Should I buy a bass even though I can't afford one right now?

November 21, 2006 5:19 PM

Should I buy a bass even though I can't afford one right now? Guitar Center offers no interest for a year, etc. What's the catch?

My friend recently bought a new guitar from Guitar Center and now I'm thinking (again) of buying a bass and amp. I've been playing for about seven years or so off and on, and I had to sell my old equipment when I moved across country a year ago. I really miss it.

Anyway, said friend bought his guitar on credit--this deal they have where there is no interest for 12 months and no money down. I can't believe there's no catch even though my friend can't seem to find one. So I'm considering doing the same, but I'm skeptical.

Has anyone done this? If so, do you have any words of advice?

Maybe I just need to be talked down? I dunno--I've been on a bit of a spending tear this year (bought a laptop, an LCD monitor) and racked up a pretty high vet bill when my cat died back in the spring. As it stands, I have about 5k in credit card debt and owe considerably more for student loans. I'm not making much right now, but I'm planning on changing that in the new year.

I really want a bass, though. I have no aspirations as a pro musician; me and my friend just wanna screw around.

posted by GS1977 to shopping (35 comments total)

I imagine the catch is that after 12 months, you have to start paying for the bass, including wicked high interest rates. Plus, you might not be in any better a financial spot then than you are now. Should you buy something you can't afford? No. Perhaps you could save up some cash and buy a used bass from Craigslist, etc?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:24 PM on November 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

I haven't done it with Guitar Center, but I did buy a ~$400 digicam from Circuit City a few years back under a similiar agreement. I was living basically paycheck to paycheck and couldn't withstand the blow all at once, but could easily afford to pay the camera off within a year.

Circuit City did it with their own (visa) Credit Card, and the minimum payments were damn low. I paid way more than the minimum and had it taken care of within four months or so, then slashed up the card.

I'm sure the bass+amp is substantially more than an old 2.5 megapixel digicam, but it worked fine for me.
posted by Ufez Jones at 5:33 PM on November 21, 2006

You've seen this, right?
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:36 PM on November 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

What do you mean "planning on changing" your income? How much control do you have over that? Why not make more money today, if you've got that much of a say in it?

In any case, you shouldn't spend money thinking that, in the best case scenario, you'll probably be able to pay it off later. That's a recipe for screwing up your life for a long time. No brainer.

Even if you're making more money next year, you shouldn't even consider making a major purchase until you've at least paid off your credit card debt, and then put aside a nice chunk.
posted by Hildago at 5:36 PM on November 21, 2006

Not only will you have to pay interest at the end of 12 months, but you'll probably also be required to make on-time payments within those 12 months to avoid the imposition of immediate interest penalties. But if you can make the payments on time, and you manage to pay it off within a year, you won't pay anything extra.

Realize that this represents an increase in your debt, and if you're comfortable with that, go ahead. If you want to be "talked down", well, here it is: pay off your credit cards first, then consider new purchases. To do otherwise is risky.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:40 PM on November 21, 2006

The catch with most things like this is that they silently compute the interest in the background. If you make your payment in full, on time, it doesn't matter. But if you miss it at all, you get hit with the full interest amount for the past year, which will keep accruing until you finally pay it off.

Therefore, if you can't afford it, it seems like a bad idea to buy it now. Sure, you might have the money by then, but if you don't, you're going to screw yourself over big time.
posted by fogster at 5:41 PM on November 21, 2006

To summarize:
1) If you pay off the guitar before the 1-year anniversary date of the purchase you will pay no interest.
2) If you pay it off even one day later, you will pay interest for the whole year, probably at some exorbitant rate like 25%.

Another tricky bit: The 1-year anniversary date is not the same as your statement date nor the statement's payment due date.
posted by winston at 6:00 PM on November 21, 2006

Yes, it is quite tricky. As the people above say, after the 12 months are up they charge you interest from day 1. If you are absolutely confident that you can pay it off within the 12 month window it should be okay, but personally in that situation I'd just save the money and buy it when you can afford it. But then, I hate getting anything on credit, and ruthlessly pay off credit cards whenever I have any spare money. If you're just having fun, buying a used bass seems to be much more sensible.
posted by Paragon at 6:12 PM on November 21, 2006

The catch:
Don't Pay For A Full Year Financing Details:
*Same as Cash offer on Guitar Center Preferred Player Credit Card purchases totaling $299 or more. No Finance Charges if purchase paid in full in 12 months. If purchase not paid in full or Account not kept current, Finance Charges assessed from purchase date and Minimum Monthly Payments required. Variable Standard Rate APR: 21.9% as of 11/01/2006. Variable Default Rate APR: 25.65% as of 11/01/2006. Minimum Finance Charge $2.00. Certain rules apply to the allocation of payments and Finance Charges on your promotional purchase if you make more than one purchase on your Guitar Center Preferred Player Credit Card. Call 1-888-367-4310 or review your cardholder agreement for information. Financed purchases MUST be made at the printed/tagged price. Items must be new and in stock. No special orders. Returns and/or exchanges shall not extend or change the 12 months promotional period and all purchases are subject to Guitar Center's return policy (posted in-store and online). Offer valid through 12/31/06.
posted by fourstar at 6:14 PM on November 21, 2006

The best time to buy a musical instrument is the same as the best time to plant a tree: yesterday.
posted by unSane at 6:29 PM on November 21, 2006

"Should I buy a _______ even though I can't afford one right now?"

Um, no.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 6:31 PM on November 21, 2006

I really want a lot of things - a new kitchen, a new computer, a newer car, and I could throw them all on credit, but I'd be completely and totally fucked financially for quite some time. The fact that you asked this question sort of tells us that you already know it's not a great idea.

Wait until you make that change in the coming year that puts you in a better financial situation. Until then, keep plugging away at the current debt.

Better yet -- Look around your home and assess what you don't use/need and throw it up on ebay. We're saving up for a new central air conditioner (not as shnazzy as a guitar, but at this point comfort > shnazzy) and by selling some extra stuff on ebay, I made a decent amount towards our savings.

Make the guitar purchase your reward for putting yourself in a better job and being fiscally responsible. Your friend will be waiting to screw around with his guitar until then.
posted by jerseygirl at 6:38 PM on November 21, 2006

"Financed purchases MUST be made at the printed/tagged price." This is insane. Guitar Center's mark-ups are off the charts. Never, ever, ever pay ticket price at Guitar Center. I recently almost bought a guitar there -- the ticket said it was $850. I asked the clerk how low he could go. He went over to the computer, punched in some numbers (or something...), and said "710." I asked for some free cables and a strap, and he offered them to me no problem. I bought it. Then I went home, found the same guitar on eBay slightly used for $600. Because Guitar Center offers a 30 day, "no questions asked" money back guarantee, I bought the guitar on eBay and returned my new one. The guy asked me why I was returning it and I told him I found the same guitar cheaper. When I told him how much, he said he'd match that price, on the new guitar that he said he couldn't go lower than 710 on. There were a bunch more questions asked about my return and the condition of the guitar before I finally convinced them to take it back and give me my money.

Long story short: all the equipment at Guitar Center is marked up a ton, and the sales people are on commission. Figure out how much they're paying for the bass, offer to pay $20 more and stay firm. You won't get it on credit, but it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper. And you can always bring it back in 30 days...
posted by one_bean at 6:48 PM on November 21, 2006

Is this a joke? I don't see how anyone could possibly read your question and actually say "yes, go for it." This screams bad idea on every possible level, and you already seem to have considerate debt issues, so this will just dig you deeper.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:50 PM on November 21, 2006

If you don't have the money, seriously, don't buy it.

Taking on debt today is just enslaving your future self.
posted by knave at 7:05 PM on November 21, 2006

Don't buy it. Period. You are digging a hole that will take a long time to get out of. And all the posts about missing a payment and the interest becomes due are true. It is a sucker-game. Please don't do that.
posted by JayRwv at 7:13 PM on November 21, 2006

You realize that debt early on in life is very expensive right? Thinking long-term, you would be making money on this otherwise spent money. For something like 30 years. At 5% or so, compounding of course, it actually does add up. Now, I'm not saying don't spend any money, but invest as much as you can, because it's worth a lot to your future self.
1. Pay off your debt now. It's costing you money
2. Start saving. Something. Anything. Nobody is going to take care of you when you're old except you.
3. Buy cool stuff.

Yes, I know this is horrible. We all want it right now. I just wish basic economics was taught in highschool, so you understand just how much money you are losing due to your debt.
posted by defcom1 at 7:29 PM on November 21, 2006

It sounds like you know that you shouldn't make the purchase.

If you have disposable income, then money is there for you to buy things that will make your life more enjoyable. You don't have disposable income right now.

defcom1 has it right.
posted by Alt F4 at 7:49 PM on November 21, 2006

If you really want a bass, I'm sure you get something pretty cheap-ass on Craigslist or something. Probably have more personality than anything you get at GC too!
posted by SampleSize at 8:38 PM on November 21, 2006

I'm with samplesize - you can pick up a sweet bass at your local pawn shop for 100 bucks.

There is a lot of funny righteousness in this thread, though. I'd be willing to bet more than a few of these folks have learned the hard way the lessons they're preaching to you now. I certainly did.

But seriously. Save your credit - you'll really be glad you had it later.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 9:03 PM on November 21, 2006

You should never buy anything you cannot afford right now. You should always have at least 3 months worth of living expenses saved in case of emergency, then splurge on toys, without paying other people for the pleasure of having your money (interest).
posted by jesirose at 9:53 PM on November 21, 2006

There is a lot of funny righteousness in this thread, though. I'd be willing to bet more than a few of these folks have learned the hard way the lessons they're preaching to you now. I certainly did.

Hell yes. I definitely didn't intend to come off as righteous. In fact, I wish I took my foolish purchasing decisions to the green before making them, myself. The asker is already in debt, and is making it pretty clear that he wants to learn the way most of us did -- the hard way. Figured I'd throw my voice in the chorus of "no" and "get out of debt", even though I wasn't really adding any new thoughts.

Interest does two things: It makes people who have money richer, and people who owe money poorer. After being in debt for ~8 years, I definitely value the freedom of not being owned by anyone. It's so worth it, that having to wait a while to save up for things I want or even "need" is acceptable to me. (i.e. I'm still saving up to finish furnishing my apartment, rather than using credit. I have enough for now--a bed, a desk to work at, and a kitchen table--and can look forward to the rest.)
posted by knave at 10:27 PM on November 21, 2006

Just keep an eye on Craigslist; eventually someone near you will sell their P-bass knockoff for $50. Beg, borrow or steal an old Ampex head or something; build yourself a cab out of pine planking, some nails, a jack, and a $100 cone off ebay; and go nuts.

If you can't scrape together $250, you probably need to wait on this a while. Music will still be there. Guitar Center ticket prices are too high and you shouldn't go into hock for the privilege of paying full price there.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:49 PM on November 21, 2006

Thanks for your advice, everyone. I will most likely not buy the bass. Yes, I was obviously keen to the fact that this is not a good idea right now, but what I really wanted was some good data to convince myself of that.

Just a few replies:

You've seen this, right? [link to SNL skit]

Hehe. No, I had not. Thanks. I should get a subscription to "Stop Buying Stuff Magazine." I'll put it on my credit card.

What do you mean "planning on changing" your income? How much control do you have over that? Why not make more money today, if you've got that much of a say in it?

I meant that I'm going to find a new (and higher-paying) job.

Long story short: all the equipment at Guitar Center is marked up a ton, and the sales people are on commission. Figure out how much they're paying for the bass, offer to pay $20 more and stay firm. You won't get it on credit, but it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper. And you can always bring it back in 30 days...

I know this. They're having a big sale right now, though. Basses that normally go for $600 are on sale for at least a few hundred less. You're saying offer them $20 more than cost? Seems like a rather fruitless exercise in haggling.

Is this a joke? I don't see how anyone could possibly read your question and actually say "yes, go for it."

My question was poorly worded, I guess. I wanted clarification on that credit deal at Guitar Center mostly. I know it wouldn't be a financially sound idea to buy something like this, but at least it's a somewhat noble purchase. It's not a TV or a Wii or something. It's a creative tool that I've been wanting back in my life for quite some time and my friend has been prodding me to get one for the project we're working on.

If you really want a bass, I'm sure you get something pretty cheap-ass on Craigslist or something. Probably have more personality than anything you get at GC too!

I've considered that. I'm not comfortable giving much money to some dude online. I know, I know...people find great stuff on CL all the time. But I have shit luck and the last thing I need right now is blowing $300 or whatever with no real guarantees. I don't want to be swindled.

Thanks everyone. My creative embers are now fading. Maybe by the time I'm 40 I'll finally be able to buy a nice bass. And then I can join a cover band and play the open mic at Baby Ray's Rib House.
posted by GS1977 at 11:04 PM on November 21, 2006

GS1977 writes "I've considered that. I'm not comfortable giving much money to some dude online. I know, I know...people find great stuff on CL all the time. But I have shit luck and the last thing I need right now is blowing $300 or whatever with no real guarantees. I don't want to be swindled."

Well, with Craigslist, you're hooking up with someone local, so you can take a look at the bass personally before buying it. You can shake the guy's hand and everything.

I see you're in Seattle. Try The Stranger's classified ads, and take a trip to The Trading Musician. You'll find a good deal. Better than you can do with Guitar Center, at least....

Or, shit, you know what? I've got a (pretty crappy) bass and practice amp that I'm never going to use. I'll sell 'em to you for $150 plus shipping. Email's in profile.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:30 PM on November 21, 2006

You're saying offer them $20 more than cost? Seems like a rather fruitless exercise in haggling.

It does sound pretty ridiculous, but I remember reading in Fortune or somewhere similar that Guitar Center salespeople are authorized to go pretty low on the guitars as long as the sale's in the black. I wish my friends would believe me when I tell them that - none of them have even tried to haggle.
posted by concrete at 12:36 AM on November 22, 2006

In my experience, the bass you guy for $250 at Guitar Center is likely to be much crappier than the one you buy for $150 on Craigslist. It is not quite as easy, but I tell you what, if you go check out the bass, plug it in and play it for ten minutes, you're going to know if you like it. And it's not much more than two blocks of wood bolted together with a few hearty electronic parts screwed to it. It's not going to start sucking a month later.

Seriously, just buy a cheap Fernandez or a Japanese Fender from someone in your city...

Also, in my many years of purchasing guitars, I have never once paid the asking price at any store.
posted by mzurer at 8:16 AM on November 22, 2006

(hmm. on preview, this is a really long-winded post. I hope someone gets something out of it.)
A few weeks ago, I built a two-stringed acoustic bass out of:
two bass guitar machine heads ($15 used from the local music shop's repair guy-- the biggest investment)
8 foot long poplar 1x2 ($5)
Weed whacker string, .065 and .085 gauge round ($6-- make sure you get the stuff that's really round, those new-fangled ridged and square varieties will cut up your fingers something fierce)
1/4" machine bolt, nut, and one large fender washer ($2)
One 3.5 gallon plastic paint bucket ($3)
Miscellaneous wood screws and glue (lying around from other projects)

I drew inspiration from the washtub bass designs here, but I consider my design to be a small technological advance over the standard washtub bass. The design is very straightforward. A small wooden bridge (basically a 0.25x1.5x3 plate with two holes for the strings drilled in it) is bolted to a hole drilled through the center of the bottom of the bucket, with the washer added. I cut a piece of the 1x2 to fit inside the bucket as a cross-brace just past the ridge where the handle attached. The neck is about 3' long
and made of the 1x2 poplar. I cut one end of the neck off at about a 45 degree angle, then reattached it backwards with screws and glue to form a tilted-back headstock. Then I trimmed the head to an appropriate thickness for the machine heads with a coping saw.
The remaining piece of poplar (the upright) is cut with a very sharp angle to fit hold the neck into playable position relative to the center of the bucket. This cut is tricky to lay out-- I did it by screwing the upright edge-on in place on the side of the bucket (screwing long screws through the width of the upright into the end of the cross-brace), measuring out 48" of string and holding the neck in a comfortable playing position with the strings held taught. Then you can mark the face of the upright using the side of the neck as a gauge. If it doesn't line up once you've cut and assembled everything, or you don't like the action, you can always add shims later. Screw through the back of the upright on that long angle cut into the neck in three places using screws that are long enough to hold the neck but not long enough to go through it, and string it up. (at 48" scale length with .085 and .065 it tunes to GC in the same octave as a bass guitar) I sanded the neck and rounded the edges with a file to make it more comfortable to play, then drew reference lines with a pencil at the octave, 4th, 5th and a few other handy points. I've since put a strap on it (okay, it's really just some cotton clothesline) because it needs to be off the floor to really project.

Total cost $31 plus one afternoon of build time.
The sound is very rich, with good initial thump and surprising sustain, and is louder than most acoustic bass guitars I've played. It would hold its own in a bluegrass setting-- sound a bit like an upright bass but with a bit more bite.
The look on peoples' faces when I bring it out is amusing, and it's even more amusing when they realize that it is playable, loud, and sounds good too. I probably won't be playing it at Carnegie Hall, but it's still a lot of fun. It is ideal for "just screwing around" and you won't need to go in debt to do it.
posted by leapfrog at 8:44 AM on November 22, 2006 [1 favorite]

Guitar center is absolutely the worst place to buy a musical instrument on a budget. Keeping this rule in mind, you'll never go wrong.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:09 AM on November 22, 2006

In my experience, the bass you guy for $250 at Guitar Center is likely to be much crappier than the one you buy for $150 on Craigslist.

I guess I see where you're coming from, but a Fender Jazz bass is pretty much the same (its origin of manufacture aside) whether you buy it at GC or from CL, isn't it?

leapfrog: Thanks for the post. That sounds really neat. Don't think I'll attempt it, though. I need something that's easy to record.
posted by GS1977 at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2006

Buy a bass. Just not from Guitarget. Or make one like leapfrog did, I might just do that myself. Don't listen to these Mr. Burns wannabees here - you want a bass, fuck it, buy one.

If this was about buying a Nintendon't Wii, I'd say "fuck no."

As for the CL option... think about all the people who get the notion that they're going to learn to play the guitar, go to Guitarget, proceed to learn a Dmaj and then never pick the thing up again. There are shitloads of these people and many flock to CL to gain some of their money and self respect back.

Regardless... DOIT. Playing music makes it right.
posted by premortem at 11:23 AM on November 22, 2006

a Fender Jazz bass is pretty much the same (its origin of manufacture aside) whether you buy it at GC or from CL, isn't it?

Exactly! Except the one you buy at GC costs more. Look, if you really have zero discretionary income, you probably can't afford a bass. On the other hand, I'm not quite as worried for your future as the rest of the posters here. Playing music is fun. If you really can't come up with the $350 right now, and you will be able to pay that off in a year, with no doubts, then I say go for it.

But... If you can scrape together $150, you'll be able to buy something within the month from someone locally, be just as happy as with a $300 GC purchase, and you won't have to worry about the bill coming due.
posted by mzurer at 11:28 AM on November 22, 2006

if you are going to be a huge rock and roll star within a year, but as many as you want on credit and smash them onstage every night.
posted by snofoam at 11:31 AM on November 22, 2006

Hm. I haven't tried to record it yet, but I don't think it would be any harder than "stick a microphone in the bucket". I imagine it would sound pretty good just to put a contact pickup (like a Barcus Barry or Dimarzio Acoustic Model) on the bucket somewhere but I'm too cheap for that. I have a painfully cheap used electric bass, too, and I think it would be harder to get a decent sound out of it. Plus, the Bucket O' Bass has taught me the magic of being entirely free from frets.

I do have plans to buy myself a really nice bass one of these days, but that will wait until the either my music or my instrument creations start becoming profitable, or until everything else higher on the priority list is already covered. I wouldn't dissuade you from buying, just to consider:
1. The price you pay in the long run is going to be much higher than the sticker price if you can't pay for it entirely in those 12 months.
2. You can probably get something just as nice gently used from any number of places for a lot less.
3. You might have just as much fun (or more) fooling around with making your own and learning to play it. When I first started I expected to end up with an unplayable hunk of junk that sounded terrible, but what came out of it is actually a lot of fun.

Since everyone else has covered 1. and 2. I thought I'd chime in on 3.
Anyone interested in more information about the Bucket O' Bass is welcome to e-mail me at my profile address and wait patiently for a response.
posted by leapfrog at 12:13 PM on November 22, 2006

Dude, you're in Seattle. There are probably 200 decent bass rigs sitting on Craigslist or on a posterboard in the U Dist right now.

Heck, there's more! I just did a search for "bass" and got this: "Found: 206 Displaying: 1 - 100 "

Ok, there's a few bass drums and other crap in there, but hopefully you get the point. This isn't bad, and you can get this cheap. That's nice too and if I was in that area anymore, I'd swoop down on THIS like a fucking HAWK.
posted by drstein at 7:19 PM on November 24, 2006