When did Fender switch from white to black pickguards? My '73 originally had a white PG which I hated, so I replaced it with a new Fender brand black one in '77. Black was far more common on new Fenders than white by then.
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Fender Precision 1975 - Price?
- Thread starter J_Bass
- Start date
I don't think so, poly once you get through it to the wood, kind of peels off, nitro wears like it's been finely sanded on the edges, nitro feathers.
- Oct 30, 2013
- 625
- 1,991
- Disclosures
- Futura Endorser,Roland/Boss Endorser,Aguilar Amps Endorser,Korg Endorser,Revelation Cable Endorser,I
Olympic White Custom Color P-Bass, She's a Beauty!
as Long as truss rod is working I'm sure its got a killer tone.
Get it ASAP, the price for 70'S P-Bass is going up like you wouldn't believe it.....
up to 4K!!!
and it's only gonna get higher!
as Long as truss rod is working I'm sure its got a killer tone.
Get it ASAP, the price for 70'S P-Bass is going up like you wouldn't believe it.....
up to 4K!!!
and it's only gonna get higher!
- Oct 30, 2013
- 625
- 1,991
- Disclosures
- Futura Endorser,Roland/Boss Endorser,Aguilar Amps Endorser,Korg Endorser,Revelation Cable Endorser,I
Factory wear....my '76&77 both Custom Color in Black.
and the Lacquer finish started to came off and you can see the poly undercoat.
Some poly sealer finish came off too.
That would be foolish to pay 4k USD for a 70's p bass. They're not getting that on the open market in my experience. And to say that it's only going to go up is debatable. I was contemplating a vintage 61 fender jazz and I'm not sure it is a great idea. In 20-30 years from now there might not be many people actually interested in 60's Fenders compared to now. At the very least, it could very well be a much smaller market of people that want and are willing to pay huge prices for vintage instruments.
If the truss-rid is functioning, $2000 is a fair price. I love my ‘75. That blonde w/pantina is a big winner for me.
I've got a maple neck '75 and my neck sure has aged like the bass in question in this thread. The front facing part of the head stock is nearly orange now with age.
I have to disagree with your statement. I don't know where you are finding cheaper ones but early to mid 70s P's are well into the 3k price point even being in rougher or non original condition. Good ones that were put under the bed for years and are in good shape all around are definitely fetching 4k easily to those that are seriously wanting to purchase them.
While you may be right about vintage instruments not being a great investment it's not as if they are going to lose their value as time goes on, if anything as each year passes more of them get taken out of the overall population making the surviving pieces more desirable. (damage, wood deterioration, taken apart, etc.)
The interest may drop in vintage instruments but as you said there will always be even the smallest niche market for ones that were taken care of and survive to whatever the present day and time is. The value will never be lost in that market and will likely only rise as time goes on in that regard.
1975 Fender Precision Bass
That one there has been for sale for months and I played it a few weeks ago and it's in pretty darn good condition if you ask me and it plays very well and is light, but is still for sale. I don't have the links to back it up right now but I recall seeing some ~75 p basses on reverb listed for less than that one when I was considering purchasing it.
I wouldn't mind putting some money down on something like that 75 p bass that I linked at ~$2500 but I'm not about to jump into the ultra rare early Fender market like the '61 Jazz that they just got at that shop; though I might go play it just for some fun.
I wouldn't pay a whole lot myself. As some others have noted, a present day bass in the price range being discussed would very possibly be better built - 70's were not known generally for quality control. CNC tech today goes a long way just for starters. Don"t get me wrong, I love old instruments, but 70's can be dicey territory, ime.
But it's personal. If an instrument speaks to you, then that's a factor.
But it's personal. If an instrument speaks to you, then that's a factor.
First thought on price from me was $1500ish. And I see others feel the same way. If it was original/pristine or even in very good condition maybe $4k.
It's worth what your willing to pay , I would guess that some would pay over 3 grand for that bass
If I was selling that bass I wouldn't take less than 3 grand , I also wouldn't pay more than 2 grand , that said I really don't need another bass and looking at past sales unless you had a time machine to go back 5 years you would be hard pressed to buy that for 2 grand
If I was selling that bass I wouldn't take less than 3 grand , I also wouldn't pay more than 2 grand , that said I really don't need another bass and looking at past sales unless you had a time machine to go back 5 years you would be hard pressed to buy that for 2 grand
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D
How much 70s Fender currently go for is one thing. The quality of the instruments is another matter...
I'm honestly shocked when I see how much money people are willing to spend on any old junk as long as it has a Fender logo. This particular era of Fenders is even widely considered to be their worst period ever. It's not that long ago you practically had to GIVE away 70s Fenders because they were considered poor quality and nobody wanted them. Of course there are SOME great 70s Fenders out there but most of them vary from "ok" to "poor" (and that's coming from someone who actually loves the tone of heavy ash, boat anchor Fender basses).
If a 70s Fender is your dream bass, it plays like a dream and you REALLY want to overpay for what is likely to be a sub-standard instrument (at least by today's manufacturing standards), sure go ahead and get it. But you should be aware that you can most likely get a FAR better instrument if you buy something else instead. In fact, you could probably get 3-4 better instruments for the price that 70s Fender generally go for these days, and that's assuming the 70s Fender in question is even one of the "ok" ones.
I would at least take a deep breath and make sure the bass is REALLY in great shape and plays nicely. It's not always easy to stay objective if your head is in "dream bass mode". You don't want to dive into this and then discover all the flaws in a couple of weeks when the honeymoon period is over.
Just my personal opinion of course.
I'm honestly shocked when I see how much money people are willing to spend on any old junk as long as it has a Fender logo. This particular era of Fenders is even widely considered to be their worst period ever. It's not that long ago you practically had to GIVE away 70s Fenders because they were considered poor quality and nobody wanted them. Of course there are SOME great 70s Fenders out there but most of them vary from "ok" to "poor" (and that's coming from someone who actually loves the tone of heavy ash, boat anchor Fender basses).
If a 70s Fender is your dream bass, it plays like a dream and you REALLY want to overpay for what is likely to be a sub-standard instrument (at least by today's manufacturing standards), sure go ahead and get it. But you should be aware that you can most likely get a FAR better instrument if you buy something else instead. In fact, you could probably get 3-4 better instruments for the price that 70s Fender generally go for these days, and that's assuming the 70s Fender in question is even one of the "ok" ones.
I would at least take a deep breath and make sure the bass is REALLY in great shape and plays nicely. It's not always easy to stay objective if your head is in "dream bass mode". You don't want to dive into this and then discover all the flaws in a couple of weeks when the honeymoon period is over.
Just my personal opinion of course.
As stated earlier the truss rod is the big thing. If it checks out I believe 2 grand is the low end but still a fair offer. I always go to websites that sell "vintage gear" to find out the current asking price is. Be careful as the asking price is rarely the actual selling price. I have seen many 75' P Bass's going for more than 2 grand that looks to be in the same condition you described.
Me, I wouldn’t go over $1,500.00 if the truss rod works.
It’s a very cool bass and I definitely like it and probably buy it. Not a collectors base but definitely in my wheelhouse.
So much guess like Everyone else the truss rod has to work.
Good luck!
It’s a very cool bass and I definitely like it and probably buy it. Not a collectors base but definitely in my wheelhouse.
So much guess like Everyone else the truss rod has to work.
Good luck!
