Bass buying advice

C

CRain

Apr 16, 2018
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#1
Hello Talk Bass world,

I am new to bass playing, I’ve been a drummer for 40 years and decided to take up bass and get lessons and I’m loving it.

I came across a bass for sale and I wanted some opinions on weather to buy it or wait for something else to come along.

It’s an American 2007 Fender P Bass Deluxe, Black with a maple fret board.
Come with OHSC and papers.
It’s in great shape except for some dent marks on the back of the neck.
He’s asking $850 for it.
I’m the type of person that really takes care of my gear.

Is it worth pursuing or should I stay away?

Thanks a lot,

Corrado
 

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#5
Sounds like a nice p bass. I have a 2001 American p bass and it’s my #2. Love it. Simple and easy to use, it sounds “like a bass”

Put some labella flats on that sucka and you’ve got a force to be reckoned with.

I would buy it
 
#8
... maybe a couple bigger questions I would consider, is if I wanted an active P over a passive P, and if I wanted it with a Humbucker rather than just a split P pup ... ;)

Just FYI, should you decide to go with it, I glanced in my files and color is listed as Montego Black, and list price new (not street price) was $1684 ... but, it could still have an 'o7 serial #, and if produced later in the year, it could be a 2008 model year bass, where there was a price increase to $1899, in essence for the same bass, no changes from what I can see ... Montego Black, maple board, single ply gold beveled pickguard? ...

(Edited to re-phrase the questions ...)
 
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#10
If you are already taking lessons, I'll assume you already have a bass. I think it is a good idea to delay gear purchases as much as possible until you know exactly what you need for the music you want to play. Of course, having a P Bass and a J Bass will never hurt anyone, but you may find that you want active electronics on board, may like slimmer necks or basses that don't weigh so much, or a more modern sound, 5 or 6 strings, etc. Maybe you will find you really don't need a P bass and will save yourself a lot of money.
 
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#11
I agree with Papuzzo above, but it looks like @CRain may have already checked it out.

CRain, if you haven’t bought it already, please do yourself a favour and go to a music store for an hour or so and try out like 10 different basses (not just Fender P’s or J’s, but look at some Ibanez and other makes as well).

Different basses feel different. Ibanez SR’s feel very different than Fender P’s, for example, and it would be good to play both and see which style is more comfortable to you. Heck, some basses from the same product line feel drastically different. I never played a 5 string MIM (Made in Mexico) Jazz that felt nice in my hands, until I stumbled on one in a shop a week ago. I played two new Rickenbackers at the same store two weeks apart and they couldn’t feel any different. One played like butter and I played it for a long time, and the other one was very uncomfortable and I put it back on the shelf immediately.

When I first started playing, I bought my instruments because they looked good or was a certain model and the price was right. It turns out that later, these basses were actually very uncomfortable to play and didn’t fit my typical specs at all, but I didn’t realize it at the time because that’s just how I thought a bass feels.

Long story short, try out as many basses as you can. If this Fender P doesn’t feel right in your hands, it probably isn’t. When you a find bass that does, you’ll know instantly.
 
#12
Even if I like a bass, (the brand, if its cute, sounds OK) but if the neck isn't straight (or can't be straightened with the truss rod) it's useless. Taking any used bass to a competent luthier is is my first priority, if I can't tell by looking.
Little things like bridges, nuts, even tuners can be replaced. A dent of two, if you're a real player, it doesn't really matter.
But a bad neck, that's the deal killer for me.
 
#13
Watch for Bono’s you feel. I don’t like a bass that has a divot on the back if he neck. Other than that, if it’s a player and structurally sound, could be s win.

Watch for fret buzz and check the nut fir structural issues (cracks or pieces missing)

Even if a fret buzzes. It can probably be taken care of with a setup. Have a string instrument buddy ride shotgun on this one if possible.

Will let other folks more educated on valuation chime on on the ask being fair.
 
#14
Hi guy,
Thanks a lot for all of the advice.
As Papuzzo mentioned, I do currently have a bass, it’s a Rickenbacker 4003, 2010. I do love it, it plays really well. I believe I got drawn in to the idea that a different bass would speed up my learning process. Or a smaller neck would help me get around the fretboard easier which would help my playing. A salesman told me the Ric’s were a bit harder to get around and might be harder to learn on. I’m now not finding that to be the case.
Matthew_84 is right, I went and checked out the bass last night. The owner was super nice and had an incredible bass collection.
He showed me some exotic basses that he had for some time and we talked for a while.
He handed me the P-Bass and right off the bat, it appears that he noticed that it wasn’t the right fit, the bass was awesome, the dent mark on the back of the neck didn’t bother me, but it didn’t seem like it fit me.
As Matthew_84 mentioned, and this should be something I already know, I need to go and try out as many basses as I can to find the next one. Additionally, Papuzzo is correct in that I should delay my purchase as much as I can till I figure out exactly what I need before going out and buying something.
Thanks to all you guys for your help!!!!
I really appreciate it!!!
 
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#15
Hey, @CRain a 2010 4003 Rick is definitely a great bass to have while you look for something else to add to your arsenal! You're in no rush at all.

Some Ricks have pretty beefy necks, but as I mentioned above, that's not the case with all Rick's. I played one that was noticeably thinner (front to back) than a Jazz neck and I loved it, but I didn't really need it, so I didn't buy it.

Also, as long as the neck is setup well (can have low relief and action with no buzz) and has good intonation, I don't think it's going to hurt your progress at all. If you love your Rick and the tone you get from it, then that's really all that matters. If you're going to play it for years to come, what's the purpose of having a different style neck that's going to take some getting use to? I didn't ask this to detract you from buying another bass - I'm just playing devil's advocate with the salesman's logic.

I would maybe recommend actually picking up some effect pedals (you don't need to go crazy here, this can be a big rabbit hole), but a good distortion and/or EQ pedal (for example) can really help you nail a lot of different tones. The tone's that you can't get, may lead you to decide what tone you're looking for from your next bass... Or maybe you decide you want a five string, or maybe a fretless, to get you something your Rick cannot.

Once you figure out what bass you want (or feel you need) to accomplish a certain goal, then try different basses out that may be suitable. Try them all - just because one P Bass didn't feel right in your hands, doesn't mean another won't.

Good luck on your bass journey!
 
#17
I would not let some minor cosmetic defects deter me from purchasing a good instrument. New to bass? The Precision is an excellent choice. Make no mistake about it, if you continue at some point in the future you will be tempted and eventually succumb to buying other ("more elaborate") bass styles. Over time, eventually returning to the Precision with hardened appreciation. Happened to me and many many others. On the other hand if you buy wisely and always buy used, (inspect the condition of the neck and its stabilizing truss rod most importantly) you will not loose money over transactions. In summary: small dings? No problem. Play it well.
 
#18
I look at it like this with my students:
If you have to ask questions whether or not to buy a bass with a cosmetic flaw, if it will work for you and your playing, etc, you still need more time to learn rather then worrying about gear. You’ll get to a level where you won’t need anyone’s advise. You’ll pickup the bass and know if you like it or not within 2 mins. I would spend more time with what you have. Save your money, and put in the work. Then, when you can clearly hear the differences and how they feel, try before you buy. Most sales people at GC will tell you what you want to hear as well to make a sale. I know more about the basses when I go then they do haha. Also when your ready, it doesn’t have to be an expensive bass, get what feels right to you.
 
#19
CRain said:
Hello Talk Bass world,

I am new to bass playing, I’ve been a drummer for 40 years and decided to take up bass and get lessons and I’m loving it.

I came across a bass for sale and I wanted some opinions on weather to buy it or wait for something else to come along.

It’s an American 2007 Fender P Bass Deluxe, Black with a maple fret board.
Come with OHSC and papers.
It’s in great shape except for some dent marks on the back of the neck.
He’s asking $850 for it.
I’m the type of person that really takes care of my gear.

Is it worth pursuing or should I stay away?

Thanks a lot,

Corrado
Click to expand...

You can buy a new one for $799.99.
 
#20
FenderB said:
You can buy a new one for $799.99.
Click to expand...

The Deluxe model (MIM) does sell for around $799.99. The American Deluxe (now discontinued and replaced with the American Elite) that is for sale originally sold for around $1700 new. On the used market, I see them sell for around $1100 or so (with retailers).

That said, I think $850 is a great deal provided the description is accurate. They lend themselves nicely to a variety of styles including a percussive sound that would be ideal for a drummer looking to take up bass :)

Hope this helps!
 
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