Burns-bass

It’s nuts and all that but I have a few festivals to play this year and I need to upstage the guitarist somehow. This one has a jazz width neck, too, which is so rare on a bass this size.

Am picking it up next week, but I now own this: https://auctions.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/catalogue/lot/5e76bece226edd7f4ac8827eec135d67/63b778f7668dabe928d3800924a99077/the-guitar-auction-four-day-sale-lot-17/ Jazz neck, Status pickups and SIMS LEDS. It's a heavy beast, but that's to be expected given the size of it!

I was at this auction and I did buy something which is utterly bonkers.

This 100% is what I’m talking about. Given he’s got about 100 basses it’s not a high turnover operation!

This is the point. It’s not that people trade, it’s that they do so disingenuously. I sold a guitar to one person who gave me some BS about it being for his kid and then it turned up for sale on his website a few days later with some fictitious original story and the price doubled. I happily have sold and traded to shops and other traders and it’s often a pleasure to do so.

This is true. In my experience, HMRC have been very good. As long as you can speak to someone, they're fair, clear and understanding.

I was negative about things and that’s because I find the whole bedroom dealer thing to be depressing. There are people who swoop in on any bargains to be had and then sell them on again (on the same forums, sites and places) for much higher prices. This warps the market, setting a benchmark for prices, but more than that, it stops players without much cash from picking up a bargain. If this a lovely chap who has spent his life collecting average guitars and is selling them on, good luck to him. If he’s a bedroom dealer that’s buying cheap, selling high and offering insulting PX values, I stand by my original point.

Sorry to hear of the passing of your father. Well, it’s not a double bass but it is a bass and it looks like it’s in good condition. There were lots of quirky basses made during the 50s and 60s of which this looks like one. It’s not going to be hugely valuable, perhaps a few hundred pounds. You could email some vintage guitar dealers or, if you want a guaranteed no hassle sale, send it to a guitar auction like Gardiner Houlgate. Best of luck.

All good. I’m not the internet police and all that, but it’s a great community and worth supporting (which you have). I’m still utterly in awe that your father had 17 double basses. It’s quite incredible. Best of luck selling them, and I hope you get a great price.

My guitarist swaps between an E and and Eb tuned guitar. I’ve never found it a problem to adapt on my 4 string to be honest (or the need to detune), you just adapt as required. Of course, if you’re playing Hendrix or something that desperately needs that massive bottom end, you probably should detune (or use an octave pedal to give you a boost!)

All points well made. The other benefit of buying a more expensive bass is the build quality, reliability of components and confidence that provides you. Nobody cares what you play, that’s true, but they will notice if your pots are crackly, your bass slips in and out of tune or your tone is weak.

I’ve had hundreds of basses from your entry level HBs and Squiers to a £10k vintage Fender and, while anecdote isn’t evidence, I’ve found a direct correlation between quality and cost (up to about £1500, after which you enter into boutique territory where cost and value start to mean different things). All cheap basses are built to a cost price and that means compromises. That’s not to say they can’t be improved - they can - but I don’t see the point. My point about gigging was that you’re being paid to do a job. I’ve worked with far too many musicians who cut corners with cheap(er) gear and it can cause problems. I am 100% not a great snob and I totally get why people love Squiers, but I never understand why people would invest a fortune in loads of average gear when you could buy one or two real quality pieces that will last you. Guess in our culture of acquisition and ownership that’s old fashioned.

Personally, I think the US version is better by a magnitude of 3. You get a hardcase. You get better pickups, tuners and other hardware. It’ll keep its value better. It’ll often be lighter, too. Mid-price (which is where £1500 is) is where the best value is in my eyes. I love a cheap bass but as someone who gigs a lot (60-70 times a year) this stuff really matters. Hardware on the Squier, for example, would need to be replaced fairly quickly as a gigging musician and your end up buying a new hardcase which will cost you £100 on top.

It seems to me he’s buying stuff and selling it on. If he’s picking up basses here and selling them on, it suggests he’s a bedroom dealer and should be registered as such. My brother used to sell records as a hobby and has now registered with HMRC as a dealer. In the end, it looks like a lot of average stuff that’s priced higher than a specialist shop like BassBros without any of the benefits. If most definitely avoid.

Oh, and while it’s probably true you’d get more value buying used, I love a new bass. The smell, the feel of it and the fact that every dent and piece of damage is your fault! Recently bought a brand new Jack Cassidy. Sure I could have saved £200 buying used, but I didn’t want to.

This one million percent. The only instruments I have kept are those that I played before buying. Take the time you need to play as many as you can. Dont be pressured into buying.

I’m really excited to go, too. I’ve been racking up the gigs and all the cash goes into a pot. Seems quite funny all the money I spend will be earned playing 40s and 50s chess-era Blues for a delicate bow.

I had no idea it existed! I did a gig two minutes away yesterday and went past it.

This is all good advice. The best value is always in the middle range. I'm not going to need a professional level bow, but that's because I couldn't justify it (both in terms of cost or ability), but something much better than the entry-level one I have and that I can grow with and will provide much greater feel and sound quality would make a huge difference. I ruled out old ones as I thought I was going to buy used sight-unseen, but now there's a shop I can visit, I'll see how things go there. Will update.

Lots and lots of basses. I think it’s fine to add pictures for info but if you’re selling it’s usually the done thing to subscribe. (It costs the people who run the forum quite a lot to keep it open I think and the cash helps.) Best of luck with them all!

I bought a boxed and brand new B-stock TRB for £600 a while back. We all know people who put stuff up for sale for stupid prices as a way to justify keeping them. Fair play to him. I'd swap them all for a couple of basses I actually used (and the space back, too).

Can you own 17 basses and not be some sort of dealer, trader or industry professional? His relationship with Roger suggests your dad was someone with some incredible connections in the industry, too, given his place in DB legend. I guess most dealers would struggle to come up with the cash for them all to be honest. It's not like the market is massive in the UK. Like others, can't wait to see them. Where are you based?

This collection reflects what a guitar dealer told me about the state of the guitar market. It's people with huge collections of average gear trying to sell it for shop prices. They kid themselves that these things keep their value, but he'll struggle to shift any of this at these prices. I'm sure the guy is a lovely fella and best of luck with it all.

Thanks for that. It seems Bristol has one of the UK's only bow shops and it's about 10 minutes from my house, so I'll start there (and probably finish there, too!).

This is all excellent advice and I look forward to seeing the pics too. Dealers of string instruments have a tough time. It can take a long time to make a sale which means lots of cash stuck on stock, so we can’t give then too hard of a time. I’m sorry to hear of the loss of your dad.