Would you do this trade?

[shrigg]

I have an all original 1984 Fender "PJ Bass" with a JV serial number on the neck plate.

Someone wants to trade me for a 2011 American Telecaster Special. It's Olympic White with maple fingerboard, all original. Seems like these guitars sell for $675 and up used on ebay.

Here is my bass, along with a stock photo of an Oly White American Tele Special just the same as what is being offered.

I view my bass as an undiscovered classic that will go up in value. Maybe it's not there quite yet, but I think JV's will really go up in value soon.

Anyone have some thoughts on the matter?

Thanks,
Darren

 

[soulman969]

Those Tele's are pretty well liked. It's a $1250 list guitar that can be had for $765 to $800 new so $675 median price for a used one seems in the ball park for ones that are in top shape.

One current Fender which may be comparable to yours is an Aerodyne Jazz which would sell for around $675 to $700 new so that may give you something to compare withas far as new basses go.

You don't say what the current market value of your bass is or what you feel it's worth to you today. You really can't deal in the "what if's" of tomorrow's values. Whether or not it will have greater value is pretty speculative unless you have something solid to back that up.

How badly do you want or need that Tele as opposed to holding onto your bass with the hope that someday it may be worth more than $675 and if it is how much more and what would you do then?

I guess those are the questions I'd be asking myself as far as making a decision on what to do.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

No, that bass is rad as hell. You don't see them every day. Not to mention i hate tele's. If you want a tele just save up some cash and buy one. I'm sure it will take you a total of a day to find a 2011 tele for $700.

 

[klejst]

I agree, I personally would hold onto that bass. I play guitar also and I can say Tele's never caught my eye either.

 

[Spinal Tapper]

I'd take the Tele. For sure. It's worth more money, IMO

Sadly, THOSE JV's, like you have there aren't worth nearly as much as the 57/62 reissues of that same era

 

[shrigg]

I suppose it might be silly asking on talkbass whether to trade a cool bass for a guitar in the first place. Teles are simple and cool, kinda like the P bass of guitar.


Laith Al-Saadi at Leelanau Blues Festival 2011 - YouTube

Check the above video of my friend from Ann Arbor. He's kinda the reason I'd like a tele and would maybe ditch my strat as the guitar to have around.

And yeah, I think the tele is worth more money too.

 

[patlozrox]

i would say dont do it...
only because if id does indeed go up in value, then you can always sell it then, but you can't sell it now and find that you dont like the guitar and get it back. so i would wait for a while to see if the value on the bass goes up first

Rock on!!!!
4 STRINGS 4 LIFE!!!!!

 

[portlandguy]

Keep the bass, I like those - I played a friends years ago and it sounded great

 

[seansbrew]

Go with what your gut is telling you.

If you are thinking that you want that Tele so that you can start jamming it out. Then trade for it and don't look back.

Don't hold on to the bass as an investment. Especially if your not going to be playing it. I mean, how much more do you think it will go up in value?

Life's too short to wait around, Choose the instrument you want to play today.

Just my take on things, doesn't mean its right for everyone.

 

[purfektstranger]

As others have said even if the value of the bass goes up it would be nominal at best because it isn't a big ticket item to begin with. If you aren't using it and like the guitar then why hang on to it...ditch it. If you are using the bass then I wouldn't bother with the guitar. They are a dime a dozen and available everywhere.......

 

[shrigg]

Good points everyone. Well the bass isn't really getting played because I usually reach for one of my Music Mans or my fretless Jazz. The Tele *is* pretty cool... I'm probably going to do the trade once the guy comes back with it. He plays with Scott Haggard and has some gigs in Oklahoma next week. Another cool aspect is that this guitar was recorded on their new record down in Nashville a few weeks ago.

 

[smcd]

From a financial standpoint - make the trade.

That style of JV bass isn't going anywhere value-wise in the near or distant future. People have been expecting them to go up in price, but It's been 30 years and it hasn't happened. The only JV basses that have any hope of going up in value are the vintage reissues.

 

[Lo-E]

Well the bass isn't really getting played because I usually reach for one of my Music Mans or my fretless Jazz.

That is the key to your answer right there. In your OP, you told us your thoughts on the potential monetary value of the bass. What you didn't tell us is whether or not you actually dig it.

The above quote shows that you don't really like this bass as much as your others - and you've already stated that you like the Tele. In my mind, that pretty much settles it.

The potential for an instrument's monetary value going up is seldom a good reason to keep it - or buy it in the first place. Buy and keep instruments that you really like to play. They'll pay for themselves 100 times in enjoyment and if they happen to appreciate in value just consider it a nice bonus.

 

[shrigg]

Well today I sold the PJ-Bass to an excited tb member. Great bass but it was just sitting and I'm glad to see it get played.

Some months earlier I satisfied my Tele itch by buying this:

 

[AtomicPunk]

Hello Fellow Michigander!

One thing I find people don't think about in a trade, is, do you want / need the instrument you're trading for? If so, then maybe you give up a few bucks of the percieved value of your instrument for getting what you want. And everyone thinks their instrument is worth more than it usually is.

 

[shrigg]

Yeah, the guy with the white tele was hemming and hawing, changing his mind several times etc. So I just held on to the bass and he ended up trading that tele for the one I bought.

But as it turned out I really *did* want a Tele and bought a nicer one much more to my liking. Crazy thing is I bought the sunburst tele from the same guy I was originally gonna do the trade with.

I finally found someone who buys and sells even more than me, lol. I just had to wait him out and ended up with a great guitar.

 

[FourNotFive]

Amen AtomicPunk! If I have a case of the mumps and a cure for measles that is "worth" $10 and you have the measles and a cure for the mumps that is "worth" $8...I'll trade you all day long... and we'd both make out like bandits!

Looks like you got what you were after in the end shrigg...and made a tb'er happy with the PJ.