much). Not a big fan of new basses. Like them to have some mojo. Oh yea, played a limited edition Sandberg when I was in Germany last week which had a lacquered birseye maple neck and two humbuckers that was gorgeous. Still felt too new though. Also it was white which I don't like at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 New basses have one overwhelming advantage - all the mojo will be YOURS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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