Marcus miller fake!!

[Bassist on the Run]

Hi bassists

I purchased this bass from a well known Internet sales site. this bass looked great from far but is far from good. It's supposed to be a Marcus miler jazz v. But this is not the case it cost me £120.00 so I'm not out of pocket as such, it plays well and sounds great but I'd like to know if anyone out there knows more about the black market on basses and how we can avoid being stung! Like I said the price kinda told me it was a fake but I needed a 5 string and this will suffice.

Cheers

Edited October 25, 2013 by bramleyapple

[Bassman Steve]

In all honesty, this is so far removed from what a Marcus Miller looks like I would suggest this is a case of caveat emptor. Ok, it may have been passed off as one but it bears no similarity at all. The price (as you concede) is a give-away too.

If it does the job then that's good. Maybe it's a genuine neck. If that's so then you've got the basis of a good deal anyway.

How do you avoid being stung? Do some homework I suppose. Googling 'jazz bass marcus miller' immediately brought up pictures which show the control layout is completely different to your purchase.

That said, I think it would be interesting to know which well known site has even offered this as genuine as they should have not done so.

[badboy1984]

That jazz bass look like the Squier 5 string. To behonest for £120 the bass look alright actually, but like above have said, this bass look nothing like marcus miller jazz bass.

[LukeFRC]

Marcus Miller Jazz V is a USA made bass costing about £2000.
You were able to buy one for £120.

There's enough information there that will stop most people being stung

[Machines]

Did you actually think it would be genuine ?

[Karnage]

Looks like a nice bass for £120 regardless of what it really is.

If the instrument does the job you want for the money you pay it's not really an issue, but there are a few fake Fenders out there for sure. Someone brought me a Tele to look at, and it was a great guitar for what was paid, but was definitely not a Fender! The man was happy with what the guitar sounded and felt like for the money, but without the Fender transfer, it's true it would not have fetched the money he paid (a bit over £200).

[Thunderbird]

Yep there are fake Fenders up on a certain auction site most of the time many have been reported here on the E@@y weird and wonderful thread. The bass you bought as others say really looks nothing like a Marcus Miller but you could of done OK for £120 if it looks and plays how you want it to but the only way to really help not to get stung is to do your homework and ask about the basses on places like this or even look in local guitar shops and compare.

[bh2]

Doesn't look too shabby!

[jezzaboy]

How do you avoid being stung?

Buy off of someone on here with good feedback.

Buy new from a shop.

[skej21]

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1382731899' post='2256160']
How do you avoid being stung?

Buy off of someone on here with good feedback.

Buy new from a shop.
[/quote]

And finally, start a thread on here questionning the authenticity of the instrument and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge BEFORE putting in a winning bid!

[Bassist on the Run]

Great feed back from you guys once again!!!!
I bloody love this forum!!!

[Bassist on the Run]

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1382721733' post='2255995']
Did you actually think it would be genuine ?
[/quote]

No mate not at all!

[Machines]

Please tell us what kind of feedback you expected ? I honestly want to know.

[Bassist on the Run]

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1382859329' post='2257179']
Please tell us what kind of feedback you expected ? I honestly want to know.
[/quote] Im happy with the comments above. As always people on here always leave great comments!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='bramleyapple' timestamp='1382868433' post='2257275']
Im happy with the comments above. As always people on here always leave great comments!
[/quote] mine was a failed comment on your intelligence but never mind!

[donkelley]

I'm not sure if the OP changed his post in these critical ways, but as it reads now the OP states clearly what he's looking for in his responses:

"[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'd like to know if anyone out there knows more about the black market on basses and how we can avoid being stung"[/font][/color]

He said he knew by the price is was a fake ("The price kinda told me it was a fake"), so his intelligence or gullibility didn't need to be questioned....

He asked good questions that I don't know the answers to, but maybe you folks here do know:

[b]- Does anyone know more about the black market on basses?[/b]

[b]- How can we avoid being stung (if, for example, the price and control layout wasn't a dead giveaway)?[/b]

Edited October 27, 2013 by donkelley

[Bassist on the Run]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1382908655' post='2257982']
mine was a failed comment on your intelligence but never mind!
[/quote] why would comment on my intelligence!!

[Bassist on the Run]

[quote name='donkelley' timestamp='1382908751' post='2257985']
I'm not sure if the OP changed his post in these critical ways, but as it reads now the OP states clearly what he's looking for in his responses:

"[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'd like to know if anyone out there knows more about the black market on basses and how we can avoid being stung"[/font][/color]

He said he knew by the price is was a fake ("The price kinda told me it was a fake"), so his intelligence or gullibility didn't need to be questioned....

He asked good questions that I don't know the answers to, but maybe you folks here do know:

[b]- Does anyone know more about the black market on basses?[/b]

[b]- How can we avoid being stung (if, for example, the price and control layout wasn't a dead giveaway)?[/b]
[/quote] cheers. I always find there are a few bad eggs on here who clearly feel the need to be rude.

[Musky]

[quote name='donkelley' timestamp='1382908751' post='2257985']

[b]- Does anyone know more about the black market on basses?[/b]

[b]- How can we avoid being stung (if, for example, the price and control layout wasn't a dead giveaway)?[/b]
[/quote]

Some manufacturers will create copies shoddy copies and sell them with pictures of the genuine article as the real thing - the price should be a give away. See tradetang for examples.

Some individuals will modify copies to look like the real thing and sell them for inflated prices, whilst others will sell them for more realistic prices (as seems to have happened here).

Yet others will have no real knowledge of what they've got, or feign ignorance and gloss over the fact. These auctions will sometimes point out that they know nothing about basses or add caveats in theit description.

As for how to avoid being ripped off, as has already been pointed out - do your homework. If you can't find what you nred to know ask on the forums or PM someone who has a lot of knowledge about the instrument. If it seems very cheap, ask yourself why and treat with caution.

That about covers it I think.

[Bassist on the Run]

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1382956640' post='2258318']


Some manufacturers will create copies shoddy copies and sell them with pictures of the genuine article as the real thing - the price should be a give away. See tradetang for examples.

Some individuals will modify copies to look like the real thing and sell them for inflated prices, whilst others will sell them for more realistic prices (as seems to have happened here).

Yet others will have no real knowledge of what they've got, or feign ignorance and gloss over the fact. These auctions will sometimes point out that they know nothing about basses or add caveats in theit description.

As for how to avoid being ripped off, as has already been pointed out - do your homework. If you can't find what you nred to know ask on the forums or PM someone who has a lot of knowledge about the instrument. If it seems very cheap, ask yourself why and treat with caution.

That about covers it I think.
[/quote] thanks musky :-)

[ambient]

That's the problem with buying stuff off eBay without seeing it in the flesh.

You seem to have done ok though, and like you say, you knew from the price it wasn't genuine, but a lot of people think they're getting a bargain when they're actually being ripped off.

The real Marcus Miller V is a USA built bass, and top quality, I've got one and even used I paid over 10 times what you've paid.

[Gust0o]

[quote name='bramleyapple' timestamp='1382953172' post='2258257']
cheers. I always find there are a few bad eggs on here who clearly feel the need to be rude.
[/quote]

[donkelley]

cool answers :-)

I'm learning too here.... I've dealt a lot with craigslist and while I tend not to deal with the sort of basses that anybody would bother faking (hahaha), it is something I'm fearful of. I've seen a few obvious fakes but one of these days I'll hit an intentional and hard to distinguish fake.

Gibson les pauls are infamous for faking.... and some have pretty subtle flaws compared to the real deal. there are dedicated websites all about how to tell if it's a fake, and it's amazing the knowledge some people have accrued through their musical lives!

[Bassist on the Run]

[quote name='donkelley' timestamp='1382984835' post='2258821']
cool answers :-)

I'm learning too here.... I've dealt a lot with craigslist and while I tend not to deal with the sort of basses that anybody would bother faking (hahaha), it is something I'm fearful of. I've seen a few obvious fakes but one of these days I'll hit an intentional and hard to distinguish fake.

Gibson les pauls are infamous for faking.... and some have pretty subtle flaws compared to the real deal. there are dedicated websites all about how to tell if it's a fake, and it's amazing the knowledge some people have accrued through their musical lives!
[/quote] yeah I agree there are some great answers on here and I find most times you get some real knowledgable people on here.. Unfortunately there are a small amount who sit on here all day waiting for someone to put a comer in the wrong place! Unfortunately I suffer with DRD a form of dyslexia so I keep these keyboard warriors on there toes! Thanks for your comments :-)

[LeftyJ]

Thought about B&CH from the Czech Republic for a moment, they do a pretty decent take on the Marcus Miller Jazz for little money, including a 5-string version. But not in black, and theirs has different controls and the jack in a different place.
[url="http://www.bachmusik.com/en/bach-bjb-05s-na_p879"]http://www.bachmusik.com/en/bach-bjb-05s-na_p879[/url]