Rick's Fine '52

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1347313724' post='1799327'] I've seen several. It seems to have been quite a common side-effect of neck re-sets over the years, and can cover a multitude of sins. I've also had a couple of active Hofners where the cover plate for the electronics was in tort. It always looks horrible, inappropriate, and horribly inappropriate. [/quote] Indeed, why wouldn't you just use pearl??, senseless, it's a new one on me, obviously more common than I thought, I love finding out new stuff though, thanks.

[quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1347132701' post='1797343'] That is REAL porn !!! [/quote] Thanks Chris, I have the original hang tag too, and forgot to put it on the bass! It's a fine set, the original 'Bass rig'!

The truss rod cover on these is a 3-ply (BWB), the one in the ad is a singly ply black, unless the picture is square on..exactly, although there is a slight bevel, so you should still see it?, I think thats what makes it look odd? Maybe a replacement, everything else looks ok, apart from the aforementioned tuners, although i havent seen a tortoishell neck joint cover shroud before? Here's a late '64 TRC.

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1347196169' post='1797877'] not quite sure what you mean by that? [/quote] Sorry, thought it was obvious, it was actually you're quote. I meant, thankfully you don't have a tadeo precision that's having its finish faded and cracked due to being exposed to light every day, and the bakelite guard cracked to swithereens by palm sweat. If it was played regularly, as you say it should be, it wouldn't last long in nice condition. Rare, significant and important artefacts, whether modern or ancient, including basses should be preserved, its obvious, we're not splitting atoms here, you don't agree, which is fine, I'm just glad you don't own one, it's an opinion, which I'm entitled to, as are you.

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1347194610' post='1797856'] thankfully i do not [/quote] Thankfully for the vintage bass community that you don't as well.

[quote name='The Legoheads' timestamp='1347149065' post='1797522'] Almost there... just a few tweaks and a bit of soldering and she'll be all done... [/quote] Words fail me, stunning work! I think 3 is a crowd though, and you should sell it to me, to even things up!! Very, very jealous. Incredible, hats off. Rick

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347146817' post='1797503'] I've stopped since you pointed out how daft it was for me! Not getting played as much now though, well thinking about it that may also have something to do with moving to a new city and not being in any bands. anyway, you're moving your JV's on. mine would feel left out! [/quote] Having yours would be a great reason to keep mine though eh!!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347145844' post='1797495'] but equally if I had £x thousand to pay and had to choose between an instrument sat in a hard case for 20 years in a loft, or one of yours sat in your house and played everyso often I know your one would be looked after and playable. Mind you when you get above a certain point playability isn't the point is it? you wouldn't buy a '50's fender to gig regularly (baring in mind for the last few years i've been carrying my bass in a gig bag while cycling..... [/quote] Exactly, but it would appear to some, that i should be playing my £20k P down the Frog & Fiddler, otherwise I'm offending the bass community, kept me amused for 5 mins anyway Luke! Oh, and you tearing down the road on a pushbike, with your JV in a bag on your back, still concerns me, you should let me keep it safe for you!!

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1347145603' post='1797491'] oh come on lets get real - these are musical instruments FFS - they are built to be played - its a crime to keep them in their cases - like keeping F40 ferraris off the race track [/quote] Same thing as i said to funkypenguin. I don't think[i] your [/i]attitude is very real at all. You obviously don't own a £20k bass.

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1347145214' post='1797488'] People can do whatever they want with their stuff, im not disputing that. Instruments (IMHO) are meant to be played thats all, whether a £200 squier or a £20000 Fodera, Its all the same [/quote] Yes, in the case of a £20k Fodera, I'd agree, because thats been recently made, and bought, to be played. In the case of a £20k 50's Fender, its different, it was made to be played in 1952, not 60 years later, it has now become a highly regarded, and collectible vintage piece of history, and should be treated as such, and respected as such. I've said it before, similarly, cars are meant to be driven, but you wouldnt drive your super rare £2m '65 Daytona Spyder to Tesco, and leave it in the car park next to the trolley bay would you? Unless you're a total knob of course...same applies to anything else like this, including instruments.

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1347140990' post='1797446'] And those basses could be being played. Its a real waste to have them sat gathering dust in an attic.... [/quote] People can do what they want with their stuff, I'm sure they have others they play. If, by keeping them, it means others can play these vintage gems in another 20 years time, then its fine with me. If someone had a rare, historical instrument, worth £15k, and played it at the dog and duck on jam night,that could get irreversibly damaged at any moment, then that would be a bigger crime to me.

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1347041034' post='1796406'] so true and so sad [/quote] In my experience the opposite is in fact the case, with collectors I know anyway.

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1347034968' post='1796324'] How so? After approx 25 years with inflation at about 3% your £800 would be about £1600-£1700... it'd be interesting to calculate what a new Fender Jazz should cost today compared to in 86 (using the 3% inflation) against what say a Warwick cost back then! [/quote] Not sure about your method of calculation? Things have more than doubled in the last 25 years, houses are probably 6 times, collectable cars, paintings similarly so. Difficult to compare Fender Jazz's from the 80's, as there are so many different ones, with widely variable desirability levels, and values. For example, I paid £175 for my first series JV Jazz in 1984, because the shop (Along with me), thought it was a jap squier, its now worth £1500. A 1982 Fullerton reissue was £750 in 1982, and is probably worth a similar £1500, or a bit less, vastly different appreciations there. Appreciation and value is usually based around exclusivity, and desirability, then condition and originality come into play. If demand far outweighs the supply, then things tend to become pricey, and increase in value, thats just a general rule, but it generally works. 50's Kay basses are quite rare in nice condition, but they are not desirable, so you need all these factors to play a part, and the higher the rate of each factor, the higher the appreciation. A '60 stack knob jazz has top rate exclusivity, top rate desirability, and if its in top rate condition, it will fetch top prices. The formula pretty much works when trying to value anything. I know the GM of Audi UK, and he is contacting people he sold top Audi's to last year (I'm talking 60k+ Audi's), and offering them the same price they paid for it, because he has buyers willing to pay more than list, so they dont have to wait 24 weeks for a new one, demonstrates supply and demand on top end gear, completely smashing the myth that cars lose a fortune as soon as you drive them off the forecourt (Although with regular cars, i guess that still applies, as with basses and most stuff).

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1347034062' post='1796309'] I obtained a Hohner Rockwood off my brother for the price of a pint of beer. De-fretted it. It's still worth about a pint of beer. Maybe throw in a packet of nuts too. Does that count? [/quote] Beer is probably more expensive now, so yes, definitely counts!

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1347013987' post='1795948'] I think the question needs a little more definition - [i]over what time frame[/i], would you hope that the bass would keep it's value? The value curves, getting technical, will be different for them all. But our revered "vintage" Fenders were, at one point, cheap - and people sold them for a lot less than they are now worth. Might be worth considering. I mean, if you've got decades to play with, you might find a lot more brands keep their value. [/quote] This, Fenders are a funny thing, it also depends on other factors. For example, 70's Fenders, for collectors anyway, are pretty much a no-go area, because many are heavy, and poorly made, and several years ago, sellers couldnt give them away. But, because 50's, and early 60's Fenders are now commanding monstrous money, 70's Fenders are now the 'affordable' choice for people who want vintage Fenders, so they're price has now gone back up, so the comment about curves and fluctuations, over periods is very true. Regarding the comment about the Wal increasing in value, I would disagree, a wal bought in 1986 for £800, now worth £2500, in real terms is still a loss, I mean £800 in 1986 is alot more than £2500 is today. in order to buy something new now, that will increase in 10 years, is very hard to do, as with anything, if we had this ability, we'd all be rich. History tells us that things that are limited, and in very good condition, and are good quality items, and therefore desirable, should increase in value, whether its a car, painting, guitar or whatever. There are of course exceptions, many! If you want a good player, and investment, go for something thats already vintage, otherwise it's all a bit of a gamble. I'd recommend just buying something you like/want.

[quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1346055494' post='1784428'] +1 I bet if he was alive today i bet he could play any bass and make it have "his" tone. It's all in his hands........... And an old passive fender jazz [/quote] This.