Rick's Fine '52

[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1381263284' post='2236771'] Fakey wakey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i already posted this one geezers - now we got it twice! [/quote] You were 15 hours later actually.....but whose counting?

[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1381277032' post='2236976'] but he is! the ad heading is '[color=#333333][font=Trebuchet,]Fender Jazz Bass neck'[/font][/color] so I think that constitutes calling it a Fender [/quote] [size=4]You're right, I didn't think it did, I was thinking of his description where he says "....very like custom shop 1994", but yes, he is advertising it as a fender jazz neck. He's even edited it, to say the neckplate is a V0****** serial number, further adding weight to the fact its a real fender American vintage reissue. Quite shocking. surely no-one will be so dumb as to think a fender neck looks like that?[/size]

[size=4][color=#000000][font=Calibri]The worst bass I’ve ever owned was a bass I bought about 6 years ago, because I thought it looked cool, and was quite unique, and it was cheap enough to have a flyer with, it was an Ozark fully steel bodied Resonator bass. The sales pitch said it was LOUD without being plugged in. It wasn’t loud at all; it weighed about 16kg, so you could never play it standing up; the intonation was terrible, and completely unable to be adjusted; it constantly went out of tune, had no variety of sound, despite having vol and tone knobs. The most unplayable bass I’ve ever had.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri]The most disappointing?, I have 3;[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri][font=Calibri]1.[/font] Rickenbacker 4001. I hate the look of them, always have, but every time I see them in vintage shops, I think I must try it again, because I must have just picked bad ones, and so many people can’t be wrong. So I always pick it up, play it, and quickly hang it back up, because they are just awful contraptions, in every way. [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri][font=Calibri]2.[/font] Gibson Thunderbird, it was a ’76 Anniversary model. Let’s be honest here, Gibson make amazing guitars, they do not [i]m[i]ake good basses, never [/i][/i]have. Neck dive was uncontrollable, unless you started drilling, and fixing strap buttons where they apparently shouldn’t go (Otherwise they would be there in the first place?), you couldn’t play it sitting down, because the shape was all wrong (Not as bad as a Gibson ‘The Vee’ bass I had though), and it wouldn’t balance. The body was too thin, so kept tipping forwards, meaning you had to actually hold it to your body with your forearm, making playing impossible, and if that wasn’t enough, the necks weren’t very comfortable to play, and the tone was one-dimensional. It’s a shame, because I still think the tobacco sunburst 60’s ones, with the chrome pickups look really cool.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri][font=Calibri]3.[/font] This was the killer. As a vintage bass admirer, and collector, an almost mint condition ’63 Hofner Violin 500/1 (Yes, just like Paul’s), was always on the ‘wants’ list. One day, around 1990, I found it, it was stunning, all original, with the case, a beaut. I played it for 5 mins, to check the neck was straight, it could be tuned, the electrics worked, tuners turned (All the usual issues with these), checked the date marks, and took it home. It looked beautiful, but it was sh*te, weighed about half an ounce, so you never felt like you actually had anything to play, or anywhere any sound was actually going to come from, the neck was tiny, with midget string spacing, little tone control, the buttons made almost no real difference, and it felt like it was made of balsa wood and would break at any moment. I didn’t care though, because it was a’63 violin, and I loved it, even if it was useless as an instrument. I know people will say “..errr who are you?, if it was good enough for Macca, the most famous and successful bass player in the world, it can’t be sh*te!”, well, I won’t question the man, or his tone, or his success, but I don’t know how he did it, especially through those Vox amps, which were equally dreadful. Not for me, iconic gorgeous instruments though, but not for playing by me.[/font][/color][/size]

[quote name='clashcityrocker' timestamp='1381260980' post='2236715'] How can you tell,out of interest? [/quote] It all looks ok, apart from the truss rod, that is just horrific, how would that even fit into a body. At least he's not claiming it to be a Fender neck I suppose.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Jazz-Bass-neck-/321224080701?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aca727d3d"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Jazz-Bass-neck-/321224080701?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aca727d3d[/url]

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1381083860' post='2234203'] rick the sn was 41xxx - I do not think that is fullerton - do you? I wud estimate that it was made 1988ish [/quote] You're probably right, I didn't see the serial number. I know the red stackers were only made up to a certain year, and that tort guard is the same as the earlier ones, before they went to that awful material they still use today. So I assumed it was an '83ish one, but yes, the serial would suggest a much later example. As has been mentioned, you have to strip these things to see the real year, as the V0***** serial numbers seemed to run forever, from '83 to '89 even. That's why the V00**** numbers are so pricey nowadays, as they are all first year '82's. Pots would also tell you if you didn't want to take the neck off. Nice bass someone has snagged though (Sorry Karlfer!! )

OK, my two-penneth. Firstly, the bass looks right to me for a Fullerton. The price is top dollar though for even a V00 '82. The double '0' serials are far more desirable than the V0 models, because they are generally '82, and the first year of these are more desirable, and more expensive. Without seeing the neck date, this could be anything from '84 to '89, the V0 series seemed to run forever. J's are rarer than P's. Custom colours are rarer than sunbursts. For my money, if it was an '84, and all correct, and played really nice, it would be for sale, in a store for between £1500 and £1750 GBP, similar relative price in Europe and a little less in the US (There's more there, simple as that). They are very fine instruments though, although the quality did start to drop in '84, and the '82 ones are far more desirable. Original pale tweed case with overly fluffy orange lining is a big plus. If it was me, and I wanted one of these, I'd go see it, check the pot dates, and neck date/stamps, check the pickups are original. If it was all good, played nice, sounded great, truss was free, I'd buy it, for around £1500, in todays economic climate, I'd start the haggle at less.

Gone....Nice Fullerton reissue though, with one of the very few, decent pickguards........someone got a nice bass, at a fair price.

[quote name='slab66' timestamp='1380611101' post='2227662'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPysUnMpi9g&feature=youtu.be[/media] [/quote] Lovely stuff, great JE tone too....good job!!!

To my knowledge, that's a reasonable price in the UK. There's hardly any over here, and when they turn up, they command serious dosh. Blonde is also the rarest of all the finishes on these, even as worn as this example, probably a large handful in existence still. Top gear fetches top prices. Andy knows the market better than anyone, and will price accordingly. As has been mentioned, the commission pieces will often have the buyer state the price, although if he thinks they are asking too much, he'll decline to sell it......its his reputation, and his shop after all. Unlike many 'dealers', Andy has consistently shifted gear, particularly over the past 2-3 years, when the economy has suffered. Some of the rarest stuff seen recently in the UK, has passed through Andys hands, and I for one, have enjoyed spending time at his studio noodling around on many of them. Big price?, yes, without doubt, worth it? depends how bad you want one I guess. It's worth what someone will pay for it, and I don't doubt for a second that it will sell for close to this price.

[quote name='Platypus' timestamp='1379535759' post='2213986'] Love how Andy's precisions were made on 5th of the month and his jazzes we're built on the 7th of the month. Fender must have only built bases two days a month back then! [/quote] Quote of the month!!!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1379399263' post='2212077'] I'm sure they're lovely basses, but pointless as a 66 without lollipops, dots and binding IMO. [/quote] This. This is the issue I have with fender these days. If they call a Jazz RI a '66 (A year specifically known for having lollipos, and dots and binding), then it has to be that, otherwise, why dont they call it a '68, that way they have nothing to worry about, they can get away with regular 70's style tuners that the japs use anyway, and block necks. Like the early Custom Shop J's being called a 1960 on the certs, and having 3 knobs...i could go on... most annoying!!

Met Dan today, didn't do any business, but nice to meet a top guy with a passion for vintage basses, and clearly an honest bloke, so worth a mention on here, and he knows a good bass when he see's (and plays) one!! Hope to see you again. Rick

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1379141306' post='2209039'] 9 days to go and it's already at £676....so much for the 99p start [/quote] 8 days to go, and over £1200 already.

I can now see the pics (still cant see them on my work PC though...odd)...anyway, the bass looks fab, great aged creamy finish, great job, and great bass. Congrats!!

Very nice Chris, nice to see those P's properly dressed now too, can't beat a bit of chrome!!!

Must be just me then??

All the pics have gone, hopefully they'll be back soon, sounds like a fine job!