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Thunderbird Club

#251,822
GonePlaid said:
They are somewhat more ergonomic, but I think because the shape is a bit more 'traditional'(?), B/Ls are less likely to have a problem with them-at least in my case. I don't think any big band leader I've ever worked for had the slightest clue that I was playing my 67 NR TBird, especially being a more traditional(?) color.
I do still occasionally kick myself in the arse for not also grabbing the blue NR that was next to it at Rudy's. I had the $$, just didn't feel a need for two(it was 1973.Who knew it'd be collectible?)
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That's what I can say about my 1st '63 Thunderbird II (bought a year later in '74), later learned to be a very rare bird. :( Just imagine if it hadn't been stollen - I'd be the King of the T-bird thread! :laugh:
 
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#251,823
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#251,824
JIO said:
That's what I can say about my 1st '63 Thunderbird II (bought a year later in '74), later learned to be a very rare bird. :( Just imagine if it hadn't been stollen - I'd be the King of the T-bird thread! :laugh:
Click to expand...
I would have been devastated as I’m sure you were/are…..with its history that would prolly go for upwards of 20k or more…:bored:
I have gotten three basses stolen, a 72P, a 76J and a 76Bird…..hard to describe the pain…..almost like personally invasive….​
 
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#251,825
JIO said:
Early '66 J's (like mine) made from Jan thru June '66 are more rare/valuable by the numbers. (only so many made during this 6 months) They have dot/bound necks and lollypop tuners. In July '66, block/bound necks replaced the d&b fb and continued through the '70s. '66 was the 1st full year of CBS/Fender (CBS officially owned Fender in July '65) and they guitars and basses were essentially the same as a "pre-CBS" Fender, which are more valuable/sell for more $.

As far as a scalloped fb goes... that must have been a mod as Fender never had a bass with scalloped frets. They did have scalloped frets on a Strat, the 1990 Yngwie Malmsteen sig model. Interestingly, Fender/CBS introduced angled frets on their Marauder guitar in the mid '70s. Only a few prototypes were made and it never made it to production.

Later in the '80s, Fender made a headless bass prototype in collaboration with Staccato -
View attachment 5101945 View attachment 5101951 ... and another of their own design - View attachment 5101948 Ned Steinberger and Phil Kubicki were already making their groundbreaking headless basses then.
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My neck was bound and had dots as well. Maybe that was the draw. I'm not sure of the value in the very early '80s. I suppose it was significant at the time. I think I got it for around $300-350, maybe less. Anything more than that was lot of money back then and would have stuck in my mind. (Not that it's an insignificant amount even today.)
 
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#251,827
Chucky Stiletti said:
I would have been devastated as I’m sure you were/are…..with its history that would prolly go for upwards of 20k or more…:bored:
I have gotten three basses stolen, a 72P, a 76J and a 76Bird…..hard to describe the pain…..almost like personally invasive….​
Click to expand...
I've had one stollen, from a break in at a church no less. Invasive is right. Like a colonoscopy with no sedation and a chunk of you is ripped away. Only a very few things lower than a thief.

My dad had restored '66 GMC pickup that was mildly hot rodded stollen from behind our house in 81s. We just took the topper off that night to haul something. So we still had that! In that neighborhood were were lucky the house wasn't stollen with it. He eventually got a nice GMC and a some drunk moron ran a work truck into it knocking it 2' from the neighbors's house. (Narrow street and that was hard to do.) I'm pretty sure that was intentional due to some history. Most everyone was rough in that area, but a few of these suspected guys had no conscience whatsoever and had no problem putting you in the hospital, or worse if they could get aways with it. Wisdom said it was time to move instead of things getting worse. But yeah, when some dirt ball takes your stuff, it's personal.
 
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#251,829
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#251,830
dagrev said:
My neck was bound and had dots as well. Maybe that was the draw. I'm not sure of the value in the very early '80s. I suppose it was significant at the time. I think I got it for around $300-350, maybe less. Anything more than that was lot of money back then and would have stuck in my mind. (Not that it's an insignificant amount even today.)
Click to expand...

The whole "vintage worth" trend started in the later '80s. It coincided with Fender re-acquiring full ownership of their company from CBS. Their guitars/basses were being made in Japan, and the Japanese understood the interest/value of "vintage" Fender guitars/basses and were producing what were basically well made RI's of vintage Fenders. It also aligned with the whole retro atmosphere of the '80s overall. Before this the instruments now selling for over $10k were not that old and they were looked at as "used" more than "vintage". But it also has to do with trends going in & out of style. Once the "retro" trend was "the way" in the early-mid '90s, pointy & headless basses sold for very little, regardless of their initial cost. I bought 3 Kubicki Ex-Factors in the '90s that sold new in the mid-late '80s for $1500, for under $800 each. They were and still are great basses - they were just "out of style" then. (now selling for over their original cost)

My '63 II w/OHSC in 1974 cost me $150 cash. If I had it today, you could easily add two more 0's.
 
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#251,832
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#251,833
Chucky Stiletti said:
I would have been devastated as I’m sure you were/are…..with its history that would prolly go for upwards of 20k or more…:bored:
I have gotten three basses stolen, a 72P, a 76J and a 76Bird…..hard to describe the pain…..almost like personally invasive….​
Click to expand...

No almost about it - that was exactly my feeling then, our living space had been violated and things I owned stollen. We stayed with friends the rest of that week before moving because our space felt tainted. As far as the T-bird, I was crushed but had no idea how valuable it would become. I got my "closet classic' '64 II w/OHSC, mute & all covers (for $750!) within a week after moving which calmed my loss.
 
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#251,834
dagrev said:
I've had one stollen, from a break in at a church no less. Invasive is right. Like a colonoscopy with no sedation and a chunk of you is ripped away. Only a very few things lower than a thief.

My dad had restored '66 GMC pickup that was mildly hot rodded stollen from behind our house in 81s. We just took the topper off that night to haul something. So we still had that! In that neighborhood were were lucky the house wasn't stollen with it. He eventually got a nice GMC and a some drunk moron ran a work truck into it knocking it 2' from the neighbors's house. (Narrow street and that was hard to do.) I'm pretty sure that was intentional due to some history. Most everyone was rough in that area, but a few of these suspected guys had no conscience whatsoever and had no problem putting you in the hospital, or worse if they could get aways with it. Wisdom said it was time to move instead of things getting worse. But yeah, when some dirt ball takes your stuff, it's personal.
Click to expand...
that neighborhood sounds gnarly…….remember places like that in central FL…
 
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