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Sell my 1972 jazz?
- Thread starter birminghambass
- Start date
I'm up for adoption.
That 1972 is worth more than $3k. Try about $4-5k. The black with black blocks is the “true” Geddy Lee, enhancing its value.
secondly, the “lollipop” tuners on the ‘72 if original to the bass, also make it very interesting.
If selling the 1972 because it doesn’t work for you as much as your other instruments, make sure you get fair value for it. It is beautiful in my opinion!
secondly, the “lollipop” tuners on the ‘72 if original to the bass, also make it very interesting.
If selling the 1972 because it doesn’t work for you as much as your other instruments, make sure you get fair value for it. It is beautiful in my opinion!
Based on your description of the bass, I’m thinking it is worth way more to someone else than it is to you. You don’t play it and you don’t like it as well as your others…sell it!
Stash the money away to spend on something else that you WILL use.
Stash the money away to spend on something else that you WILL use.
Smooth_bass88
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- Oct 31, 2006
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Don't sell. Keep. You will regret selling.
If you’re not playing it ever, then I would only keep it for these reasons;
- Keep it if you have fond memories of playing it when you were younger.
- If this was your first bass.
- If it was a gift or have an emotional attachment.
- If you have the ability to display the bass for everyone to enjoy.
If you don’t have those reasons then you should absolutely sell it so someone else can appreciate it and create music for all to enjoy.
- Keep it if you have fond memories of playing it when you were younger.
- If this was your first bass.
- If it was a gift or have an emotional attachment.
- If you have the ability to display the bass for everyone to enjoy.
If you don’t have those reasons then you should absolutely sell it so someone else can appreciate it and create music for all to enjoy.
I just bought a 63 Precision. So, yeah, I love old Fenders. BUT...a 72 is not pre-CBS, and a 70's Fender is NOT some spectacular thing. I remember well the nearly 100% hatred for post-CBS Fenders at the time, because they were not as good as before. The decline in quality, both with Fender and Gibson, is what originally fueled the vintage craze, and with good reason. If you really want to own a vintage Fender, sell the 72 and put some money with the proceeds and buy a pre-CBS Jazz, or at least a transition model (66 or before).
Many years ago I sold a '62 stack-knob J Bass and a '72 P Bass for nearly the same reasons. I'd give a kidney to have either one of them back now. Keep the your '72. One day you might wake up and realize it's the sound you've always been after.
As far as cash value goes, I don’t know what it’s like in your local market, but as far as I can tell where I’ve looked, Fenders of that age (like yours and mine) are holding value relative to inflation, rather than appreciating in value ie I would probably get more for mine than what I paid for it in the 2000s, but as each dollar is worth a bit less now, it would amount to around the same.
As far as value to you goes, it sounds like it’s worth more to you sold than held on to, if you’re not playing it and another bass is what you really want the 72 to be.
As far as value to you goes, it sounds like it’s worth more to you sold than held on to, if you’re not playing it and another bass is what you really want the 72 to be.
I am a huge GL fan so I would keep it due to the fact that it is similar to his famous 72 JB. If you don't have such an attachment, sell it. Those suggesting it is an heirloom item are prob wrong. I go to many estate sales. Very often family is looking for money. They don't care about the intrinsic value of specific items like this bass. Those who do care want to keep the bass or other item that was 'Dad's favorite' which this bass is clearly not.
It sounds like you’re a player, not a collector, so I say sell it and put the money towards something useful.
I wanna say “sell”, but thats the one bass you own which is guaranteed to appreciate in value. I’d keep it awhile longer.
I think it’s important to differentiate between appreciating in value and holding value. You’re not going to get rich off a 72 Jazz (you’re not even going to get properly rich off a 62 Jazz, really), but if you’re lucky it might be worth what you paid for it when you factor in inflation.
List it on Reverb with international shipping for $12,000. Reverb market has gone nuts. See what happens.
I say keep it since artifacts from the past are cool to own.
Or you could flip into something you might actually use.
Or you could flip into something you might actually use.
I’m surprised there are so many votes to keep it. It clearly has only potential financial value to the OP. In his case, his well-raised, bass-playing son doesn’t want it, so there’s really no heirloom value here. OP’s got other axes that play better and sound better. Prices for this bass are at an all-time high, so far anyway. Whether prices continue to climb is a risk. What happens to the bass while waiting to sell is a risk. The only real reason to hold on now is speculation on rising value versus the time cost of money. Maybe it’ll be worth 10 grand in a few years. But I’d say sell it and move on, plenty of other things to do with that coin.
Unless it really speaks to you which it doesn't seem like it does I see no reason to keep it over anything else you have. Parts basses always seem to take a loss on resale. Players that care about '72 Fender basses are becoming scarcer every year. (FYI I'm one of them) Lose the '72 jazz.
I used to own very nice guitars, amps and collectibles of many stripes. I wasn’t gigging many of the instruments, and the collectibles…just sat there, in boxes.
In 2014, SE Michigan had one of those 50 year rains…accompanied by some vandalism and theft at one of the main waste-water pumping stations in south Oakland County where I lived at the time. Most of the stuff was removed from the basement in time but we still got 4ft of water down there and A LOT of stuff was destroyed. 1000’s of S Oakland & Macomb county residents had their wrecked basements at their curbs. It was a cluster-&*%$ of titanic proportions.
After that, EVERY high-end instrument I owned that was not being gigged or played was sold. Many of them are even more valuable today than when I started selling them but, I don’t miss them because I was not using them. They were possessions that became liabilities in an emergency.
Something to consider.
IF you aren’t gigging it, and it’s just layin’ around, sell it and put that revenue to another use. My 2cents.
P.S. What set it off was finding a rosewood & spruce Yamaha acoustic guitar that had 2/3 the tone of my ‘95 Martin D28 for $150.00. So, I replaced all my high-end stuff w/fractionally (but playable) cheaper versions. I am happier and the cheapies can be easily replaced…if need be.
In 2014, SE Michigan had one of those 50 year rains…accompanied by some vandalism and theft at one of the main waste-water pumping stations in south Oakland County where I lived at the time. Most of the stuff was removed from the basement in time but we still got 4ft of water down there and A LOT of stuff was destroyed. 1000’s of S Oakland & Macomb county residents had their wrecked basements at their curbs. It was a cluster-&*%$ of titanic proportions.
After that, EVERY high-end instrument I owned that was not being gigged or played was sold. Many of them are even more valuable today than when I started selling them but, I don’t miss them because I was not using them. They were possessions that became liabilities in an emergency.
Something to consider.
IF you aren’t gigging it, and it’s just layin’ around, sell it and put that revenue to another use. My 2cents.
P.S. What set it off was finding a rosewood & spruce Yamaha acoustic guitar that had 2/3 the tone of my ‘95 Martin D28 for $150.00. So, I replaced all my high-end stuff w/fractionally (but playable) cheaper versions. I am happier and the cheapies can be easily replaced…if need be.
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And if the bass decides it wants to spend a week in the country, y'all can send it to me.
If I was in your shoes, I would hold off selling and have a luthier known for vintage bass set-ups have a crack at turning it into your favorite bass. Mike Koontz, Erlewine, etc.
If it fails to go to the top of the heap after that, just add the cost of set-up to sale price. “Just set up by -well known luthier name here -“ actually does go a long way in a description.
A note about value. It is worth far more than 3K. If you still have, or can source, some period correct clover tuners, you have Geddy’s bass right there. Those lollipops are replacements, I assume? I’d say $5k or there about. Don’t listen to people saying nobody cares about 72 Jazz basses anymore. That might be true here on TB for some folks, but it’s a big world and there are still plenty of collectors and Geddy fans out there.
Best of luck!
If it fails to go to the top of the heap after that, just add the cost of set-up to sale price. “Just set up by -well known luthier name here -“ actually does go a long way in a description.
A note about value. It is worth far more than 3K. If you still have, or can source, some period correct clover tuners, you have Geddy’s bass right there. Those lollipops are replacements, I assume? I’d say $5k or there about. Don’t listen to people saying nobody cares about 72 Jazz basses anymore. That might be true here on TB for some folks, but it’s a big world and there are still plenty of collectors and Geddy fans out there.
Best of luck!
