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Vintage Fender basses

#21
audiomitch said:
Are you suggesting buying a used piece of gear at Guitar Center and making a profit by flipping it? If so, it's just not feasible. GC has already marked it up, you'd have a hard time getting another 25% on top of that.
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Not necessarily so, but it takes some careful shopping, and being ready to buy as soon as a deal pops up... I've made a profit on a couple of used GC basses - an example is an sr3005 Prestige I paid $500 for, and flipped for $700... I currently have an '08 American Standard Jazz I paid $630 for - I know I can get more than that for it, if I wanted to...

It's not easy, nor all that common - but it can be done...


- georgestrings
 
#24
I had a '77 P that was heavy as all get out and really sounded solid and deep, and I loved it. The neck was in bad shape when I got it, some adjustments were made and it got better, but I finally had to get rid of it. I still cry about it in bed some nights.

I really like eighties Asian Fender and Squier stuff, too. Any Squier with the silver logo that I come across, I take a good long hard look at it and figure out if I want to buy it. I'm still kicking myself over an MIJ Squier J-Bass that had a cirque '87 serial number. My reasoning at the time was, "I'd really rather have a maple fingerboard." Now, even those Asian Squiers are getting expensive, saw one on eBay for $500.
 
#25
I think in 10 years any bass around from the 70s and 80s will have a significant increase. Although there were some quality issues, chances are if the bass is still around it will be a good instrument. The bad ones will long gone for the most part. Keep it!
 
#26
In 10 years, a lot of the boomers will be dead or too old to play. Demand will drop as they dump their old instruments for cash. However, the prices today of older instruments reflect the financial crisis, the worst economic times in 70 years—so don't sell now unless you really want to—it is a tough market. :eyebrow:


Between the New American Standard P and Jazz, the '62 AVRI, and the Road Worn basses, most buyers will find a great sounding and feeling Fender bass at much much less cost than an early 70's or late 60's bass. Old basses are nice, but the new Fenders blow much of the old stuff away—but please keep that to yourself! :ninja:

But I must ask, what is it you really want to find? If you want a boutique bass, look for a used 55-94, Valenti, CS Fender, or an NYC Sadowsky. They are all on sale! :D
 
#27
SamanthaCay said:
All this talk sure makes me wish I had more money to invest in vintage gear it's probably better then investing in most parts of our stock market IMO.
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Several thousand dollars appreciation of an asset (like a few old basses) is nice, but it is not investment, IMHO. Investment is something that with time and effort will repay you with an actual livelihood or something close to it. Think: a small business, an education, $15,000 each year invested in diverse securities for 30 years, an apprenticeship in a trade, etc., IMHO, those are investments.

SamanthaCay said:
I think a lot of the current leveling off that we see is probably due mostly to the recent economic crash. Guitars for most people are luxury items and as a result are something people are investing less in during our current economy.
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The S&P 500 has gained 60% in the last 3 years—just sayin' :p

sailri said:
If you had bought Netflix on Monday you'd be up 25% today. If you had bought penny stock "Metal Storm" yesterday at lunch you'd be up 50% today.
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That is gambling, not investing, IMHO. ;) :D :D :D
 
#28
Both basses are built very well, and the Jazz is not a boat anchor, it weighs about 9.5 lbs. I never really bought the basses as an investment, I just always wanted a P bass that was built the same year I was born. And I wanted a Jazz bass with a bound and blocked neck, and now I have both, so life is good. I just like knowing that I own a piece of history.
 
#30
I have to agree with johnk. The late 70s heavyweight Fenders are a lot less in demand than the early 70s models. Boutique basses are a weird market as some appreciate & others nosedive in value over time. Trading vintage for boutique is not usually a good idea, but I have done it successfully. Right now it's tough no matter what you're selling.
 
#32
In my opinion you should keep an instrument if you like it and it does good things for your playing, regardless of what it is. In the 1950s and '60s electric guitars and basses from companies like Gibson and Fender were only mass produced factory instruments like they are now.(admittedly, the build quality was better). My point is, it is what people have done with them that has made them become iconic and collectable. The main purpose of an instrument for me is playing the thing. If it sounds good in my hands and I like it, I will keep it.

We cannot know what is going to happen in ten years. If your basses play beautifully and do what you want from them then you should kep them. If they don't do this then sell them and buy something else. Of course, if you are very rich you could just add them to your collection. I personally do not have that luxury.
 
#33
A nice thing about an old worn-in Fender bass is you can gig the crap out of it and as long as you don't horribly abuse it or modify it it will continue to climb in value and only make you money. In my book that's a good piece of gear to keep around. If you ever get in a serious bind you can sell them, you'll know if it's the right time because it will be your only option.
 
#34
I never look at guitars as investments, but they can "act like them"

I have a shop near where I live that consistently maintain a shed of vintage Fender basses and other things. Prices are never what I would pay, but I can imagine that for small business specializing in these things, it works.
 
#36
another thing to think about too is models.
jazz and precisions are always "in the market" and change in value depending condition and year.

now musicmaster basses are pretty much all the same price point from post 1970 to when they stopped making them, regardless of condition. anything pre 1970 seems to be a significant jump in price point. reason why, i think because they are less desireable among the j and p.

i added this to this thread because im picking up a 78 musicmaster to sit next to my 73 precision. ;)
 
#37
Moe Monsarrat said:
I have to agree with johnk. The late 70s heavyweight Fenders are a lot less in demand than the early 70s models.
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Mid 60s basses are worth less than early 60s basses, and early 70s basses are worth a lot less than early 60s basses. Why wouldn't late 70s basses be worth less than early 70s basses? Over time, they will all increase in value though -- for a while at least -- until guitars and basses fall completely out of fashion like the lute and the harpsichord.
 

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