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Does this pickguard look genuine?
- Thread starter adfunk
- Start date
bongomania
Commercial User
Looks plausible to me. I wouldn't pay that much unless I had a '73 missing a guard and was planning on immediately flipping it for a "collector" price.
Agreed. I don't know if I could justify paying the cost of a whole bass for a $15 piece of plastic if that wasn't the case...
If it's actually made out of turtles I'd see the price, but otherwise, a modern replacement would look the exact same and I doubt if it would affect the value of a 73 Jazz by much
lousybassplayer said:
Not really. Most modern tort guards look nothing like vintage ones. The only one that comes anywhere near close are the special order ones from Pickguardian.
The ebay guard looks legit, has the proper steeper bevel (instead of the 45deg bevel reissue guards have) and the thin black center layer.
Yeah it's pricey, but where else you going to find an unaltered period correct guard? Over the past five years, I've noticed these only seem to come up only once or twice a year...same for P guards
Here's my 69 Jazz for reference....
Looks correct to me.
... and I'll second what Caca de Kick says that modern re issue type guards DO look different.
I have a Pickguardian guard, done in celluloid tort, and even that looks different than the original celluloid tort guard on my Precision.
Yup, it's expensive, but try and find another one for less.
My guess is that you'll have a VERY hard time.
... and I'll second what Caca de Kick says that modern re issue type guards DO look different.
I have a Pickguardian guard, done in celluloid tort, and even that looks different than the original celluloid tort guard on my Precision.
Yup, it's expensive, but try and find another one for less.
My guess is that you'll have a VERY hard time.
Thanks guys & Caca de Kick - very usefull info. & the picture of your amazing 69 seems to bear out my pickguards authenticity, as it's a very similar pattern & roughly the same era. The early 60's tort pickguards seem to have a less busy pattern I think - less detailed? Yeah it's alot of money, but I've got a number of components for a 73 Jazz Bass now, including a 73 neck plate with serial which bears out, 73 stamped neck (subject of my other post), early 70's tuners & this 73 pickguard. So far I've only spent £1000 (roughly $1500) & bearing in mind that early 70's jazz basses can fetch up to £3000 (roughly $4500) here in the UK - I don't think it's that much really, as long as none of the components turn out to be fake of course. The big challenge is going to be finding genuine pickups! Anyone got any advice on what to look for?
I'll go with no.
It's pretty scratch free and it just doesn't look old enough in that the white edge is too bright; at least compared to my early 70's Jazz with tort gaurd.
It's pretty scratch free and it just doesn't look old enough in that the white edge is too bright; at least compared to my early 70's Jazz with tort gaurd.
It looks legit to me.I have a 73 with the tort guard too.The reissues are easy to spot and IMO cheapen a vintage bass.If I was restoring a 73 I would not use a repro tort but go with black if I did not have a real tort.
I don't have any handy but will try and get that together in the next day or two.
Not to be a pessamist, but with this kind of pricing these days, I predict we will see more forged parts.
Not always easy to tell by comparison of identical year parts due to different UV aging, smoke, and use/abuse
Always a skeptic when such a clean part is for sale without the rest of the instrument.
There were some EXTREMELY well made Korina V forgeries made some years ago with real Gibson PAF's, tuners, etc. The give away was the smell of the finish behind the pickgaurd and no cases.
How do you feel about the seller and his story?
Not to be a pessamist, but with this kind of pricing these days, I predict we will see more forged parts.
Not always easy to tell by comparison of identical year parts due to different UV aging, smoke, and use/abuse
Always a skeptic when such a clean part is for sale without the rest of the instrument.
There were some EXTREMELY well made Korina V forgeries made some years ago with real Gibson PAF's, tuners, etc. The give away was the smell of the finish behind the pickgaurd and no cases.
How do you feel about the seller and his story?
Well it's interesting Jim - he's been selling the whole guitar on ebay! Alot of the guys on there are pulling classic guitars to pieces & selling the parts & they make more money that way. This particular guitar wasn't complete & had emg pickups, replacement electronics & a badass bridge (not uncommon mods). The 73 bits were as you'd expect - neck, pickguard & body. The body, which is in the picture above also, sold for $899 almost as soon as he put it up - I had emailed him for a joint price for the body, neck & pickguard, was waiting for an answer & then it was gone! Not sure about the tuners & neck plate - they were not in his list of items for sale. Also the seller does have 100% positive feedback score of over 600, which is worth more to a seller than a few hundred dollars profit from a dodgy item. It's no guarantee of course, so I share your caution. That's why I'm here asking people's opinions as well.
Codsack - I was actually going to go for a black pickguard thinking it might be cheaper than a tort, but I found an early 70's & it was $575!!! Got any pics of your 73? Would love to see that!
Codsack - I was actually going to go for a black pickguard thinking it might be cheaper than a tort, but I found an early 70's & it was $575!!! Got any pics of your 73? Would love to see that!
I wasn't saying it would be exact or anything, and Fender replacements do look a bit different, and obviously orginal will be worth more money alone or with the bass. I was just saying that because of the cost involved I'd get an aftermarket that was close and call it good if this it to be a player and not a collectors investment. As long as it's tort, since that is clearly what belongs on 3 tone burst. And anything beats a bunch of holes and no pickguard.
