Burns-bass

Genuine vintage can be problematic. Sometimes they’re light, play great and work flawlessly. Others are dogs. Dont ever buy one without trying it. The recent US 70s jazz basses are all ace and I’d spend my cash on that if I needed a reliable working instrument. Vintage for show, modern for dough (etc). The Geddy Lee Jap jazz bass is exceptional if you can find a good one.

I really want a historic Warwick. I had a 1986 Warwick one that I played at some monster gigs, but I sold it (like an idiot) for about £900 at the dawn of Basschat.

Interesting. The OP is worried about technical issues (bowed neck, dodgy electronics and poor fret work). This is all stuff any retailer should be checking out and fixing it would be part of what I consider a set-up. String heights, less so, of course. I know Bass Bros will do it and the last Fender I bought was set up from the shop by someone who really did know what they were doing.

Treat buying a bass like a used car!

Always factor in the price of new strings and a full set up into the purchase of every used bass. It may play perfectly when it arrives but in my experience, I’d say 75% don’t. Plus I like the peace of mind that comes from having it fully checked out, cleaned and set up. I’d say this will cost about £150 (depending on strings). if you’re buying from a shop of course they *should* (but don’t always) set it up to your requirements. if buying privately, then pay PayPal proper so you have some recourse if it’s not as advertised. Tell the seller you’re going to get it checked out and set up by a professional and you’ll chat about any issues.

I’d just like to resurrect this and say thank you for creating such a wonderful resource.

Was easier when the market wasn’t full of dealers buying up all stock and then rising prices every few months. Or private sellers trying to charge shop prices for their gear. Or “all original apart from a few changed bits” or “as far as I know it’s all original (but I won’t take it apart to prove that).” @GuyR had it nailed.

I had one of these and I really liked it.

I saw that. Very helpful if you and I’m sure he’s grateful. I think the price is punch. Quite why people consider it a “custom colour” when it’s a refin is beyond me.

Agreed. I’d also never buy a refin without rock solid provenance. It’s easy enough to hide things with a new cost of paint. (It’s conceivable that the body may not be original, either…) Too many unanswered questions for me, but totally understand others are happy with that.

You and about 75% of other buyers.

One of your roles is to look at the drummer and make eye contact with others on stage. They’ll be more worried than you and your confidence will help them. Resist the temptation to look down at the fretboard or twiddle your amp.

This is the problem. I like vintage sounding amps but I don't want it to break up like an old valve amp too soon. I'll stick with what I have (and I have no work so maybe the lack of cash is an influence here!) Thanks all for your comments and views.

I used to have two flightcased Hiwatt DR103s so I’m fully aware of how heavy amps are and can be. The 350 is nice it’s just annoying to carry to my music room in the loft and lug about. I use Barefaced cabs and just fancied a fully lightweight rig. A/B testing sounds like a great idea.

Take them to court. A small claim will cost you about £35 and is worth doing. It shows you’re serious and also that you won’t settle for less. When they settle (which they will) they’ll pay your costs back. I run a small business and have done this several times.