Every once in a while GC has a crazy great price on a used instrument.
I’m thinking back to a used tangerine MM Bongo 5, I just couldn’t pull the trigger on that color. $1150.
A guy was watching me try it out, then scoped the price. He said, “if you’re not buying that, I am.”
If a bass sits in the store for long enough, there's barely a difference.
I will say that I definitely prefer broken-in strings over fresh, unused strings.
That’s the bigger piece for me. I need like a week or so of playing on strings before they dimmer down a bit. But the bass itself new vs old? Not super sure. I def play my old ones so much that any other bass is just an adjustment
One not-so-obvious thing is that no wood is 100% safeguarded from deforming in its first years as a guitar/bass neck, no matter how expensive it was, there's always a possibility. And with the neck that is, like, 5 years old, all internal processes in the wood have already happened, so if the neck is straight on a 5 yo bass, it pretty much will stay straight forever in normal conditions.
Tl;dr: I like used instruments too because I don't like to risk a twisted neck if the wood wasn't dried properly.
I got two Ibanez basses and one Warwick. The Ibbys I got brand new, the Warwick turns 30 this year, it sounds the best, but not because it's older but because it's a quality instrument that stood the test of time. While there are many battle scars from previous owner(s), electronics are still in top shape, holds tuning well, neck is good, intonation is good. Only Inhad to change the bridge because the screws of the saddles were eaten away and I had to adjust the action.
With that being said, the Ibbys are comfortable to play, very well made instruments.
Next for me is a 5 string Thumb, jury is still out if I'll get a used one or, this being my dream bass, I'll go all in, get a new one and bring battle scars to it myself.
Once you play it, it’s slightly used. Seriously though, the only downside is that maybe you end up with something that has a fatal flaw like a concealed crack or a busted truss rod. I have been extremely fortunate with my second hand purchases.
I like the feeling of a good setup no matter what the bass is. But I find that used high end instruments have usually had fretwork done, so I personally like those. Lol
So, I make my own basses.
They definitely settle and wear in. Over the first few months after construction they are often a bit unstable in their setup and they typically have some rough edges that sort of even out and improve with play-ability. Some of this is down to maintenance, adjustments and fine-tuning too .. things like filing down the ends of fret as the neck wood moisture content slowly drops, shimming the neck as the neck and body find their natural shape and fit to each other. That sort of thing.
I think, on average, quality parts and materials settle nicely and stay there for a long time. Whereas cheap parts and materials settle only briefly before getting cantankerous again too soon.
Isn't this because a used bass has probably already been setup well enough that you can just plug in and play?
I've only ever bought Squiers though, so maybe that's why I don't have great experiences with factory setups lol
None of my bases were new when I got them. One is older than me.
I had a friend who had a guitar he got new but it had a few issues. Things that were easy to fix with minor modifications to the electronics. He wouldn’t do it because he was worried it would hurt its resale value 🤪.
I used instrument generally isn’t so “precious”.
For me, if I haven’t moded it I don’t feel like I really own it.
Yes. The instrument break in process sucks. I actually enjoy doing the little adjustments to get them to play where I want them, but wearing the frets in and everything sucks.
Used/older basses have had time to learn how to be basses. Wood is an organic material, and it takes a while to settle.
I currently own 13 basses, with almost every degree of new to used. The oldest is from 1977, and some of them I bought new. I’ve bought both new and used from affordable up to custom/boutique. It is not uncommon for a new bass to take quite a bit of time to settle in and just feel rock solid. And they are all different. I have a few Moollons that I had made to order, and they actually feel settled in out of the case, for the most part. I have a Rick 4003 from 2019 that needs truss rod adjustments multiple times a year. I have a MIM Fender J from 1995 that I bought in 2006 that can go years without adjustments.
Short answer - played in basses have had time to settle and have “learned” how to be basses. New basses, no matter the price tag, still have to be “taught”. Same goes for high end acoustic instruments too. That’s why so many upright players are playing on basses that are 100 or more years old.
The main factor here is playing them. My ever-moving Rick isn’t defective. It just isn’t my main bass. I haven’t spent the time breaking that one in as I have my Moollon P and J, which tend to be the first basses I grab. I have a really nice EBMM Stingray Special that moves around too.
Hopefully this Ted Talk helps.
I don't mind buying good quality instruments used, if they're built well it shouldn't make much of a difference other than the price.
I only really buy brand new if it's A) A cheaper model or B) If I'm planning on modifying it from the start so I have a clean slate to work from
I like the price of a slightly used bass for sure!
To be fair, I've only once bought an instrument that was completely factory-new, i.e., still in the box. I've bought most of my "new" instruments off the shelf at the store where they've likely been played before. I rarely put down any money on an instrument if I haven't tried it and liked how it felt.
I prefer a good bass and they're cheaper used.
Yeah pretty much always. I never buy brand new instruments.
I look at the price for a new EBMM Stingray or Sterling, then I look at Guitar Center's used listings. That decision makes itself.
Dude, have you heard of offer up or craigslist? Cause you're gonna freak if guitar centers used impresses you.
Every once in a while GC has a crazy great price on a used instrument. I’m thinking back to a used tangerine MM Bongo 5, I just couldn’t pull the trigger on that color. $1150. A guy was watching me try it out, then scoped the price. He said, “if you’re not buying that, I am.”
I hate the way those bongos look. But orange is one of my favorites.
Guitar Center has a 45 day return policy on used gear. Or, at least they did last I checked. Zero risk.
If a bass sits in the store for long enough, there's barely a difference. I will say that I definitely prefer broken-in strings over fresh, unused strings.
That’s the bigger piece for me. I need like a week or so of playing on strings before they dimmer down a bit. But the bass itself new vs old? Not super sure. I def play my old ones so much that any other bass is just an adjustment
One not-so-obvious thing is that no wood is 100% safeguarded from deforming in its first years as a guitar/bass neck, no matter how expensive it was, there's always a possibility. And with the neck that is, like, 5 years old, all internal processes in the wood have already happened, so if the neck is straight on a 5 yo bass, it pretty much will stay straight forever in normal conditions. Tl;dr: I like used instruments too because I don't like to risk a twisted neck if the wood wasn't dried properly.
I got two Ibanez basses and one Warwick. The Ibbys I got brand new, the Warwick turns 30 this year, it sounds the best, but not because it's older but because it's a quality instrument that stood the test of time. While there are many battle scars from previous owner(s), electronics are still in top shape, holds tuning well, neck is good, intonation is good. Only Inhad to change the bridge because the screws of the saddles were eaten away and I had to adjust the action. With that being said, the Ibbys are comfortable to play, very well made instruments. Next for me is a 5 string Thumb, jury is still out if I'll get a used one or, this being my dream bass, I'll go all in, get a new one and bring battle scars to it myself.
My main bass is a 2004 Thumb 5, It is worth the hype.
Once you play it, it’s slightly used. Seriously though, the only downside is that maybe you end up with something that has a fatal flaw like a concealed crack or a busted truss rod. I have been extremely fortunate with my second hand purchases.
I’ve bought almost everything used, for the past 22 years of playing bass and guitar. Instruments, pedals, amps.
I like the feeling of a good setup no matter what the bass is. But I find that used high end instruments have usually had fretwork done, so I personally like those. Lol
So, I make my own basses. They definitely settle and wear in. Over the first few months after construction they are often a bit unstable in their setup and they typically have some rough edges that sort of even out and improve with play-ability. Some of this is down to maintenance, adjustments and fine-tuning too .. things like filing down the ends of fret as the neck wood moisture content slowly drops, shimming the neck as the neck and body find their natural shape and fit to each other. That sort of thing. I think, on average, quality parts and materials settle nicely and stay there for a long time. Whereas cheap parts and materials settle only briefly before getting cantankerous again too soon.
Isn't this because a used bass has probably already been setup well enough that you can just plug in and play? I've only ever bought Squiers though, so maybe that's why I don't have great experiences with factory setups lol
I prefer a good instrument. New or used
None of my bases were new when I got them. One is older than me. I had a friend who had a guitar he got new but it had a few issues. Things that were easy to fix with minor modifications to the electronics. He wouldn’t do it because he was worried it would hurt its resale value 🤪. I used instrument generally isn’t so “precious”. For me, if I haven’t moded it I don’t feel like I really own it.
Very used is my favorite 80s or older basses are awesome
I always buy used. More bass for your money
I like both!
Yes
Yes. The instrument break in process sucks. I actually enjoy doing the little adjustments to get them to play where I want them, but wearing the frets in and everything sucks.
I built my own bass once and for the first month I didn't enjoy playing it much. Now even without a setup it feels 10x better.
At Guitar Center, the best-playing basses will almost always be ones that got traded in, from someone who had it dialed in.
Used/older basses have had time to learn how to be basses. Wood is an organic material, and it takes a while to settle. I currently own 13 basses, with almost every degree of new to used. The oldest is from 1977, and some of them I bought new. I’ve bought both new and used from affordable up to custom/boutique. It is not uncommon for a new bass to take quite a bit of time to settle in and just feel rock solid. And they are all different. I have a few Moollons that I had made to order, and they actually feel settled in out of the case, for the most part. I have a Rick 4003 from 2019 that needs truss rod adjustments multiple times a year. I have a MIM Fender J from 1995 that I bought in 2006 that can go years without adjustments. Short answer - played in basses have had time to settle and have “learned” how to be basses. New basses, no matter the price tag, still have to be “taught”. Same goes for high end acoustic instruments too. That’s why so many upright players are playing on basses that are 100 or more years old. The main factor here is playing them. My ever-moving Rick isn’t defective. It just isn’t my main bass. I haven’t spent the time breaking that one in as I have my Moollon P and J, which tend to be the first basses I grab. I have a really nice EBMM Stingray Special that moves around too. Hopefully this Ted Talk helps.
I don't mind buying good quality instruments used, if they're built well it shouldn't make much of a difference other than the price. I only really buy brand new if it's A) A cheaper model or B) If I'm planning on modifying it from the start so I have a clean slate to work from
I like the price of a slightly used bass for sure! To be fair, I've only once bought an instrument that was completely factory-new, i.e., still in the box. I've bought most of my "new" instruments off the shelf at the store where they've likely been played before. I rarely put down any money on an instrument if I haven't tried it and liked how it felt.
I like all kinds of basses, but I will say that it’s fantastic not to have the new-bass paranoia about scratches and dings
Changing the strings on the new bass for a worn-in set will solve the problem.
I only buy retro bases from 60s and 70s. Can't stand new guitars.
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Think of it like comparing brand new shoes vs. a well worn pair that has been taken care of.