What current basses will be the next classics?

[Ron Berenato]

My first (good) bass was a '76 precision. $400 used. Now that bass goes for thousands. I remember back in the day when I hung around music stores all the time we'd pick up a current Fender (this was the '70's) and two identical basses would be totally different. One would be great playing the other thick necked and not so playable but today they're all expensive "vintage" basses. I have a 1993 Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray I bought new for $950. That bass used goes for almost $2000. What current basses will be the next expensive "classics" that will double or triple in value?

 

[JIO]

I've felt a Kubicki Ex-Factor has been a "classic" bass for a while now, and its current asking price is over what it sold for new. ($1500 in the late '80s) That wasn't the case in the '90s as I bought a few used ones then, all for under $1k. And as far as I know, a new Ex-Factor can still be bought.., so "current".

 

[Ron Berenato]

I've felt a Kubicki Ex-Factor has been a "classic" bass for a while now, and its current asking price is over what it sold for new. ($1500 in the late '80s) That wasn't the case in the '90s as I bought a few used ones then, all for under $1k.

View attachment 5202975

I loved those basses. I shoulda bought one back in the day when I had the chance.

 

[Bruce Pete]

I think some of the older G&L basses will continue to be highly sought after.
Kinda like the Ripper, I think prices will escalate to the “Cult” status and be in the coulda, shoulda category.

 

[Roland GR 88]

If you can wait 45-50 years quite a few of them. The catch is that the bass will have to live that long as well.

 

[alembicbones]

I think Series I & II Alembic basses will continue to appreciate nicely.

Bones

 

[1SmartJosh]

I think the 70s Fender precision. They are starting to get some love, but every one I’ve picked up has been super light with a great neck.

 

[BigBigGuy44]

SX. They were better than Sadowsky, Fodera and Alembic combined. When the collectors start selling, they will go for Ritter money.

 

[Pings Bass]

The golden age of guitars is behind us. Future generations won't care much about bass guitars, but to the extent there is a market, Fender will continue to be the logo people want on the headstock, because that us basically the brand that defined the bass guitar.

(I've got a 76 P, too, and I'm just gonna watch it appreciate.)

 

[FunkHead]

Spector.

 

[Dincrest]

At least here on TalkBass, I would say Wal and US made Peavey Cirrus are already among those sought after modern-classics.

 

[sylvanbass]

I've felt a Kubicki Ex-Factor has been a "classic" bass for a while now, and its current asking price is over what it sold for new. ($1500 in the late '80s) That wasn't the case in the '90s as I bought a few used ones then, all for under $1k.

View attachment 5202975

Gah.... I bought one of those in 97 for $500 from a Pawn Shop in Knoxville TN. It was the darker red color, whatever that shade was called. Dude said it had been on the wall for almost two years at the time. It was marked at $750, but offered $500 and also bought a chainsaw lol. Bass was stolen a few years later.

 

[JIO]

Gah.... I bought one of those in 97 for $500 from a Pawn Shop in Knoxville TN. It was the darker red color, whatever that shade was called. Dude said it had been on the wall for almost two years at the time. It was marked at $750, but offered $500 and also bought a chainsaw lol. Bass was stolen a few years later.

I bought my 1st Factor, a black '86 (pre-FCS) that was very played in '94 for $750. In the '90s players wanted traditional (P-bass etc) and headless basses became "an '80s thing". Nothing sounds like a Factor.

 

[JIO]

SX. They were better than Sadowsky, Fodera and Alembic combined. When the collectors start selling, they will go for Ritter money.

 

[jtg]

 

[alembicbones]

I also think Steinberger XL-2 and XL-25 basses will continue to appreciate. Fewer and fewer clean ones out there.

Bones

 

[Thegreatzambini]

Yay, another repeat thread. Everybody uses Google in their daily life now yet for some reason, nobody uses it to search whether a thread has been posted about this already before they decide to.
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/new-classics.1549104/

 

[sylvanbass]

I bought my 1st Factor, a black '86 (pre-FCS) that was very played in '94 for $750. In the '90s players wanted traditional (P-bass etc) and headless basses became "an '80s thing". Nothing sounds like a Factor.

You got that right!!! I loved it. Played another one like 10 years ago and was just floored by it. I never knew what year the one I bought was. It was stolen while the internet was still kind of archaic and didn't have a lot of great forums like this to get input or references of places to look. I'm thinking mine was early 90's. I dunno. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

To contribute to the post at hand, a couple that pop into my head are the original line of Reverend Rumblefish basses, as well as some of the more higher end Yamaha BB models of the 80's. I had a BB450 I absolutely loved that was I guess more of a beginner model, but the similar ones like the one I had with a matching headstock aren't popping up as much, and when they do they are creeping up in price. As far as the Reverends, they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I thought they were well crafted and sounded great.

 

[odarellmc]

Yay, another repeat thread. Everybody uses Google in their daily life now yet for some reason, nobody uses it to search whether a thread has been posted about this already before they decide to.
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/new-classics.1549104/

No one does they just post anything repeat threads, posting gear that has nothing to do with the thread, just everything

 

[2112]