'73 fender p neck and body worth restoring?

[gibsonbass76]

I had a question for you guys, I have a chance to get a 73 fender precision neck and body. My question is it going to have the same resale value if i restore it with non vintage components? I don't think I would try and sell it after I restored it, but I've restored other basses in the past that I put way too much money into. And I don't want to get into a money pit project.

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by gibsonbass76

...I have a chance to get a '73 fender precision neck and body...is it going to have the same resale value if i restore it with non vintage components? ...I don't want to get into a money pit project.

I've got a couple of old P-basses, and have owned a couple of others. A non-vintage parts restore will not be as valuable, but vintage parts will cost 5 to 10 times as much, and will probably not get you much profit if/when you sell, as the parts have already been sold at market price to you.

If I had a bare vintage body and neck to restore, I'd use modern production parts that are designed to be vintage...pickups, pots, bridge, etc. Get the bass into good sounding and good looking shape. If you still want to sell, be upfront about what is original, which parts are vintage, and which parts are new.

I think a well set-up restored P-bass using new vintage-style parts would be very desirable to other bassists looking for an older P-bass.

[202dy]

It depends on the condition of the neck and body. If the neck and body have the original paint and decals then finding the right parts and putting it back into original condition is the only way to go. Period. That includes pots with the right date codes and the right cap. This is expensive and will take a while to find what you need. The value will be near book value for a vintage instrument. If you want to get it up and running and play it right away then purchase what you need in new or used parts and begin the search for the original equipment.

If the paint is not there and the decals are missing then it should still be refinished to spec. The right parts should be found but attention to details like the pots is less important. The value, given a professional re-fin will be roughly half the book value of an all original vintage piece.

The opportunity to acquire these pieces is great. Doing the right thing is the only decision. That includes "I'm keeping it for myself to play".

[gibsonbass76]

I quess either way it will probably keep it's value because I can always part it out for probably the same amount as i got it.