Burns-bass Posted April 12 Share Posted April 12 3 hours ago, Chiliwailer said: The itch gets scratched… then the reality of the cost sets in? Was often my dilemma anyway when owning old gear and the prices went north. Was easier when the market wasn’t full of dealers buying up all stock and then rising prices every few months. Or private sellers trying to charge shop prices for their gear. Or “all original apart from a few changed bits” or “as far as I know it’s all original (but I won’t take it apart to prove that).” @GuyR had it nailed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliwailer Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 (edited) 10 hours ago, GuyR said: A lot of vintage fender basses look cool but are a bit crap to play. They are still pretty much just as valuable as a very good player. I would expect those to be the ones you see repeatedly for sale. Good point and can be the case; my personal experience with vintage basses and guitars is different on the whole. I worked in vintage guitar shops in London over a span of many years. There were the odd vintage dogs, but not actually that many in ratio to those I played/sold. Like any bass, there will be some that do the rounds (like a SB Lull P Bass that was on here a few times that I took a chance on and quickly sold on!). The vast majority were just average I.e. no ‘better’ than any other good instrument, though perhaps with a feel or mystic that draws us in. Like Clive Brown once said to me ‘People wrongly think the old ones are better, like they are made with magic pixie dust!’ The others, and fewer amount, were really outstanding, perhaps being a combo of years of use, great wood, and tons of mojo. Just from my personal experience I really don’t think it’s just the dogs that are doing the rounds, more that people work out a vintage bass isn’t as special as they thought, or that the bass is different to what they had imagined or expected when buying with their eyes or dreams. That said, I totally get why people love the vintage vibe nonetheless. My AVRI with a Fralin pup is just as good a player and tone as the very good and near mint ‘66 P Bass I sold when my wife needed a new car. That was my last, of many, vintage basses over the years- it just wasn’t worth the extra £s for me when we needed it back. I saw that bass passed round 3 times within 2 years but it was a great bass. If I was wealthy I’d like another early Fender bass purely for the fun of it, but that’d be my only reason given the more than good enough quality of my AVRI and CS Fender basses. YMMV 😊 Edited April 13 by Chiliwailer 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted April 13 Author Share Posted April 13 Also I think sometimes it can be as simple as people spend a lot of money on one and it turns out that it’s just not the bass for them , because it’s been sold a few times doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with it, I’ve seen many good basses here passed on 5 or 6 times. I’ve done it myself, I spent over 2K on a beautiful custom Sandberg and didn’t really gel with it and sold it at a big loss , at least with most of the vintage ones you shouldn’t lose any money if it doesn’t work out 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 (edited) @Reggaebass feel free to contact me if you ever want to sell one of your basses at a big loss. Always happy to help Rob Edited April 13 by rwillett 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ossyrocks Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 I like the feel and vibe of vintage instruments, not just basses, but guitars and even drums too. I don't think mine have been passed around, and I do know I'm just the 3rd owner of my '73 Jazz, the previous owner being Nick (Old Horse Murphy, RIP) of this parish. My '73 P bass has a feel and tone I just haven't found in any other P bass I've tried. At a gig two weeks ago, four bands playing, all bass players through the same rig, we were first on and therefore last to soundcheck. I set the EQ flat and adjusted the volume down slightly, and the engineer looked up from his desk and spoke through the monitors "what a wonderful sounding bass". It made me smile. Rob 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAgent Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 I have this 1973 Jazz Bass currently in to clean and setup. The bridge pickup is veeeeery very soft. The neck pickup is functioning fine. Is it just a matter of having the pickup rewound? The pots and all other solder looks fine and is original. The bridge is a Schaller, but I have the original bridge with it. It does lack two intonation screws and springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ossyrocks Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 I also have a '73 Jazz in which the bridge pickup died. Working one day, and not the next. I searched around and talked to a few people and in the end I placed my trust in Ash at Oil City Pickups. He has a roll of the original wire used on these pickups, which he used on my restoration. We agreed a slight overwind too, to 7.6k. He completed the job by lacquering the pickup as it had been originally. He turned it round in less than a week including postage and charged me next to nothing relatively. Highly recommended. Oh, and the pickup sounds better than it did before. Rob. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow_22 Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 Love the look of this over at Bass Direct, decent price too as he usually gets very giddy with vintage Fenders price wise. However, that weight!?! https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/fender-jazz-bass-gloss-black-1977-pre-owned/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgnofski Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 https://images.app.goo.gl/vKKu6sNjRMANYwvS6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 45 minutes ago, Pow_22 said: Love the look of this over at Bass Direct, decent price too as he usually gets very giddy with vintage Fenders price wise. However, that weight!?! https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/fender-jazz-bass-gloss-black-1977-pre-owned/ Or you can have my Jet Black one (thought it is home made). In another 40 years it will be vintage 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAgent Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 On 13/04/2024 at 18:29, BassAgent said: I have this 1973 Jazz Bass currently in to clean and setup. The bridge pickup is veeeeery very soft. The neck pickup is functioning fine. Is it just a matter of having the pickup rewound? The pots and all other solder looks fine and is original. The bridge is a Schaller, but I have the original bridge with it. It does lack two intonation screws and springs. Just ordered new intonation and bridge mounting screws for this beaut. I saw the bridge isn't on straight. Can't wait to put the original back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 Andy B has got a really nice 61 P, all original in fiesta red in, really lovely thing and sounds lovely , too high price tag for me, https://www.andybaxterbass.com/products/1961-fender-precision-bass-fiesta-red-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 3 hours ago, Reggaebass said: Andy B has got a really nice 61 P, all original in fiesta red in, really lovely thing and sounds lovely , too high price tag for me, https://www.andybaxterbass.com/products/1961-fender-precision-bass-fiesta-red-1 Nice bass but that price is eye-watering! Someone could've got these two and still have nearly £8,000 left over :- 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 That's just the sort of economic argument I fall for.... I can buy these and say I've saved £8k. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkie635 Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 On 15/04/2024 at 09:50, Pow_22 said: Love the look of this over at Bass Direct, decent price too as he usually gets very giddy with vintage Fenders price wise. However, that weight!?! https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/fender-jazz-bass-gloss-black-1977-pre-owned/ Maybe it comes with its own crane? 🤔 Does look nice though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 1 hour ago, rwillett said: That's just the sort of economic argument I fall for.... I can buy these and say I've saved £8k. Alternatively, seeing as my 61P was sold, you could just buy the Pino and have more than £18k left over. You've just saved another £10k! I should add that my advice isn't underwritten by the FSA. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 6 hours ago, Reggaebass said: Andy B has got a really nice 61 P, all original in fiesta red in, really lovely thing and sounds lovely , too high price tag for me, https://www.andybaxterbass.com/products/1961-fender-precision-bass-fiesta-red-1 As I come from Paisley maybe I should buy it and keep it in the town, maybe play it in The Old Swan next month? Only one snag, I`m £21,000 short! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Riva Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 6 hours ago, Reggaebass said: Andy B has got a really nice 61 P, all original in fiesta red in, really lovely thing and sounds lovely , too high price tag for me, https://www.andybaxterbass.com/products/1961-fender-precision-bass-fiesta-red-1 “This 1-owner bass came to us via the cousin of its original owner… He played the bass locally in bands until the early 80s when he sadly passed away. Since then the bass has remained in its case with his cousin.“ Blimey, how big’s the case?! Or how big’s the cousin?! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 1 hour ago, jezzaboy said: As I come from Paisley maybe I should buy it and keep it in the town, maybe play it in The Old Swan next month? Only one snag, I`m £21,000 short! It’d be good if it stays in the UK. I suspect it will have collectors worldwide scrambling for funds. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 6 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said: It’d be good if it stays in the UK. I suspect it will have collectors worldwide scrambling for funds. 1 hour ago, jezzaboy said: As I come from Paisley maybe I should buy it and keep it in the town, maybe play it in The Old Swan next month? Only one snag, I`m £21,000 short! We could each put in a sum of money to buy itand time-share the guitar between us. With my £7.99, I get it for approx 45 seconds on April 16th. Mmmm...actually thats an interesting idea. Not sure I can afford £22.5K. but I could do a chunk of it. rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 36 minutes ago, rwillett said: Mmmm...actually thats an interesting idea. Not sure I can afford £22.5K. but I could do a chunk of it I can help with the .5 bit if you could manage the rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 So if 45 of us each do £500, we're there. That means we each get it for 194 hours per year. That's over a week, a whole week. I'm happy to act as the distribution hub so people can collect and drop off. No charge for this service. So we only need another 43 of us.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilorius Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 6 minutes ago, rwillett said: So if 45 of us each do £500, we're there. That means we each get it for 194 hours per year. That's over a week, a whole week. I'm happy to act as the distribution hub so people can collect and drop off. No charge for this service. So we only need another 43 of us.... Start searching, cheers !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 9 minutes ago, nilorius said: Start searching, cheers !!! I've signed you up... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansbrew Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 23 minutes ago, rwillett said: I've signed you up... Can you buy 2 shares 🤔 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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