Burns-bass

I’ve been in this position (and had to rescue my Musicman Stingray from an Australian band playing at the Borderline in London - thieving swine!). While musicians often find they have to leave their gear in compromising positions it’s hardly fair to expect an insurance company to pay out in this instance. The next time we played that venue our driver sat in the room with the gear for half an hour to ensure it was ok.

I think the whole range has been improved, including the Mex Fenders,, which now feel on a par with precious US models. Perhaps they’ve upped their game through competition, but it’s great to see old names still creating great production instruments. In terms of neck feel, it’s very much a vintage profile. The whole instrument feels a lot like the 60s reissues, but the modern components and fantastic clarity from the modern single coil pickups really make it stand out. The high profile narrow frets are a lovely touch. I’m used to thicker vintage frets but these seem to me to be a welcome upgrade. I’ve swapped to D’Addario chromes and they give a beautiful thump. At the moment, I find the finish a little too shiny, but I’m sure a few gigs, sessions and all that will tone it down I’m sure. The problem with the pink is that you’ve really got to have some chops nailed to pull off the look. Back to the woodshed for me it seems...! Oh and the kids and wife love it too. Basically, it’s a winner.

Of course! These modern Fenders are absolutely beautifully made. Not like some of the nonsense they were building years ago. As someone who only bought and played vintage basses (and was undoubtedly a huge snob about the whole thing) I’m convinced today’s Fenders are some of the best guitars they’ve ever built. (And I’m not just saying that because I bought one!)

I played one of these today and fell in love. So much so that I bought it. I’ve got to say the guys in PMT really are good nowadays. I had a long chat, no pressure to buy and the fella could do enough for me Personally I think a tort guard on it would completely ruin the look, but appreciate I may be in the minority!

Quite. Apologies for bringing levity to a thread.

If we followed that mantra subscription based forums like Basschat would be dead...

I’m looking for an FSR Jazz bass in shell pink with a Rosewood neck. If anyone sees one of these bad boys reduced on Black Friday, let me know!

I sold a former version of this (single pickup) for £120. Was brilliant but not what I needed.

I've used these. Yes, they're pretty odd places (the one in Bristol is full of kids) but at £4p/h during the day it's hard to argue with the value.

A band like this is never going to win on originality, but there’s one question you have to ask: Will the music get people dancing? The answer is yes. Thats a good enough metric for me.

Take it to a local professional. If it's a Hawkes bass then it could have significant value, even after you spend money on restoration. The chances are, if the guy was a professional, the bass could have some value but the only person who would know is a pro!

Makes total sense. Sorry if my reply came across as condescending, I didn’t mean it too. I don’t know the specifics here. I’ve had a few disagreements with people who want me to shop items I wasn’t prepared to and that’s clouded my view.

The problem here appears that the buyer booked a courier based on your guess of what the parcel size would be. You can’t blame the seller for including sufficient padding and protection! I imagine he or she could have provided this, but by then the courier was booked... Having shipped a cab before I used about 3 inches of padding all round it to ensure it was protected. This made it bigger and more expensive so send, but it got there and was totally fine, so me and the buyer were both happy.

I think It’s a little off that the seller is confident enough to pack an item with the belief that it’ll be protected in transit, yet be unwilling to then send it. If it’s damaged in transit as a result of poor packing the liability would still be theirs. Personally, I avoid these adverts as soon as I see them. I’ve been buying, selling and sending basses for years but nowadays I think the sheer volume of items being sent and the cost-cutting nature of the industry means they’re more at-risk than ever, and so I avoid it wherever possible. The last bass I sent had the neck removed, which was much easier to send and secure too.

If we expect musicians to be paid, designers should be too 🙂