inheritance sadness

[707GK]

Sorry for your loss

I also spent a small inheritance from my grandfather on a bass. I would pick one that you don't intend to sell.

I'm reminded of him every time I play the bass, and there's also a part of me that believes he is right there with me on stage every gig I use it.

 

[A9X]

Buy a bass you really like with some of the inheritance. Doesn't matter if it's $300 or $30k, just so that every time you play it, you remember the person and smile.

 

[A9X]

I'm reminded of him every time I play the bass, and there's also a part of me that believes he is right there with me on stage every gig I use it.

^^ This.
My wife bought me my XL2 and every time I even think of it, I smile and sing and/or cry. She's still here and I'll see her again eventually.
She would have been 57 last week.

 

[707GK]

^^ This.
My wife bought me my XL2 and every time I even think of it, I smile and sing and/or cry. She's still here and I'll see her again eventually.
She would have been 57 last week.

So sorry I'm sure she's happy you're still using her gift and thinking of her often.

 

[A9X]

So sorry I'm sure she's happy you're still using her gift and thinking of her often.

Thanks. She passed many years ago, and I stopped playing for a long time afterwards, but I'm about to move back to my old town and feel the need for a new band. She'd like that.

Her mum wanted to keep the piano I bought her later, and after she died, it was left to a music school and my girl would have loved that.

 

[MattZilla]

Could I be doing worse?

you could just buy a big bag of weed & a month of burritos.

Used Fender P's & J's retain their value like used Toyota Camrys and new Fender P's & J's lose value like new Toyota Camrys.

You could do less bad if you already have a good bass and instead buy stocks in companies part of the military industrial complex or credit card companies and maybe throw a few hundred into bit/doge.

 

[txhawaii]

Thanks. She passed many years ago, and I stopped playing for a long time afterwards, but I'm about to move back to my old town and feel the need for a new band. She'd like that.

Her mum wanted to keep the piano I bought her later, and after she died, it was left to a music school and my girl would have loved that.

Death is strange like that. Ultimate sorrow but a joy in embracing it.

 

[bherman]

Another vote here for not using the words "bass" and "investment" in the same sentence. If your goal is to make the money grow, then the other mechanisms you mentioned (Roth, real estate, etc) is the way to go. If its to garner some enjoyment from having a new (to you) bass to play in memory of the family member that died, then buy a bass without thinking of its future value. I sold a true 59 P (refinished) a few years ago for about what a Custom Shop equivalent would sell for, so if 59 is what you want, then careful shopping should find you the real thing. Not original condition/finish (those are crazy expensive) but a really nice refinished 59.

 

[Joeykun]

Just buy a Sadowsky! Way better than any F'der and holds its value should you want to sell.

 

[AceOfBassFace]

Sorry for your loss.

I've been gassing on this Sean Hurley '61 for a while:
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Good luck!

 

[txhawaii]

Another vote here for not using the words "bass" and "investment" in the same sentence. If your goal is to make the money grow, then the other mechanisms you mentioned (Roth, real estate, etc) is the way to go. If its to garner some enjoyment from having a new (to you) bass to play in memory of the family member that died, then buy a bass without thinking of its future value. I sold a true 59 P (refinished) a few years ago for about what a Custom Shop equivalent would sell for, so if 59 is what you want, then careful shopping should find you the real thing. Not original condition/finish (those are crazy expensive) but a really nice refinished 59.

I did a cursory search on Reverb and surprisingly, there are some late 60s and mid to late 70s ps and js roughly in the price range of a cs. They have their issues and replacement parts, etc. but I would have a very tough time sinking money into something without playing it at first.

Back when I lived in NYC in the late 90s, there were plenty of used shops that carried these same old guitars that seemed junky and not shiny like all the new gear hanging on the walls of Manny's but how times have changed where the junky looking the better.

So for about $5k, which is about the max of my budget, I can get a new cs made with today's specs or a vintage refinished/replaced/repaired bass. A sadowsky used can be found for half the price.

 

[txhawaii]

Sorry for your loss.

I've been gassing on this Sean Hurley '61 for a while:
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Good luck!

nice but seems the only difference is that mute thats from a Mustang bass? I can't quite recall

 

[buldog5151bass]

Unless you buy pre-CBS and hold your breath, you very likely will lose money. The easier it is to sell, the more likely you will lose less.

Buy something you want to play.

 

[CoffeeLove]

a family member passed away recently and I'm sadly surprised to find I'm going to inherit some money. nothing life changing but something that might have me looking at Fender Custom shop basses.

Without asking too much about quality vs American vintage vs modern Mexican vs Japaneses vintage, etc...we mostly know these CS guitars are handmade and worth it to those who are willing to buy them.

However, I have read claims they retain value, increase in value, etc but I am not seeing that reflected on Reverb or other sites. A 2018 custom p sells looks to sell lower than their initial asking prices which gives me the impression they'll end up like new cars that cheapen once you drive off the lot.

But if I am not mistaken, the time machine basses came out in the early 2000s and I don't see many of those orig models pop up for sale often (i've really only been looking recently) but those I have seen are not selling for thousands more like a true vintage (lets say a 70's jazz that sold in the 2000s for $1200 now selling for $2500 today.)

While I intend to buy and play, I might consider selling down the line due to my age but this is an interesting time to buy something I've never been able to afford.

Could I be doing worse?

Sorry man. If resale is any concern then buy used and at a good price, wait for the right deal. While some brands like Fender retain greater value than other manufacturers, assume a minimum of 25% gone the moment you buy it. Other manufacturers like Warwick and a bunch of the boutique stuff is more like 35-50% loss. Those are just some random numbers I through out there, but seems accurate based on all the trolling I have done for used gear. Sure, someone might list a used bass at only 10% lower than new, but most of the time it sits there unsold, IMHO. I have purchased 2 different German Warwicks used at around 1K and they both sold for over 4K new, this is just one example (that is over 75% loss off of the new/original price).

 

[Paul New]

Indeedy. My '69 P had already had a new neck (all documented with invoices) so I had few qualms about having the body refinished. If I were worried about investment potential then id have bought something else entirely.

I see little evidence that custom shop models increase in value. It seems unlikely to me that a bespoke item manufacturered to a particular individuals tastes will have the mass appeal that an 'off the shelf' bass of comparable price and quality. One mans boner is another mans chunder.

Buy a nice bass because it suits you in particular, and perhaps reminds you of your dearly departed. If youre worried about investment value then youll do much better putting the cash elsewhere.

Good luck. We will, of course, expect you to comply with forum law and provide pictures!

Yes, but a bass from 1969 in original condition might sell for $5 or $6K, and that is appreciation. So, there's nothing wrong with buying an instrument you like that has a chance to appreciate. I wouldn't buy one as an investment, but if you're buying anyway...

Although, people who had the foresight to buy signed Gibson Lloyd Loar mandolins in 1980 for example have done fairly well. Probably not as well as a low fee index fund, but far more fun.

 

[DCFanatic]

I have found buying a used CS instrument is a safe bet since you can generally resell for what you paid for it.

 

[bherman]

I did a cursory search on Reverb and surprisingly, there are some late 60s and mid to late 70s ps and js roughly in the price range of a cs. They have their issues and replacement parts, etc. but I would have a very tough time sinking money into something without playing it at first.

Back when I lived in NYC in the late 90s, there were plenty of used shops that carried these same old guitars that seemed junky and not shiny like all the new gear hanging on the walls of Manny's but how times have changed where the junky looking the better.

So for about $5k, which is about the max of my budget, I can get a new cs made with today's specs or a vintage refinished/replaced/repaired bass. A sadowsky used can be found for half the price.

I don't think reverb is necessarily the right place to look, check out bass shops and guitar shops around the country. There's no way you should have to pay 5K for a 59 to 62 base that's been refinished and good shape. Pm me and I'll tell you what I sold my 59 for. There's a big difference between what people ask and what someone will pay.

 

[txhawaii]

My 2 cents...

By a gently used Fender Elite in a Jazz or P+J if either of those work for you. The ones Fender made over the past 10 years and recently discontinued (not the ones from the 80s).

Take the rest of the money and go on a nice vacation.

As far as for investment goes, guitars tend to start really appreciating after they become vintage unless it's something really rare and there's a market for it.

I trekked out to the local music store and played a Ultra PJ bass. Very impressive.

 

[txhawaii]

My Condolences.
As others have said, anything you buy new will lose value.

My suggestion would be to take a trip to the nearest big city (In Chicago we're spoiled for this sort of thing) and play every great Fender and Fender-style instrument you can. Try CS, try vintage and other contemporary Fenders. Also, try Lakland (my personal favorite FSO), Lull, etc. Maybe a Fender is best for you but you won't know until you try alot.

If you buy a quality instrument and buy used, you'll loose very little in resale and if you take the time to try alot of instruments you'll end up with the best instrument for you rather than just a name. Take your time, enjoy the journey and good luck finding something wonderful.

There's a big box music store about 45 minutes from where I live and took a chance they'd have some decent guitars. I played a 60th anni Jazz (beautiful but quiet heavy and flat sounding), a P players series (quiet nice for the price but you could feel its lack of qc and it did feel like a stock bass), an Ultra PJ, and a CS 60's Jazz. The CS felt very old and sounded flat to my ear. It lacked brightness. But thats as it should and also I had played the Ultra just before.

The Ultra was a very nice instrument. The neck was flat and felt really nice in the hands. And it sounded very bright and articulate. I could hear all those bright Duran Duran snaps and pops but also a clear Tommy Shannon growl. But with the short time I had, I couldn't curve the tone down to get that "flat" sound the CS and 60th jazz made. I felt the Ultra wasn't going to mimic an upright all that well. It felt very modern.

The CS did feel as if I had found a beat up guitar in my grand uncle's closet. The peeling paint made me wonder but overall it was a pretty nice looking instrument but heavy relic seems a bridge too far.

But the pre amp in the Ultra made the CS feel, again I use the word, old. But I guess thats the point.

They had a US made lackland and a few other boutique basses but didn't have time to try.

Overall it was a good experience. I should go back and play some more but it taught me lots about what to look for.

 

[Eilif]

There's a big box music store about 45 minutes from where I live and took a chance they'd have some decent guitars. I played a 60th anni Jazz (beautiful but quiet heavy and flat sounding), a P players series (quiet nice for the price but you could feel its lack of qc and it did feel like a stock bass), an Ultra PJ, and a CS 60's Jazz. The CS felt very old and sounded flat to my ear. It lacked brightness. But thats as it should and also I had played the Ultra just before.

The Ultra was a very nice instrument. The neck was flat and felt really nice in the hands. And it sounded very bright and articulate. I could hear all those bright Duran Duran snaps and pops but also a clear Tommy Shannon growl. But with the short time I had, I couldn't curve the tone down to get that "flat" sound the CS and 60th jazz made. I felt the Ultra wasn't going to mimic an upright all that well. It felt very modern.

The CS did feel as if I had found a beat up guitar in my grand uncle's closet. The peeling paint made me wonder but overall it was a pretty nice looking instrument but heavy relic seems a bridge too far.

But the pre amp in the Ultra made the CS feel, again I use the word, old. But I guess thats the point.

They had a US made lackland and a few other boutique basses but didn't have time to try.

Overall it was a good experience. I should go back and play some more but it taught me lots about what to look for.

A very good first step!
Glad to hear you're trying things out and getting a feel for what you like and also that you have a music store nearby that actually has some higher-end instruments. I highly recommend you go back and try the Lakland and all the other boutique instruments. That you are liking the active basses might push you further in that direction. Remember that Lakland makes both active and passive style instruments.

One other thing I will say is that while the CS will be a bit more tame than an active instrument, strings go along way towards the tone. Dead strings could certainly be at play here, especially if the CS is strung (as I suspect it is) with Fender "Original Bass" pure nickel strings which are known (and some like it) to quickly go dead/warm for a more vintage tone. Nickel steel or stainless wound strings will be much brighter.

Hope you and the family are coping well at this time and all the best to you as your search for "the one" bass continues.