L-1000 bass as an investment

[PluckyThump]

I'm seeing lots of early Wunkays for sale, there's one here at TB, a couple on evilbay and one semi-local to me. I'm wondering what affects the price and the expected increase in value years down the road.

They seem to average about $850 US, but sometimes you see one fetch well over $1000. Do certain woods command more money? For example is ash/maple worth less than hog/ebony? Does big hex / slot / small hex make a difference?

Thing is if I buy one I will only play it at home because I gig with 5-strings. So it is more of an investment for me, as opposed to a player. I want to make sure I don't overpay but also get a good one.

Of course this all assumes I can drum up the money in the first place.

[Chef]

G&L? Investment? Really?

I wouldn't.

[PluckyThump]

Originally Posted by Chef

G&L? Investment? Really?

I wouldn't.

Thank you for the honest opinion Chef.

Everyone else feel free to chime in, I want to hear it all. If I'm convinced NOT to drop a grand on a bass, that isn't a bad thing.

While searching I found this article:

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazin...ge_Basses.aspx

The author thinks the early G&L's are a good buy at today's prices.

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by PluckyThump

I'm seeing lots of early Wunkays for sale, there's one here at TB, a couple on evilbay and one semi-local to me. I'm wondering what affects the price and the expected increase in value years down the road.

They seem to average about $850 US, but sometimes you see one fetch well over $1000. Do certain woods command more money? For example is ash/maple worth less than hog/ebony? Does big hex / slot / small hex make a difference?

Thing is if I buy one I will only play it at home because I gig with 5-strings. So it is more of an investment for me, as opposed to a player. I want to make sure I don't overpay but also get a good one.

Of course this all assumes I can drum up the money in the first place.

Agree with Chef. G&L's are lousy investments. Mine are even worse since they're fretless, my L2000 is an unlined FL and would thus be even more impossible to sell than my L2500 which is lined...... I kind of consider them both worthless from a $ standpoint.

But I've always been surprised at how poor the resale seems to be even on the fretted.

Can't get a better Fender tho than any of the G&L's so if you're buying it to play you can't do much better...

LS

[mikeGJ]

If you are not into fours, buying an early G&L for an "investment" seems like an expensive whim.

Great basses, though.

- Mike

[jfh2424]

Basses are made of wood. Wood warps over time. You can never be sure how time will affect whatever bass you will buy.

I would not invest in basses from a financial point of view.

But to each his own.

John

[Craig_S]

Originally Posted by jfh2424

Basses are made of wood. Wood warps over time. You can never be sure how time will affect whatever bass you will buy.

Though, after 30 years, you can be pretty sure there won't be any major changes, unless you use the instrument as a surfboard.

I don't think you'll see a big increase in the value of early G&L basses, but they're not losing value, either. Buy it, because it's a great bass, and play it.

[Chef]

Don't get me wrong:
I like G&L stuff. I've been using it since it came out.
But, it's never really appreciated. Prices have been stuck at more or less the same point for years and years.
Fender appreciates so predictably there's published valuations for it.
Perhaps Music Man has done better than G&L, but, maybe not.

Why?
Who knows.

[PluckyThump]

Thanks for the responses so far. First it was Freddels' bass that stirred my GAS and now this baby has come up locally:



1980/81 with slot poles. The guy wants $1150 for it. I'm thinking $900 tops, if there's nothing wrong with it. Thoughts?

My heart wants one of these but my head tells me no.

[Chef]

I paid, $1k for this one, and it was dead mint when I got it, with papers and the correct case:



This pic...

The one on the right I sold this one for ~$700. Very good shape, brass nut, wrong case.
The one on the left I bought for substantively less than that, with the correct case; but it was haggard and took a lot of work to celan up; and it still needs fretwork.

Personally, I think at $1150, he's $400 higher than I would go, personally.
The one thing he has in his favor is "local." Being able to inspect it thoroughly is worth something.

[lmfreeman9]

I agree with the general consensus G&L=Bad investments. I paid $650, 750, 850 for an L1000 player, L2000E with mojo and a clean el toro with no case. Prices seem to wander between 450 and 950. There is a limited market.

I am an investor in other commodities and can tell you that the buying price is what makes a great investment. That is a beautiful L-1000 but I wouldn't pay over $800 for it unless you are buying it to play it. I had a similar opportunity for an L-1000 in similar condition at $950. It sat in a local shop for 1 year and I still passed on it. I bought at least 6 other basses in that year and L1K's are my favorites.

In making decisions, I find it best to start with your heart, but the head should always have veto power.

[Freddels]

Fenders didn't appreciate for years. I can remember when nobody wanted them. Now, you have to mortgage the house to buy a vintage Fender. Will G&L's be worth a lot in the future? I have no idea. Maybe and maybe not. But I think that the L1K is definitely a player type bass.

[fretwear]

I've got a buddy who remembers buying, selling and trading "used" Fender, Gibson, etc. guitars and bass guitars in the 60's and 70's. They were selling for around $50 to $300. Today the're called "vintage" and sell fro $5000 to $30,000 or more. Will this happen with G&L? Who can say, but one thing for sure, Leo isn't making any more of them. In the last 3 to 5 years the pre- BBE stuff had held it's value and certain one's have become less availiable and gone up in price. Look at the Broadcasters, L-2000, and L-1000 to name a few.

[Slapme Silly]

I own a 1985 1k. I didn't buy it as an investment, but American G&L basses have a history of being Leo Fender's greatest achievement. In general, I think that musicians use the term "vintage" loosely. These instruments are only 20+ years old. Given time, I think they'll appreciate in value eventually.

[bassfootballguy]

I agree with those who are stating G&Ls are not a good investment idea. We might all eat our words one day, but there is a record of a couple of decades to reflect on and the reflection is that they don't appreciate substantially in value. When that is the case over a couple of decades, it is more than a trend, just as the escalating value of Fenders, regardless of the relative quality of the instrument when it was manufactured, has held for more than a couple of decades. That, too, is more than a trend.
That said, if you're getting one for its value solely as a tool of the trade, there are hardly any better invesments out there relative to the price point and perhaps without any regard to price.
Just my thoughts.

James

[El Tookay]

If it's a 'buy-and-hold" thing, look for Wunkays with mahogany bodies, ebony boards, big hex polepieces, correct case (brown velour, not brown plush), and B001000 or less.

As far as long-term investment goes, you're much better snagging MM or Fullerton Fenders.

[Craig_S]

Originally Posted by El Tookay

If it's a 'buy-and-hold" thing, look for Wunkays with mahogany bodies, ebony boards, big hex polepieces, correct case (brown velour, not brown plush), and B001000 or less.

Well, that leaves mine out. I have the Mahogany body, the ebony board, the big hex poles, and the correct case, but my bridge serial number is B002000 (something). The neck is stamped Dec. 22, 1980 the body is, if I remember correctly, Dec. 27, 1980. It seems this one sat on the line over Christmas break.

[Chef]

huh...just goes to show, Fender and G&L were consistently inconsistent.

[metron]

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Well, that leaves mine out. I have the Mahogany body, the ebony board, and the big hex poles, but my bridge serial number is B002000 (something). The neck is stamped Dec. 22, 1980 the body is, if I remember correctly, Dec. 27, 1980. It seems this one sat on the line over Christmas break.

My hog/maple L1000 is stamped in the same week with a day or two difference in dates. I believe they are Dec 23rd and Dec 29th or 30th 1980. I guess it sat next to yours over Christmas break!

Yeah I would agree with others that they are not great monetary investments at this time. I overpaid a good bit for mine last year because it was the exact bass I wanted. If anything they are a great investment in terms of an outstanding tool for music making. Who knows if the G&L market will suddenly change though. They seem to have a lot more interest these days then when I first started getting into them only 3 or 4 years ago.

[Craig_S]

Originally Posted by metron

My hog/maple L1000 is stamped in the same week with a day or two difference in dates. I believe they are Dec 23rd and Dec 29th or 30th 1980. I guess it sat next to yours over Christmas break!

Ha! How cool! we're practically brothers! Is the bridge serial number close, as well? Just curious.