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How important is having the original hardshell case to you?

#62
OldFenderPlayer said:
To me, an original case is only important for a vintage instrument in nearly original condition. But no case at all means a lower offer.

I have the original case with my mid-60s Jazz Bass but I never use it; if I gig with this bass I use a heavy-duty leather gig bag or the case from my '87 Stringray. When i bought a '67 Precision Bass last year, I knocked some bucks off my offer because it didn't have a case; but since the bass has been refinished i didn't expect an original case.
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Agreed.

Two nearly identical vintage basses (if such a thing actually happened), one with OHSC, one without, many collectors would put a significant premium on the one with the OHSC.

The rest of us might consider OHSC a nice bonus, but players would be more interested in other details.

I know a few collectors, and I don't think they would pass on an otherwise interesting and compelling specimen solely due to the absence of OHSC, considering how inconsistent that feature is with vintage basses.
 
#66
SleepyShark said:
A buddy of mine recently passed up a vintage P Bass that was, in his words, one of the best basses he’s ever played because it didn’t include the original hardshell case and that was the big dealbreaker for him.

His choice at the end of the day, but I think he’ll regret it. I feel like if it played and felt how I wanted I could get a new hardshell case from Fender. Thoughts? Do you feel the same way Is it a resale value thing for you? An authenticity thing?
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only if its on a vintage collectible Bass it would be a real cool bonus to have but not a deal breaker and defenetly not worth getting rid of a vintage Bass (especially if I love it) cause of not having it! if its a high end not collectible bass (90s up) it wouldn't matter to me having the original case would much prefer a nice high end gig bag!
Levy/mono/type of thing.
 
#69
Like others, I don't use any hardshell cases any more. Several years ago I started using Mono bags - and that's all I need.

They're much lighter, much more comfortable to carry and I have no issues whatsoever with the level of protection they provide.
 
#71
SleepyShark said:
A buddy of mine recently passed up a vintage P Bass that was, in his words, one of the best basses he’s ever played because it didn’t include the original hardshell case and that was the big dealbreaker for him.

His choice at the end of the day, but I think he’ll regret it. I feel like if it played and felt how I wanted I could get a new hardshell case from Fender. Thoughts? Do you feel the same way Is it a resale value thing for you? An authenticity thing?
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Your friend sounds like a silly person...is he playing the case, or the bass? ;)

If he passed because it was overpriced due to not having all the original parts, that's another thing entirely.

I haven't used a hard-shell case in years: they're cumbersome and impractical for everything except van/bus tours.
 
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#74
The only time I saw the case as a HUGE issue was for a vintage and extremely rare Flying V.
This was one of the very early ones with the black "crotch" piece of wood between the face and back.

The thing was in perfect condition and was sold without the case to a well known vintage dealer.
He was suspect about such a clean instrument with no case.
The PAF's and the neck were original 50's Gibson but the body was a very high dollar fake.
It even smelled old inside the control cavity.

After checking with a number of vintage dealers, it was found out there was a guy who was bootlegging the instruments.
He had sold it to another guy who sold it to my friend. The builder ended up taking it back and repaying the large amount of cash as he would have been turned over to Gibson via lawyers.
As I understand it, the vintage dealers got the word out and the builder vowed to never build another fake.
It was easier to bootleg the instrument (with parts taken off real vintage Gibson's) than to try and repro the case.

I would think a mint old instrument should come with the case.
 
#77
It's a nice bonus if the case is in good condition. If it has cat puke stains and smells like cigarettes I'll pass. It's a negotiation point usually. Only exception would be if I was buying a really weird shaped instrument, in which instance I would slap myself vigorously, leave, and go buy a normal bass or guitar. Shame on me!
 

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