How much would modified 73 p-bass cost?

[Jayonthegroove7]

It doesn't have original pickups have some emg pups and a badass bridge....I know not having the original devalues it but by how much?

[clbolt]

Assuming nothing else has been monkeyed with (ie: no routing, drilling, refinishing, etc), and assuming the pots are original, I'd figure it's worth between $300 and $500 less than if it were 100% stock and original.

Buying a replacement original bridge is easy enough. If I were going back to a stock pickup on such a bass for myself, I'd probably call Lindy Fralin and have him wind me a period correct copy. It'd save some of the expense and all of the headache of obsessing about finding a date-perfect and hopefully functional original.

[JTE]

Well, because it has EMG pickups, it won't have the original pots either. Cruise E-bay completed sales, get a copy of Vintage Guitar magazine, those will give you an idea.

John

[Kmonk]

The reason for buying an older bass is to get that vintage tone. A 73 with EMGs is not going to sound like a vintage Precision. For that reason, I won't buy any older bass that has been modified.

[bassteban]

I paid 12 bills(IIRC)for a 73 a few years ago... crappy refin, iffy BA bridge install, *bleah* tone. Replaced it w/an MIM P mutt, no regrets. I'd consider doing it again for half that price, intending to mod it back to near-original tone(wouldn't trip beyond sound & playability, just not the collector type).

[ntenny]

Originally Posted by JTE

Well, because it has EMG pickups, it won't have the original pots either.

Why's that? My '73 Jazz had EMG pickups (the passive Selects) and the original pots. If the pots were OK when the replacement was done, why would they have been switched?

-NT

[JTE]

Originally Posted by ntenny

Why's that? My '73 Jazz had EMG pickups (the passive Selects) and the original pots. If the pots were OK when the replacement was done, why would they have been switched?

-NT

I'd forgotten about the Selects. When I think of EMG, I think of the regular more common active ones, which require 25K pots instead of the stock 250K ones.

John

[tjnkoo]

Are you by chance looking at a bass at the Atlanta Bass Gallery? They have a 73' (if I remember right) P with EMGs in as well right now.

[Bass Mayhem]

Old basses aren't per definition good basses, they are just old. Some time someone made an effort to make an instrument a better instrument, better in that way that it was usable as an instrument and not as something to hang on a wall like a painting.

The old '73 bass isn't that old, it is a CBS mass production model. Some were great and some were just painted firewood, if you got my point. Judge an instrument by its qualities rather than its age, then we won't get those silly vintage hype situations with instruments that don't deserve it.

An instrument that gets played is a good instrument. An instrument that gets exhibited is a tragedy. My old 70's Jazz Bass is original from neck up and hasn't been better. Well, that's my point of view.