Christopher Basses and Resale/Trade Value

[Brian Casey]

Hey all -

So, I'm in the market for an older European bass (as my current thread called Juzek NY? demonstrates) and I think I'm close to finding the right instrument out of a few that are currently available in my city.

My question now is what to do with my 7/8 Christopher 401. It's carved back and top (new info to me indicates laminate sides, but I'm not 100% on that...) and I've really liked the bass for the 2 years or so I've had it. It has a great big sound and is pretty accessible for a 7/8 bass - likely because the meansure is right around 42 inches.

I've been given advice by people around here I trust with conflicting opinions to either keep or sell this Christopher. I do like the sound, but I'm in this for the long haul and plan to continually upgrade until I've found what I consider a 'lifetime' instrument.

Music is a serious avocation; I'd consider myself semi-pro, as I make only 10-20% of my income playing and teaching bass.

Clearly, my choices are to keep or sell/trade the Christopher. I have about $3200 into it with Bobelok case and Full Circle. If I were to keep it, I don't think it would be played much. If I were to sell it, I'd probably just keep the proceeds in savings for now OR invest in a better bow.

Any thoughts on how the resale value will be affected over time? Are there opinions in terms of whether these basses are expected to increase in value over the years, or am I going to be losing capital if I hang on to it and think about selling in a couple years' time?

Seems like the Shen's might have a better chance of increasing in value over time, but this particlular instrument does have a better sound than most - it actually speaks and projects better than the Christopher 502 I play next to in a community orchestra - and they were set up by the same luthier...

Any thoughts from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

Brian Casey
aka Tanglehead

[Ken Smith]

Dealers make a profit when they sell Basses new and used. If it were me, I would give you less than MY wholesale cost for a new one towards a more expensive Bass unless I was making a huge profit on it. Then I could make believe that you can have full retail credit on your Crissy if and when you upgrade.. Yeah, right.. Do you drive a car?..lol

Since you do play gigs and teach Bass as well this Bass is worth more as a second Bass for you on let's say outdoor gigs or less desirable venues that you wouldn't bring your good Bass to as well as a Bass for your students to play when they come for Lessons. Also, you can consider the value of the Bass as a one time insurance premium as each time you take that Bass out, the good one is home safe and sound.

Look, I like making money in business just like the next guy but the reality is that new merchandise is worth less than half what you pay the day after you leave the store. Selling it privately is the other option but being that it is a relatively new Bass and still available not like some 50-300 year old Bass, you will have to take less than the new cost in most cases.

If you must sell or trade the Bass in for monetary reasons, then pick the option that works best for you. I just wanted to point out the reality of things from a dealer viewpoint.

On your Bass, if the Ribs are Plywood then the Back may be as well but I don't know your particular Bass. Many Plywood Basses today though have solid non-ply bent Maple ribs as well.

If you can afford to keep your Bass and also upgrade at the same time then the value of having a back-up is greater than its market price.

[Brian Casey]

Thanks, Ken. That's exactly the kind of perspective I was hoping to get.

I had been told by pro who has a couple basses I'm looking at to sell the Chrissy as soon as I could - once I got a better bass, of course - because the resale value would drop quickly. I wasn't sure if I agreed, but mostly because these basses get pretty good reviews and this particular instrument has received high praise from other players and musicians.

I think I'll likely keep it as long as it makes sense. I also have the option to trade it in to the dealer I bought it (used) from at what I paid for it, minus any specific wear issues. It's still in fine shape and the last time he saw it, he said it would garner what I paid for it two years ago.

I hope to be posting pic's of my new (older) German.Czech bass pretty soon to hopefully get your feedback on what it might be. I'm looking at several right now and waiting to see more in the next week or two.

Thanks again,

Brian

[JoeyNaeger]

When I got my Solano, I thought about selling my hybrid. I eventually decided to keep it and I'm glad I did. On the whole, I don't play it that often, but there have been several instances where it saved me a lot of trouble. I had my solano in the shop for a while once. Also, I was flying to a summer camp once and discovered that my Solano couldn't fit in the travel trunk I was borrowing the night before I left. In both cases, my hybrid saved me a lot of hassle, and made it well worth keeping it.

[Michael Case]

I vote for keeping the Chrissy too. I have a hybrid that I plan on keeping upon the purchase of another bass. I play some outdoor and questionable venue gigs and would like to have an extra bass for those situations. Plus I remember when my bass was in the shop for two weeks getting a new fingerboard, I had to play a few gigs on electric. There's no bigger drag than straight ahead jazz on an electric bass, well maybe not having ANY bass is a bigger drag. You get my point.

Good luck in your search,
Mike

[Flint Buchanan]

if you were on the right, instead of the left, coast I might make you an offer on that chrissie. I've been very happy with the tone and construction of my hybrid, and have thought about going to the fully carved if the right oportunity came around.

Here's another option that just came to me-find a deserving bass student and loan them the christopher. I don't know all the in's and out's of liability, but it could help an otherwise underprivelidged person know the joys of playing a quality instrument.

Otherwise, I'd keep her. You've already taken the depreciation hit, and my money says that eventually things coming out of china are going to get more expensive. Then you'll start to see an increase in the cost of these currently budget grade instruments and we'll be looking at them the way folks look at the wilfers and juzeks now.