A question, I daresay.

[EliasR]

Alright, I was shopping around for a new bass with a budget of about 1500 dollars. I wanted a fretless, and I had settled on the Warwick Corvette Active 4, which would give me about 300 dollars to spend on other things, (effects, an extra case, etc) however, when in a music store I asked about a strange looking fretted jazz bass, just out of curiousity. It turned out to be a 1971 Fender Jazz, that had been refinished in Olympic White, and a maple neck+fingerboard with black binding and inlays. This was for the price of 1500 dollars.

My question is, should I go for the '71 Jazz? I probably wouldn't be able to get a fretless for a while, but that I enjoyed the feel and sound of the vintage jazz. However, I wonder if the refinish affects the resale value enough (both now and in the future) that I might as well pass on the jazz bass and simply get the wick.

 

[mrokern]

I can't speak to resale value...first off because I don't know what refinishing would do to it, and secondly because I have never thought about resale value while buying an instrument (nothing wrong with that, it's just not my personal mindset).

If the instrument speaks to you, I'd say get it. If I could find a left-handed vintage Jazz that spoke to me at $1500, I'd personally do whatever was necessary in order to take it home with me.

-Mark

 

[M5Yates]

Alright, I was shopping around for a new bass with a budget of about 1500 dollars. I wanted a fretless, and I had settled on the Warwick Corvette Active 4, which would give me about 300 dollars to spend on other things, (effects, an extra case, etc) however, when in a music store I asked about a strange looking fretted jazz bass, just out of curiousity. It turned out to be a 1971 Fender Jazz, that had been refinished in Olympic White, and a maple neck+fingerboard with black binding and inlays. This was for the price of 1500 dollars.

My question is, should I go for the '71 Jazz? I probably wouldn't be able to get a fretless for a while, but that I enjoyed the feel and sound of the vintage jazz. However, I wonder if the refinish affects the resale value enough (both now and in the future) that I might as well pass on the jazz bass and simply get the wick.

If you like the Jazz, that's a very good price as long as it has the original pickups.

 

[EliasR]

So basically, it's based on whether the pickups are original?
I'll ask the seller, maybe check myself.

 

[M5Yates]

If it's just a body refin, it's a great price.
If other stuff has been replaced, it's an ok price.

 

[therex]

dont worry about pups or any original parts,
if it played nice and you liked it thats all that matters

 

[M5Yates]

don't worry about pups or any original parts,
if it played nice and you liked it thats all that matters

That should be the determining factor in buying the bass, but the originality (& condition) sets the market price.

 

[thumpbass1]

dont worry about pups or any original parts,
if it played nice and you liked it thats all that matters

Original parts and general condition have everything to do with pricing any vintage instrument. In collector speak, it's called not getting ripped off! I don't know about other folks but I actually prefer to not pay more money than a particular item is worth in the general market at the time I'm buying it.

Looks like M5 Yates got to the same point earlier than my post did. He's right.

 

[SMASH]

If you want a J bass, get a 2001 and save a lot of money. Heck, you can get a used J bass and a used Corvette fretless 4 (awesome basses, IMO - I have one of those and an early-70's Fender J) and still have $300 left over.

If you want an old Fender, get to know more about them and their values. "I'll ask the seller" isn't good enough, no matter what their answer is or how honest they are. They might not even truly know the facts.

If you don't really know what you want, get nothing & save your money.

 

[ZonGuy]

I use a Zon Sonus 5 with phenolic fingerboard which sounds great. Unfortunately, the price tag is way higher. Perhaps a used one can be found on Ebay.

Going cheap? Used Coit Artisan's with Bartolini's can be had for $250.

Warwicks - I love my my fretted Thumb 5 Bolt-On. Otherwise, I don't care for Warwicks.

Best tone for a

 

[ggunn]

IMO, if you don't really know vintage instruments and what makes them worth more (or less), then don't play in that game. Someone who is not knowledgeable in such things and makes a one-time purchase of what is supposedly a vintage instrument is very likely to get taken.

My advice to non-collectors (and I am a non-collector) is to buy a bass to play, and make your decision based on sound and playability and not on value as a collector's item.

 

[mikeswals]

Looking at this at face value...I would pick the J in a hearbeat.
But yes, the vintage game is a tough one to play, you definitely gotta know what you're looking at so you're not taken. A sellers word isn't good enough, I've run into that many times. Good detailed pictures are priceless...but even then, you still need to know what you're looking at.

 

[FingeringAm]

if its all original (except finish) this could be amazingly expensive in 10-15 years if u keep it in good condition

 

[ggunn]

if its all original (except finish) this could be amazingly expensive in 10-15 years if u keep it in good condition

And for a variety of reasons, maybe not. The anticipated value in 10-15 years should be a very small factor in the decision making process; there is a reason that this bass is hanging in a music store for sale for $1500. It is a fallacy to assume that since 1960's basses are worth a mint today that 1970's basses will be likewise in 10 years. It is not age alone that makes them pricey. I say again, do not engage in speculation in the vintage instrument market unless you know very well what you are doing. Neophytes get taken to the cleaners.

If the bass looks and plays like $1500 to you, then go for it.

 

[Spinal Tapper]

I'd get the Jazz.

 

[RickenBoogie]

IMO, if you don't really know vintage instruments and what makes them worth more (or less), then don't play in that game. Someone who is not knowledgeable in such things and makes a one-time purchase of what is supposedly a vintage instrument is very likely to get taken.

My advice to non-collectors (and I am a non-collector) is to buy a bass to play, and make your decision based on sound and playability and not on value as a collector's item.

As another non-collector, I echo this post entirely. If the J bass feels and plays like a $1500 bass, go for it. Otherwise....

 

[SMASH]

And for a variety of reasons, maybe not. The anticipated value in 10-15 years should be a very small factor in the decision making process; there is a reason that this bass is hanging in a music store for sale for $1500. It is a fallacy to assume that since 1960's basses are worth a mint today that 1970's basses will be likewise in 10 years. It is not age alone that makes them pricey. I say again, do not engage in speculation in the vintage instrument market unless you know very well what you are doing. Neophytes get taken to the cleaners.

If the bass looks and plays like $1500 to you, then go for it.

Great post !

It's also a fallacy to presume 60's Fenders will be nominally worth more in 10-15 years than they are today.

It's a further fallacy to think that even if they are worth nominally more that you could actually get more with that money. I mean, a late 60's Fender cost what originally ... about $300? So their "value" hjas gone up about 10-20x. So has the price of almost everything else, or more.

http://www.1960sflashback.com/1968/Economy.asp

 

[EliasR]

Alright, got back from the store where the bass was. Pups were replaced with Duncan "vintage reissues." Hardware, tuners, pickguarg, jack and pots are original.

 

[therex]

if you are buying it for its vintage value then check originality if you are buying it to play it just buy a not so expensive bass that plays great