CamdenRob Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 (edited) Some great input here chaps, much appreciated... I wonder just how much of a current 'vintage' fenders value is simply the equivalent of inflation over the instruments lifetime? I'm guessing if one was looking for appreciation value in an instrument available new today, you would have to find something that was as new and original as a fender P was in the beginning. I mean we're not talking about a new take on the bass guitar, we're talking about an entirely new instrument as it was back in the 50's... Investment aside for a moment...and maybe I'm just a blinkered old bass enthusiast... I've got an itch for an old jazz... I think i'm just trying to justify it... Rob Edited July 30, 2013 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1375218733' post='2158503'] Some great input here chaps, much appreciated... I wonder just how much of a current 'vintage' fenders value is simply the equivalent of inflation over the instruments lifetime? I'm guessing if one was looking for appreciation value in an instrument available new today, you would have to find something that was as new and original as a fender P was in the beginning. I mean were not talking about a new take on the bass guitar, were talking about an entirely new instrument as it was back in the 50's... Investment aside for a moment...and maybe I'm just a blinkered old bass enthusiast... I've got an itch for an old jazz... I think i'm just trying to justify it... Rob [/quote] just go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 What about a Hohner violin bass? I've read that Macca only paid £30 for his one but it must be worth well over £100k by now. Er, hang on . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1375218733' post='2158503'] Some great input here chaps, much appreciated... I wonder just how much of a current 'vintage' fenders value is simply the equivalent of inflation over the instruments lifetime? I'm guessing if one was looking for appreciation value in an instrument available new today, you would have to find something that was as new and original as a fender P was in the beginning. I mean we're not talking about a new take on the bass guitar, we're talking about an entirely new instrument as it was back in the 50's... Investment aside for a moment...and maybe I'm just a blinkered old bass enthusiast... I've got an itch for an old jazz... I think i'm just trying to justify it... Rob [/quote] Basses are getting relatively cheaper over time . Fourty years ago a new Fender bass would have cost the equivalent to about £1700 for cash . A comparable current American Standard Fender is at least £500 - 600 cheaper than that at the moment . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1375224952' post='2158636'] What about a [b]Hofner [/b]violin bass? I've read that Macca only paid £30 for his one but it must be worth well over £100k by now. Er, hang on . . . . [/quote] Fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1375219026' post='2158510'] just go for it! [/quote] What he said. Work out the 'justification' in the pub afterwards. Everything makes more sense after a swift half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregBass Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 (edited) [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1375224952' post='2158636'] What about a Hofner violin bass? I've read that Macca only paid £30 for his one but it must be worth well over £100k by now. [/quote] I may have mentioned this before, but I had a 1960s Hofner Violin Bass. Played like a dog, sounded like someone kicking a cardboard box - so I sold it for £15 (including the original case). In terms of the actual instrument, I did the right thing. In terms of investment it was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. If you want a usable instrument, find one you like and play it. If you want an investment, it's sheer guesswork - but I suspect that most modern Fenders will never fetch a premium. Edited July 31, 2013 by GregBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 get a cheap second hand jap one and gig it to death, make it work for it's money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 The era of modern musical instruments being money-making investments is long gone. It only worked in the past because little value was placed on them and therefore you could buy them very cheaply. There's plenty of stories of people buying and selling instruments for a pittance in this thread alone. Nowadays these instruments have plenty of value assigned to them. In a lot of cases IMO it's been very much exaggerated - just look at all those nasty cheap Japanese instrument from the 60s and 70s with price tags in the hundreds of pounds. People only bought them back then because they couldn't afford anything better. Have they suddenly become great instruments in some miraculous way? No. Of course not. It's mostly nostalgia at work. Especially when right now you can buy something new that as a musical instrument functions far better. If you buy a new Fender and use it but look after it you might not loose too much money in real terms if you should need to sell it, but to make a decent profit on one you need to either be very lucky and but very cheap or a time machine to go back at least 30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6v6 Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1375227122' post='2158672'] Basses are getting relatively cheaper over time . Fourty years ago a new Fender bass would have cost the equivalent to about £1700 for cash . A comparable current American Standard Fender is at least £500 - 600 cheaper than that at the moment . [/quote] Surely the comparable modern equivalent to a 40yo Fender is one of the AVRI models, which are, uh, about £1700 for cash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1375168372' post='2157367'] I'm merely thinking this would be a good way to justify a new bass purchase to MrsCamdenRob... Its an investment dear... [/quote] I bought a bass a few weeks back and told my wife I bought it because I liked it and I was in a good mood because the sun was shining. Which was the truth. No drama ensued, until people that know me found out I had bought a Fender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 (edited) Value = well, it's all about [b]rarity[/b] and [b]romance[/b] isn't it? Rarity can be measured to a point, but heartfelt romance can't, hard to even predict given how we are wired? These newer Fender's lack both facets, although they are playing the romance card for lots of models with RI's galore, so investment to turn a solid profit would have to be firm no from where I'm looking, although any Fender has going to have a decent s/h value but not a profit. Even the older ones can stuggle to break even in real terms unless you go back way back and that can be a fickle market. ...hmm...maybe you could get one that has a certain pedigree/provenance today though...I don't know, maybe something played by a band whom end up becoming a super-group/super-star/super-legend and thats maybe even harder to determine, you know along the line of "it was Lady's GaGa MIMP bass she wrote songs and writhed around on whilst playing"...but that's assuming she would have the durability of say a Madonna...ohh and played bass...and writhed around on, in her spare time or on stage PS short answer...it does seem that perhaps Jazz's fair a tad better than a P's? Edited July 31, 2013 by iconic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375261384' post='2158870'] The era of modern musical instruments being money-making investments is long gone. It only worked in the past because little value was placed on them and therefore you could buy them very cheaply. There's plenty of stories of people buying and selling instruments for a pittance in this thread alone. Nowadays these instruments have plenty of value assigned to them. In a lot of cases IMO it's been very much exaggerated - just look at all those nasty cheap Japanese instrument from the 60s and 70s with price tags in the hundreds of pounds. People only bought them back then because they couldn't afford anything better. Have they suddenly become great instruments in some miraculous way? No. Of course not. It's mostly nostalgia at work. Especially when right now you can buy something new that as a musical instrument functions far better. If you buy a new Fender and use it but look after it you might not loose too much money in real terms if you should need to sell it, but to make a decent profit on one you need to either be very lucky and but very cheap or a time machine to go back at least 30 years. [/quote] good points:- I wonder if the internet has helped drive up prices of old instruments over the recent'ish years?....there's much talk around car prices (classic and modern s/h) that the internet has/hasn't helped depending on if you are a vendor or a buyer? Same amount of cars around but more interested people coming to the party, equals higher price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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