60s Tele bass, 99p?

[Mr. Foxen]

Does the reserve show up before anyone bids?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Telecaster-Bass-1960s-Tele-Blonde-Relic_W0QQitemZ330273376493QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item330273376493&_trkparms=39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A10|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"] 330273376493[/url]

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='290380' date='Sep 23 2008, 10:08 PM']Does the reserve show up before anyone bids?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Telecaster-Bass-1960s-Tele-Blonde-Relic_W0QQitemZ330273376493QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item330273376493&_trkparms=39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A10|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"] 330273376493[/url][/quote]

That has no reserve!

Do you seriously think it's genuine?

[Mickeyboro]

Weird, eh?

[Musky]

It's not that unusual to see expensive gear listed at a 99p start - people generally know it's worth and will bid accordingly. I think the idea is to get people caught up in a bit of 'bidding fever'.

Besides, if it's nowhere near what he wants for it he can still pull the auction with 12 hours to go.

[noelk27]

No comment about this specific listing, but I've listed items with a 99p start - including a 1980 G&L L1000, with a December manufacture date. Saved myself the expense of listing with reserves etc, in the full knowledge I could pull the listing if it didn't exceed my expectations.

[warwickhunt]

I entirely agree with the reasoning behind the 99p starting price... been there done that and it can/does work. However, I have serious reservations about the provenance of the bass!

[WarPig]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='290465' date='Sep 24 2008, 12:05 AM']However, I have serious reservations about the provenance of the bass![/quote]

Aye, the pickguard and headstock looks too 'clean' for a bass of that age.

[stingrayfan]

99p? Bit expensive for a Fender.

[warwickhunt]

I'm sure some 'bits' of the bass are correct but his whole vague description and the feel of the wording make me think that he doesn't actually lay his cards on the table and say what this bass definitely is; I'm sure the Fender boffs may be able to give more detail on what the spec of this bass should be. Even with the addition of a modded pup it'd be worth being a bit more emphatic and positive about a bit more than he/she is... it just seems a tad unenthusiastic a listing for something that is potentially worth in excess of £1000. Of course the seller might genuinely have no idea if the bass is pukka and be playing it safe and I might be being my usual cynical self

[wateroftyne]

Well....

[quote]The neck does not have any dates on it but it features the correct mid-late 60s thin veneer rosewood board and pearl dots, which is spec that does not appear on any reissue models[/quote]

...or any 60s Telecaster basses, for that matter. It's a replacement board.

The bridge is a replacement - the original was a two-saddle job like the original 50's Ps.

Strangely, the tuners are early 60s-style. The string tree is just... wierd.

And that's not a blonde refin - it's oly white.

I don't know what it is. A collection of parts, maybe? Could be a nice project if it's cheap enough.

Then again, if it were me, I'd stick with collection-only.

[warwickhunt]

Reading the listing again note how the 'shop on Denmark St' (is that the newsagents on the corner or a guitar shop then ) authenticated the front original pickup, the seller then immediately goes on to say 'but aside from that the bass’s origins are unknown'... the 'shop on Denmark St' didn't authenticate the bass then or any other part thereof.

[bassaussie]

Lot's of issues here. Telecasters first appeared in 1968, so it's reasonably easy to date the hardware.

[list]
[*]The string holder is not a Fender
[*]Serial number appears to be missing from the neck plate
[*]Tuners are early 60s model - notice they don't say "Fender", and the baseplate is the wrong shape
[*]Nut width should be Precision - to me, the width looks to be a Jazz, although that may just be the photograph
[*]Bridge is wrong for a Tele - the Tele bridge only has two saddles, for each pair of strings
[*]I might be wrong about this, but a 60's Tele should have either a maple cap or a one piece maple neck, I don't think they used rosewood on Teles from this period (or if they used rosewood at all)
[*]Something about the headstock shape looks wrong, in that the round part at the end doesn't look round enough, and the cutaway on the lower edge looks too straight, but again, that may just be the photography
[*]The three ply scratchplate is wrong, it should either be one ply, or an unbevelled three ply that looks to be one play. I think the bevelled three ply scratchplate only appeared on the second generation Tele (the one with the humbucker), and that scratchplate is a completely different shape.
[*]The overall shape and cut of the body is wrong. First, it should be more "slab" like. Second, the lower edge (behind the bridge) should be much straight, not as rounded as it is
[/list]

[99ster]

[quote name='bassaussie' post='290543' date='Sep 24 2008, 08:21 AM']Lot's of issues here. Telecasters first appeared in 1968, so it's reasonably easy to date the hardware.

[list]
[*]The string holder is not a Fender
[*]Serial number appears to be missing from the neck plate
[*]Tuners are early 60s model - notice they don't say "Fender", and the baseplate is the wrong shape
[*]Nut width should be Precision - to me, the width looks to be a Jazz, although that may just be the photograph
[*]Bridge is wrong for a Tele - the Tele bridge only has two saddles, for each pair of strings
[*]I might be wrong about this, but a 60's Tele should have either a maple cap or a one piece maple neck, I don't think they used rosewood on Teles from this period (or if they used rosewood at all)
[*]Something about the headstock shape looks wrong, in that the round part at the end doesn't look round enough, and the cutaway on the lower edge looks too straight, but again, that may just be the photography
[*]The three ply scratchplate is wrong, it should either be one ply, or an unbevelled three ply that looks to be one play. I think the bevelled three ply scratchplate only appeared on the second generation Tele (the one with the humbucker), and that scratchplate is a completely different shape.
[*]The overall shape and cut of the body is wrong. First, it should be more "slab" like. Second, the lower edge (behind the bridge) should be much straight, not as rounded as it is
[/list][/quote]


+1
I'd pretty definitely say that this is not a 60's Telecaster bass (& never has been) - there's nothing 'right' about it at all - just a huge list of things wrong.
But that said - it might be a cool project bass for somebody if the price stays low...

[Dr.Dave]

In general agreement with most of you. I think it's a bitsa. The jack socket is different to my Telebass too.

Having said that , the 2 most sensible things you could do to a bass like this (if that be your want) is change the bridge and add a J pup.
If you want something 'vintage' to chuck around the bar of the Dog and Vomit of a Friday this could be it and ,maybe, at the right price.

[bassaussie]

[quote name='99ster' post='290617' date='Sep 24 2008, 08:59 AM']+1
I'd pretty definitely say that this is not a 60's Telecaster bass (& never has been) - there's nothing 'right' about it at all - just a huge list of things wrong.
But that said - it might be a cool project bass for somebody if the price stays low...[/quote]

I think your knowledge on this sort of thing is far more complete than mine, so could you confirm or deny what I said about the rosewood board? I'm near certain I'm correct in that it should be maple, but would like an expert's opinion.

Edited September 24, 2008 by bassaussie

[bassaussie]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='290620' date='Sep 24 2008, 09:09 AM']In general agreement with most of you. I think it's a bitsa. The jack socket is different to my Telebass too.

Having said that , the 2 most sensible things you could do to a bass like this (if that be your want) is change the bridge and add a J pup.
If you want something 'vintage' to chuck around the bar of the Dog and Vomit of a Friday this could be it and ,maybe, at the right price.[/quote]

I think that's a very good suggestion. As long as it doesn't go too high, this could be a great bass.

Just as a side note, there is a possible bargain to be had here. If those tuners are original 60's tuners (and I suspect they are), and the pickup is original, which is what he seems to be suggesting, those two items are actually worth a few bob.

[LukeFRC]

he says the body has been reshaped so its not a slab finish. yet there is no evidence of a respray in the pup cavity. fishy

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='bassaussie' post='290670' date='Sep 24 2008, 11:04 AM']I think your knowledge on this sort of thing is far more complete than mine, so could you confirm or deny what I said about the rosewood board? I'm near certain I'm correct in that it should be maple, but would like an expert's opinion.[/quote]

I stated that this was the case up at post #10. Not that I'm offended or anything.

The first 'Tele-like' Fender with a factory rosewood board was the Dirnt P.

[bassaussie]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='290694' date='Sep 24 2008, 11:20 AM']I stated that this was the case up at post #10. Not that I'm offended or anything.

The first 'Tele-like' Fender with a factory rosewood board was the Dirnt P.[/quote]


LMAO!!!!

Mate, I only just read your post, seems I just repeated some of your points. To be honest, I know how you feel about this - it's so bloody annoying when you make an informative post, only for someone else to come along and basically say the same thing.

Apologies for that, and I'll make sure I read the whole thread in the future. Funny enough, on a thread like this, your's is one of the first names I go looking for, so I'm a bit surprised I missed the post.

[99ster]

[quote name='bassaussie' post='290670' date='Sep 24 2008, 11:04 AM']I think your knowledge on this sort of thing is far more complete than mine, so could you confirm or deny what I said about the rosewood board? I'm near certain I'm correct in that it should be maple, but would like an expert's opinion.[/quote]


Yes - as far as I know (wouldn't call myself an expert!) Fender only did maple boards on their Tele basses... I've never seen one with a rosewood board.

[Happy Jack]

Damn! I thought I'd get this for 99p and now the price has gone up ...

[warwickhunt]

Come on then [b]purely for a laugh[/b]. A new BassChat eBay game... [i][size=4]The Price is sh*te[/size][/i]

What do you reckon it'll go for?

I realise anyone after a 'genuine' 60's Tele will know their stuff and steer well clear and that a couple of suckers could end up bidding this up to silly money but I'll be the first to stick my neck out....

Bearing in mind I'm no Fender fanatic and based on the fact that the skeleton of the bass could potentially be a no name Far Eastern copy balanced against that there 'may' be an original pup and early tuners on the bass I'll say that it'll be within £50 of £500

[bassbloke]

There will undoubtedly be plenty of people with reservations about the authenticity of this bass, so there's a god chance it won;t fetch us much as it would if the seller was completely upfront about some of the 'changes'.

So, all the more opportunity for a bit of a bargain

[skankdelvar]

Well, it's up to £200; fair money for a bodge. But quite a pretty bodge.

[Kev]

im gunna predict £325...