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Help! Pre-CBS on Reverb.

KYbass

KYbass

Jul 12, 2023
106
272
East KY
#1
I’ve been looking through the Pre-CBS P’s on the verb for a while now.
Any real experts have any input on which ones are worth it in the sub 12k range? I’m really looking for a player, expecting original pups, neck, and body at a minimum.
There’s a 59 I’ve been looking at for about 8,500, but I fully admit I’m at a loss on really knowing this stuff.

Thank you for any assistance!
 
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#4
8000…. If you were buying a second hand car you’d probably wanna see it, test drive it and inspect it. And cars are much harder to counterfeit!
Start with Googling ’top 5 ways to identify a pre-CBS Fender P bass’ and then go and see some in proper legit shops. You may even come to appreciate the shop experience!
 
#5
KYbass said:
I’ve been looking through the Pre-CBS P’s on the verb for a while now.
Any real experts have any input on which ones are worth it in the sub 12k range? I’m really looking for a player, expecting original pups, neck, and body at a minimum.
There’s a 59 I’ve been looking at for about 8,500, but I fully admit I’m at a loss on really knowing this stuff.

Thank you for any assistance!
Click to expand...
If it's a player you are looking for vs. a collection piece, then a custom shop bass is your best option for consistency. If it's a collection piece that plays well that you are seeking, then you need to play it yourself to see. There is a lot that can happen to a bass over 67 years so you can't know if it plays well until you spend some time with it.
 
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#7
Assuming this is the '59 bass you are interested in? You would save a little (maybe taxes, too?) buying it direct from the seller, Winter Park Vintage Guitars. Don't know the seller, but maybe someone here has had experience with them?

Invalid Link Removed

I went down this road a few years ago looking for a pre-CBS pbass. Although I wanted the tone and the look, in the end, the vintage stuff wasn't for me. My aim was for vintage tone and excellent feel and playability. I wound up with a lovely Mike Lull pbass, spec'd off the early 60s Fenders with phenomenal tone and a dream to play. I've never looked back. A Fender CS, Lull or other custom maker (e.g., Olinto, Moollon) is within this price range and less if bought used.
 
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#9
KYbass said:
I’ve been looking through the Pre-CBS P’s on the verb for a while now.
Any real experts have any input on which ones are worth it in the sub 12k range? I’m really looking for a player, expecting original pups, neck, and body at a minimum.
There’s a 59 I’ve been looking at for about 8,500, but I fully admit I’m at a loss on really knowing this stuff.

Thank you for any assistance!
Click to expand...
Two rules for any used instrument purchase:

1) Only purchase online with a practical and reliable approval period.

2) Have a trained luthier lined up to assess the instrument, and catch anything you may miss.
 
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#10
Pre CBS basses are...(this should be obvious) OLD basses. Most of them are actually in pretty poor shape - time has not been kind to them, and honestly they weren't all THAT well made to begin with - the tooling in those days was pretty primitive compared to what we have now. One of the places that has a decent inventory of such things is in my city, and having played a bunch of old P's, I can tell you that "magical" ones are few and far between - they are (as musical instruments go) mostly duds. I would never buy an old P without playing it first. I'm not sure how many I'd have to play to find one that I'd like - I'm pretty sure it'd at least be a couple dozen.

You can't say that the good ones are a specific year, or style, or anything - every instrument has to be evaluated on its own. It's really the kind of thing that's a complete crapshoot online, with very little chance of success, unless you just like old things.

Yes, I know that everyone on Talkbass that has an old P has "one of the good ones". No need to chime in and defend your P, I'm sure it's as magical as you say it is.... ;-)
 
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#11
My luthier goes with a customer almost once a month to help them buy a pre CBS bass.

If the bass looks satisfying for the customer, he will disassemble the neck and the scratch plate to validate the date on the neck and potentiometers to make sure everything is authentic. Same with the pickups if the date is imprinted.

Crazy but if you want the real thing, that’s what needs to be done otherwise, you can have a bass made of various parts with a much lower value on the market. Depends on what you’re after.
 
#12
KYbass said:
There’s a 59 I’ve been looking at for about 8,500, but I fully admit I’m at a loss on really knowing this stuff.
Click to expand...
Since you admit you are at a loss on really knowing this stuff, my recommendation would be to spend the time now to focus on only finding paying the most reputable, knowledgeable person in the field to do the finding and buying for you.
This is a job for some top professional to locate that awesome and rare dream bass for you.
I wish you the very best in your search!!!
 
#14
Thanks for the input.
I already have a few CS and Masterbuilt Fenders, so I know the level there, but it’s not the same. I’m having a Krause build done at the moment that’s NOS. I’ll be in Nashville in a few months, I’ll check out some shops there. I should have rephrased my question, which shops has anyone worked with on this stuff. I’ve seen issues with quite a few of the “vintage” shops. Non year correct pup bottom color, pot dates, etc and I don’t mean by a year, I was offered a 59 with gray bottoms, way off on date.
Again, thanks for input.
 
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#15
75Ric said:
Assuming this is the '59 bass you are interested in? You would save a little (maybe taxes, too?) buying it direct from the seller, Winter Park Vintage Guitars. Don't know the seller, but maybe someone here has had experience with them?

Invalid Link Removed

I went down this road a few years ago looking for a pre-CBS pbass. Although I wanted the tone and the look, in the end, the vintage stuff wasn't for me. My aim was for vintage tone and excellent feel and playability. I wound up with a lovely Mike Lull pbass, spec'd off the early 60s Fenders with phenomenal tone and a dream to play. I've never looked back. A Fender CS, Lull or other custom maker (e.g., Olinto, Moollon) is within this price range and less if bought used.
Click to expand...
Yes, I was checking that one out.
Anyone have any info on them?
 
#16
micguy said:
Pre CBS basses are...(this should be obvious) OLD basses. Most of them are actually in pretty poor shape - time has not been kind to them, and honestly they weren't all THAT well made to begin with - the tooling in those days was pretty primitive compared to what we have now. One of the places that has a decent inventory of such things is in my city, and having played a bunch of old P's, I can tell you that "magical" ones are few and far between - they are (as musical instruments go) mostly duds. I would never buy an old P without playing it first. I'm not sure how many I'd have to play to find one that I'd like - I'm pretty sure it'd at least be a couple dozen.

You can't say that the good ones are a specific year, or style, or anything - every instrument has to be evaluated on its own. It's really the kind of thing that's a complete crapshoot online, with very little chance of success, unless you just like old things.

Yes, I know that everyone on Talkbass that has an old P has "one of the good ones". No need to chime in and defend your P, I'm sure it's as magical as you say it is.... ;-)
Click to expand...

Agreed. OP, if you haven't played Pre CBS basses before, or old Fenders in general, definitely find a few just to demo. If you're in east KY take a trip down to Nashville and you can probably find a few to check out even if they aren't ones you'd be interested in buying.
 
#17
Don't know if Bob Willcutt has any in their inventory at the moment, but he's been repairing guitars for many decades in Ky and still at it so I'd venture someone at their shop in Lexington could potentially help you find what you're looking for. I'd def try before you buy. I'd have to agree that in the era you're looking for that there will be a lot of hit and miss.
 
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#18
KYbass said:
Thanks for the input.
I already have a few CS and Masterbuilt Fenders, so I know the level there, but it’s not the same. I’m having a Krause build done at the moment that’s NOS. I’ll be in Nashville in a few months, I’ll check out some shops there. I should have rephrased my question, which shops has anyone worked with on this stuff. I’ve seen issues with quite a few of the “vintage” shops. Non year correct pup bottom color, pot dates, etc and I don’t mean by a year, I was offered a 59 with gray bottoms, way off on date.
Again, thanks for input.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, are you wanting to buy vintage as a collector piece, or as a player? I'd say that "a few CS and Masterbuilt Fenders" are as good as you can get for players, and you already own them.
 
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