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Vintage Fender basses
- Thread starter bassfart
- Start date
Jim Carr said:
My take is it will continue to be a fluctuation for a long time even after the boomers stop using them. I'm in my (very) late 30's and most folks of my generation have been watching these like vultures, and if they drop we're snagging them, which I think will start drivin them back up (fluctuation) somewhat. Now "driving back up" to what will be the question. I don't think it'll be the insane bubble like 5 years ago. But we know what they are and we still have a big lust for them, but I don't think they'll be selling dirt cheap that just anyone can afford them.
If people keep parting out pre-CBS basses then they will surely go up in value. There was one on Ebay last week. You could reassemble a refin for $14k if you wanted it. 
This will drag everything else up with it just like it did with muscle cars. I would bet on old Fenders holding their value at minimum.
ps just wait until the Chinese discover vintage cars and instruments
This will drag everything else up with it just like it did with muscle cars. I would bet on old Fenders holding their value at minimum.ps just wait until the Chinese discover vintage cars and instruments
Cool P-bass, looks like it might be an "A neck", 1.5" wide at the nut like a Jazz. Did you change the pickguard?
Ya the neck is 1.5 at the nut, and I put the pickguard from my '08 Am Std P bass on this bass. The yellow markings in the pickguard match the yellowing of the body, it looks sick.
Hi my name is Kirk, and I am a Bassaholic.
I lost sleep, agonized , waited to the last possible second with a buyer waiting like a shark smelling blood. Then 48 hours before my house mortgage went into foreclosure I caved and sold my 1957 Tobacco SB SC Precision Bass for 8K. I was the second owner. I put every single (-1) dent and ding on it in the 40 years I owned it. It broke my heart. I still get very emotional thinking about it. My house sold ten days later and I had a check to buy my bass back....it wasn't for sale.
I spent the 4-5 years buying "replacements" I have a 57 RI in a case that's never been gigged with the stickers still on..didn't cut it.
As possibly my last foray into "replacements" I just got (overpaid $2500) a 72' SB P-Bass w/ A neck. Super light with lots of mojo w/o a lots of wear That just spoke to me.
I was picking up a PF 500 and saw it and played it for about 30 seconds. I thought about it all night and got up first thing in the morning and called in a down pmt to hold. I went in and again it spoke.
It's at the shop getting a complete spa day, manicure, pedicure, buff, polish, level added t-rest, etc. Hopefully it should come back looking like one of Johnk's basses.
sorry got carried away..thank you ale.. please hold your old basses dear sometimes they can never be replaced, believe me I have tried.
And yea I could sell an ass load of stuff and but another 10-20K bass and it STILL wouldn't be MY bass the one I gave up. At least the kid I sold it to plays it in an old school Blues band. Check out the Insomniaks if you like . Thats where I go to see my old friend. Gotta go cry a little.
Oh yea right now my favorite P is a 62 body w/ a Jazz neck SD Antic. w/ a 4 band Audere Pre. rifin in Shell pink and matching HS w/ Gold Hdw. I call her Pinkenstein or Pinkula as the mood strikes. haha very light.
peace Kirk
oh ye I also have Jerzy Drozd, Tobias, Elrick, Minnieweather, Ken Smith, Rumian, Acoustics etc.
I lost sleep, agonized , waited to the last possible second with a buyer waiting like a shark smelling blood. Then 48 hours before my house mortgage went into foreclosure I caved and sold my 1957 Tobacco SB SC Precision Bass for 8K. I was the second owner. I put every single (-1) dent and ding on it in the 40 years I owned it. It broke my heart. I still get very emotional thinking about it. My house sold ten days later and I had a check to buy my bass back....it wasn't for sale.
I spent the 4-5 years buying "replacements" I have a 57 RI in a case that's never been gigged with the stickers still on..didn't cut it.
As possibly my last foray into "replacements" I just got (overpaid $2500) a 72' SB P-Bass w/ A neck. Super light with lots of mojo w/o a lots of wear That just spoke to me.
I was picking up a PF 500 and saw it and played it for about 30 seconds. I thought about it all night and got up first thing in the morning and called in a down pmt to hold. I went in and again it spoke.
It's at the shop getting a complete spa day, manicure, pedicure, buff, polish, level added t-rest, etc. Hopefully it should come back looking like one of Johnk's basses.
sorry got carried away..thank you ale.. please hold your old basses dear sometimes they can never be replaced, believe me I have tried.
And yea I could sell an ass load of stuff and but another 10-20K bass and it STILL wouldn't be MY bass the one I gave up. At least the kid I sold it to plays it in an old school Blues band. Check out the Insomniaks if you like . Thats where I go to see my old friend. Gotta go cry a little.
Oh yea right now my favorite P is a 62 body w/ a Jazz neck SD Antic. w/ a 4 band Audere Pre. rifin in Shell pink and matching HS w/ Gold Hdw. I call her Pinkenstein or Pinkula as the mood strikes. haha very light.
peace Kirk
oh ye I also have Jerzy Drozd, Tobias, Elrick, Minnieweather, Ken Smith, Rumian, Acoustics etc.
I think it's a little odd to be concerned with the investment part of an instrument. If I wanted an instrument purely for an investment, I wouldn't even play it. For two reasons: One so I don't get it damaged on the road or stolen, and two so I wouldn't get attached to it (because then how could I sell it later?).
It sounds as if these are not your special forever basses. If you have enough money to find your "player" then keep them. If not, sell them. I am still not sure as to why you are seeking a super boutique bass. Is there one you like in particular? DO you feel like you have to have a certain caliber of bass to be professional or satisfied? Not judging, just wondering.
It sounds as if these are not your special forever basses. If you have enough money to find your "player" then keep them. If not, sell them. I am still not sure as to why you are seeking a super boutique bass. Is there one you like in particular? DO you feel like you have to have a certain caliber of bass to be professional or satisfied? Not judging, just wondering.
I would love to think that eventually in 10 years later dated basses such as those from the 80's and 90's will be worth more than right now, which means 60's and 70's basses would be worth even more. That is my thinking, but who knows. Most of the time you cannot even know what will happen in the next five minutes more-or-less 10 years.
The market will come back and face it old Fender will alway's be in demand. I feel the 70's and now starting in to the 80's will all go up in price when demand increases.That's good news since I own 2 MIJ SQ Squiers and they are moving up slowly also, maybe never to Fender prices but more than I paid and thats good for me.
Yep, every now and then you can find a piece that just hasn't moved and take advantage of GC just wanting to get something out of inventory. I bought three different basses that way... made money on all three when I moved on to something else.
