Passing off the bog standard as the Classic Pro.

[pst62]

and it looks like he's gonna get away with it!  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Epiphone-Thunderbird-Classic-IV-Pro-4-Bass-Guitar-Alpine-White-Barely-Used/162754292935?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

[T-Bay]

I have seen this a few times now. Whether it is ignorance or an attempt at fraud is difficult to gauge but the end is the same.

[FinnDave]

He does say in the comments that it might not be the classic pro model as the jack socket is in the wrong place. I would have thought that the bolt on neck was more of a giveaway! But he seems genuinely unsure of what he's selling and advises buyers to check carefully.

[T-Bay]

It’s obvious to us but a lot of people aren’t clued up on them. They just have one and have probably bought it second hand so are fairly clueless. I was on the lookout for a backup to my Gibson a few months back and the number of ads that didn’t show the critical parts or mention the model name shows most owners don’t really know what they have beyond it’s a ‘Thunderbird’.

[FinnDave]

Quite honestly, if someone buys a bass without understanding something as basic as whether it is through neck or bolt really needs to do some basic reading up on the subject! It's hardly hidden from view, there's even a close up picture of the heel plate with four give-away screw heads!

BTW, the classic pro Epi T bird is a great bass, I have one, and had a Gibson until a week or two ago. One had to go to make space for an incoming Precision, and the Gibson was easier to part with than the Epiphone!

[pst62]

Well judging by his notes at the bottom of his ad someone has has had to point it out to him (apparently rudely) just what it is he's selling.

[T-Bay]

I would imagine the vast majority of basses (and a lot of other instruments) are owned by people who have no clue. They fancy having a go, buy something, play for a week and give up and it lives in the cupboard until they get around to flogging it on and the cycle repeats. I wonder what proportion of basses, especially at the cheap end of the market, actually get played on a regular basis.

[Dan Dare]

7 hours ago, T-Bay said:

I would imagine the vast majority of basses (and a lot of other instruments) are owned by people who have no clue. They fancy having a go, buy something, play for a week and give up and it lives in the cupboard until they get around to flogging it on and the cycle repeats. I wonder what proportion of basses, especially at the cheap end of the market, actually get played on a regular basis.

About the same percentage of guitars aimed at the cheap end, I suspect. The bottom 3 frets may be be worn a bit and that will be it.