philw

My understanding of the new CITES regs is that it doesn't matter when a bass was manufactured. If it contains wood from endangered species it needs certificates that prove the wood came from an acceptable source. This has been the case for a while with a number of wood species, but it's now that the rosewood species often used in guitars have been included that a spanner has well and truly been thrown in the works. Your bass, if it contains rosewood, may well be effectively unsaleable across borders - unless you can get some satisfactory paperwork from its original manufacturer that specifies where the wood came from.

OK so why did you send me off looking at a guitar auction site I wasn't previously aware of. Damnit!

Somehow, I always knew I needed harp and fretless bass in the same instrument... [url="http://www.bartonbasses.com/available-basses/"]http://www.bartonbas...ailable-basses/[/url] It's almost worth buying just to see the look on the band-mate faces. P

Considering the wonderful old Taylor acoustic bass, the disappointment I felt on seeing the new one all but took on a physical reality.

Thomann have one of The Harley Benton models in B-Stock too - £125!

Try Marcello at Nardelli: http://nardellibass.com. Marcello sells bodies on eBay, which is where I first found him, but he'll build and finish something custom for you. He made the body for my Surf Jag - http://basschat.co.uk/topic/287400-nbd-jagtele-mashup. It was way less than £400 (although Brexit stupidity will make it more expensive than I paid now). Phil

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1476431181' post='3154152'] IMHO the more prized contribution to packing a bass is the bubble-wrap. I get loads with the stuff my company ships out to me, but where do others get it from? Or do you always sell a bass with a case? Otherwise, what-else do you do to protect the bass inside the cardboard? (I too should get some work done too now ) [/quote] Bubble-wrap can usually be bought at storage companies (like Big Yellow). Last resort though 'cause it's not cheap.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1476430263' post='3154144'] Fair point Phil, although I am that man who did have a personal relationship - had a mate working in the store for a few years!! But yes, a lot of the staff do seem quite transient, and I would be a stranger in there now. [/quote] See, I knew there'd be one! Really like your Modlock blog by the way - about time you wrote a new post though (although I'm a fine one to talk on that score). Better to do some proper work now (well, after some breakfast and a coffee) rather than post nonsense on basschat :-) P

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1476428864' post='3154131'] Slight caveat, I have no idea if the OP is a regular, known customer. If he is then I would have thought the shop would be more accommodating thinking a bass sold on eBay may lead to another sale. [/quote] Well I've bought a couple of basses (cheap ones) and a few cables/strings from GAK in the last five years or so but I'm not a particularly regular customer. But, even if I was, the staff turnover in GAK is I suspect so fast (this is Brighton after all) that the idea of establishing any kind of long term personal relationship with the shop is unlikely (sits back and waits for somebody to say they have just that). It's GAK, it's not your friendly local independent music shop. P

I didn't actually really have a problem with paying for a box, and actually, I wasn't surprised that GAK had finally got wise to "chancers" (first time anybody's called me that, not sure if I should be pleased of offended) wanting boxes for shipping eBay sales. And in the context of selling a bass on eBay (£200 inc shipping), a fiver was fine as far as I was concerned. Yes, a bike box might have been available for free, but the time I would then have to spend faffing and cutting would also have "cost". Now, the fiver may well have gone straight in the pocket of the shop floor guy who sold me the box, but he did the deal in front of at least two colleagues so they would have seen what was going on. But, margins on Squire product are very tight for both GAK and Fender, and its possible that part of GAK's purchasing deal with Fender includes a discount on returned boxes - this could explain why the fiver couldn't go through the books (although I seem to remember it did go through the till, 'cause I proffered a tenner and got a fiver changel). Of course what subsequently happened to the fiver is a mystery. P

So, I popped into GAK in Brighton to beg for a cardboard box to ship an eBay sale bass in. It's something I've done before and they've always been happy to help. They were happy to help yesterday too, but they now have a policy of selling boxes for a fiver. Apparently they get paid to re-cycle the boxes (I wonder if Fender UK gives them a discount on new stock if they return boxes?) so can't give them away any more. It was cash only for the box though so clearly it's not business that goes through the books. I guess I shouldn't be surprised about anything these days, but my eyebrows did twitch in an upward direction. That is all.... P