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52 Precision

#41
Engle said:
Maybe it was presumptuous on my part to assume the elderly gentleman might not be aware of the market value of that instrument, but people do take advantage of seniors and if I can stop such a rip off by respectfully advising caution, I'll do it every time.

I talked to my drummer last night and he says the gentleman thought he would get $1500 for it!

He will ask the owner to bring it to the next community band rehearsal so I can take a look at it and take pictures. That's next Tuesday night.
I will take some detailed pictures and ask to plug into an amp. I don't think it's appropriate to ask to remove the control plate at this point.

I will offer to do a more detailed appraisal and let him know about the Talkbass community. Hopefully this bass can find its way to a player, not just a collector.
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If it's genuine like @Bflat thinks it might be, the owner should add a 0 to that number.
 
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#42
Engle said:
Thanks, but I haven't done anything yet!
I have met most of the folks in that band - lot's of really nice old timers.
I was going to join, but I couldn't bring myself to wear the blue polyester jacket;) My drummer buddy just rocks the big band tunes!
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Don't forget to get some shots of the Blue Polyester Jackets!
 
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#43
Dating vintage instruments and determining value to it is an art in of itself. One little thing wrong, replaced, or missing can devalue the bass greatly. This was always a tricky situation at the music store. Guy brings in a vintage instrument, and to date it, alot of time you had to remove the neck. Taking a bass that could be worth north of $10k and pulling apart is not for the feint of heart. If this was me, I would accompany the gentleman down to a local luthier that I trust and have him pull things apart for me. Sure, you are going to pay $50 for his time, but I'd personally feel more comfortable with it.
 
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#44
logicman69 said:
Dating vintage instruments and determining value to it is an art in of itself. One little thing wrong, replaced, or missing can devalue the bass greatly. This was always a tricky situation at the music store. Guy brings in a vintage instrument, and to date it, alot of time you had to remove the neck. Taking a bass that could be worth north of $10k and pulling apart is not for the feint of heart. If this was me, I would accompany the gentleman down to a local luthier that I trust and have him pull things apart for me. Sure, you are going to pay $50 for his time, but I'd personally feel more comfortable with it.
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Good point, but I didn't think the OP was going to pull it apart, just take pics and post them here.
 
#48
logicman69 said:
Dating vintage instruments and determining value to it is an art in of itself. One little thing wrong, replaced, or missing can devalue the bass greatly. This was always a tricky situation at the music store. Guy brings in a vintage instrument, and to date it, alot of time you had to remove the neck. Taking a bass that could be worth north of $10k and pulling apart is not for the feint of heart. If this was me, I would accompany the gentleman down to a local luthier that I trust and have him pull things apart for me. Sure, you are going to pay $50 for his time, but I'd personally feel more comfortable with it.
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Yup. This sounds like the equivalent of the "Little old lady who just drove her car to church on Sunday". Sounds like this is the original owner, and if he is a jazz guy, it might not have been played a lot - certainly for the past few decades. This could be a holy grail instrument.
 
#56
Engle said:
i actually have formal training and a fair bit of experience in guitar repair, but yes I'm just going to start by examining the instrument, taking photos, and hopefully plugging it in and playing it - carefully of course.
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Then you will have a more steady hand than I. I remember we had a guy bring in what was supposedly a late 60's Strat to the store. I had to make all sorts of phone calls to various "experts" in the company. After talking to a few people, I was told that I needed to remove the neck to check for certain manufacturer codes and then remove the pickguard to look at the dates on the pots and pickups. The look on the guys face was one of sheer terror. He did not let me remove anything and we ended up passing on it. I don't blame the guy, but when you are trying to sell vintage gear, you should expect a little more than a "look it over and give you a price".
 
#58
gumtown said:
More so if stripping it down one neck screw strips the screwdriver slot and another neck screw snaps off while undoing it.
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Oh god... That was always my fear. I remember once doing a setup for a kid at the store. He brought in this Squier Jazz Bass he picked up and the neck was all out of whack. Tried adjusting the neck a bit to help with the action and *SNAP*.. there goes the truss rod. Damn thing snapped inside the neck. I felt bad so I told the kid to go pick anything on the wall up to $200 in value and let him walk out the door with it.
 
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#59
Ouch! You have to be really, really careful with other people's instruments and if it's a real vintage piece even more so.

Not saying the Squier truss rod was your fault - unfortunately stuff like that does happen.
 
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