Rick's Fine '52

[quote name='TheGreek' post='1356793' date='Aug 30 2011, 08:24 PM']have a look..don't be falling off your chair though..

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1962-1966-VINTAGE-FENDER-PRECISION-BASS-PICKGUARD-USA-/370537236566?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item5645bd8856"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1962-1966-VINTAG...=item5645bd8856[/url][/quote]

I think you're being unfair.....he does offer free shipping!!!

Been watching this since it listed, surely it cant sell for £1200??

Arent these regularly fetching £3K??

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alembic-Mark-King-Bass-/160641068020?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2566f42bf4"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alembic-Mark-Kin...=item2566f42bf4[/url]

[quote]I think that sums it up nicely, and I suspect the author has some experience in the area [/quote]


Thanks Beedster, I do have a bit.

I used to be a player, who collects, as the years have passed, and i play less, my primary interest has changed and I've become a collector, who plays.

I know the market as well as anyone, both vintage and otherwise. All my 'rare' basses are very playable, none of them are original, but not playable. In my experience, the ones with 'original' tyres, filters and oil, are as playable now as when they left the factory, thats the only difference between comparing vintage cars and guitars. Guitars dont have oil that becomes unuseable, tyres that get dry and break up, or have moving parts that need to be turned regularly to make them function.
If you keep a guitar in a good environment, there is no reason why you cant store it for 30 years, and then find it in the same condition when you re-discover it 30 years later, and, unlike with a car stored for 30 years, you can just plug it in and play it, and it should work the same as when you left it.

For the record, i take all my basses for a spin quite regularly!

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1354265' date='Aug 28 2011, 12:44 PM']Agreed.... would you pay more for a vintage Ferrari if it still had the original oil and spark plugs in the engine? Of course not![/quote]

I'm afraid this is not the case at all. The reality of the vintage market is simple, if an otherwise all original instrument has been re-fretted, then it is worth less....fact. Many collectors only buy 100% original instruments, especially the rarer ones, so a re-fretted instrument would probably lose 50% of its buyers market.

If it already has originality issues, particularly regarding finish, then a re-fret will alter the value marginally, if at all though.

To relate it to your post, if a vintage ferrari had original plugs, then it would certainly be worth more. If it had original tyres, then again, worth more, i think its an obvious no-brainer personally.

Same logic applies to any antiques, which is what these instruments are. With any collectable antique, there are; well used examples; examples with originality issues; examples that comprise of parts from different items put together; there are restored examples, and there are fine condition, all original examples. Values are relative to all this, and will reflect every single permutation.

If a bass is a refin'd player, and the owner wants to continue playing it, then it needs to be playable, whether thats re-fretting, new pickups or whatever. I would always advise keeping original components in the case, as it may help to re-sell, should that need arise.

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1353878' date='Aug 27 2011, 08:43 PM']To me - it's all part of a setup, especially after a bass has been in transit, who knows what sort of knocks it's had, nothing to do with being a P-bass, anything with a bolt on neck - it's adjustable.[/quote]

I don't think being in transit would cause that level of problem (As in the fotoflame one i mean), unless during shipping from the states, it arrived by parachute!

Youre right though, nowt to do with being a P-Bass, and they are pretty adjustable. If it was me, i'd just slip a shim between the top (or bottom, depending on the swing) of the edge of the neck heel where it fits the body, this would solve the issue.

I still think it wouldnt happen on a factory Fender (Maybe Indoneisan issue?) though, or any other bass for that matter, it wouldnt pass through factory Q.C. surely?

I think it would be an obviously common problem where necks are added to bodies though (As in parts not originally manufactured to match each other i mean).

[quote name='TheGreek' post='1353834' date='Aug 27 2011, 07:23 PM']Less than 24 hours to go...

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1973-Fender-Precision-bass-guitar-Vintage-NO-RESERVE-/130565645003?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e6651a2cb#ht_500wt_1156"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1973-Fender-Prec...b#ht_500wt_1156[/url][/quote]

Looks like it was founda t the bottom of a swamp. Could be nice with some work, barely worth the start price though i think. I think he's put a high buy now, to try and entice buyers into thinking the start price is a bargain.

If it plays nice though, could be a good player for someone at £800, worth a gamble though?, not sure, we'll see i guess?

[quote name='Immo' post='1353828' date='Aug 27 2011, 07:18 PM']I mean, the dot inlays are not right in the middle between A & D strings and the E string is farther from the edge of the neck than G is.
Many fenders have the issue with neck tilting up and down. When I bought my P-Bass it had the neck tilted upwards and it looked like this:

You can clearly see the E string being too close to the edge. The only benefit was the vibrato possibility for G string increased, but the string tension was not perfect and the PU's magnets were not underneath the strings.
I set the neck properly and tightened it a bit and now it's OK. Your bass is really cool and because I was watching it so closely, I've noticed the same issue with it No hard feelings.[/quote]

I must be honest, I've never seen this on a Precision before?, all mine are pre-70's though, and if it did need a tweek, then i'd just slide the string along the saddles until it was perfectly straight (Early 50's have 2 smooth saddles, and late 50's have threaded saddles, so easy to do). On the 70's, single slot saddles, it doesnt give you this option. I have 13 Fenders, and it isnt a problem on any of them.

The example on the one in this thread looks to be camera angle though, as the strings are in the middle of the pickup poles. On your example though it looks really badly put together, like someone swapped the neck, or bridge, and wasnt too careful. Yours has a body finish i havent seen on a Fender, and non-Fender pickups, so maybe itsa bitsa, may explain your problem?

Never seen it before personally, perhaps i've been lucky, although if i did see it, i wouldnt be buying it.

[quote name='Immo' post='1353562' date='Aug 27 2011, 01:52 PM']But isn't the neck titled down a bit? I love that 'feature' in Fenders, most P-Basses have this 'loose neck problem' as well.[/quote]

???????

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1353310' date='Aug 27 2011, 08:39 AM']I was expecting the BIG 4x10 & 1x15 (vinyl covered) with the MAHOOSIVE amp with the UV light... that rig's the baby one!

I had both of the above set ups (way back when, and the compact rig was the first generation vinyl covered) and I'm sure my present rig is every bit as good as those rigs at half the weight and size but time plays tricks on you and I would love to blast through those old rigs one more time... so long as I didn't have to carry it back out to the van. [/quote]

I don't remember calling it a 'baby', as I hauled it up the stairs!

You're right though it wasn't the biggest one they did, i was just a sucker for the green carpet, must be a kinda bass gear fetish thing!!

As you say, I'd love to have another blast through it, i'll never forget that classic Trace tone, every time, never failed ya!

Time does play tricks, and its easy to get nostalgic, but i think you're probably right, you can get a similar quality rig now, for half the weight. What you need is a strong roadie.....and casters!!!

[quote name='Stingray5' post='1353187' date='Aug 26 2011, 11:45 PM']I'll vouch for that!
That's almost my set up, except I have the 15" combo GP12 SMX with an older series 2x10 (w/2x5) cab.
Funny thing is I've been toying lately with finally letting it all go in favour of something a little more lightweight but am just not sure. Whenever I go out with it, it just does what I need it to do. Ah well... maybe I'll hang on to it a little longer... [/quote]

I wouldnt have sold it if i was still gigging. Like you say, does everything you want, reliable; responsive, simple controls; sturdy, brilliant kit. Heavy, but then most bass gear is isnt it?!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1353183' date='Aug 26 2011, 11:33 PM']Haha, I agree mrs stingray I'm sure prefers me to have the Genz shuttle to something like that although I do have a nice little stack of cabs growing in the dining room [/quote]

Bass gear does actually [i]grow[/i], as I'm sure you tell your good lady too. As long as we all stick to that theory, then there'll always be someone to back us up.
Some instruments dont just grow, they also pro-create too. Many a morning I've woken up to the sound of my wife, going in the spare room, opening up a cupboard, and saying "Were there always 4 guitars in there?, I'm sure there were only 3 the other day!".

Its a fact. National Geographic Channel should do a series on it!!!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1353172' date='Aug 26 2011, 11:09 PM']With Flea using them I bet they will start to appear soon Rick?[/quote]

I hope so!

Personally, i always liked the simple/basic look of them, but they sounded poor, if the new ones are up to scratch (And the anticipated high price), they will be worth having a play on.

Not sure I'd buy one though, big rigs take up too much space now for my current needs, and Mrs. Rick would definitely not be impressed with a new 'wardrobe', especially if it looks like an industrial A/C Unit!!!!!

Firstly, I have absolutely no affiliation with this sale.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trace-Elliot-/110733088523?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item19c834d70b"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trace-Elliot-/11...=item19c834d70b[/url]

I used to gig with an identical rig around '94/5. It was a fantastic rig, with perfect tone. Seeing this took me right back to lugging the heavy cabs out the car to the pub door, up the steps.....they werent the lightest, but they sounded fab.

Someones gonna upset the neighbours with this great set up .

Future classic vintage piece i think.

Love 'em. Must be the green carpet!!

Nice purchase Gary, looks barely played!?

Sunburst and maple, simple, and still the best combo..

Good job!

I agree with most replies already posted.

You said its a player, so make it playable.

A collectable vintage bass loses a considerable portion of its value if its been refinished, half the buyers on the vintage market will already have discounted it, adding a refret is going make almost no further difference in value, in fact, if its done properly with period correct frets, and you retain the old frets in a bag in the case, then it may make no further depreciation at all, as it is a great playable instrument.

I'd definitely do it if it was mine.

If it was all 100% original, and in fantastic condition, i'd maybe advise otherwise, depending how unplayable it is of course, maybe just making the action a little higher would help.

Go for it, and enjoy playing it!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1353063' date='Aug 26 2011, 09:29 PM']I bet it sounds ace though![/quote]

It certainly looks like it sounds ace, and i'm sure they do.

The original 70's ones that Jaco is alleged to have favoured, actually sound pretty crap. I've tried a few original heads, as at one point a few years ago, i thought they must have 'something', they didnt, they were solid state, and were not great. The quality is refelcted in current prices for 70's heads and cabs, pretty reasonable.

Would love to try these new ones though, havent seen them anywhere in the UK yet?

[quote name='molan' post='1352190' date='Aug 26 2011, 11:15 AM']That's exactly what I meant - well interpreted

I definitely stand by this and have heard many, many people agree with this broad concept.

Often it's the people who are less experienced and with less technical playing ability that would agree most. Some of them will find playing some things very difficult indeed but having something that generates that enthusiasm can help them break through a 'learning 'barrier'.

As for playing the same riffs and patterns repeatedly I have to say I can't see an issue with this either. In my experience, the more you play the more fluid your playing becomes, the more you want to pick up an instrument = the better player you become [/quote]

Agree on all fronts. How's the '[i]new[/i]' P coming along?

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1348202' date='Aug 22 2011, 06:04 PM']I am thinking of adding an ashtray to my Squier Active Jazz.

I am un-decided at present.

There will be no going back because of the obvious holes!

What do you think?

If you have no opinion, I have a 'don't care' option [/quote]

On your particular bass, no, it looks odd without the chrome control plate, as others have commented.

In addition, the one you have isnt a Fender one, and is shorter than a real one, hence why the pickup is visible, which doesnt look good.

Chrome covers look good if both are fitted, and the control plate is chrome. On my '62 Jazz, i have them both fitted, but when i play it (Not that often these days), i remove the pickup cover as it gets in the way of my style of playing. I used to remove it when i played gigs with it, and then put the cover back on when it was hung up.

For yours, it's a no from me.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1351856' date='Aug 25 2011, 10:46 PM']I know it's about how much you spend....I was just picking up on the comment that if you have an expensive bass that you want to play,you will improve. I'm just saying that isn't the case-you may get the inspiration to pick up the instrument and play it,but that doesn't mean you will improve.[/quote]

Disagree. I never said if you have an expensive bass you will improve? I said if you play more, you'll improve.

I'm struggling to think of an example of [i]anything[/i] that you do more often, and fail to improve.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1351678' date='Aug 25 2011, 07:36 PM']If everytime you pick up the instrument you play the same licks and songs,there comes a point very quickly where improvement
stops...it doesn't matter what bass it's played on.A nice expensive instrument may inspire you to pick it up but that doesn't
guarantee improvement.

Just what i said then?

If you play and study stuff that is beyond you,that is how you improve as a player-by pushing yourself to play something
that you can't already do.....just picking up and playing alone won't improve you.[/quote]

If you understand it, yes, if you don't understand it, like i said, then it could have the opposite effect.

This thread is about how much would you spend on a bass. No-one is saying an expensive bass will make you play better. If it makes you play more often though, you will improve, unless theres something wrong with you. [i]Everything[/i] improves with practice.

Jeeez

[quote name='Doddy' post='1351575' date='Aug 25 2011, 05:47 PM']I disagree with this. A nice instrument may inspire you to pick it up often,but it won't make you a better player-that is
down to what you play/study on it,not the cost of the instrument and how often you pick it up.[/quote]

I think you've over analysed. I think he simply meant (Correct me if I'm wrong Molan!), if you have an instrument that inspires you to pick it up and play more frequently, with added enthusiasm, then it will improve your playing. As with anything, the more you do it, the better you will become.

If i analyse what [i]you[/i] said, becoming better does not depend at all on what you play/study. If your'e studying stuff thats beyond you, and you dont understand it, it could de-motivate you and make you less interested and worse as a player. Similarly, if you simply play open E all the time, it won't make you better either, but then I'm over analysing.

Sorry, in one of them moods today!!

[quote name='daz' post='1350562' date='Aug 24 2011, 06:22 PM']makes no diff, if i saved for years or won [i]el gordo[/i], bases are for playing. Guitars [i]on the wall [/i] as ornaments is silly, unless they are just hung there to keep them from the dog chewing or cocking a leg on them, or the missus knocking it over whilst doing the hoovering.[/quote]

Why is having a bass on the wall silly??, I never understand people who say things like that? It's nonsense.

It’s all relative surely. My passion is Vintage Fender Basses, I love them, I’ve spent many years buying and selling them (Mainly buying them, I find it very difficult to sell!). It is anything but silly.

If it makes me happy, then it isn’t silly. I have a collection that is worth a few quid, and yes I have spent considerable amounts on individual guitars, because to me, they are worth it. Anyone who collects anything, will tell you that the chase for that Holy Grail item is part of the fun, and I’ve met numerous, fantastic people during that process.

All my basses are worth considerably more than what I paid for them, and they are worth considerably more than if I’d put the money in the bank, and I’ve had the benefit of playing and enjoying them for that time. They are a great investment, if you buy the right instrument of course, and you know your stuff.

Is it ‘silly’ of me not to take my near mint ’52 to jam night at the Dog and Duck? No, of course not, surely a no-brainer? It should be in a museum! I have other instruments that are far better suited, and easier to play, that I can drag down the Dog and Duck.

‘Basses are for playing’ I hear you cry? Yes, of course they are. My ’52 was meant to be played in 1952. Almost 60 years on though, and it’s become an instrument of significant interest. If it was a house, it would be Grade 1 Listed, and rightly so.

I’ve said this before, but it’s the same with cars. Cars are for driving? Yes, of course they are. But if you were fortunate enough to own a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Daytona, worth £3m, would you use it for the school run? No. Would you use it for the weekly shop, and leave it in the multi-story next to Aldi? No, of course not. No difference.

If antiques was your thing, and you had a 15th Century silver spoon, worth £5k, would you use it everyday to stir your coffee?, what?, No?, but spoons are meant for stirring surely!

It’s a simple case of Horses for Courses.

Whatever floats your boat (Bass wise that is). I think people who pay £1500 for a Rickenbacker 4001/3 are ‘silly’, they are ghastly, ugly contraptions. Players who buy Gibson Thunderbirds should seek psychiatric help, and as for those who pay top dollar for headless Status basses, words fail me, they’re not even basses, they look like shovels, with strings! Like I said, we’re all different, and thank God we are too, because the world would be a dull one if we all played Precisions (Although it would be a more attractive one! ).

Having expensive basses certainly doesn’t make me/or make me think I am, a better player, I’m not, I’m pretty crap, but I love playing, love collecting, and love owning these instruments.

My JV Jazz is arguably the cheapest bass I have, and it is one of the best sounding, and definitely the nicest to play, out of all my basses. So it’s not about the sound or playability either.

As for hanging them up so the missus doesn’t knock them whilst hoovering, obviously I am loaded, so we have cleaners who do that for us. And for those who are concerned at that statement, don’t worry, I never allow the cleaners into the East wing, where the studio, well, one of the studio’s is located, so that’s never been a problem!

Oh, and before you hit the ‘reply’ button, yes, that last paragraph was a joke!!

Rick.

Few Q's if i may;
Any pics of the cab?, and head?
What cloth is on the cab?
Any idea of the year on both? Edit, notice the cab is a '78, is the head the same?

Many thanks in advance.

[quote name='353203' post='1329893' date='Aug 6 2011, 01:42 PM']Bumping with the help of a pic alongside the reason for the sale [/quote]

Nice Tele bass, the new one looks fab, what year is it?

Have a bump on me!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1342396' date='Aug 16 2011, 08:47 PM']I think it's bollocks, just like a Badass bridge, and adds nothing to the sound, except maybe 1 millisecond more sustain.

Same with 'bolt on' vs 'thru neck'.[/quote]

Absolutely, couldnt agree more.

Leo started with a string through, and changed to a top loading simple top bridge in 1957 (I've read that this was more to do with the cost of producing the ferrules, and routing, and the fact that a threaded 4 saddle bridge offered more precise intonation, and had nothing to do with sustain), Fender still sell most basses with an identical bridge, i guess if fender have sold the same bridge (Virtually), for 55 years, it must be pretty decent!

Badass bridges look horrible in my opinion, i certainly wouldnt even show a bass one of those, let alone actually fit it. I've played identical basses with and without them, and heard no difference.

Regarding someones comment on string-thru offering more sustain, this is true, my pre-57 basses have more sustain than my '58 & '59, as do my Tele basses, its marginal though, and nothing to analyse too much. Age of strings in my opinion influences sustain far more than anything else.

From my experience, most players i know have their basses poorly set up, people often dont tamper with bridges because they dont know what they are doing, if you take time to properly set up any bridge arrangement, it will make an improvement.

As for the comment about string angle etc, etc, i fell asleep halfway through that particular explanation. I think, from only a few months on this forum, that either i'm not geeky enough, or some people have too much time on their hands. Don't get me wrong, i love my basses, but plug a well set up Precision into a bassman amp, and thats all you need, it sounds like a bass should.

But then this Forum would be pretty sh*te if we all had the same opinion!!