lettsguitars Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Fenders are collectable purely because of their iconic status and also the fact that they were there when it all started. Personally I believe that any basses that are handmade by people who perish before they sell their brand will be the most sought after instruments of the future. The ones with a truly limited supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu_g Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I reckon some korean basses will enjoy cult status like the japanese basses did At first japanese guitars were viewed as cheap copies till they honed there craft and produced some brilliant instruments Kinda like when they copied british motorbikes and then improved upon there copies then took over the market So i for me korean instruments then i dare say chinese instruments will be the next after that some getting rave reviews already the squiers and farida instruments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I'm wondering if yamaha RBX-4A2's may find favor in the future, certainly different from a few aspects, but I've yet to see any old yamaha make big money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 The `Funder Jeff Bass` range are future classics, mark my words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [quote name='DarkHeart' timestamp='1359893343' post='1961599'] The `Funder Jeff Bass` range are future classics, mark my words [/quote] They have fans already, I tell you that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1359852637' post='1961313'] Fenders are collectable purely because of their iconic status and also the fact that they were there when it all started. Personally I believe that any basses that are handmade by people who perish before they sell their brand will be the most sought after instruments of the future. The ones with a truly limited supply. [/quote] I think though, that they have to offer something unique on top of being hand made, and there also has to be reasonable amount of consistency from one example to the next. That's why Wals are desirable, because it's all about the unique pickups and pre-amp and the fact that if you've played one Wal and liked it all the others of the same model will be close enough for you to like to. On the other hand something like Sei basses have very little in common with each other other than the body shapes, so just because you played and like one Flamboyant doesn't mean you'll be able to get on with the sound and feel of any of the others, simply because they are too individually tailored to the person who originally ordered them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apa Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 You need a bass that ticks the following boxes............. 1. Cheap initial cost to maximise your return. 2. Popular at the time to maximise the recognition and nostagia. 3. No longer available new. 4. Subsiquently go out of fashion and therefore discarded / destroyed / modded to create rarity. Seriously this is a no brainer. There is only one to have.............. A Sue Ryder RP-1 A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 TBH you are probably best off buying the best playing, sounding and cleanest looking new Ameican-made Fender P or J that you can find; making sure that you get all the "case candy" and then sticking in its case under your bed for the next 25 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1359296592' post='1952596'] I had one and part-ex it for a Hartke rig. I was happy with the amp, but wished I held onto it. I have seen them on Ebay (U.S.) a couple of times going for good money. Rich from the 60ft Dolls and I bought one each of the only three in stock anywhere in S.Wales at that time (mine was black, his was tobacco burst and I was told that Nicky Wire bought the other one, but I have no idea what colour that one was). Rich told me a few years ago he is sure he smashed his up, which wouldn't surprise me. A great bass and if I had any idea back then how valuable it would be today I would have kept hold of it. Oh well! I have always hoped that Fender would reissue that model. I'll be first in the qeue to buy one. [/quote] They are bound to reissue it eventually. Maybe as a limited edition 30th anniversary or something. I think that their limited supply will make them a collectors item, but it might take another 20 years before it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [quote name='apa' timestamp='1359896438' post='1961671'] You need a bass that ticks the following boxes............. 1. Cheap initial cost to maximise your return. 2. Popular at the time to maximise the recognition and nostagia. 3. No longer available new. 4. Subsiquently go out of fashion and therefore discarded / destroyed / modded to create rarity. Seriously this is a no brainer. There is only one to have.............. A Sue Ryder RP-1 A [/quote] he is right, you know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Mr BRX makes an interesting point about Wal basses. But, I'd suggest that Wals did little better than hold value on the used market until the brand was reintroduced. When the new version Wal introduced its price list the prices being asked made original Wals appear relatively good value, as well as being readily available, and this is why prices for original Wals increased significantly over a short period of time. But, for anyone thinking of investing in an original Wal expecting to make the same returns as over the last five or so years should seriously reconsider. Same thing happened with the Yamaha SG guitar. Before the reissues appeared in the '00s you could pick up examples of an early '80s 2000 for circa £400. Now, you're looking at nearer a £1,000 given the bounce created by the reissues and the new version of the classic SG design. But, is that trend likely to continue? The answer is, most probably, no. The next surge may happen in another 30 years when Yamaha repeat the process, when the bounce in original '70s and '80s SGs will be significant, while the bounce in the '10s will be marginal. All that said, I also agree with Mr BRX, that the best thing you can do is buy the best example of a Fender Precision or Jazz, probably the Standard models, with all the extras, and stick it in the closet for 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apa Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1359897405' post='1961697'] he is right, you know? [/quote] They also came with signature Cases and case candy which will add to the collectability if all original and complete. Need I go on? A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toddy Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Mmmm,, My money would be on Kawai,,,,,,, seriously wacky some of em,, but the very few examples I've seem were tremendous quality, ,very briefly had a rocknroll Kawai quitar and sold it to the guy who runs the fansite, the only one he had ever seen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1359896697' post='1961682'] TBH you are probably best off buying the best playing, sounding and cleanest looking new Ameican-made Fender P or J that you can find; making sure that you get all the "case candy" and then sticking in its case under your bed for the next 25 years. [/quote] ^^ this. Although even better would be to get a 50s/60s one and stick *that* in the closet for another 50 years. Those won't go out of fashion anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 [b]Early Warwicks[/b] from the 80's when they were handmade ... particularly those basses which were still under transition of design. I'm talking of Streamers with the "spade" head shape, non-inclined tuners, one-piece bridges, and all the variations therein ... and the short horned Thumb Basses, JD's most definately. These are already very collectable, but will be all the moreso in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireless Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Anything matsumoku..? Also Washburn status 1000 is ridiculously playable for the money imo.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wireless Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Warwick corvette double buck is a superb beast.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I would buy good quality, four string, handmade models, with good but conservative specs (not necessarily the shape but the pick-ups etc), enjoy them and keep them in good condition. It needs to have a sound that a bass player forty years down the road is going to say "I like that" and not think "God, that's so 2010s". In the mass market it's got to be something that is going to be used and wrecked by people, you can't have too many floating about in good condition. An example from the toy business, an original Corgi 007 Aston with box is worth a lot of money, the Corgi's that were sold as collectors edition a decade ago will never be worth much. The reason is the former were bought as toys, played and ruined so perfects are very rare, the latter were bought as investments, are being lovingly cared for and there will always be too many perfect ones around. The other trick is you need to buy it early in it's history with as low a serial number as possible. Number 1 will always be worth more than 101. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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