GuyR

was it for sale?

Is this the one that was for sale in the UK a few years ago for £15k? that one had been routed for a battery compartment on the back of the body as it had been converted to active. if it’s the same one it has recu une repair invisible….

Go to the auction and bid in person. Commission is cheaper and it’s thoroughly enjoyable day out. You will come home with multiple instruments though, and not the ones you went to buy, so understanding spouse is essential.

I bought this bass from @carlism a very few years ago - August 2020, I just checked. Sold it maybe 2 years ago via Martin Petersen. Lovely bass. The neck is very easy to play, it weighs sub-9lb, sounds great and looks a million dollars. It doesn’t deserve to be in the classifieds again anytime soon. Enjoy it @tauzero.

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Can’t beat a well-worn Strat.

Yes. I’ve bought everything I have ever purchased in my life from other suppliers. Our govt ought to have the will to protect our own tax paying businesses by charging Amazon and similar non tax contributors a percentage on UK turnover.

I haven’t had that experience, but have similar instruments and would never describe my kit as a collection. They are just my basses. If the responsibility for stewardship of the financial value and liability for loss or deterioration are an ongoing concern which outweighs the pleasure received from the utility or ownership, then you are sensible to sell. The possessions own you. I could part with a few, although they all get used, but there are a couple that are the best of their type I have played, so effectively irreplaceable. What is the point of selling the best bass or guitar you have played while still breathing? In the past I have sold very good vintage kit without regret, but only to buy better with the proceeds. You must have kept at least one?

Do I win a prize for guessing what “W” might stand for if not wrecker?

Not my usual taste, but Jessie Ware was fabulous.

Agreed, it is an unavoidably poignant process. I don’t see any particularly desirable bits of kit listed - perhaps the better instruments are retained by the family and the remainder sold. Auction is a good way of dealing with it. Some relatively affordable and useable keepsakes for interested parties.

Afternoon all, if of interest, a number of Del Palmer’s basses, guitars and other items are going to auction on 30th June. Some quite appealing lots. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/thimbleby-and-shorland/catalogue-id-ibts10328

Any keys player can be “remodeled” if they stray too far left.

Absolutely this

Agreed. In the early 80s Fender & Squier reissues were produced precisely to capitalise on the demand for preCBS instruments. In 1983 I bought a £220 JV Squier because I didn’t have the £1000 required for a sunburst 62 Jazz bass or £2200 for the scruffy Oly white example in the window of Andy’s in Denmark St. Prices subsequently continued to rise in relation to standard contemporary US product, but they were already elevated 40 years ago, not just the last 10-15 years. On the subject of the moral compass of forumites here, the good natured exchange above between two members with opposing views is a fair reflection of the difference between this and other platforms. I don’t buy to sell on, but once I have owned a bass for a couple of years, I wouldn’t feel obliged to share any uplift in value, in the same way I wouldn’t invoice the previous owner were I to incur a loss.

A lot of Geoff Banks instruments were sold at Gardiner Houlgate in March 2017. I can’t post a link to the catalogue but it is in the “sale results” on their site and I would be surprised if your bass is not there. As to whether it is worth more money, based on the prices raised at that auction, I would say not a significant increase.

There are additional fees if you buy via thesaleroom. book a phone bid via the auction house direct and the fee is considerably lower.

I wouldn’t buy a hacked about bass. However, you might find the cost of a professional installation of the new pickup costs more than the loss in resale value due to a hack-job on a relatively inexpensive bass.

Yesterday 9pm on Together TV channel 136 on Virgin “Swinging London session musicians”, a one-hour treasure trove of characters and anecdotes, replete with atmosphere and with significant input from the wonderful Mo Foster. Very highly recommended.

Not by some standards

A lot of vintage fender basses look cool but are a bit crap to play. They are still pretty much just as valuable as a very good player. I would expect those to be the ones you see repeatedly for sale. I bought a while ago one that I knew had passed through several sets of hands, on here and elsewhere. I traveled to buy it, the price was good and I lost no money on it when I became yet another of its ex owners. A lot of people also seem to have bought without trying these days - it’s so easy, convenient and tempting to “add to basket”

No, in my opinion.

I love the look of the natural body and bound neck. I wasn’t aware MM produced a fretless so early.

The pots are dated for early 1962. It’s a slab board, discontinued in August 1962, the serial dates it to early -mid 62. It’s as 1962 as it is possible to be. The person advertising it wasn’t the owner nor was he familiar with the nuances, so had no reason to question the owner’s assertion it was a 63. The thread originally had a gallery of photos, now removed. https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/259452/

I wouldn’t object to a refin at the right price, so long as it’s at least as good as my other basses. I think BassAgents example looks great. If you are going to buy a refin, it gives you a perfect opportunity to specify a really rare custom colour, pink, coral, foam or even sparkle, with no monetary loss other than the cost of the refin. If you are able to take images that corroborate the vintage correctness of the body while the paint is off, you could potentially strengthen the provenance and reinforce the value at the same time. If you’re only paying refin money and the provenance stacks up. I have to say I do like the look of a natural pre 66 jazz bass, stripped of the paint and preferably with a good deal of wear. I’d potentially pay more for that, being able to see correct holes, although of course they can be faked. Somehow, stripped feels less “modified” to me.