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Thunderbird Club

Investment for profit, True. Not the best game in the house.

Investment for lifestyle is the real reason to buy what you like. And if you buy wisely you'll get many years of enjoyment and still recover your initial investment, maybe more.

For instance, there's this sleeper...
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Decent price, interesting bass, great condition - if you like that style and model it isn't a bad buy. You could play it for years and never lose a penny, maybe even make a few bucks and lots of memories. I gotta admit, I don't often sit back and think about all the wonderful times I've had with my General Electric stock.

I have a tendency to invest nearly as much for lifestyle gain as I do financial gain. That balance keeps me happy. YMMV
Much respect. :)
 
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Black Beauties... just to reiterate, I've been getting consistent high marks in tone with my Blackbird, and I give that to strings and p'ups, mostly.

Someone around here got a set of Deep Sixx pickups a while back.... I wonder what's the report from that purchase? I'd be interested to compare notes. Also anyone with experience and ability to compare them with the more standard issues, I'm all ears...

Thanks.
 
Agreed, but while checking the production numbers for '76 Birds I checked auction prices, up almost 4 times over what I paid for mine. Still you're correct, I don't even think of mine as investments - I probably should try being more "adult" at some point :laugh:
Yeah. For money, try a mutual fund. Basses are for fun. :D

Investment for profit, True. Not the best game in the house.

Investment for lifestyle is the real reason to buy what you like. And if you buy wisely you'll get many years of enjoyment and still recover your initial investment, maybe more.

For instance, there's this sleeper...
Invalid Link Removed
Decent price, interesting bass, great condition - if you like that style and model it isn't a bad buy. You could play it for years and never lose a penny, maybe even make a few bucks and lots of memories. I gotta admit, I don't often sit back and think about all the wonderful times I've had with my General Electric stock.

I have a tendency to invest nearly as much for lifestyle gain as I do financial gain. That balance keeps me happy. YMMV
Exactly. I don't own my basses to sell them for a profit. I own them because I like playing them.
 
The Fender Rascal is an interesting very short run bass with a neat history, so it probably will hold its value good for the next decade but I doubt there will be any real significant increase in value until long after that. If you buy one now and store it for 30 years you might get lucky and double your money but I suspect inflation over that time will surpass any increase in value. Best bet is to buy it if you like it, enjoy it and take care of it, maybe pass it on to the kids. It might end up having more value to you as a player/owner than it will to any collector, and that's a plenty good reason to buy one now.

True words ^
 
Rotosounds will go into the consideration set. Geddy Lee uses them, so they must be good (even if he took the cash to play a 7ender).

ANY strings are good if you have never put more than a gig or 2 on them on tour. But I take issue with the geddy comment. I don't think it has much to do with fender giving him the cash, I think that is a fringe benefit, Mr Weinrib is a smart man :)

He started on a fender (run of the mill sunburst/tort late 60s p bass), as soon as he got a record company advance he went out and bought the Rickenbacker, likely due to Chris Squire influence. It was his sound for the 75-81 period. During that period he got his Jazz Bass from the Kalamazoo pawn shop for $200, and sat on it. It made it to several songs on moving pictures, but the Ric was still the main touring bass until he got into the steinberger thing, and then the Wal thing. After he realized how far he had drifted from "rock", the fender started calling again, it was in the show don't tell video, but pretty sure the wal was still what was used on presto, and maybe roll the bones as well. 1992 was when he realized the magic of that 72 jazz, and ever since then (counterparts), he has been using fender jazz basses. I really don't think fender giving him cash had much to do with it. One tour he even used a CIJ signature neck on his 72 after the original neck wore out. (2008 snakes and arrows)

Not sure where I am going with this, and he did bust out a NR bird on a couple songs on the final tour. I just love geddy Lee on a jazz bass, and I believe he sincerely loves it too. The money is just a side benefit. That man was responsible for one of fenders best basses, simply by rescuing it from a pawn shop for $200 and later discovering how awesome it was, after 5 years of it being his #1 bass in the 90s, fender measured every dimension and had it built in Japan for a one year run. Now it is recognized as one of the best basses they ever made. 25 years of jazz bass, the longest consecutive portion of his career, not counting its earlier appearances.

But perhaps fender did have a part in this, and he was paid so handsomely that he told a few little white lies like Forest Gump and his flex o lite ping pong paddle :)

I still love it. And I think he does too.

I love lots of basses. Don't hate me for being a Geddy shill. Neil's words probably helped, that is and shall be my all time favorite band.

I nominate the triumvirate for the council :)
 
Wow. Well that's one more than I thought they ever made. Damn I wish I had the money for that.

YOLO. While it's a good idea to not spend yourself into hardship, when's the next time you have an opportunity for such a rare beast?! If you can find a way to swing it then just do it! Shoot them an offer and see what happens. :)

Agreed, but while checking the production numbers for '76 Birds I checked auction prices, up almost 4 times over what I paid for mine. Still you're correct, I don't even think of mine as investments - I probably should try being more "adult" at some point :laugh:

While I don't think of them as investments either, I do see them as cash hanging there on the wall though. Beautiful beautiful playable art too and just being able to walk into my music room and pull one off the wall to play makes me a happy guy. :D
 
Instead of hunting for rare birds, pre order the new classic epi. I would if I had any semblance of budget greater than, save up $100, buy USA peavey, save up $200 buy epiphone IV, get 2 $100 gigs back to back, fill gas tank a couple times, buy $140 USA peavey, eat ramen and mac and cheese and list least liked bass for sale as well as a.couple of pedals and try to ignore more $100-200 USA peaveys etc...

I won't be in $600 bass territory again until the big gigs roll in or I sell something to Hollywood. At least I still have a half dozen $1k-ish sentimental basses, and enough sense not to sell them. I'm loading up on "value" basses right now. But I certainly appreciate that new epiphone, but first I would like to try to trade in my sunburst on a TV silver that has been in a pawnshop for several months, priced higher than it should hence it hasn't sold. A nice specimen pinstripe headstock fury kinda interfered with my ability to attempt that at the moment, but I couldn't let that one slip through my fingers.

2 birds is really all I can have right now, but that new one is really nice looking.
 
Truss rod cover is upside down and the pick guard looks cracked at the upper left screw. No sale.

Those two items wouldn't stop me from buying something like this. The price would keep me from buying it tho. Plus there is that whole "I'm right-handed" thing I have going for me.
 
Those two items wouldn't stop me from buying something like this. The price would keep me from buying it tho. Plus there is that whole "I'm right-handed" thing I have going for me.

It's a 50 year old bass... I'm sure few of us have fared as well on our way to the half a century mark. :roflmao:

If I was a lefty, I'd be on it! I've yet to see a Brinks truck following a hearse on the way to one's final resting place. ;)
 
Truss rod cover is upside down and the pick guard looks cracked at the upper left screw. No sale.
In the '60s Gibson was the quaint job shop kind of place, that bass being a one off the reversed PG (broken PG tip is very common) and TRC are no doubt, the real deal.
 

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