Hopefully this won't be too anticlimactic, but I played this bass last night - for about 30 minutes. My friend is good buddies with the owner of the shop that's selling this thing on Evilbay. Said he picked it up at a guitar show in Philly last weekend for around $16,500. It's also a refin in Fiesta Red... Everything else 100% original. You guys ever had the pleasure to play one of these beauties? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ttp://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyEbayBeta
When I was in the studio recording, I got to play a '58 P-bass and a '63 Jazz bass. They played and sounded fine, but I wasn't instantly transformed into James Jamerson or Jaco by their mojo; just decent basses that weren't any better than the '91 L-2000 I used on most of the tracks.
Some pix for the GAS... {} {} {} {} {} {} {} This bass kind of reminded me of God...with a new paintjob.
I've have played 1961 stack knob. It had a killer neck. (great bass) Your friend payed over 16k for a refinish? Is the market that high now?
He seems to know his stuff...said it'd go for between $25,000 and $30,000 if it was original sunburst. The guy selling it didn't want to let it go for that low - he was asking $22,000. As far as how it played - our time was brief, but I have to say, the neck was the most impressive part. I'm not one for mixing a lot of tone and stuff up, but it had a lot of different options with the double stack knob setup. But yeah, the neck and fretboard are the most impressive. Just melted in my hands. The action was perfect too, btw.
Around twenty or so years ago Cesar Diaz (RIP) brought one to one of our rehearsals for me to check out. It was beat to crap cosmetically but structurally very sound. It was sweet. Haven't played one since. The price was $2500.
What the hell does that mean? Anyways, I played a 1960 with stacks a few years ago. It was nice, but not $13,500 nice. It was a refin with a couple of replaced pots and a refret. I love vintage gear, but for what that bass was, I expected more.
Used to own a beat up Sunburst one in the 70's. I traded it for a '59 Precision- which was more popular at the time early 70s. Nowdays the trend is reversed. My friend who still owns it- compared to his '65 a couple of years ago. One of the major difference was the location of the rear pickup. on the 62 - the pu was farther away from the bridge by 1/2inch ? or so? giving the bass a more woody sound. the 65 was brighter and more modern sounding. I tried a '62 & '65 at Guitar show in Marin last year to see the difference after all these years. For my taste - I like the 65' more- it has snappy slap & midrange sound. The shop was asking $10,000. nice- but not that nice... The 62 still had more natural woody sound but did not respond & slap as well. It still sounded great tho. Agreed with Baird tho- but not $13,500 nice.. The shop wanted $22,000, also nice but not for $22,000 . all original I think.
Years ago, I played a stripped-to-the-wood '60 at Lark Street Music, before Buzzy moved to NJ. I know just what you mean about the neck...so thin that it almost wasn't there, but solid. Sounded great, too. Probably the best Fender I've played. But being 17 years old at the time, I didn't have $2000 to buy it.
I get it from a pure nostalgia/collectors perspective. From a player's standpoint, however, I just don't get it at all.
I sat around with Bobby one night and played his (highly unusual/modified) Jazz for a few hours. Good bass.
On the first rock church worship team I played in (back in the late 70's), one of the other bass players had a refinished, but otherwise stock white one. He bought it at a police auction for 50$. It was one of the most resonant, "alive" solid body instruments I ever played. Unfortunately, back then all I could think about was saving for an Alembic or some other hot "new" bass. The best Fender I ever played was a 64, white with white headstock NOS at Gruhn's Music in Nashville about a ear ago. they were asking 16,500 and it was worth every penny.
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