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1979 P Bass Value
- Thread starter bignote
- Start date
and a 14th "center" screw hole above the Pickups.
But I took it that OP was implying that this was not the original Pickguard were seeing, and that the "owner has the original ..."
Not quite...
The loophole here is, he is trying to buy the bass, not to list one for sale.
In which case he can ask and be okay.
You may or may not care about the exact year, but just be aware that S9 serial numbers are known to have been applied over the course of a few years - I guess they printed a lot of them. I had an S9 precision with a neck stamp of ‘82 and pot codes that indicated 1982 - not an uncommon occurrence.
Mine was an excellent bass but as others have said, get your hands on it before you determine what it’s worth to you.
Mine was an excellent bass but as others have said, get your hands on it before you determine what it’s worth to you.
No. The rules are pretty clear, simply because members would ask about buying value when they were in fact planning to sell. There is no loophole: you have to be a supporting member to ask about value.
From the Forum Rules:
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Actually it says there "for personal instruments". As this is not a personal instrument that the OP owns it is OK to ask. The reason for that rule is because people would launch "what is my bass worth" threads and use it to sell the bass outside the classifieds (which is limited to supporting members).
That sounds like a stretch. Unless you know the OP personally or own the instrument yourself, you have no idea if this is not a thinly veiled for sale ad. It's a personal instrument even if it's not owned by the OP personally. Maybe a mod should clarify, but in my opinion the rule is quite clear.
If that is not the intent and I am "stretching" then why even include the "personal instruments" text? Why not just say that "what's it worth?" threads are only for supporting members? Its clear that it only applies to instruments you own.
It's not a "personal" instrument...the OP is trying to determine a fair market value so he doesn't over-pay. Once purchased (...and with our $$ guidance, of course), the OP will apply the savings towards a Supporting Membership and the issue will be moot.
Riis
I was playing in high school bands in 1979, and as others have said, you really need to try that bass out before spending a dollar. Those were not good times for American manufacturing. Even my 17-year-old self could absolutely tell that guitars coming out of Japan not only offered a better value, but often were actually better instruments head-to-head.
Eh, finish is pretty rough (and not in a particularly cool way), might be moldy, and if it was stored away for a long time it might be in bad shape on the neck/frets/setup, etc. Like others said, 70’s Fender is hit or miss.
Maybe just go get a nice “vintage” G&L and get that Leo magic/quality in a more reasonable package?
Maybe just go get a nice “vintage” G&L and get that Leo magic/quality in a more reasonable package?
I've been here for 22 years now. Time and time again the mods have said its okay for someone trying to buy an instrument and clearly showing they're wanting to buy.
Its the non-supporting members that are pulling veiled attempts and wanting to sell a bass that you must be a supporting or you thread gets shut down. Different situations.
Yeah but artisanal black mold takes a lot of time and skill to cultivate on polyester paint; it takes a master builder. You only get that kind of treatment in the highest level FCS relicing package.
I agree that the mods should step in if needed. We don't need a self-appointed thread sheriff derailing a thread for no reason.
This how I see it. Offer the seller $400 for it. Nothing has happened to that bass since '79 to make it better than when it was new.
Asking prices of $3K (or more) for a '70s Fender P basses, especially after '72, are super stupid, IMO. In $3K territory I'd sooner buy a used FCS P bass.
