Tell your friend to use $2000 of the $2500 to buy an assortment of 8 second hand Squier basses (Vintage Modified, Classic Vibe, P Bass, Jazz, and Jaguar) from the Facebook gear market page, try them all out, and the ones he likes the most can then be upgraded (pickups etc) from the remaining $500.
He can then sell some of them back on, to get a load of money back, to put towards some new kitchen equipment.
Sorted 
So, it’s been a while. What did your friend end up getting?
Ha, very observant, @eric.kiser 
So, yeah, the strategy suggested by @Mark_D is no longer possible, as my friend already invested about 1500 dollars in a new bass, which was ordered early August, but still hasn’t arrived 
I was eventually going to tell the whole story here (after the happy ending), but briefly: it is NOT a custom-made bass, but it is apparently made on demand: it is also a new model for the company and the first few that came back from the factory didn’t live up to the boss’s requirements, so they were sent back. Add to that delivery issues for the right woods, woods that needed (lengthy) maturing in a kiln etc and here we are, almost three months later, and still no bass. An added “complexity” is that the company is UK-based, which, after Oct 31, might mean added costs such as customs, VAT and fees because of goods from the UK are now considered coming from outside the EU…
To be continued!!
Don’t keep us in suspense, @joergkutter . . .
P.S. I think I figured out how to spell your name correctly 
Yeah, sorry about that. 
Not my fault but I’m embarrassed to be in any way whatsoever associated with it. On the plus side, there’s every possibility that you will have another month, or 3, or maybe a year, added onto that deadline.
There is also the possibility that the company can send it to Northern Ireland and be dispatched from there and thus not be from outside the EU. Or at a push you are welcome to have it shipped to me and I’ll carry it over to you as my own - then it’ll only have a lengthy wait at Immigration while my blue passport is verified.
I’m not going to say that terrible word, but can you tell I’m not a fan of B*****?
Well, really not much more to tell at this point, @Jazzbass19 - everyone is waiting… 
You mean with the umlaut!?!? 
That is awfully nice of you, @PeteP, wow… But, let’s hope that it doesn’t have to come that far!
Not either… really sorry to see the UK leave…
Yes . . . How about “Jørg”? 
Umlaut doesn’t work unless it’s a “u” (ü ), so best my keyboard can do.
Cheers, Joe
Excellent effort/“guess”, @Jazzbass19!
The slashed o (ø) is indeed used in Danish (and Norwegian), while the equivalent sound is got from an umlaut o (ö) in Swedish or in German. And since my name is originally German, that’s how it is spelled: Jörg. Note, the umlaut can go on a, o, u (and indeed on e and i as well in some language, but then it is probably called something else!?). These are all collectively know as diacritical marks, methinks (nerd alert!!).
Now that we are on this: I just want to avoid on thing: the “J” is not pronounced soft (as it would in English, like in your name), but like a “Y”, such that I am NOT a “jerk” (at least not phonetically), but more like a “York” 
Got it, @joergkutter! 
After more fiddling around, I got my keyboard to do it correctly . . . Jörg
And, btw, I was only teasing you about keeping us in suspense, but I figured you knew that already! 
Cheers, Joe
It’s all Dutch to me.
That’s it, @Jazzbass19!!
Now, that is almost Seinfeldian
I also have a ‘friend’ who is interested in some new gear.
This friend of mine has done his research and he’s ready to purchase a Hofner Ignition Series Beatle bass. He really wanted to try it out before buying and thought he could try one at the local Guitar Center. Since we are now in the age of lockdown and most of the stores are closed, he’s toying with the idea of ordering it online. He is sure he will like it, but his concern is will it be setup properly right out of the box? I guess this would be applicable to any instrument purchased in-store or online, but since the stores are closed, if he needed an adjustment what does he do?
If any of your ‘friends’ have any advice they could give my ‘friend’, it would be appreciated.
I would go into it expecting the setup to be in need of some work. Not unplayable but probably needing adjustment.
If you feel okay giving it a shot yourself, I’m sure you can do it. And there are plenty of people you can ask questions of on here.
I would say “go for it” (uhm, your friend, that is…)
I have no experience with GC, but I had a chance to visit the Chicago Music Exchange a month ago and there, next to the exhibition, they had several “work stations” where basses were repaired and set up. If GC has any standards, they won’t ship out a bass that hasn’t been set up. (And, by the way, the fact that the stores are closed to the public, shouldn’t mean they don’t have people performing set-ups for instruments bought online).
I know that Thomann (large German retailer for music instruments) take their sweet time in shipping instruments as they need to/want to set them up to their standards first.
Anyway, I woulnd’t worry about the setup. Any setup is personal to some extent anyway, and you just might not like it, even though it is done well. As for the bass itself, and the fact that you haven’t played it before - I guess that is why there is a return policy. Yes, this is tedious, but really the only option right now.
So, good luck to your friend. My friend has cancelled his order a few weeks back (not because of “sight unseen” or Covid-19, but because of the loooooong delay).
My ‘friend’ says thanks @joergkutter & @eric.kiser.
I have purchased two basses from Guiter Center (sight unseen and never tested), and have been pleased with both of them. I went strictly by the reviews and recommendations from people I trust, many of them on this forum. Guitar Center has a stellar return policy, so I was confident in making the purchase.
With that said, I may not have had the same level of confidence if purchasing from a small business or private party, particularly in the higher price ranges mentioned in the original post.
Thanks @PamPurrs (BABG). I’m, uh, my friend is getting more confident about this.
Great advice from above, if it’s from GC, they’re good about customer satisfaction, but if it’s from a private seller off of Reverb or another online marketplace, just use some caution, especially on a sight unseen. Every seller is different, feel them out.
I love all the “friends” on here that GAS out, and, you know, we must help our friends. 3 of my buddies (Me, Myself, and I) are always coming to me for advice - I seem to have to put the brakes on their GAS, but their intentions are good 
I know what you mean, @Vik . . . we really MUST help them out
{ahem}
Well “my friend” pulled the trigger and ordered a new Hofner Ignition Series Beatle Bass from Guitar Center online. It should arrive in about a week.
Thanks again to everyone for all the help!