Bass guitar worth.... (I saw a new bass in my local shop today)

[cloudburst]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1367528250' post='2066625']
You don't look old enough to have been playing in 1974 ! It sounds like you have got a good one and looked after it . I have played and owned a few wrecks from that era and after .
[/quote]

Hey thanks for the compliment. I've just turned 48 and that photo in my profile was taken this year :-)

Back on the 74 jazzes - obviously you'll always get some old instruments that have had a hard life, but of those that have been cared for, does it tend to be the 3 bolt neck models which you think aren't as good, or just Fenders in general go patchy from the mid 70s?

I think mine cost about £300 back then which was a lot of money in 1974 when I was 9. I guess it has been good value. The original strings certainly owe me nothing :-)

I probably have already posted some photos of it.

CB

[Dingus]

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1367532362' post='2066712']
Hey thanks for the compliment. I've just turned 48 and that photo in my profile was taken this year :-)

Back on the 74 jazzes - obviously you'll always get some old instruments that have had a hard life, but of those that have been cared for, does it tend to be the 3 bolt neck models which you think aren't as good, or just Fenders in general go patchy from the mid 70s?

I think mine cost about £300 back then which was a lot of money in 1974 when I was 9. I guess it has been good value. The original strings certainly owe me nothing :-)

I probably have already posted some photos of it.

CB
[/quote]
A Jazz Bass must have been a bit of a daunting prospect when you were nine ! I got my first bass when I was twelve , so compared to you I was a late starter . My dad dad didn't buy me a Fender though , unfortunately , and with hindsight if it was nowadays I would report him to Childline .

I have only owned one three bolt neck Fender - a 78 Jazz that was not very inspiring , but not because of anything to do with the three bolt neck fixing . It was absolutely dead mint with the original strings , but just had little to recommend it in terms of sound or feel , similar to say a bog standard Mexican Jazz Bass you could buy for about three hundred quid nowadays . No way was it worth the £1750 - 2000 I could get for it now as an instrument to play and use , if you see what I mean . I have some very good old Fenders , too , but I usually had to have a bit of work done on them to get them playing how I like .

[Schnozzalee]

G&L nicely undercut Fender, Yamaha & ESP undercut Gibson. I think this brand name thing will end, but it's just a case of when the sheep realise that quality, not price, is key to a sweet sounding/playing instrument. 300 year old shed wood, nitro paint in ltd edition colours, vandalism etc ain't worth an extra grand - the biggest joke is Custom Shop to Masterbuilt - it's still all machine cut ! I've owned 2 American Vintage Reissues, never worth more than a grand.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Schnozzalee

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Lynottfan' timestamp='1367531998' post='2066701']
For £2K i would be saving up a bit more and that Super J making man Mr Dingwall would be very near top of my list, stunning!
[/quote] warwickhunts still got his up for sale at far far less!

[lou24d53]

I'm loving the latest P ri's, in particlar the one in faded sonic blue...but there is absolutely no way I'd part with the cash they are asking...

[url="http://www.fender.com/series/american-vintage/american-vintage-63-precision-bass/"]http://www.fender.com/series/american-vintage/american-vintage-63-precision-bass/[/url]

Well, unless of course my 6 numbers come up at the weekend and a couple of grand is neither here nor there...!!

[Musicman20]

I've noticed a fairly big rise across most brands, but Fender are starting to price themselves in the boutique zone now.

I realise they will always have high end custom basses, and their original vintage basses will always command a lot of money, but c'mon, almost £2k?!

There is one on a thread on Talkbass (new 74 Jazz) where the bridge cover was fitted on an angle! I'd expect perfection for almost £2k!

[Dingus]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1367571173' post='2066975']
I've noticed a fairly big rise across most brands, but Fender are starting to price themselves in the boutique zone now.

I realise they will always have high end custom basses, and their original vintage basses will always command a lot of money, but c'mon, almost £2k?!

There is one on a thread on Talkbass (new 74 Jazz) where the bridge cover was fitted on an angle! I'd expect perfection for almost £2k!
[/quote]

Two grand is a lot of money , Gareth , that's for sure , but if you look at the amount of extra work and detailing on these basses and the pretty sumptuous final results , it would be strange if Fender were selling them for less than these prices . They are close to boutique prices , but Fender have an advantage in company -profile and distribution which means they can find a market for these basses . Were it not for the fact that I have no need or reasonable justification for buying these basses ( and the fact that I can't be bothered to take the neck off every time I want to adjust the truss rod ) , I think would have a 63 Precision and a 74 Jazz .

[Dingus]

Came across this on YT :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp6ybb3o8H8

[Gust0o]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1367592574' post='2067372']
Two grand is a lot of money , Gareth , that's for sure ,
[/quote]

For only a few grand more you could have bought Larry's Closet Classic Precision. I hear it's the best bass for metal.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1367599318' post='2067472']
For only a few grand more you could have bought Larry's Closet Classic Precision. I hear it's the best bass for metal.
[/quote]

The best bass for people with a metal plate in their head , maybe .

[White Cloud]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1367516043' post='2066352']
I was sent by Mrs FRC to pick up a printer cartridge today- and the shop is next to a music shop so (as you do) popped in to see if they had anything nice in...

well the secondhand USA G&L L2000 seemed the best buy in there but they also had a new fender bass- the new american vintage reissue 1974ri jazz - it looked lovely - one of the members of staff had come in on his day off and was playing it -and it sounded lovely - I probably played lovely....

but it was about £2000.

Now I'm not doubting it was a good bass.... but I could get two custom UK built basses for that much! I'm not overly critical of how much it is - fender have to take a cut, the shop I went into needs to make it's cut - but I don't understand who would drop that much on a new run-of-the-mill-abet-top-of-the-range jazz bass - surely you'ld be looking at other options? I mean that's about sadowsky metro, or overwater jazz money too... let alone what ACG or someone could build you!
[/quote]
You have said it all really. I just don't get the Fender hype anymore. Overpriced and inconsistent. I would look at the alternatives at that price point.

[Dingus]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1367605079' post='2067569']
You have said it all really. I just don't get the Fender hype anymore. Overpriced and inconsistent. I would look at the alternatives at that price point.
[/quote]

That inconsistancy is Fenders achilles heel . If they were all as good as the best examples , Fenders would be fairly priced compared to the competition , in my opinion . The problem is that if you are ordering in or buying sight - unseen , you can literally have to buy half a dozen to find one without any production glitches that's worth keeping . It's pot luck as to what you will get when you open the case .

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1367605509' post='2067571']
That inconsistancy is Fenders achilles heel . If they were all as good as the best examples , Fenders would be fairly priced compared to the competition , in my opinion . The problem is that if you are ordering in or buying sight - unseen , you can literally have to buy half a dozen to find one without any production glitches that's worth keeping . It's pot luck as to what you will get when you open the case .
[/quote] and also if you do set about playing them to find a good one - that can often be the one that costs £250 rather than £2000

[LukeFRC]

So update... a day off and I went into the shop again to try the G&L (USA, £700 on the ticket, v. v. nice - needed the truss tightened badly, couldn't work out the switches) and tried the '74ri


er, good points - it was lightweight. Build attention to detail all seemed to be there, looked dead good.

bad points... it was (IMO) horrid. Thick finish, dull dull sounding, fat clubby neck, mediocre tone - blind playing test I would have thought it was one of the chinese squiers. (ie good but nothing standout)
Oh yeah. bright white new maple neck - but the front of the headstock vintage tinted - looked dead odd.

So my thoughts... (having only played one of them) get a '75ri - they are really nice!