Beedster

If it doesn’t work out I can collect Thursday Mike 🙂

I’ve twice done gigs where the band outnumbered the punters, once because the venue f***ed up, once due to the bloody world cup final being on in the other side of the venue. Both were cracking gigs however, we got paid, enrolled punters into a jam session, and had fun. Easy to take it personally but it’s life 👍

Hence my comment re sandpaper and oil earlier. Yes, Bravewood (and Limelight) do instruments that feel very authentic to play, whereas to my mind Fender rarely manage that. I've owned Fender relic instruments ranging from the Flea Jazz to the Jaco Artist (the now stupidly expensive Custom Shop Model) to a Masterbuilt '55, I've never owned a Fender relic that felt like a 60's instrument. Whether this is due to the large scale manufacturing processes of even the small run/niche instruments, to complex business strategy ("we mustn't build new instruments that devalue the 60's instruments on which our legacy is largely built...."), or simply poor luck on my part I'm not sure, because in the grand scheme of things it's really not hard to take a new neck and make if feel like it's been played every day since 1962. Yes, there is mojo in playing a necj that has actually been played every day since '62, but it can be done a whole lot cheaper, and I suspect that in a blind test, few people would be able to distinguish between the real thing worth close to £10k and a well crafted relic worth less than £1k. If I had the money to spare, it goes without saying I'd have a '55 Precision and a '62 Precision (again). But they would be more as pleasurable investments than as instruments

There’s no rights or wrongs on this stuff, just opinion 👍

We've all got mates who's bands are, by our standards, f***ing awful, and no doubt many of us are in bands who by other people's standards, are f***ing awful. Some of the most unmusical and unprofessional gigs I've attended have involved world class players or bands (just check out some of Jaco's off nights.....). My answer to the OP's question tends to be "Well done mate, I'm glad I came, fancy a pint?"

I've owned one 50's Precision, five from the 60's, and probably more than 10 from the 70's. I now have none of them. To my mind vintage basses are antiques and are largely bought and sold in the same way as antique furniture, cars, art, and fashion. I really can't see the logic in any argument re tone etc as there is simply too much variability. Re playability, yes, there is that sublime played-in feel, especially IME with 60's Fenders, that it's hard to beat. Unless you know how to use sandpaper and Danish Oil