Is it just me that gets put off by........

[bagsieblue]

........seeing pictures of basses disassembled in For Sale adverts.

[visog]

Me too - But I guess it's a necessity for older or vintage instuments, particularly those with an interesting heritage or provenance.

[Jellyfish]

I generally only see it on Fender's and there's usually a reason for it. As I understand, that's used to be (and might still be) one of the design advantages of Fender's was it not?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1374907638' post='2154602']
........seeing pictures of basses disassembled in For Sale adverts.
[/quote]
Would you prefer to buy a fake?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1374910849' post='2154632']
As I understand, that's used to be (and might still be) one of the design advantages of Fender's was it not?
[/quote]

And what design advantage is that?

[stingrayPete1977]

If its a cheap/project bass then it does not matter anyway.

If its a more valuable bass then buyers need to see things like
- neck date/type stamps,
- body date stamps,
- neck pocket finish showing original maskings,
- preamp or pot date markings and original solder joints,
- rear of the pickguard may show originality and usually hide any 'extra' pickup routes often hacked out!

Different basses have different little quirks that clued up buyers will ask for too so in many cases it is a must, I certainly would not buy a vintage bass without seeing the rear of pickup and the control cavity.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1374912308' post='2154646']
And what design advantage is that?
[/quote]
Haha you really dont like Fenders do you?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1374912485' post='2154648']
Haha you really dont like Fenders do you?
[/quote]

I just don't see them as anywhere near the pinnacle of bass design.

And to sort of get back on topic, does it not concern people that the more documentary evidence of genuine vintage Fenders appears on the internet the easier those features become to fake? Certainly if I was in the business of faking them I'd be grabbing every detailed shot of the real thing to use as source material.

Edited July 27, 2013 by BigRedX

[stingrayPete1977]

There is a film in there, BRX starts building and selling fake Fenders on eBay only to fall in love with an old P bass after doing extension research to improve the fakes and ends up selling all his Gus basses to fund a road trip to refund all the buyers of his previous fake basses sold?

[cloudburst]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1374907638' post='2154602']
........seeing pictures of basses disassembled in For Sale adverts.
[/quote]

I know what you mean.
Whilst I appreciate the necessity to expose the various proof points, what goes though my mind are burred screw heads, wrongly torqued screws and stripped screw holes in the wood.
Even when done carefully, the more that the same screw is unscrewed and rescrewed in an old instrument, the more worn and widened that the thread in the wood will become.

CB

[molan]

I think this is one if those 'damned if you do - damned if you don't' situations

Don't disassemble and people will complain that you're too lazy / incompetent and the instrument you're selling probably isn't the real thing.

Take it apart and someone else will say you've spoilt the build 'integrity' of a vintage instrument that hasn't been taken apart for 30 years.

There are far more of the former than the latter though so many people will have to show pics of stuff like neck stamps and undersides of pickups in order to sell.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1374914121' post='2154669']
There is a film in there, BRX starts building and selling fake Fenders on eBay only to fall in love with an old P bass after doing extension research to improve the fakes and ends up selling all his Gus basses to fund a road trip to refund all the buyers of his previous fake basses sold?
[/quote] or he becomes so famous at building fake P basses that he has to tell the buyers that their "fake" is a fake but worth more than they thought.

[bagsieblue]

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1374914817' post='2154684']
I know what you mean.
Whilst I appreciate the necessity to expose the various proof points, what goes though my mind are burred screw heads, wrongly torqued screws and stripped screw holes in the wood.
Even when done carefully, the more that the same screw is unscrewed and rescrewed in an old instrument, the more worn and widened that the thread in the wood will become.

CB
[/quote]

This. Almost as though some of the 'authenticity seal' is broken if that makes sense.

Of course, I understand the reasons why people do it and people request for it.

[chris_b]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1374916008' post='2154703']
....as though some of the 'authenticity seal' is broken if that makes sense....
[/quote]

No it doesn't.

Fenders are/were designed to be taken apart so there is no "seal" in that respect. The only thing resembling a "seal" are the solder joints and they are displayed to prove that they are intact.

As has been said: the alternative is that you could buy a fake and at vintage Fender prices that is not a good thing.

[stingrayPete1977]

The only things that resemble a seal is either wet top coat on the body when the neck was fitted glueing the neck in place for no reason or years of beer and grime getting between the neck joint, neither are a problem to be lost forever IMO

[cloudburst]

I think the OP is referring to a metaphorical seal rather than a physical one.

Anyways, there are 3 reasons this won't be an issue for my 74 jazz:
1) I've had it since new, so I know its providence
2) I'll never be selling it
3) It's Mocha - who the hell is likely to copy that if they were making a faker :-)

I don't even unscrew the ashtrays. The last time the strings were removed was to adjust the truss rod. In 1974. :-)

CB

[RhysP]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1374912824' post='2154653']
And to sort of get back on topic, does it not concern people that the more documentary evidence of genuine vintage Fenders appears on the internet the easier those features become to fake? Certainly if I was in the business of faking them I'd be grabbing every detailed shot of the real thing to use as source material.
[/quote]

That is a very good point.

[paul_5]

Fair point, but I reckon it'd better to take it apart it once to photograph it than to have to do it for every Tom, Dick and Harry that shows interest.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1374921902' post='2154793']
Fair point, but I reckon it'd better to take it apart it once to photograph it than to have to do it for every Tom, Dick and Harry that shows interest.
[/quote]

But as a potential buyer would you not want the bass disassembled in your presence to prove that all those photos were of the actual bass in question?