The Illusion of Vintage Fender Value

[Dingus]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1384109645' post='2272872']
Does that mean a bass played by a couple of generations of experts will sound better than one that has been played only by noobs?
[/quote]

Do you mean Basschat "experts" or real experts?

Edited November 10, 2013 by Dingus

[discreet]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1384109872' post='2272876']
Do you mean Basschat "experts" or real experts?
[/quote]

They're the same thing, aren't they?
...Aren't they?

Edited November 10, 2013 by discreet

[Dingus]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1384110155' post='2272878']
They're the same thing, aren't they?
...Aren't they?
[/quote]

Of course. .

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1384109308' post='2272868']

It's in an ugly, heavy old beast, but still by far my favourite bass and I hope it continues to be as reliable for the next 34 years.
[/quote]

Loving it!

[gareth]

[i]all this chatter about a bunch of wood, plastic, metal. magnets and wires [/i]

[Dingus]

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1384109308' post='2272868']
Thanks chaps.
It's a bit late to start treating the bass with care.
It's been mistreated all it's life, including being set on fire and thrown off stage regularly by it's first owner.
It was rebuilt in 1978 with a new fingerboard and body because the originals were so badly scorched.
It is very battered and I've never taken great care of it in the 34 years I've had it.

The pick ups are the loudest and deepest sounding of any passive bass I've played, including other pre CBS Fenders.
Over the past few years I've bought a lot of Jazz basses, but none of them come close to the depth of tone and volume of this bass.
Many of them have developed faults quite quickly, like dodgy output jacks, while my old faithfull with it's original '63 electrics has never missed a beat.
It's in an ugly, heavy old beast, but still by far my favourite bass and I hope it continues to be as reliable for the next 34 years.
[/quote]

Without wishing to sound disparaging , if it was rebuilt with a new body and fingerboard in 1978 , its' provenance as being described as a 1963 Jazz Bass is spurious, to say the least . The greater part of it is a 1978 Jazz- style bass, albeit with the bits and pieces from a 1963. . If it was an all original 1963 bass and someone had taken care of it , it would probably be knackered by now .

My own recently - made Jazz Bass with specially overwound Custom Shop pickups is the best I have ever heard , and I get to play a fair few old Fenders on a fairly regular basis . I wish you could play it and see what you think . As I have said before , some old Jazz basses work fine , but more and more of them sound like crap, I am sorry to say . It seems to make absolutely no difference in whether people buy them though , so if I owned an old Fender I wouldn't worry too much about it affecting the value.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Dingus

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1383653947' post='2267004']
And, it will be outrun, out handled and out everythinged by a decent new 3 Series which would set you back about £25K nowadays.
[/quote]

When was the last time someone was approached by a random stranger at the petrol station or car park and told "hey mate nice 3-series you got there - don't see many of those about these days"

[Happy Jack]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvZ6L9wjsnY