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Try before you buy


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When I try out a bass it's all about the feel for me, so I'll play it unplugged so as not to be distracted. I'm almost not interested in how it sounds plugged in, if it plays well I'll change the pups and preamp to get it where I need. Every bass I've ever owned I've replaced the pups with custom ones and quite often the preamp as well. And if the pups need to be in a different position I'll get them re-routed. 

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On 08/07/2024 at 11:29, Linus27 said:

After nearly 40 years of playing, I've come to the conclusion that a good old passive Fender Jazz or Precision is what suits me best. My favourite's are Japanese Fender's because of the gloss neck but they are also the most comfortable to play in my hands. My Mexican FSR 70's Precision is sublime and the best Jazz I ever played was the Mexican 70's Classic. The best sounding Precision I've played is the Mexican Mike Dirnt and I've had two identical AVRI75 Jazz basses and one was incredible and played itself and the other was as dull as dish water and far from anything special. My first ever Stingray was an absolute dog, my second was nothing special and mega heavy and my third was really nice but my recent fretless SR4 was easily the best Stingray I've owned.

Pretty much exactly my experience.  A good old P bass or at a push a jazz fits me just fine, especially the MIJ ones from the 80's.  My main squeeze if a MIJ 57 RI from 1985 that is the best p bass ive ever played.  Back up is a cheapo Squire VM 77 which is lovely in itself.  Doesnt stop me going off piste every now and again and GAS'ing over Rics, semi hollows, Spectors etc :)

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We have one small music shop in our city.  The last time I visited they had a handful of Fender look-a-like basses hanging up (no leftys) and that was it.  I either have to travel out of the county, generally to Morecambe in Lancashire, to try any bass guitars or use the internet and buy "blind".  I bought my Italia on-line after reading a review of it and seeing demo'd on YouTube.  I like the Italia but have nothing really to compare it to.  There may be more suitable instruments out there but I'm happy with my choice.  Try before you buy sounds great in theory but the paucity of music shops up here makes the chance of doing so impossible. 

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23 minutes ago, LeftyP said:

We have one small music shop in our city.  The last time I visited they had a handful of Fender look-a-like basses hanging up (no leftys) and that was it.  I either have to travel out of the county, generally to Morecambe in Lancashire, to try any bass guitars or use the internet and buy "blind".  I bought my Italia on-line after reading a review of it and seeing demo'd on YouTube.  I like the Italia but have nothing really to compare it to.  There may be more suitable instruments out there but I'm happy with my choice.  Try before you buy sounds great in theory but the paucity of music shops up here makes the chance of doing so impossible. 

I share your pain, I live in Pakistan hence I make the most of it when I visit the UK.

I think with my original post, it wasn't that people should try before you buy, more that how much of a difference it makes if you can..... especially with the case in point which was the preconceptions of high end basses and how I thought they would play.

Also, for most of us I'm guessing buying a bass is not like doing the weekly shop and more of an event. So maybe worth combining with a trip even if it is for a lower priced instrument.... not always possible I know 

 

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Two of my longest serving instruments are a Tokai Les Paul and a Crafter acoustic, when I brought the Les Paul the shop had about 15 or them hanging on the wall, I knew I wasn't bothered whether it was a standard or a custom and wasn't fussed over colours so I played them all and brought the one I liked best

 

Acoustic guitars have never been my thing, but I needed one and so decided I would buy one and only one and it would be a keeper, I went to a shop in Kettering that had a good twenty or more acoustics ranging from a couple of hundred quid to £1500.00 again I played them all and picked the one that played and sounded best, A Crafter ltd edition SM Rose with this horrific salmon swimming upstream fret inlay (Google it!) I still utterly hate it but it is still the only acoustic I have ever owned or needed....try before you buy....every time if possible!

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