So 70's Fender are desirable now?!

[Vinnie Boombatz]

I just find this kind of funny how people now seem to be really into 70's Fenders. Up until the last few years they were touted as the low point in Fender's history. Corners cut, poor fit and finish, heavy as a boat anchor, and kind of like a black eye for the company. Of course there are exceptions to every rule and stereotype, and I'm sure a bit of that stigma was exaggerated, and I myself even had a near mint '76 3TSB P bass that was all original, no mods, fret wear, and hardly a scratch on the thing aside from the pickup which wasn't original.

I put it up for sale here several years ago for way less than what people are asking and getting for their 70's Fenders, and in some cases in way worse shape than mine. I ended up trading the bass for a Gibson acoustic guitar that worked out in my favor since I only paid $250 for the bass (was found in someone's garage and the guy hadn't played it since playing in a band back in the 80's.

I in no way regret parting with that bass since the acoustic I traded it for is my absolute favorite guitar, and in theme since I've had a few great newer basses including a couple Classic 50's Precisions, an MIJ PB70 Precision and an American Standard Precision that are are as good as if not better than that '76. All the newer ones are lighter, as playable or better, with exceptional fit and finishes and sounded just as good, for a fraction of the cost.

So what is it with the desire for these 70's basses to the point that Fender is making 70's RI's and 70's inspired models? Kind of cracks me up!

 

[FranF]

They're not all bad! My three 70s P's are as good as my '60 P. The '72 weighs 8.0 even, '74 is 8.4 and the '75 fretless is also 8.4. They play and sound fabulous. Yes, there are dogs, but there are 60s and 2000 dogs too.

 

[fghtffyrdmns]

From my (very limited) understanding, I thought the issues Fender had in the 70s were primarily with inconsistent build quality, rather than everything being consistently lower-quality. I'm guessing it's only the gems from that era that are still around and being played, which is why the overall perception of 70s Fenders has gone up in recent years. While they made a lot of duds in the 70s, I'd wager not many of them have survived this long. Also probably why the 70s models that are still out there are fetching a pretty good price on the used market.

 

[Slater]

I find this funny as well. A few years ago, a ‘70s Fender got less respect than a Squier. Now, I guess enough time has passed to make them “vintage” and desirable.

 

[JIO]

What!?! 70's Fenders desirable now!?! I am shocked!

 

[Paulabass]

Fender didn't screw with the core basses (P, and Jazz) as much as they did with the guitars. 60's basses have gone thru the roof pricewise, so the market has shifted to the more affordable. Give it a couple years, and 80's Fender built parts basses will become the hot thing.

 

[charlie monroe]

I would never actively seek out a 70s Fender anything

 

[buldog5151bass]

Marketing is a wonderful thing. Those of us who played in the late 70s/early 80s remember you almost couldn't give them away. They should thank all the foreign collectors who bought up lots of pre-CBS instruments - lots of them sitting behind glass cases. Think Toy Story 2.

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have spend my arcade money buying Fenders.

 

[RickBlair]

The director of the big band that I play in has a 78 P-bass. I borrowed it for a couple of weeks, corrected the horrible setup that was probably original, and tried to get enthusiastic about maybe buying it from him. It had the deadest flatwound strings that I ever played (probably worth big $ by themselves ). I tried roundwound strings also and I just couldn't get excited about the sound of that bass. I had played a 66 P-bass at a vintage shop about a year earlier that I regret not being able to afford, but this 78 didn't even come close. With Fenders of that era it really does come down to the qualities of the individual bass. There is no way I would by a 70's Fender without playing it first.

Rick B.

 

[Diesel Kilgore]

I believe it. Late 80's to mid 90's Squier's have remained a thing.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I have an MIJ 70's reissue and the appeal to me is the tone is that rubbery, disco sound I love. Also, it is a maple/ash P, which was a thing in the 70's and it works great with a P pickup.

 

[mikeswals]

"now" ?

Its been going on a while.

 

[bobba66]

My '76 Precision was a sweetheart. Olympic White with maple neck. Badass bridge, brass nut, and a Schecter Research Jazz pickup. Really miss that bass!

 

[Ric5]

I just find this kind of funny how people now seem to be really into 70's Fenders. Up until the last few years they were touted as the low point in Fender's history. Corners cut, poor fit and finish, heavy as a boat anchor, and kind of like a black eye for the company. Of course there are exceptions to every rule and stereotype, and I'm sure a bit of that stigma was exaggerated, and I myself even had a near mint '76 3TSB P bass that was all original, no mods, fret wear, and hardly a scratch on the thing aside from the pickup which wasn't original.

I put it up for sale here several years ago for way less than what people are asking and getting for their 70's Fenders, and in some cases in way worse shape than mine. I ended up trading the bass for a Gibson acoustic guitar that worked out in my favor since I only paid $250 for the bass (was found in someone's garage and the guy hadn't played it since playing in a band back in the 80's.

I in no way regret parting with that bass since the acoustic I traded it for is my absolute favorite guitar, and in theme since I've had a few great newer basses including a couple Classic 50's Precisions, an MIJ PB70 Precision and an American Standard Precision that are are as good as if not better than that '76. All the newer ones are lighter, as playable or better, with exceptional fit and finishes and sounded just as good, for a fraction of the cost.

So what is it with the desire for these 70's basses to the point that Fender is making 70's RI's and 70's inspired models? Kind of cracks me up!

I would never buy a 70s Fender

 

[ClassicJazz]

My ‘72 is an incredible bass. Funky as all hell! And under 9 lbs.

 

[Texsunburst59]

I think only the very strong specimens survive over the years.

My '74 Fender Jazz Bass that I found in a pawnshop back in '08, is really bruised and scared.

It has a really weathered finish and has probably seen years of constant gigging.

This bass plays amazing and sounds really good.

I think the old 70's basses that have really been played consistently over the years and are still around, are still being gigged for a good reason.

 

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Don't get me wrong, as the OP who used to own a really nice '76 Precision, I'm not saying they're all junk. Just like every instrument, they need to be evaluated individually, just seems like lately people seem to think these are super desirable or something, and are paying (what I consider) ridiculous prices. A used AVRI or used American Standard can be had for much less and equally as good or in many cases much better.

 

[roller]

I find this funny as well. A few years ago, a ‘70s Fender got less respect than a Squier. Now, I guess enough time has passed to make them “vintage” and desirable.

Just give it time... in a few years, the 80s Fenders will be popular and everyone will again be dropping in white pickups in their Ps and Js!

 

[Dluxe]

My '76 is 9 pounds 1 ounce with the original covers and Fender Flatwound strings. The '74 Precision is 8 pounds 2 ounces. I started playing in 1977 and all of my heroes played 70's Fenders. Philip Lynott, Pete Farndon, Verdine White, John Deacon, and Kenny Passarelli among others. I only own USA or Japanese basses. The new Squier basses are nice looking but can't hold a candle to the JV basses.

 

[Pet Sounds]

I've owned quite a number of '70s Fender basses over the years and still own a few. This subject has been chewed over endlessly here on TB. The fact is that Fender made a blue million instruments during the '70s guitar boom, and the CBS management wasn't brilliant about quality control, so quality was uneven. Like several manufacturers in the '70s, Fender cut some corners. Many of the instruments were terribly heavy, which actually was considered a selling point then, as I recall. There are some dogs and some great basses. My main gigging bass in recent years is a modified '78 P that's an absolute tone monster, though neck heavy. It's ridiculous to tar all '70s Fenders with the same brush.