Rick's Fine '52

Lots of wrongness there, anyway, didn't the mexico plant start in 1993?

70's basses (And guitars of course), are rising in value simply because the 50's and 60's ones are doing the same, but at a sharper rate. There will always be a market for vintage instruments, and people will fall into their budget bracket. When 60's basses were more affordable, nobody really wanted the 70's basses, because the difference 15 years ago between a 66J and a 72J , was probably around 20%, so people paid more for a better playing bass that was lighter, more desirable, and would also be an investment on return (Certainly not losing). The difference now between a 66 and a 72 Jazz, could be as much as 70%, so it pushes even the 60's CBS stuff out of the reach of some, who still want a 'vintage' Fender, so they resort to early 70's basses. The pattern has been the same for a long while now, although pre-CBS original finish gear has certainly taken off over the past decade. Many people who always wanted a vintage Fender when younger, find themselves with maybe more disposable income as they are older, maybe kids left home etc, and are now in the market, this is certainly something I've seen. And of course, desirable basses are less than half the price of their 6 string equivalents! The market over the past 10 years continues to show great returns on purchase prices back in 2008, with many of the more desirable models from the late 50's and early 60's more than doubling in that time, some prices have trebled on certain examples I've seen. The answer is always to buy something that is a good player, and sounds as you want it to, after that, the most original you can afford, and finally, if you cant decide between 2 or 3, pick the one that would be the best investment. I haven't seen any 'vintage' instruments not increase in value, and some significantly. If you aren't interested in investment at all, then I'd recommend a pre-CBS refin, with otherwise original parts. It will give you the vibe you may be looking for, for less than half the cost. It wont give you the satisfaction or pleasure an original one has, every time you open the case, but its horses for courses. CITIES is also pushing up prices for rosewood board models, as they become more complicated to send internationally (Its actually not really that bad, you just need the paperwork which can be obtained for around £70), and therefore desirable ones already on these shores become more in demand. By the way, the one referred to in the opening thread, is a particularly rare custom colour, one of the rarest in fact, add to the fact it has a matching headstock, and its incredible condition, makes for a very rare piece indeed. With the rarest items, there is often no yard stick, or recent sale prices to gauge by, so any seller will naturally start high. I think its quite a high price, especially for what is technically a CBS bass (Albeit with some pre-CBS features), but if you're a Geddy Lee, or someone with some dough, and you want one of the rarest custom colour basses, you won't wait for another, because it probably wont ever turn up. One things for sure in vintage world (Not just guitars, any collectable), if you want something, don't hesitate, because the rare ones don't normally hang around. If you have around £1500 to spend, which I'm guessing from some of the remarks, I'd go for a first 6 months, 1982 American Vintage P or J (V00*** serial), or a first series export 1982 JV (Large Fender, small Squier decal (JV00***). Those basses are fantastic to play, sound very vintage, will hold their money, have the rarity factor, and are 36 years old themselves now,so tick lots of boxes,a nd you'll certainly get change too! Good luck with the hunt and trying different things out, that's the best bit!

Great value rig for someone, really clean too, if I had the space i’d love that, bet it sounds fab!

Earliest consistent use of the cushion I've seen is '74.

That Tele Bass is just lovely, was looking for one of those just last month. Very nice.

Chibbo

Depends what it is? Brass strap buttons? Just replace like for like with new versions, and leave the originals in the case, then give the new owner the choice if you decide to sell. Shouldn't affect the value if the holes aren't altered. Even on a vintage Fender, which I'm assuming this isn't, if a part is no longer functional, then you need to replace it. If your concerned about original appearances, try and be as sympathetic as possible with the replacement bits. Simple as that.

Ha, maybe not! I didn't mention the price. We may all have our opinion on that. Prices listed, and actual sale prices can sometimes vary a bit (Not hugely though on rare items in my experience). If they want £17k for a '57 though, then £23k for this is probably proportionately right. Its all relative isn't it. These are rare things, and seldom turn up, especially in the UK. Another dealer in London has a '55 Precision for over £16k, so again, its relatively comparable. In my experience, they (All of them) list with high prices, which, if you have interest in something this scarce, will prompt contact from you, and start dialogue. If I wanted a '52 Precision, and somebody listed one at £50k, it wouldn't put me off making contact, and starting a discussion, despite me having no intention of paying £50k. You might see one '51-'53 Blackguard Precision available every couple of years on these shores, so its normal to list high on such things, as there isn't a regular stream of comparable recent sales to gauge market value. It's probably on consignment anyway, and the owner may have an expectation of what he wants, add 20% to that and it bumps up their retail listing. Having said that, I don't think the price is a million miles away as a package (From a London shop), although I'd want to see the bridge area of the body with that cover off! This particular seller is known for high price listings though.

Its a nice one, I've seen many better, although I imagine the reason the bridge cover is on the wrong way is because its been like that a while, and the fading to the body shows through, and it looks terrible corrected. Seen a few like that, and they look awful. The rare thing with this one is the case though. Uber rare.

Fab bass in the OP, I have a near mint '53, it looks like its never been played, the neck is brand new. Investment wise, you can't go wrong, the best examples of the rarest things will always appreciate. And you get the pleasure of owning and playing it in the meantime. Here's mine;