Vintage bass refinished : winner or loser

[Fonkamex]

This 70s Precision bass is on sale for less than 1000CAD but the owner seem to ignore everything about the bass except it was refinished.
Do you think it is true? If it is true, it is a winner or a loser in terms of value?

 

[Bass Viking]

That finish looks awful and the pickups look like replacements. I’d pass.

 

[DwaynieAD]

That's flipping cool

 

[jd56hawk]

I Wouldn't care to gamble on the value or authenticity, but that's a good price for Canada, right?

 

[stefanb]

I Wouldn't care to gamble on the value or authenticity, but that's a good price for Canada, right?

I'd already own it if it were local at that ridiculous price, then just refinish to its factory state and still be way ahead.

It's been for sale for a week, nobody brave enough? OP send it my way

 

[Eneade]

This bass is for sale in France at €2300 and it clearly says it has been refinished.

Link here : Precision bass 1970 d’occasion

Where have you found it at less than 1000 CAD ? It seems suspect.

 

[Fresh Eddie]

That bass looks awesome... as a player it seems like it might be great.

 

[RichterScale]

That's refinished?

 

[Fonkamex]

27076099[/URL], member: 201831"]I Wouldn't care to gamble on the value or authenticity, but that's a good price for Canada, right?

Yes, is really cheap. I talked to the seller. He seems to want to get rid of it ASAP. I am now curious why is he selling it in France for 3 times the price in Canada

 

[Fonkamex]

This bass is for sale in France at €2300 and it clearly says it has been refinished.

Link here : Precision bass 1970 d’occasion

Where have you found it at less than 1000 CAD ? It seems suspect.

Wow! Well spotted! That’s the same bass and the same description. This is weird. The price is totally different.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

This bass is for sale in France at €2300 and it clearly says it has been refinished.

Link here : Precision bass 1970 d’occasion

Where have you found it at less than 1000 CAD ? It seems suspect.

I agree with you, it seems suspicious that in Canada the price would be less than a quarter of what it would be if converted from 2300 euro.

 

[Bass Viking]

Yes, is really cheap. I talked to the seller. He seems to want to get rid of it ASAP.

AHA, so it’s stolen!

 

[Bikeguy57]

Scam...Scam...Scam.

 

[RichterScale]

You can't tell how a bass plays from a pic.
That said, it looks like someone made some random nicks and scrapes in the wood, spray painted it and then lazily sanded half of it off.
IMO, a refinish is an actual refinish. Which means removing the old finish and reapplying a finish. So it would look new again.
I'm not into artificially recreating a worn finish. Not only is it expensive, but the idea of paying a ton of money for someone to apply a new finish........and then deliberately ruining it,.....for more money? Seems odd to me. Plus, well, it's pretending you have a bunch of wear that you didn't earn. But that's neither here nor there.
All I'm getting at is if you are into that, a really well done faux worn finish is expensive and looks authentic. This bass looks like a can of black Rust-Oleum spray paint that was half-assed sanded off.
If it's a legitimate sale, the idea posted earlier of making a low ball offer and then paying a pro to do an actual refinish isn't a bad idea, but there's no way to know if this bass actually plays nice or has any other issues. I'm not sure I'd trust someone who did a crappy finish like that to be honest or even know if the neck has issues, needs a refret, etc.
I'd probably pass on it, even if I was just looking to fix it up and sell it.
Plus, are Fenders rare and hard to come by in France? Why is it for sale in 2 different countries for wildly different prices?
And didn't you say there was basically no description of the bass?
I'd pass.

 

[bigthemat]

This bass is for sale in France at €2300 and it clearly says it has been refinished.

Link here : Precision bass 1970 d’occasion

Per Google Translate:

"Precision bass from 1970 in its own juice"

Juice? is that the French term for Mojo?

 

[Fonkamex]

Per Google Translate:

"Precision bass from 1970 in its own juice"

Juice? is that the French term for Mojo?

Not a French Canadian expression for sure maybe from France. When I talked to the seller he had a French African accent, so.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

That's refinished?

That was my thought. But I just don't get "relic" as a desired look. If you have a bass that's been with you for a long time and it has nicks/dents/scratches/wear and tear marks that legitimately happened over years of use and you are happy, great. But to take a bass and fake that wear and tear is something I just don't get.

I like them shiny and looking sharp. But my color schemes are very subjective.

 

[Grinderman]

Aha, the Canadian Special... er... The French Connection?

Let me help, I'm a Canadian (born of in the F Bass city) and U.S. dual citizen with two passports, in California, about 30 miles from Fullerton... (that must extra qualify me somehow, eh?)

I see an early '70s, pre-three bolt, P with a Rust-Oleum spray-bombed body for the equivalent of aboot $735 (pronounced Doll-ers, with emphasis on the Doll), U.S.

I reckon that either the truss rod is cracked and or it's being fenced (as in stolen goods for sale and fast)

 

[Jim C]

Neck and hardware look legit
Obviously a refin, new pup, and possibly replaced pickguard
No idea if body is original and agreed that someone "dinged it up" for no good reason.
If the body is correct (need pictures with neck and pickguard removed) it would be a steal.
Actually, at $735 US assuming the neck is good and it plays well, it's probably an OK deal with an aftermarket body.

And it appears to be a 4 bolt neck which is correct for early 70's

 

[sikamikanico]

Too many red flags IMO. The most suspect is that it's being sold in Canada and France + the price difference + the rush to sell. One positive explanation that I find somewhat plausible is that the seller may be moving from Canada to France. He then has a dilemma - sell the bass at discount in Canada to get rid of it before the move, or take it with him to France where he can try get more for it. Maybe I'm overinterpreting, but I've been in a similar situation... It's also possible he does not have the bass and just took the pics from the French website (i.e. scam).

Otherwise, the bass looks kinda cool, tho I'd have no desire for it. At that price, I'd look at a more modern import, such as Lakland Skyline...