What eBay Has Taught Us

[tazza1]

[quote name='icastle' post='1041826' date='Nov 29 2010, 11:40 PM']A personal favourite of mine is the concept of a "custom made" bass built from a coffee table offcut, a reclaimed neck with "Encore" rubbed off of it and hardware fixed using assorted woodscrews leftover from an Ikea session is going to be [i]"far better than all of the Wal's, Overwaters and Jaydee's that I've owned as a professional musician".[/i] [/quote]

When did you see my bass then?!!

Edited November 30, 2010 by tazza1

[icastle]

[quote name='tazza1' post='1042475' date='Nov 30 2010, 03:47 PM']When did you see my bass then?!![/quote]

At Halfords last weekend when it was going in for a retread!

[Annoying Twit]

All Cimar strats are simply relabelled Ibanez Blazers made "in the Ibanez factory". Even when they aren't.

"Rarity" has been mentioned before, but the number of Westone Thunders which are described as "RARE RARE RARE" is astonishing.

[icastle]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='1042571' date='Nov 30 2010, 04:48 PM']"Rarity" has been mentioned before, but the number of Westone Thunders which are described as "RARE RARE RARE" is astonishing.[/quote]

"Rare" as in you can't buy them new any more.
Seeing as FCN imported thousands and thousands of Thunder 1s, 1As, 2s and 3s over the time they were the UK distributor they shouldn't be that rare!

[icastle]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1042604' date='Nov 30 2010, 05:11 PM']I originally read that as retard !!!! Couldn't understand why you would go to Halfords purposefully to get a member of their staff .[/quote]

[tino]

[quote name='spinynorman' post='1041431' date='Nov 29 2010, 05:40 PM']If you're selling a bass as "rare", always look to see what all the other sellers have started theirs at over the last couple of weeks (and not sold) and price yours at least 15% higher. (I submit as best practice this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Precision-Slab-Body-1951-Bass-Re-Issue-inc-case-/220701103655"]rare 51 RI P [/url], which has been up previously at £749, and joins 3 others in the last 2 weeks, all priced over £500 and none sold.)

Another tip, if you "know nothing about guitars" it excuses you for being a lying scumbag.[/quote]
I couldnt get £550 on the same bass,in virtually as new condition....must see wot happens on the bay

[Truckstop]

"Um, it's my boyfriends/husbands/dads and I dont know anything about it so don't ask any questions. Just buy it. Oh, and don't watch if you're not going to buy. Can I have £2,000 please?"

Truckstop

[Bassassin]

If you intend to sell a musical instrument it's imperative that you convey an impression of knowledgeable authority to your potential purchaser. Make sure you Google any reference to your particular instrument, and if you get a result which includes any of your search terms, copy/paste the entire thing into your description. It doesn't matter at all if it's really not anything to do with what you're trying to sell - the thickies out there in EbayLand won't have a clue!

Familiarise yourself with the correct technical terminology for the components of your item. It is a Base Guiter. The long part can be referred to as a Kneck, or alternatively, the Arm. The short strips of metal inserted transversely across the Arm/Kneck are Fretts. Some Base Guiters do not feature Fretts, these are known as Frettles Bases. The flat part at the end of the Arm/Kneck is the Paddle, and inserted into the Paddle are a number of devices which can be referred to as String Tighteners, or if you prefer, Turners.

It is important that your buyers are aware of the good condition of your Base Guiter, so be sure to reassure them that it has little or no Frettware, that the Trust Rod is fully functioning, and that there are no problems with the Knut.

If you feel you lack the confidence to portray yourself as the knowledgeable expert all the above will make you appear, simply say that you know nothing about guiters, but you took it to a shop, and this is what The Man In The Shop told you. This will instil absolute confidence in your customers, because everyone knows that the knowledge & experience of shop assistants is beyond question in these matters.

J.

[karlfer]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1042763' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:04 PM']If you intend to sell a musical instrument it's imperative that you convey an impression of knowledgeable authority to your potential purchaser. Make sure you Google any reference to your particular instrument, and if you get a result which includes any of your search terms, copy/paste the entire thing into your description. It doesn't matter at all if it's really not anything to do with what you're trying to sell - the thickies out there in EbayLand won't have a clue!

Familiarise yourself with the correct technical terminology for the components of your item. It is a Base Guiter. The long part can be referred to as a Kneck, or alternatively, the Arm. The short strips of metal inserted transversely across the Arm/Kneck are Fretts. Some Base Guiters do not feature Fretts, these are known as Frettles Bases. The flat part at the end of the Arm/Kneck is the Paddle, and inserted into the Paddle are a number of devices which can be referred to as String Tighteners, or if you prefer, Turners.

It is important that your buyers are aware of the good condition of your Base Guiter, so be sure to reassure them that it has little or no Frettware, that the Trust Rod is fully functioning, and that there are no problems with the Knut.

If you feel you lack the confidence to portray yourself as the knowledgeable expert all the above will make you appear, simply say that you know nothing about guiters, but you took it to a shop, and this is what The Man In The Shop told you. This will instil absolute confidence in your customers, because everyone knows that the knowledge & experience of shop assistants is beyond question in these matters.

J.[/quote]



And that is all from the few FEEEBayers (Basschat members exc.) that are bordering on literate.
Karl.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1042763' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:04 PM']It is important that your buyers are aware of the good condition of your Base Guiter, so be sure to reassure them that it has little or no Frettware, that the Trust Rod is fully functioning, and that there are no problems with the Knut.[/quote]

Or, as a Scottish boss once told me, "If I think ye're a Knut, I'll call ye a Knut".

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1042763' date='Nov 30 2010, 07:04 PM']If you intend to sell a musical instrument it's imperative that you convey an impression of knowledgeable authority to your potential purchaser. Make sure you Google any reference to your particular instrument, and if you get a result which includes any of your search terms, copy/paste the entire thing into your description. It doesn't matter at all if it's really not anything to do with what you're trying to sell - the thickies out there in EbayLand won't have a clue!

Familiarise yourself with the correct technical terminology for the components of your item. It is a Base Guiter. The long part can be referred to as a Kneck, or alternatively, the Arm. The short strips of metal inserted transversely across the Arm/Kneck are Fretts. Some Base Guiters do not feature Fretts, these are known as Frettles Bases. The flat part at the end of the Arm/Kneck is the Paddle, and inserted into the Paddle are a number of devices which can be referred to as String Tighteners, or if you prefer, Turners.

It is important that your buyers are aware of the good condition of your Base Guiter, so be sure to reassure them that it has little or no Frettware, that the Trust Rod is fully functioning, and that there are no problems with the Knut.

If you feel you lack the confidence to portray yourself as the knowledgeable expert all the above will make you appear, simply say that you know nothing about guiters, but you took it to a shop, and this is what The Man In The Shop told you. This will instil absolute confidence in your customers, because everyone knows that the knowledge & experience of shop assistants is beyond question in these matters.

J.[/quote]
If I was ever going to sell a bass on eBay this is what I'd use...

[Bassassin]

The joy of it is, I honestly didn't make any of them up, and I don't think it's even a complete list. In fact it's not - the Kneck/Arm can also correctly be referred to as the "Handle". How could forget that?

J.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Bassassin

[BigRedX]

You forgot. Never measure the scale length. Give the totally length from the top of the paddle to the end of the body (do we have a better word for body yet?)

[icastle]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1043660' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:19 PM']Give the totally length from the top of the paddle to the end of the body (do we have a better word for body yet?)[/quote]

How about the "shovel" end?

[LawrenceH]

Warning - Rickenbacker employ incredibly advanced but poorly thought-through chemical weapon-based brand protection methods that exhibit unfortunate ebay side effects.
Fitting a Rickenbacker trussrod cover to a cheap JapCrap copy is consequently very hazardous and almost invariably results in short term memory loss and an inability to solve even the simplest problems. You'll genuinely have no idea about where that bass came from, and won't even be able to work out from your buyer history that you bought both it and the cover on the 'bay less than 3 months ago. As far as you're concerned, it might well be a Ric 4005...but you can't promise anything. Sold as seen!

[Happy Jack]

Has anyone mentioned that the most important thing about any bass is not the maker, the style, or the condition?

It is, of course, the colour.

Also, that you can add at least 10% to the value of any bass by saying "never gigged".

[icastle]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1043748' date='Dec 1 2010, 01:38 PM']Has anyone mentioned that the most important thing about any bass is not the maker, the style, or the condition?

It is, of course, the colour.

Also, that you can add at least 10% to the value of any bass by saying "never gigged".[/quote]

Ah - the "unique and rare colour" gambit...
Probably very true insofar as Fender have never yet produced an instrument that used "Vauxhall Chevette Yellow"

Gigging instruments is [b]BAD[/b] - every true professional musician KNOWS that they spontaneously combust if you abuse them in that way - don't you lot know nuffink?

[Bassassin]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1043660' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:19 PM']You forgot. Never measure the scale length. Give the totally length from the top of the paddle to the end of the body (do we have a better word for body yet?)[/quote]
[quote name='icastle' post='1043686' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:46 PM']How about the "shovel" end? [/quote]
We should really stick with terminology which is, and has been used in genuine Ebay sales.

I have seen the big bit referred to as the "base" but under the circumstances (it's base guiters we're talking about) I thought it would be a bit ambiguous. I'm certain there are other terms but memory fails me. I do know the Dials are attached to that part though.

Good call about the length, and it's worth remembering there are two types of base guiter - the Percussion and the Jass, and it's very important to point out what they're not: Not Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Tokia (like the phone)

J.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

If there isn't a metal plate & screws holding the neck on, it means that the whole instrument is made from one single piece of wood.

[icastle]

Shouldn't "scale" be measured in kg?

[Macko1968]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1043922' date='Dec 1 2010, 03:21 PM']If there isn't a metal plate & screws holding the neck on, it means that the whole instrument is made from one single piece of wood.[/quote]
Very good!

[Annoying Twit]

If there are ten other similar items on ebay, at about one fifth of the price, then those sellers are seriously undervaluing their instruments. Even if the other ones don't sell.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1043903' date='Dec 1 2010, 03:11 PM']..... and it's worth remembering there are two types of base guiter - the Percussion and the[size=5] Jass[/size]...[/quote]
Actually that's the original spelling.

And not a lot of people know that.

[Annoying Twit]

If you've added "Fecker Jizz Bass" decals to your Johnny Brook copy, then you should spend half your ebay listing congratulating yourself on your keen sense of humour having created this "hilarious" bass, and of course you should price it at £200 or more.

[Annoying Twit]

Putting a Gibson logo on a bass that looks nothing like a Gibson is a good idea. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Matsumoku-Westone-Spectrum-bass-guitar-Japan-85-Black_W0QQitemZ320621800322QQcategoryZ4713QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DDLSL%252BSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D120654289830%252B120654289830%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5338709543184181872"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Matsumoku-Westone-Sp...709543184181872[/url]