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Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: pamlicojack on May 18, 2009, 09:43:41 AM

Title: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: pamlicojack on May 18, 2009, 09:43:41 AM
While I'm not a huge bass buyer and seller, (I haven't bought a bass in over 4 years but looking at one now.)  I still see lots of people buying and selling their stuff and sometimes it seems no one is being affected by hard times.  My rhythm player just dropped $1600 for a new Gretsch and it makes me wonder where is everyone getting all this money to buy these cool basses?


 ???
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Dave W on May 18, 2009, 09:50:02 AM
It sure has in my case.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: godofthunder on May 18, 2009, 10:15:01 AM
It's put a crimp in my style thats for sure and prices seem to be holding, I don't see any drastic drops in the used/vintage market.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: gweimer on May 18, 2009, 10:32:42 AM
My GAS (except for the occasional temptations plugged here) was pretty much on the wane before the economy bottomed out.  I did buy one bass because it was too good a deal to pass up.  I'm not really looking to buy more, and am actually holding off on selling a couple until the market gets a little better.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: TBird1958 on May 18, 2009, 10:38:06 AM

Mmmmmmmmm.............

Lets see, since August '08.

Epi fenderbird
Gibson Nikki Sixx MkII.
Orville Thunderbird
Mike Lull Thunderbird

and there's a BaCHBird out there somewhere.

But I'm single and don't have any children or wife support thingys to deal with   ;)
 
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Barklessdog on May 18, 2009, 12:20:34 PM
That & my son's college tuition. Ouch!!!!
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Highlander on May 18, 2009, 02:43:17 PM
Ahh... if wishes were four stringed... I'm sorting out stuff to sell to pay for the refurb of my tired kit...  :sad:
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Basvarken on May 18, 2009, 02:56:57 PM
Yep, most certainly.
I passed on at least one bass that I really wanted badly...
if not two.

I even sold one bass. And I hardly ever sell anything. I just can't let them go...
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: kungfusheriff on May 18, 2009, 08:46:39 PM
it makes me wonder where is everyone getting all this money to buy these cool basses?

Probably credit, which I avoid like the plague. I can explain why if you have a few minutes to kill. What it boils down to is, Mrs. KFS has me on the one-bass-per-year plan, which is working well because it's encouraged me to save money and choose my toys very carefully.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: angrymatt on May 18, 2009, 09:15:08 PM
Not really.  I've got a 3 pup faded flying v on lay away right now (buddy should be picking it up for me at the end of the month).  Being deployed means I'm getting extra pay, and no taxes right now, so I should be getting a new bass, bird, g-3 or rd, which ever gets to the money in my pocket first when I get back stateside (maybe another Spector Re-bop 5, I've really missed mine a lot since I traded it away) and hopefully the bachbird.

I also have plans for a pink semihollow telebass (not the slab P-bass telebass, but the tele shaped telebass) so warmoth might be taking some of my hostile fire pay too.

Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Freuds_Cat on May 19, 2009, 12:37:02 AM
No real effect on me as yet. Govt job and being in Australia means things have not really changed that much yet. My Ration money for bass gear is not huge but I've still managed 4 basses a few speakers, a small mixing desk a 15" combo and 2 amps over the last year.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: lowend1 on May 19, 2009, 04:15:23 AM
I usually sell off stuff in order to acquire new toys. In addition, I'm pretty realistic as to what I GAS over - this past year I had the SX bass bug (3 times!) and concentrated on unfinished projects, so it's been relatively inexpensive on the whole.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: OldManC on May 19, 2009, 09:33:39 AM
I've been out of the buying frenzy for a few years now. I get a little bummed thinking about everything I've sold as well but in the end it's helped me to remember what's important (family and the time I can spend with them). I just splurged on two Bach birds which were the least I've spent on a bass in years. The economy and other factors certainly contributed to my change in circumstances, but I can only play one at a time anyway so I can't complain!
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Pilgrim on May 19, 2009, 03:14:46 PM
I can't say that the economy has changed my buying habits - but I'm a really cheap bass buyer, almost always used and only at a great price.  I sold an EB-3 to balance out the expense on the Sunn Coliseum amp I just bought - but my bass-hanging wall is at capacity, so I'd have done that anyway.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Highlander on May 19, 2009, 03:37:19 PM
Damn it Bret... sounds like you work for the same government outfit that we have over here...  ;D

I heard that accusations have been flying over Mr Garretts expenses, too...!
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Freuds_Cat on May 19, 2009, 05:24:00 PM
First I've heard of it Ken. I listen to the ABC (like your BBC) and keep reasonably abreast of local politics.
The opposition have been trying to shame the govt over their travel expenditure levels but they haven't claimed that the travel itself was personal travel. Just an opposition doing what oppositions do as far as I can tell.
All checks and balances. They wont be able to push it too far because Howard tops the tree when it comes to this stuff. They will look like hypocrites.

Seriously, things are not too bad here yet. We haven't had anywhere near the levels of job loss predicted for now and the banks, while they did get stung are all viable and lending as per normal. No govt bail outs to any of them has even been considered as far as I know.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: bobyoung on May 19, 2009, 09:52:03 PM
It has effected me, I haven't bought a bass in several years and have sold several, and may be selling a few more. It's very hard to get overtime where I work now whereas a year ago it was there for the asking just about every week.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Highlander on May 20, 2009, 03:18:37 PM
Bret... send us a few house prices...  ;D
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Freuds_Cat on May 20, 2009, 04:52:40 PM
Obviously a lot cheaper than good ol Kingston but they have remained very stable here. Only investment properties have dipped slightly. Jobless rate has has actually fallen from 5.7% to 5.4% in the last quarter and yesterday the governor of the reserve bank said that he can see an economic recovery beginning by the end of the year.

This is all from the ABC.
The RBA governor also reiterated the well-worn line that Australia is relatively well placed to survive the downturn and make the most of a return to global economic growth. We did go into this with a massive surplus which the Howard govt had been building for over 10 years.

"Both our countries [Australia and Canada] have reason to believe that we will come through this episode in reasonable shape," he said.

They are now starting to talk about how they are going to control the inflation rate as we come out of the rescesion.


Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Denis on May 24, 2009, 03:03:04 PM
Since I only got into this stuff in 2008, and don't have  nearly the savvy of everyone else here, I would say the economy hasn't held me up.
Since December, 2008:
Ibanez Gio GSR200FM (gone now) and Marshall Mini Lead 12
'08 Danelectro '63 Longscale
'06 Epiphone Thunderbird
Fender 15" Bassman Compact
'02 Telecaster Classic 60
'07 Telecaster Standard
'95 Fender Cowpoke Bass
'72 Fender Bassman 10

To be fair though, none of this stuff was new, most came off CL or eBay and were cheap and the oldest item, the Bassman 10, cost me the most.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: angrymatt on May 24, 2009, 09:04:51 PM
I had a dano baritone guitar once that I traded for a drumset I think.  But since those longscales came out, I'm really itching to get one.
Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Rhythm N. Bliss on May 25, 2009, 06:33:13 AM
Yep. Brought tough times on myself by gettin' that Zemaitis. Mighty glad I got the Z tho!
Gotta sell another ax I don't really wanna let go, my immaculate Greco lefty SG.
Puttin' it up for sale on craigslist for 7 hun obo. I'll post pics ASAP, she's a beaut!


Title: Re: Has the economy affected your bass buying?
Post by: Denis on May 26, 2009, 05:26:44 AM
I had a dano baritone guitar once that I traded for a drumset I think.  But since those longscales came out, I'm really itching to get one.

I love the thing! I'd suggest buying one new rather than second-hand like I did. Turns out the neck had poorly installed frets and fixing that was going to cost as much as a new neck. If I'd bought it new, I probably could have gotten a replacement for nothing. It's a great sounding bass though, easy to play and the nearly half-round neck shape is super comfortable.