Dusty Hill ‘53 Precision

[2cooltoolz]

My birth year bass! I'm in!!

Uhh. Putting my Squier Bronco up for a very reasonable price, by the way.

 

[joe vegas]

check out Sotheby's or Christies art auctions sometime.. they're all on youtube. art from the large in-group of highly collectible painters (with the requisite solid provenance for each painting) goes into the tens & regularly 100+ millions of dollars.
insane, absurd, maybe. perhaps.
but the buyers are all in that global elite group of people with literally limitless funds and they want. that. painting....
point is, what seems ridiculously overpriced to us is a parlor game of acquisition to the alpha-wealthy. been like that through human history.

 

[txhawaii]

If I had made better decisions when I was young I would be shopping for cool stuff like this now.

in middle school they offered DOS or home econ and I saw loads of girls in home econ so I took that class.

what a mistake.....

 

[Fathand]

When reading about the auction you just knew those basses would skyrocket in regards to price. They are pretty much a part of your (American) cultural history by now.

...and if I'd won the lottery, I would be bidding left and right for those as well.

 

[JimmyM]

Why do people get so bent over this stuff? Nobody owes it to you to price their stuff so you can afford it.

 

[okabass]

Truth!

View attachment 5271630

And on the third day, God created that little ol' band from Texas

I believe that on 'View attachment 5271630' is a Telecaster Bass with a changed black pickguard. Not "that" ’53 PB.
Here you can see the transition decal, big tuners and PG screwpositions are like a Tele Bass.
http://www.guitarlifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/zztop-circus_lg.jpg
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/34/50/14/7504684/7/920x920.jpg
A pic DH with a Telecaster Bass white pickguard(original).

 

[Dlew919]

It’s beautiful and a wonderful artifact. As ZZ Tops fans diminish the price will drop some. But I’m guessing it’ll remain at some kind of premium, especially in Texas.

 

[neddyrow]

My number one electric is a Dusty Hill bass that I made using Warmoth parts and a Nordstrand pickup. Cost me $1k in parts. I did put lollipop tuners on it.

great bass but not $80k great

 

[Ostie]

Dusty’s ‘53 Precision is going to be auctioned off this week. Current bid $80k

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The finger and thumb rest better be in the case, along with the hang tags, or I’m out of the bidding.

 

[bassdude51]

I wonder if Mrs. Hill is running short of "funds"?

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, A How-How-How-Much?

I'll show myself out.

 

[InnerCityBass]

Somebody on this forum sold Flea the 60's Jazz that he's now most associated with.

As far as I recall, Flea had publicly mentioned that he yearned for a Jazz, of a specific era.

The Talkbass member managed to make contact via social media, and ended up travelling internationally (I seem to recall from U.S.A. to Australia, on their own dime) to meet RHCP on tour, and sell the bass to Flea.

You'd have to find the original post (which I think was in the "what's one thing you've done that you're convinced nobody else on TalkBass had done" thread), but I seem to remember that when it was established that the Talkbass member was not just going to donate the bass to Flea, the whole band got involved in inspecting the bass, and giving opinions (in what seemed to me - though perhaps not the seller - like an intimidation tactic).

After a lot of umming & ahhing, and haggling, they lowballed the guy over what was already a really honest price for an original stacked knob Jazz.

Anyway, that's apparently how Flea got his Jazz, and the Talkbass member seemed generally happy to have united his musical hero with his new #1 bass.


Back in the 80's, and 90's, I really loved RHCP - warts and all - so I don't feel I learned anything about them from that anecdote ; other than the more general observation that most wealthy musicians are not swimming in as much spare cash as people assume they are, and that when it comes to spending their own money, they're usually pretty frugal.

Now, Geddy on the other hand, is the sort of collector who I could imagine wanting to own this - but I doubt he's actually paid collectors prices for most of the instruments in his collection.

I think Robert only has Jaco's bass - and that's because it's Jaco's bass - which I seem to remember was by some kind of special agreement with Jaco's family.

That is one story, I have one for you, with the opposit point.

Some 15 years ago I opened for Carlos Guitarlos, a great songwriter, guitarist, and singer. He's mentioned a couple of times, in Anthony Kiedis autobiography. He, like Anthony, had dealt with severe addictions, and had been homeless for many years. When he got back up on his feet, it was partly due to Anthony Kiedis and Flea buying him an old original early 60s Stratocaster, as a pure gift to a man and friend in need. So that's another look into their way of being.

Also, in your story, it's something you got from a forum post on the internet. Who knows what happened in the communication, that led to the TalkBass guy travelling half way round the world? I'm sure no one put a knife to his throat to travel, nor when he was there to sell it, at a price he couldn't accept what so ever.

 

[BadMonk]

in middle school they offered DOS or home econ and I saw loads of girls in home econ so I took that class.

what a mistake.....

Yep, I made the same move with a typing class.

 

[KellyC]

Insane. I don't get why old basses someone famous played go for so much money (collectors not players, I know...). I'd much rather have one built to my specs but that's just me I suppose.

I think it depends on how well Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe stock is trading at the moment. They have certainly driven up the cost of many iconic instruments with their aggressive acquisition strategies.

 

[Wood and Wire]

When reading about the auction you just knew those basses would skyrocket in regards to price. They are pretty much a part of your (American) cultural history by now.

...and if I'd won the lottery, I would be bidding left and right for those as well.

I hope nobody is on there looking to pick up a vintage instrument at a bargain price.

Did you see how much the back garden gate, to Freddie Mercury's house went for recently?

 

[Gluvhand]

My money is on Jim Irsay jumping in late and picking it up.

 

[Wood and Wire]

That is one story, I have one for you, with the opposit point.

Some 15 years ago I opened for Carlos Guitarlos, a great songwriter, guitarist, and singer. He's mentioned a couple of times, in Anthony Kiedis autobiography. He, like Anthony, had dealt with severe addictions, and had been homeless for many years. When he got back up on his feet, it was partly due to Anthony Kiedis and Flea buying him an old original early 60s Stratocaster, as a pure gift to a man and friend in need. So that's another look into their way of being.

Also, in your story, it's something you got from a forum post on the internet. Who knows what happened in the communication, that led to the TalkBass guy travelling half way round the world? I'm sure no one put a knife to his throat to travel, nor when he was there to sell it, at a price he couldn't accept what so ever.

Like I said, that story didn't necessarily say anything about them.

If you look a few posts below mine, a link to the story in question was posted, which clears up the details.

 

[JuanB]

It's price has nothing to do with it's usefulness as a musical instrument - it's value is as a historical artifact.

It is?

…Sorry. I’ll see myself out.

 

[txhawaii]

Somebody on this forum sold Flea the 60's Jazz that he's now most associated with.

As far as I recall, Flea had publicly mentioned that he yearned for a Jazz, of a specific era.

The Talkbass member managed to make contact via social media, and ended up travelling internationally (I seem to recall from U.S.A. to Australia, on their own dime) to meet RHCP on tour, and sell the bass to Flea.

You'd have to find the original post (which I think was in the "what's one thing you've done that you're convinced nobody else on TalkBass had done" thread), but I seem to remember that when it was established that the Talkbass member was not just going to donate the bass to Flea, the whole band got involved in inspecting the bass, and giving opinions (in what seemed to me - though perhaps not the seller - like an intimidation tactic).

After a lot of umming & ahhing, and haggling, they lowballed the guy over what was already a really honest price for an original stacked knob Jazz.

Anyway, that's apparently how Flea got his Jazz, and the Talkbass member seemed generally happy to have united his musical hero with his new #1 bass.


Back in the 80's, and 90's, I really loved RHCP - warts and all - so I don't feel I learned anything about them from that anecdote ; other than the more general observation that most wealthy musicians are not swimming in as much spare cash as people assume they are, and that when it comes to spending their own money, they're usually pretty frugal.

Now, Geddy on the other hand, is the sort of collector who I could imagine wanting to own this - but I doubt he's actually paid collectors prices for most of the instruments in his collection.

I think Robert only has Jaco's bass - and that's because it's Jaco's bass - which I seem to remember was by some kind of special agreement with Jaco's family.

here is the alleged story found on reddit. I can't vouch for it nor does the reddit poster. it just sounds like the seller got very rich with tech money, had deep connections, and blew a lot of dough having fun.

 

[Fathand]

I hope nobody is on there looking to pick up a vintage instrument at a bargain price.

Did you see how much the back garden gate, to Freddie Mercury's house went for recently?

I don't remember what the final price for that was, but because everything else in that auction went through the atmosphere in price I'd imagine that it wasn't cheap