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63 Jazz worth 6K?

#63
Whether it's correctly valued (not 'worth it' which, as the bulk of the responses here clearly indicate, is highly subjective) to me depends hugely on whether the pickups and electrics are original. If those are all original and functioning correctly, if the bridge and tuners can be replaced without major surgery, if the frets are good, and if the neck and body are verified original finish, then I'd say it's fairly valued. That's a lot of ifs, though.

Also, that Badass looks suspiciously like the adjustment screws are seized solid, and the action on the E looks high. Might be a hard one to get a feel for if the setup is wonky...
 
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#64
StudioGC said:
I just pieced together a mid 70's Jazz Bass using an original neck and body. I put in Fender Vintage '64 pickups and I also splurged on an original era case. I have $1200 invested. Much more then my usual cut off of $800 I will spend on a bass. I thought I was going to sell it for a modest profit but couldn't since it sounds and feels so darn good. Unless I get shot in the ass with gold nuggets, I'm not spending over $1200 on a bass.

I just played this a few days ago and honestly it was "meh" (to me....and well the store owner too...). We both thought the Flea Jazz sounded better!

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Give me that "meh" '67 jazz bass ^ ^ and I will buy you two brand new fender flea signature jazz basses. I'm dead serious.
 
#68
The seller states "serious inquiries only" but there is no pic of the date stamp on the neck or even pics of the condition of the frets. Is the neck straight? Does the trussrod work? Date stamps on the pots? These things should be addressed by a "serious seller". Also as others have stated the replacement bridge and tuners reduce the value and will always be a weak spot with the bass. Do you really want to spend more money and time searching for period correct replacement parts? Fender basses are notoriously inconsistent. It's not a good bass just because it's old.
 
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#69
Having brought vintage basses in the past (64 and 65 jazz) and having tried to kiss may others that turned out to be frogs, I can only tell the op that you must play it to assess its worth( unless 'perhaps' there is a money back guarantee). Many of my fellow talk bassists may think thatnew violins are 'as good as' a stradavarious and that many new hondas equal a rolls royce. I may not be in that camp but for a vintage fender , I have usually taken a fender expert more knowledgeable than me ( I have read up lots on fenders before starting each purchase) , played the instrument, verified it on the spot by taking it apart ,and have had a money back guarantee for a trial period.
When I find a vintage fender thats period correct for its parts, it usually comes down to the neck and tone. Remember the market for vintage instruments is pretty efficient with folks buying instruments as their main job. If it looks too good to be true...

However, given the lack of info from the seller, he/she may not know about the bass and thus there may be a good bit of room for negotiation.
Good luck!
 
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#78
MegaSwing said:
If I'm selling it, it is. If I'm buying it, it's not.

It's a simple game, really.
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I couldn't agree more. Being an owner of a '60 Jazz, to me vintage instruments are only worth what someone is willing to pay. (bought mine '71 for $100 as a kid in high school) Over the the years I have heavily modded mine so collectors value is decreased, which I don't care about, sentimental value to me now. But question is...... does it have more mojo, play better, sound better? Who knows. As said earlier, all those things are subjective. Just being old doesn't necessarily make it better. How would I know if the slab of swamp ash or maple for the neck used for my bass is older than those of a much newer bass? I've had collectors tell me I could sell the neck alone for a 2 - 3 thousand dollars. Would someone pay that much? Maybe eventually. But is it "worth" that much? I personally don't think so. I've played all sorts of high end as well as budget basses of friends, and some play as well or better, some not. Some sound as good or better, and some not. So........ only you can determine if it is worth the 4k. I agree with others above. Since some of the original parts are missing 2500 - 3000 would seem appropriate.
 
#79
Engle said:
If nothing else, this looks pretty sweet:
1963 VINTAGE FENDER JAZZ BASS
Is it real?
Is it worth $6K CAN with a badass and schallers? (Actually that's only $4600 US)
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What you are asking is whether this a fair market price for this bass. Not whether one individual happens to see the value in an old beat up instrument like this or not. These are two different things. Considering the many replies of no, I thought this has to be distinguished. Provided the bass is all original aside from tuners and bridge, absolutely YES, this bass is easily worth $4600USD. Any inexperienced vintage guitar shopper can spend 20 minutes online and confirm this.

And BTW, you are brave posting a link to the ad considering the thousands of users on this site!
 
#80
There is only one person's opinion that matters - they guy who is buying it. If the seller gets 6K then the bass is worth it, if he doesn't, then it isn't. An object is 'worth' exactly what someone will pay for it; not a penny more, not a penny less.

Nothing like a vintage bass to bring out the TB cryers. :crying:
 

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