Do you purchase your basses online?

[cord.scott]

7 hours ago, ped said:

Same here! Many of the basses I have had simply don’t go low enough or have necks straight enough. It’s really disappointing when you like everything else bout a bass but just can’t get the feel you want. Adverts often say ‘super low action’ but the G string is about a CM off the board! 

Yep. Agree 100%. Now people will say yeah but once you give it a good setup it will be fine. Not always true. Some necks are just messed up. Some sit in around with some much relief that they "take a set" and never come back to a good position.

I'm picky, I'll admit that. I can tell if my action changes by 1/64th. 

I want low low low action. I want to play a touch screen lol. For example I considers Fender's recommended action/relief to be sky high. 

[thodrik]

I have bought three basses blind without playing them. No issues but two basses were Vigiers and the other one was a Sadowsky, so the chances of getting a ‘dud’ was slim to nonexistent. 

I would never buy a Gibson guitar (new or vintage) or a vintage Fender without playing it. A new Fender bass would be a safe enough purchase though. 

[elom]

I wonder if the way we buy (new) instruments might change. I have teenage daughters and I see the way they buy clothes. Often multiple sizes and colours of the same item. Try them all on and send back the ones that they don’t want, much like trying on in a shop. 

Now I know that the postage costs are a bit different but I wonder if a younger generation of bass players might instinctively favour this approach, or if online stores might routinely offer a ‘sale or return’ basis.