GuyR

The price is nonsense.

This looks an excellent example of the first edition Fender logo JV. Very decent value by current standards. It’s purchase will not be a matter of regret for the recipient.

I’d hold out for the Flea Jazz. If you are after a Flea sound, it seems a logical starting point and they regularly come up in the classifieds here. 
Also a strong and reliable resale if you don’t find it suits you.
Welcome and good luck.

Provenance is very important in my opinion, not for reasons of a romantic story- If it can be demonstrated that the 61 custom colour fender you are interested in has been in the same ownership for north of about 30 years, then the chance of being caught out with a fake is much reduced.
It would have been harder to produce an accurate fake pre internet and the lower values would have made it far less worthwhile to bother. Of course, you still have to be super careful irrespective of the back story.

The provenance with Andy Baxter’s Precision is as good as you could reasonably hope for and the price is demonstrably correct.

1 hour ago, ossyrocks said:

 

My wife and I have had this conversation. I keep a spreadsheet of all my gear in our Onedrive. It has details, serial numbers, purchase price, current value and whether or not it's named on the house insurance. She's under instruction to contact Richard Henry (an old guitar dealer friend) and have him sell everything on consignment. She would get a good price for all of it with relatively little hassle. The only downside........she knows exactly what I've got, and exactly what it cost!

 

Rob

The “purchase price” column strikes me as a potentially reckless indulgence. There is such a thing as too much information.

13 minutes ago, Velarian said:

This auction example makes me wonder why it’s worth selling at auction at all. If buyers take into account the buyer’s premium plus VAT and end up paying a total price that represents the true value of the item, in this case £3,600, then the seller would net just under £2,300 after commission and VAT. £1,300 is quite a hefty hit to take on what might be achieved elsewhere. 

You make an excellent point, and on the face of it, auction does seem an unattractive prospect, but the margin between the “true value” of the item as you correctly describe it, and the net proceeds received by the seller, is in the same region as if you sell to a dealer, in my experience.
As a seller, some of the attractions in selling at auction are:

Convenience- Absolutely no need for any contact with the buying public. 
Transparency- The price is set by demand in a public setting, so if selling on behalf of a deceased estate for example, beneficiaries cannot quibble.

Opportunity for a very good outcome - auction lots regularly sell well above the guide prices. If buyers have travelled and the instrument is a good or rare example, they may well make several bids past their original intended limit, rather than go home empty handed. Buyers will also often go home with an instrument other than the one they came to buy, increasing the price of their second choice instrument.

Buyers can very much get caught up in the moment. In a recent GH auction, a refin 65 Strat was sold at £15k before premium or £18900 total, which is £5400 above what I was offered a original finish example for a few weeks ago. Conversely, I remember GH selling a Rick turner renaissance bass a few years ago for circa £500, and as I have mentioned before, I have bought a very original 66 Telecaster there for £5500 including commission.

I do think for sellers of quality vintage kit, a good dealer such as bass gallery or ATB, selling on consignment at 15% commission is the sweet spot. I have certainly found it so.

In my opinion, auction is a great venue to buy, but you need confidence in your ability to make a judgement as it’s not a retail environment. Bargains are also fewer these days. 

1 hour ago, Waddo Soqable said:

That's having your trousers taken down Big stylee

I would expect most buyers attending an auction with a serious intention to buy would understand how an auction works and the terms.

3 hours ago, peteb said:

 

Why not get someone like Jon Shuker to build you a new neck? Then you will still have the fretless neck if you decide to sell... 

 

Keep it and buy an early fretted Precision too would be my logic. You need both obviously.

42 minutes ago, bakerster135 said:

 My Fiesta Red 65 has a tort plate and non-painted headstock from factory

Pictures or it never happened. You know the rules

7 hours ago, rodney72a said:

 

Great stuff. The '62 is a Blond? (Looks like it has a veneer board, so later '62; I suppose if it was Olympic White by then it would have a matching headstock.)

Its Oly white. Think it's an August neck stamp, so yes a curved board. V long time since it's been off.

53 minutes ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Nice to see such a beautiful selection of different years. Now tell us about the differences 🙂. Are they much different sounding? Is there a big variety in neck profiles? 

All different, but I think that’s more down to the variation between individual examples than any particular year-based changed features. 62 has the least substantial neck, but the most modern slightly dry sound 9 pounds ish. 64 very bright with loads of harmonics, good for Jaco type tone, slightly deeper neck, very low action attainable and very worn, so extremely comfortable and easy to play, 9 and a bit pounds. 65 has slightly fatter mid/low end sound, but still cuts through quite heavy just under 10lb, neck similar to the 64. 66 is very light, neck more substantial than the others but still very easy to play. I haven’t played it at any reasonable volume yet, but initial impressions again quite a zingy, bright but full sound. 64 is the one that gets picked up the most, but they all get very regular use and none lives in a case.

1 hour ago, bakerster135 said:

 

So the truss rod works fine then? That was the main thing that was putting me off...Think you still would've beat me to it though!

It's real looker 😍 Very jealous! I'm properly on the lookout for a CAR, LPB or Dakota Red 65 or 66 at the moment...Congrats on the purchase! 

Thanks, I’m v pleased with it. The truss rod was a bit stiff initially regular price set up, with a fresh set of Hi Beams and all good to go. The truss rod was flush with the end of the neck so I was reasonably confident there would be plenty of space for adjustment, or at worst remedial work.

Andy Baxter had a very clean Dakota 66 when I last looked. I’d be very happy with any custom colour dot neck in original finish, assuming it’s a good player and not ridiculously priced.

6 hours ago, rodney72a said:

 

Lovely. Original finish on the '62?

All have original finishes.

1 minute ago, rodney72a said:

Nice! Apart from the 1966 CAR, what years are they?

Left to right 65,66,62,64

40 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

That doesn’t happen very often, congrats Guy it’s lovely 👍, I was tempted myself 

Thanks very much. It’s a good one, too. Lighter than any of my others. I haven’t weighed it but it’s certainly below 9 pounds. Original frets, which is nice with the bound neck. Clean original case and ashtrays. Minor checking, but exactly the right type for CAR, close, straight parallel lines, which is reassuring, along with previous ownership from before they were worth faking to a forensic standard. Only minor issues, an extra screw hole under the scratchplate and the changed scratchplate itself.  No point in worrying about that as there is less than zero chance of getting an authentic replacement. A visit to Martin Petersen resulted in a straight neck, excellent playability and a happy customer.

To play, it has a full-ish neck for a JB, but still very comfortable, a full, bright vintage tone with exceptional harmonics.

I’m always on the lookout for another, of course. The same as everyone else here😀

19 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

That was a decent price and well worth it, I am envious 😍

And a very decent seller, Mark, a pleasure to meet. I find it very difficult to resist a custom colour dot neck Jazz Bass a mile from my workplace. 

1 minute ago, briansbrew said:

Was that the one sold on here a few weeks back...

It was

Referring to my previous post, this was the purchase alluded to:

1 hour ago, briansbrew said:

Exactly, we as consumers have no control over what the dealers deem to be market value for vintage Fenders and thus get caught up in the inflated prices.

Of course we have control. We can simply control ourselves and choose not buy (unlike me last week). 

They usually have a number of used Sei basses in stock. It would be worth considering those before proceeding. It would give you a steer to which model you prefer and there is a chance your perfect bass is already in the shop.

45 minutes ago, ossyrocks said:

Thieves, crooks, charlatans, fakers, gangsters, convicted criminals, how long a list do you want?

Amazing to me that they can still trading.
In a line of business where trust is paramount, and the commodity being traded can be faked for profit, I find it difficult to understand how these lowlives can still be plying their slimy trade in plain sight.
Anyone who is considering buying a vintage guitar should be aware of these charlatans and give them a wide berth.

21 minutes ago, Wombat said:

I have a ‘significant birthday’ this year which has made me start thinking about getting a bass as old as me! Would be a ‘63 Jazz if poss.

I guess I could go to No Tom (although they ignored me when I was in there a few weeks ago) or the Bass Gallery as ‘getting one off eBay’ (as if one would come up there!) is probably not a good idea!

I’ve scoured the usual places and Reggaebass suggested Andy Baxter but any other thoughts on how I might source one and not get ripped off?

 

I’m very wary of Denmark St as I understand the Harrisons are involved in at least two of the businesses there. 

There are UK vintage specialists with good reputations including, but not limited to, ATB and Andy Baxter. Both source from the US and I’m sure if they were confident an enquiry was serious and realistic re pricing, they would probably have the contacts to source and import. There never seem to be many 63s available. a search for a genuine example in the UK could take a long time. This looks ok https://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-jazz-bass-1963-sunburst-3

There is an outside chance a wanted ad on here might produce a result.

I have just had the pleasure of meeting Mark and buying his fine 66Jazz Bass, which was exactly as described. A perfect Gent to do a transaction with and a top chap all round. Buy with confidence!!

1 hour ago, onehandclapping said:

My 64 Daphne blue (Sonic?) 64 Fender Precision

Fabulous!! A recent acquisition? Tell us more.

2 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Perhaps, I’ve heard stories about using such deals to launder money. This is so out of the realms of reality it smack of such things.

 

I knew a plasterer who’d use his cash warning to buy second hand guitars (including some of mine). He’d keep them for a bit then sell them on if he didn’t like them. The principle is the same.

To launder money, you would need to receive it back, which might be the flaw here if that was the grand plan