GuyR

I can see for some a lovely old bass could be a store of wealth, or hedge against financial difficulties. Once you have bought one (a good one, not a lemon), you may well find yourself looking for alternative sources to fill the pecuniary hole, should hard times arise.

That might be the case for some, certainly not for me. I’d be interested in the thoughts of other owners of pre cbs Fenders.

That does look an excellent deal, condition looked very good and I would expect retail to be £5k more.

Always good to hear about excellent service.

Bass Gallery are advertising Mo Foster’s fretless Jazz Bass. A very interesting prospect for someone… https://thebassgallery.com/collections/all/products/fender-jazz-bass-fretless

If ever you are not sure, a modest outlay with a decent tech/repairer is a sound investment. Almost always they will be able to sort out the issue. As above, bass Gallery, feline in Croydon, plenty of others. Certainly have it looked at by a professional before selling cheaply.

Just occurred to me that when I bought Pino's back-up fretless Stingray from Martin Petersen, it came equipped with a bright sounding set of roundwounds. That will do for me as a recommendation.

I play a lot with harmonics and harmonic chords and like to be able to slide them as easily and effectively as possible when required. I have found DR Hi-beam stainless rounds to be the most compatible with that requirement, tension is ideal for me with 45-105/125 and they last for ages. I have them on my Godin A5, at least 3 years old and they remain zingy, full and rich. I have them on my fretless Jazzes too. The tone softens very nicely plucked over the fingerboard.

Looks very nice. Not something I would be leaving in the car under any circumstances!

That’s sublime.

Very sad to hear this. A fabulous player. I encountered Mo at the Bass Gallery a few years ago and found him to be exactly as Rich has described in his post above. A modest and charming gentleman far more interested in talking about my bass playing than his own. RIP Mo. It was an honour to meet you.

I’ve bought through GH a couple of times and done very well. I buy regularly from auction houses: cars, furniture, art etc. I’d be less inclined to sell there as although the sellers fee is 15%+vat, there is also a buyers fee of 22%+vat, so by the time you add vat, the difference between the amount the buyer pays and the amount the seller receives is 35% (the total price paid by the buyer is 126.4% of the hammer price. Seller receives 82% of the hammer price. The difference in % is 44.4 divided by 126.4 X 100=35) As a buyer, it’s not my concern what the seller receives - I just calculate my 26.4% of the hammer price and decide what my maximum bid will be. As a seller, knowing I have only received 64.9% of what the buyer has paid doesn’t sound like a brilliant deal, although I acknowledge the auction company has a business model and has to make their profit. I don’t think the charge is fundamentally unreasonable, but when selling, I generally prefer to sell on consignment with a good dealer like Bass Gallery or ATB where the cost is 15% including vat. This has produced excellent results for instruments priced between £300 and £7000. Usually with a minimal wait and always with minimal hassle. just my 2p worth (1.3p after commission)

It says refin in the advert.

The price is nonsense.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Pictures or it never happened. You know the rules

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