Okay so I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but I guess I may as well get into it while its still around.
But this is an odd topic to have one's first blog about, isn't it? Well after months of searching and not buying because I have no money , I have some tips that may help.
BUYING
1. So, you have some cash and want to spend some of it on some lovely bass gear. Where to start? The obvious one is figure out how much money you are willing to spend. Then, figure out exactly what you want. May sound really obvious, but this is the most important thing. Does it HAVE to be new? Can it have some scratches? All important things to consider. I'll use a pedal as an example.
You want a pedal? Great, what kind? A distortion. Great, what kind? Uh I don't know. GTFO my world!
Seriously, try everything, and when you figure out what you want, try other stuff to make more sure you know what you want. Try the shittiest, cheapest pedal out there, and then try the most ridiculously overpriced, but still amazing one. If you notice no difference in the quality of sound, than maybe you don't need that most expensive pedal. I believe that it all comes down to you. If you like your Epi bass through a Big Muff into a Behringer, more power to you. No one else may, but as long as you are enjoying it, thats all that matters. We'll tell you not to do it, but you are the ultimate decider. Playing bass is supposed to be about fun first and foremost right? Getting laid, getting signed, is less important. Well...getting signed is less important
2. So you know what pedal you want, you've made sure you want it, and you know exactly what you are going to do with it? Good for you, want a cookie? Now you need to find out what the typical new price is. I call it the "musiciansfriend" price. Its the price all the big name stores sell gear for. Unless you are buying something really special (custom shop, etc), IMO you should not pay that price. Even new, you should be able to get the pedal cheaper. Lets use fitzy's favorite pedal, the Fulltone Bass Drive. On the Fulltone site it says it retails for US 199. So if I get it for 180 I'm doing great right? WRONG, most gear goes for somewhat less than the retail. So you go to Bass Exchange or some professionalish site and see that it goes for US 180. You should want to pay less than that. With pedals, you may find the savings aren't much (2-3 dollars). Thats fine, it all adds up.
3. Once you have your price, go to ebay and see if there are any Fulltone Bass Drives out there. I checked and found none that were lower than the $180. But wait, what if the pedal isn't the same as it was in the store? Well I personally feel any two items, whether they be pedals, amps, basses, whatever, should be very similar if they are made by the same people. If one is worse, than that means to me that the QC is bad on the company's part. But in any case, there is no pedal.
So what do you do now? Wait, unless you need this pedal urgently. I saw one of these go for $155 on ebay a couple days ago. Or, if ebay has failed you, here are some other places to check out: craigslist, talkbass (if you're already a member), or your local small guitar shop. The bigger the chain, the worse your deal will be. To show this, Guitar Center said that they would give me $250 for my Schecter Studio, a bass that sells on Musicians Friend for over $500. Yeah, 90% of the time, your better off buying from an individual or small store. Well anyway, I assume you have found someone or somewhere that you can buy whatever you are buying at a good price.
4. Now that you know all of the above, its time to find out about the specific unit you are buying. If you found it locally, see if you can go try out the pedal face to face. If a person or small chain is selling it, they shouldn't have any problems. If its on ebay, ask lots of questions. Serial number? Cosmetic damage? Reason for selling? Make sure that you are not getting ripped off whichever way you are buying. If you have common sense, then you should be able to avoid getting ripped off. NOW is when you make an offer, bid on the pedal, start the 2 hour drive to the nearest store, whatever. If you don't get it, don't feel too bad. Chances are, if you are reading this, then you play bass, and you've probably been disappointed many times before (OH NO HE DIDN'T)
Just try again with another pedal.
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And there you have it, an incoherent, pointless, and boring waste of your time.
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IndianRockStar's blogs, last updated : February 17, 2008
, I have some tips that may help.
