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1973 P Bass help

W

Wyattsgroove

Jan 6, 2011
198
4
Newark ohio
#1
Hi all, I have the opportunity to purchase a '73 P and I don't know much about vintage basses at all and just want to be sure before I pull the trigger if this bass is worth the money.
Again I have never bought a vintage instrument and am asking those of you who have , is this bass worth the $$ ( It is at a dealer I trust and have dealt with for years, I will ask to have the bass disassembled to verify the dates before I buy it).
Here are the details:
Specs: 1973 P Bass sunburst/ RW board
S/N 390979 , original parts except for pick guard, pots and missing pup cover.

Condition: overall fair has it's share of dings and chips around the edges,mild checking of the finish, neck has slight relief as it sits ( very little),the frets are in good shape with no divots or any major wear.
Sound and playability : plays excellent with no fret buzz with very low action.
Amplified sounded a little bit mellow compared to the 60th anniversary P Bass I tried out before and after it.

Side note: the one thing I did notice is that the 1973 and 2011 felt and played almost the same with slight differences on the board ( both comfortable for my hands).

The weight of the bass is very light.

I've been checking all over the web on these early 70's P's and see that they can go from 1500. and up depending on condition, but also see that there are some priced upwards of 2500. with mods or many missing orig. parts and various stages of condition. This is where I'm lost! Lol


Now for the pix!
 

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#3
#9
The missing pots it's a bit of a downer because original CTS pots have a date on them which usually confirm those dates (year and not month) found on the inside of the neck pocket and on the back of the neck heel.

Call me suspicious but I don't see the reason for changing the original CTS pots unless he bathed the bass in caustic soda these should have still worked ok to this date if they were really from 1973.

As you've said the dealer is willing to disassemble the bass, look for the neck pocket date and the neck ones. See if they match more or less to the year. They don't necessarily need to match by month as they were normally build within the same year at different dates.

Also check the bottom of the pickup to see if it has a small metal saddle with foam which used to be on the original basses up until the CBS takeover. If it has, its more of a positive tell tale sign of genuinity.
 
#11
Also check the intonation screw for the G string. If it's longer than the others, that's also a good indication that it's genuine.

The neck plate might have black plastic under it. That would be consistent with a 73, too.
 
#12
Paul M said:
Also check the intonation screw for the G string. If it's longer than the others, that's also a good indication that it's genuine.

The neck plate might have black plastic under it. That would be consistent with a 73, too.
Click to expand...

No black plate under my neck plate on my 73. Those would have come later.

That thumb rest placement would be a deal killer for me. Beyond looking ridiculous, it's gonna leave a mark when you remove it. :atoz: That pickguard is awful.
 
#13
Their site has it listed at $1600. I would see if they could take 10% off myself if it's a good player. Those parts are available on the internet fairly easily so it would be easy to get it period correct again. So if it's a good player and in the condition they describe then I would think they don't have a bad price on it.
 
#14
My guess is that that bass should appraise at around $2200. You get it professionally appraised but it will be in that neighborhood. Personally, I find the vintage thing a bit silly if you can buy a new, and arguably better built, bass for $1100.
To each - his own!
 
#15
Dbassmon said:
My guess is that that bass should appraise at around $2200. You get it professionally appraised but it will be in that neighborhood. Personally, I find the vintage thing a bit silly if you can buy a new, and arguably better built, bass for $1100.
To each - his own!
Click to expand...

A 73 would appraise in the $2200-$2500 range only if it was in top condition which this one is not at all.
 
#17
Thanks all! You guys are nuts! Lol
Johnny Allen even found the web site!

It's listed for 1600.
The thumb rest is annoying but it is a player. A sweet one at that. Before I go any further with this I will ask to see it disassembled then take pix.
The sellers are good guys and I do and have been dealing with them for a long time so there won't be any problems with taking the bass apart.
I was told that the pots and pick guard were replaced before the bass came in. They inspected the bass and found the replacement pots were not that good and they replaced them with CTS pots.
Again I will have to see it disassembled.

This has helped me put a figure in my head as to what I am willing to pay for the bass now.

Thanks !
 

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