How do you buy yours?

[Buddster]

I'm not a great shopper in general. I find it difficult, after having the attention of the shop assistant, to not feel some guilt when saying "no it's not what I'm after thanks" and walk out. Hence I will tend to go to a shop only when I know what I want. I love online shopping though! 

 

So imagine the pressure of looking for a new bass. I know roughly what I'm after but would like to try loads of basses to feel the difference and find 'the one' (or at least 'the one manufacturer'). I'd love a Sandberg but I'm obviously not going to give over £2000 without trying one. Or perhaps the neck curve on a MM fits just right. Can I go to Bass Direct and say 'hi, can I spend a few hours trying your different bass? I might not buy one or I can get it cheaper 2nd hand or somewhere else, but you're the only place with loads of basses available to try, give us a go. Pleeeaaase'.

 

So, How do you buy yours? Or how do you even try different bass? Are you guilt free and just walk in, ask to try and walk out with no intention of buying? Or do you buy one, try it and sell it on if you don't like it? Perhaps buy it with a returns policy (and hope you don't scratch it!)? 

 

 

 

[BassAdder60]

Most stores have limited stock today so it’s difficult to try / find a particular bass or amp in stock locally 

 

I always order on line and try and return if I don’t like or it’s faulty or marked etc 

 

Sadly this results in so many goods arriving that are no longer new as such and often marked in some way 

[BigRedX]

Ideally I'd have my preferred luthier (Simon at Gus Guitars) build all of mine to my specifications.

 

Failing that, because my tastes are decidedly not mainstream, I'll buy on line from any place that can offer the best combination of price, service and availability.

[peteb]

51 minutes ago, Buddster said:

Can I go to Bass Direct and say 'hi, can I spend a few hours trying your different bass? I might not buy one or I can get it cheaper 2nd hand or somewhere else, but you're the only place with loads of basses available to try, give us a go. Pleeeaaase'.

 

Pretty much this, although a few hours might be pushing it, but around 30 minutes or so when the shop isn't too busy (i.e. not a Saturday afternoon) should be fine. Just go to Bass Direct (or the Bass Gallery or wherever) and tell them that you are considering buying a new bass at some point in the future and am interested in a Sandberg. I'm sure that they will be happy to let you try a few and make suggestions about alternatives you might want to consider. From what I remember, if you go to the Bass Gallery, you could be there all day and the only time they will interrupt you will be to ask if you want a coffee! 

 

[Doctor J]

I haven't set foot in a guitar shop in many, many years. I am quite particular in terms of how I like an instrument set up so found trying in guitar shops utterly pointless. I don't think 5 minutes in a shop really gives you too much insight. Learning how to set up instruments liberated me to buy anything interesting-looking second hand in the knowledge I could sort any foibles it may arrive with. I have a good idea of what I like and I don't like, what will work for me and what won't. Learn how an instrument works and what you need from a set up and learn to do that. It's not hard. Buy second hand and you generally won't lose much money if you decide to move it on. Have fun exploring in the meantime.

[neepheid]

I can't wait for someone to come into this thread prophesising your demise in the fires of hell if you dare to buy an instrument unseen...

[TheGreek]

Can't remember when I last bought a bass from a shop.

 

I'm a terrible impulse buyer so it's "see it, want it,  buy it.."

 

Not recommended technique...means that you go through a lot of instruments. 

[neepheid]

Just now, Doctor J said:

I haven't set foot in a guitar shop in many, many years. I am quite particular in terms of how I like an instrument set up so found trying in guitar shops utterly pointless. I don't think 5 minutes in a shop really gives you too much insight. Learning how to set up instruments liberated me to buy anything interesting-looking second hand in the knowledge I could sort any foibles it may arrive with. I have a good idea of what I like and I don't like, what will work for me and what won't. Learn how an instrument works and what you need from a set up and learn to do that. It's not hard. Buy second hand and you generally won't lose much money if you decide to move it on. Have fun exploring in the meantime.

 

I agree with everything here, except for the lack of visiting shops - I still like to ogle basses IRL when I get the chance.  I don't bug the staff unless I'm fairly sure I want to buy something though.  The last time I was in a shop I did ask to try their Reverends and my wife bought me my Triad.  But I would have asked for it to be ordered online for me if I hadn't been in Glasgow.

[WinterMute]

Generally, I'll play any bass that comes into the studio that I haven't seen before, provided the owner is happy for me to play it, I've played most makes and models in the mainstream market and quite a few custom builds, I decided to get Alan at ACG to build my last fretless after playing a Krell brought in for a session and absolutely loving it.

 

Same with the EBMM SR5's, played a number in session, loved them, bought some.

 

Really like the look of the 35th Anni SR5s, might go find one in a shop to give it a noodle, unlikely to see one in a session.

[Lozz196]

After many years of buying & selling second hand I now know my preferred basses - 2013-16 Fender US Standard Precisions. As these aren’t in production anymore I can only buy used now. But up until that point it was trial & error til I hit the jackpot. Rather ironically my fave one - and the first of this series I bought - I bought new, at an incredibly good price.

[KingBollock]

My two oldest basses were bought from shops when I lived up in the Midlands, where if you tripped over in the street, you might fall into an instrument shop. 
 

I have a bit of an issue when it comes to shopping, though. I absolutely fall apart if there are too many people about. But looking around music shops is ace!

 

I have another bass that I bought in a shop fairly locally. However, the last time I went in there they hardly had anything of anything. Living where I do now, it is difficult to find instrument shops locally, and even harder to find one that might stock basses. I remember wondering around one guitar shop and remarking to my wife that they only had one bass in the whole place. The chap behind the counter overheard and said that he thought I looked like a bass player when I walked in. I took that as a compliment!

 

Several years ago I got my Warlock from Ebay. There was precious little detail in the advert and the single photo was atrocious. But I knew the model of the bass and that it was The One! It was stupid of me to trust it so completely, but I did the buy it now thing and paid immediately… And then I waited. Eventually a couple of weeks had gone by and I finally got a message back from the seller. He apologised, saying that he’d been on holiday and forgotten he’d put the bass up for sale..! But he did send it. It arrived in a hard case with a bin liner over one end and two pieces of cardboard taped to it…

And it was unplayable! No wonder it was going so cheap. The action was incredibly high, and it had to have been right from the factory because there was no way to lower it. The neck was flat and the saddles were bottomed out. I tried to find a lower profile bridge to replace the one it came with, but had no luck. In the end I ground the saddles down to half their original height. Now it plays like an absolute dream!

 

Yesterday I bought my first ever bass on BassChat. To say I am nervous would be a huge understatement, but I am a very nervous person. It all happening around Christmas and with mail strikes going on, well…

 

[Buddster]

37 minutes ago, KingBollock said:

The action was incredibly high, and it had to have been right from the factory because there was no way to lower it. The neck was flat and the saddles were bottomed out. I tried to find a lower profile bridge to replace the one it came with, but had no luck. In the end I ground the saddles down to half their original height. Now it plays like an absolute dream!

 

 

If it's any consolation I had to do exactly this on a brand new Squier. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Buddster
Re-spelling of Squier before i get into trouble 🫣

[PaulThePlug]

Best results iv'e had are Gumtree...

 

Search bass guitar, distance i can travel, price low to high, see what is in budget, see what i like... do some research.

 

Ibanez GSR200... already had one, couldn't leave it at the price.

Ibanez SR600... couldn't leave it at the price.

Ibanez SR300... couldn't leave it at the price.

 

Also worth a look in local Cash Converters.

 

Others are Bitsa's following custom bodys

[Jay2U]

I want to inspect and play any instrument before buying, period. When I bought my G&L bass, I had them take four basses from stock, some with basswood, some with swamp ash body. I then compared feel, balance and tone, using my trusted pedal and headphones.

[PaulWarning]

being a lefty it's even more difficult to find a shop that stocks that instrument you want, as @Doctor J says , by second hand then sell on if it's not for you without losing your shirt, o f course this relies on people buying new in the first place, and patience. 

[Bassfinger]

Where possible I buy from a shop, partly to allow me to check the quality of the specific instrument I'm buying, and partly because weight can vary noticeably between otherwise identical instruments.

 

Unfortunately my serial Harley Bemton habit cannot be assuaged in this manner.

[Dad3353]

When buying new, I have them bring out half-a-dozen or so, and I try 'em each in turn, with a light touch at first, then a bit of a thrashing. However, I'm no longer welcome, apparently, at the Aston Martin works. 

[Wylie]

7 hours ago, BassAdder60 said:

Most stores have limited stock today so it’s difficult to try / find a particular bass or amp in stock locally 

 

I always order on line and try and return if I don’t like or it’s faulty or marked etc 

 

Sadly this results in so many goods arriving that are no longer new as such and often marked in some way 

There are few music stores within a fifty-mile radius of where I live, and decent instruments are hard to come by, as noted. Craigslist has been great for me, though. Online buying, not so much. Setups on guitars and basses are often insufficient (or exaggerated at the source) and then much money can be spent correcting the "factory" settings.

[Paul S]

I rarely buy new so I get the majority of my basses from the classifieds here or eBay.  I bought a Guild B-301 on the Facebook market place but I find FB massively confusing so tend to avoid it.  I bought an Antoria short scale EB-3 on Reverb but that is usually too dear.  

 

The few new ones I have bought in recent memory are either from the makers - the PB-30 from Retrovibe, a Jake 5 from Public Peace and a PB Shorty from Thomann - or, one time, a Gibson Les Paul Jnr DC from Gear4Music. 

[binky_bass]

I don't think I've ever bought an instrument 'not blind'! Alan has made me 3 basses, all blind buys as they didn't exist until they were finished. Fred of Bee Basses made Binky, that was again blind, and that is (IMO) the single greatest bass in all conceivable capacities in the world. Every other instrument I own (currently 23 basses/guitars, a Mapex drum kit, numerous cymbals, pedals, a piano, 3 ukuleles, a Dynacord desk, EV PA Speakers etc) have all been 'bought blind' and I've never regretted it!

 

Only ever buying if you can pre-test things is massively limiting in my opinion. 

[ezbass]

I’ve just realised that all of my current basses have been bought sight unseen and I’ve surprised myself at this realisation. Previous to these, I’m pretty sure all my basses were shop bought.

[Owen]

The concept of not buying blind was for real back in the 70s and 80s when manufacturing tolerances were ..... liberal. By now things are much tighter and I do not worry about it. If you want to try different things, find a Bass Bash. Noodle all day. 

[Ralf1e]

I have over 10 bought online and have never had to return one also others bought face to face in shops or from ads on Gumtree etc

Most things will require a setup anyway.

Maybe I am just not fussy enough.

To me even if a neck needs shimming or similar it doesn't surprise me after all these things are assembled by human beings.

Obviously higher end stuff you expect the setup to be playable out of the box.

[BigRedX]

Thee is no such thing a "A SET UP". There is your preferred setup which will be slightly (or even very) different for every single one of us here, so other than making sure the action isn't ridiculously high or low and the intonation is set correctly for that action there is little a shop/distributor/manufacturer can do in this regard.

 

IME trying in a shop is fairly pointless as you will never be able to tell what the instrument sounds like through your exact rig in a band context, which is probably the most important factor after how it looks. Also how many of you here try a bass out on a strap in the shop before purchasing? Unless you only play sitting down how it hangs on your preferred length of strap can make a massive difference to the playability.

[Drax]

OP - definitely go try some at Bass Direct, Bass Gallery - and fair chance you won’t end up buying a Sandberg.
 

You’ll get diagnosed and told to ‘try this’ - often they’re spot on, or at least helps you articulate what you’re really after. Happened to all of us here at some stage, leaving a shop with completely different bass from what you walked in for.