Is the price right? ('64 p-bass)

[HolyGrowl]

Hi there folks,

I came across an add of someone selling an original lefty 1964 fender precision bass. There's a thourough description and great amount of pics and you can see that there seems to be some a couple of things not quite right to be calling it 100% original so I want to have your thoughts on this as it might help me negociate it's price.

Here's the lowdown :

Seller says it's a 1964 P-Bass but one photo shows the butt of the neck with a stamp reading (5 MAY 63 C). Then he says that the pots date is 40th week of 64. Could it be a mismatch when the bass has been assembled or someone replaced some parts after buying it?

Other thing is that since it's a lefty, the current owner decided to either change or modify the nut to be able to string it right handed which makes it either not the original piece or they grinded the slots of the original nut to be able to fit the E string where the G should be.

Last thing, some pieces of hardware seems a bit too polished or shiny compared to the rest to think they have had a lifespan of 45 years and might suggest they've been replaced at some point. Particularily the turning posts.

Price asked is 9,800$ Is that fair??

Here are some pics

 

[Pilgrim]

Don't even THINK of paying that kind of money unless you have a professional appraiser like George Gruhn in Nashville lay hands on it and evaluate it first.

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[Moe Monsarrat]

+1 on the above.

 

[lousybassplayer]

I can't see the pics, but from what you describe it sounds as if there are too many questions here. Granted you could have it appraised, but I an expert would do that for free. Frankly I would just pass. Just my .02

 

[Navybass]

Fender mass produced necks and bodies, they didn't just build a neck and body for 1 specific bass, they built them and put them in racks. Then when they assembled a bass, they pulled a body and a neck and bolted them together, then grabbed parts and put those on it. It's not uncommon to see a Fender from that era with pots from one date, a neck from another, and a body from a 3rd date. My 72 P-bass has a neck date of Dec. 71.

The price on the bass in the ad does seem a bit steep though.

 

[Pilgrim]

If you're going to spend that kind of money for a bass, spend $100 or $200 to have it shipped to Gruhn and pay him to evaluate and appraise it. SERIOUSLY.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

Don't even THINK of paying that kind of money unless you have a professional appraiser like George Gruhn in Nashville lay hands on it and evaluate it first.

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This.

Buyer beware, especially with vintage Fenders.

 

[anonymous02282011]

A couple thoughts on vintage fenders.

1.) A lot of bread.

2.) Parts of that bass look "too clean" to me as well and that raises my suspicion for two reasons. Either it's not original or nobody has really played in the last 45 years. If the latter, why? Perhaps it wasn't a great playing bass to begin with. Not all vintage Fenders were made equally and I imagine the ones that were nicer got played. Check out the pics of some 60s Fenders and you'll see there's appropriate wear on nearly all of them.

I am lucky enough to own a '65 P bass in sunburst for the last 16 years. I love it death, but I've played some re-issues that are a fraction of the cost and play really, really well.

EDIT: no matter if you're buying a $1 bass or a $10,000 bass, play it BEFORE you buy it!

 

[HolyGrowl]

Thanks for the responses so far.

No, I don't intend on spending that much dough on this bass. But if it turns out the instrument is not as original as the buyer claims, maybe I can negociate a much lower price if it plays well and sounds good.

Left handed Fenders, especially good sounding ones are very rare. They don't make lefty reissue models.

 

[Flaked Beans]

Thanks for the responses so far.

No, I don't intend on spending that much dough on this bass. But if it turns out the instrument is not as original as the buyer claims, maybe I can negociate a much lower price if it plays well and sounds good.

Left handed Fenders, especially good sounding ones are very rare. They don't make lefty reissue models.

fender custum shop makes lefty RI's or?

 

[Pilgrim]

No, I don't intend on spending that much dough on this bass. But if it turns out the instrument is not as original as the buyer claims, maybe I can negociate a much lower price if it plays well and sounds good.

And the way to determine that is to have an authoritative appraiser check it out and render an opinion...at your expense.

OR - just go buy a used sunburst bass in the same model. Even a lefty will cost you a fraction of what the '64 costs.

I have a '63 P - trust me, they are NOT worth paying this kind of money for. Mine is a nice bass - and that's all it is, a nice bass. I like my 2000 MIM J just as well and I paid under $300 for it without a mark on it.

 

[Spinal Tapper]

Ugh, it's prices like these that keep the vintage market sky-high and unaffordable to players like myself. It's quite sad.

Not worth it IMO

 

[lefty007]

It's super rare and desirable, but the lefty market is much more smaller and prices usually should be lower than righties. As an investment, sure, I guess in time that bass will be worth $20k (if it checks out to be all original) but how many lefty millionaires are there? Maybe in England or Japan $10k would seem more feasible for that bass, but not in the US. I think the seller is waiting for that millionaire to see the listing.

If you are looking for a player, man, I would rather get me an Alleva-Coppolo, a Sadowsky, and a Lull, all three for around that money. Or maybe a relic Fender Custom Shop, if you prefer vintage looking and feeling basses.

I once played a lefty '65 P at Guitar Center in Hollywood. It was well played, and yes, it was magical like nothing else I have played. It was priced at $5000 and that was about 7 years ago.

Still, I would get me a new boutique bass. I think in general that the whole vintage market can get quite ridiculous

 

[HolyGrowl]

Good points all around.

A friend of mine has an original 64. I'll borrow it and go shop with it to see if I can find a japanese reissue or a mexican standard that comes close in sound.

Ultimately, maybe replacing the pickups would get me in the ball park.

What do you guys think?

 

[anonymous02282011]

Lindy Fralins pickups are, IMHO, as good as some of these 40 year old Fender ones.

http://www.fralinpickups.com/bass.asp

They come as close as I've ever heard to a true vintage fender pickup. Just as stated on his web page, they use vintage Fender specs and are hand wound.

I have no affiliation with Mr. Fralin -- I just think he makes a good product that might make you as happy as it's made me.