Value of a Modded Squier?

Is this bass worth more than $500?

  • Yes, >$500

    Votes: 4 3.9%

  • No, <$500

    Votes: 99 96.1%
  • Total voters
    103
B

Byrinthion

Guest
Nov 11, 2016
55
21
4,531
#1
Hi there TalkBass,

I've got a Squier jazz bass that I bought for $140 at a pawn shop. Since it's purchase, I've put Seymour Duncan antiquity ii pickups in, and a fretless maple/ebony neck in. That together costed me about $500. It's been in perfect condition since, and makes a really sweet Jaco Bass sound, but I really don't play it. I have recently gotten more into Guitar and I would really like to purchase a telecaster but I don't have the money to do it right now because of the mods into the jazz bass. What would the bass be valued at? Could I perhaps trade it for a Fender MIM Telecaster either in a store like Sam Ash, or in the classified here on this website?
 

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#3
Gorn said:
You could try. Sign up for a supporting membership and you can put this up for trade in the classifieds.
Click to expand...
Well, in that case I have two questions:
1. How do I sign up for a supporting memebership?
2. Would you think it would be better to sell for $500ish or try to ask for trade?

Which leads into the sub question, how do trades work on this website if you've ever done one? Do I wait for their guitar to arrive to send mine, or do I send mine and then they send theirs? Or do we coordinate to do it at the same time, and trust one another? I don't understand it.
 
#5
Byrinthion said:
Hi there TalkBass,

I've got a Squier jazz bass that I bought for $140 at a pawn shop. Since it's purchase, I've put Seymour Duncan antiquity ii pickups in, and a fretless maple/ebony neck in. That together costed me about $500. It's been in perfect condition since, and makes a really sweet Jaco Bass sound, but I really don't play it. I have recently gotten more into Guitar and I would really like to purchase a telecaster but I don't have the money to do it right now because of the mods into the jazz bass. What would the bass be valued at? Could I perhaps trade it for a Fender MIM Telecaster either in a store like Sam Ash, or in the classified here on this website?
Click to expand...
Not words: costed, gotten

Sorry, just giving you a hard time for fun.


Byrinthion said:
Well, in that case I have two questions:
1. How do I sign up for a supporting memebership?
2. Would you think it would be better to sell for $500ish or try to ask for trade?

Which leads into the sub question, how do trades work on this website if you've ever done one? Do I wait for their guitar to arrive to send mine, or do I send mine and then they send theirs? Or do we coordinate to do it at the same time, and trust one another? I don't understand it.
Click to expand...

1. In the upper right corner of every page, under your user name, inbox, and alerts is a link that actually says: "Become a supporting member"
2. That's up to you.

As far as how the details of a trade work out, that's decided by the people trading, there is no blanket rule.
 
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#6
Yes, I have all the original parts, I was think that too. But on the
SunnBass said:
Not words: costed, gotten

Sorry, just giving you a hard time for fun.




1. In the upper right corner of every page, under your user name, inbox, and alerts is a link that actually says: "Become a supporting member"
2. That's up to you.

As far as how the details of a trade work out, that's decided by the people trading, there is no blanket rule.
Click to expand...

oh my god you're right. I normally never get grammar or semantics wrong and I'm actually minorly embarrassed...

And I looked up the supporting member thing, that sounds easy enough. I'm a little bit concerned about the trade, but I assume it'll work out. How reliable do people tend to be on here?
 
#8
jd56hawk said:
I hate to be the one to tell you but I don't think you'll get even $400 for it.
Good luck, though.
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I figured that true. That's the general consensus on the Internet. I would just really hate to not only have it waste away in my house when someone could be playing it, and also to think that I threw money into a well that I won't be able to get back. But if that's what I did, that's what I did. And I'm sure I can figure out something to do with it.
 
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#9
Byrinthion said:
I figured that true. That's the general consensus on the Internet. I would just really hate to not only have it waste away in my house when someone could be playing it, and also to think that I threw money into a well that I won't be able to get back. But if that's what I did, that's what I did. And I'm sure I can figure out something to do with it.
Click to expand...
If the right person comes along you might get $300. At least you'd be $300 closer to your Telecaster.
 
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#10
Byrinthion said:
And I looked up the supporting member thing, that sounds easy enough. I'm a little bit concerned about the trade, but I assume it'll work out. How reliable do people tend to be on here?
Click to expand...
All members have trading stats on their profile page.
Also, any time I've followed through with a trade on TalkBass, we've given each other our real names and addresses, which is necessary for shipping, right?
 
#11
SunnBass said:
All members have trading stats on their profile page.
Also, any time I've followed through with a trade on TalkBass, we've given each other our real names and addresses, which is necessary for shipping, right?
Click to expand...
Well yes, of course it is. But I know the Internet is shady when it wants to be shady. And I'm all for the barter and trade, but I've never done something like it not in person. That's to say every trade I've ever gone through has been face to face, in hand out of hand sort of trades. This is new territory to me.
 
#12
jd56hawk said:
If the right person comes along you might get $300. At least you'd be $300 closer to your Telecaster.
Click to expand...
Sure, I suppose so. I appreciate your optimism. But that in mind, I might just put it on Ebay for $200 or even $180, and see if it rises. I don't want to whiff it though either, and auction it for $30 and then end up selling it for $31.01 ya know?
 
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#13
As a rule of thumb, you'll never recover anywhere close to 100% of your aftermarket upgrades. Maybe like 25-50% at best depending on a bunch of factors. Also need to consider depreciation on the instrument itself -up to 50%.

So your original $140 is now like $70-100. Your $500 in upgrades is now like $125-250. So you're looking AT BEST $350 if you find th right buyer. I'd say $250 to $300 is more realistic.

Edit: - since you bought the guitar used and still have the original parts, the depreciation might not be as much as i estimated.
 
#14
DirtDog said:
As a rule of thumb, you'll never recover anywhere close to 100% of your aftermarket upgrades. Maybe like 25-50% at best depending on a bunch of factors. Also need to consider depreciation on the instrument itself -up to 50%.

So your original $140 is now like $70-100. Your $500 in upgrades is now like $125-250. So you're looking AT BEST $350 if you find th right buyer. I'd say $250 to $300 is more realistic.
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This is true. I don't necessarily expect to get $500 back. But it would be nice ya know? Even $250 would be fair. I wouldn't like it but I wouldn't complain. But on that same hand, the pickups are worth $200 as it stands. I'd sell those for $170, and the neck I could keep, and put on something else. Sell the bass as stock for $70 or $100, and the badass bridge for $30 or $25. I'd end up with a little under half what I paid for, but ehh, maybe I could haggle for more with some quick sales work. Thank you though.
 
#15
And then sell the neck maybe for $100. I drilled straight through it by mistake so after the holes are filled, I'm sure someone somewhere will by an ebony neck for a quarter the price you could buy it for elsewhere.
 
#16
I think @dxb's suggestion to restore back to original condition is a good one. You could probably sell it for what you paid for it, if to even a little more. Selling the neck and pickups separately, might get you more money out of your investment and have an easier time selling them. It's a beautiful looking bass that I'm sure sounds great! I personally wouldn't spend $500 on a bass that began as a squire and was then modded by someone I don't know.

EDIT: I just read other posts that came in as I was typing mine. I definitely think you could sell it stock for more than $70-$100. $150 easily. I think you'll get much more out of your pickups by selling them separately. Maybe $150 if they were $200 new. If you drilled all the way through the neck, less for that, but 25% the original cost, I have no doubt you'll find a buyer.
 
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#18
BaileyMan said:
I think @dxb's suggestion to restore back to original condition is a good one. You could probably sell it for what you paid for it, if to even a little more. Selling the neck and pickups separately, might get you more money out of your investment and have an easier time selling them. It's a beautiful looking bass that I'm sure sounds great! I personally wouldn't spend $500 on a bass that began as a squire and was then modded by someone I don't know.
Click to expand...
Yeah that's fair. I probably wouldn't either of I'm being honest with you. That does sound like you'd be getting the butt end of a bad deal, but I also think there's a negative stigma toward Squier that's a little overdramatized. But I agree, I wouldn't buy a Squier for $500 either. So maybe I'll give selling each part individually instead, and we'll see how it goes.
 
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#20
Bodeanly said:
The only reason to upgrade a Squier is because you plan to keep it forever. Don't ever put money into something that is easily obtainable at a low price and expect to get more than that out of it.
Click to expand...
No I agree. And I've learned that now. But if there was somebody looking to trade my place with theirs, say a mim Tele player with a slightly beat Tele looking to get a jazz bass that sounds like an American for a lower price, I'd take it if they would. I'll strip it and set it to stock and sell that though. We'll have to wait and see how it goes.
 
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