bassaussie Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) I'd appreciate some guidance on some basses I'm thinking of selling. I've got three, as listed. 1976 Gibson Thunderbird - really nice condition (say 9/10), has the original case and ashtrays. Walnut colour, no neck break. 1966 Jazz - Also really nice, some small wear on back of body (8.5/10). Again with original case and ashtrays. Oval tuners, block markers in sunburst. 1966 Precision - All original, but more used than the other two (7/10). Sunburst. I don't have the ashtrays or case for this one. I'm going to get some photos up of these to help with your comments. At present I'm not 100% decided on which I'll sell, if any, so please do think of this as some sort of stealth for sale ad!! I'm genuinely interested in getting some valuations on the basses. I've had each of the basses for some time (about 10 years for the Precision, 6 or so for the T-Bird and 4 for the Jazz), and since I purchased them, I've really not kept up to date on their values. I atttempted to sell the T-Bird onhere earlier this year, but at that time I think my valuation was off the mark. Edited October 18, 2010 by bassaussie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 (edited) There's some pics of the T-Bird linked below. [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/album.php?albumid=19&pictureid=106"]Full bass[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/album.php?albumid=19&pictureid=105"]Body[/url] Edited October 16, 2010 by bassaussie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 16, 2010 Author Share Posted October 16, 2010 [quote name='gareth' post='990360' date='Oct 16 2010, 04:58 PM']Here are my initial thoughts:- 1976 Gibson Thunderbird - really nice condition (say 9/10), has the original case and ashtrays. Walnut colour, no neck break. £2000 1966 Jazz - Also really nice, some small wear on back of body (8.5/10). Again with original case and ashtrays. Oval tuners, block markers in sunburst. £3500 1966 Precision - All original, but more used than the other two (7/10). Sunburst. I don't have the ashtrays or case £3000[/quote] Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 1976 is the bicentinary year so T-birds are worth more from that year. Without the common neck break, I'd agree roughly with Gareth's pricing (on all 3, not having seen the Fenders) although in the current climate there don't seem to be many quick sales & I certainly wouldn't look to go higher than those figures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 [quote name='gareth' post='990360' date='Oct 16 2010, 04:58 PM']Here are my initial thoughts:- 1976 Gibson Thunderbird - really nice condition (say 9/10), has the original case and ashtrays. Walnut colour, no neck break. £2000 1966 Jazz - Also really nice, some small wear on back of body (8.5/10). Again with original case and ashtrays. Oval tuners, block markers in sunburst. £3500 1966 Precision - All original, but more used than the other two (7/10). Sunburst. I don't have the ashtrays or case £3000[/quote] [quote name='gareth' post='991629' date='Oct 17 2010, 09:11 PM']I am surprised more comments have not been made on this post to help the poster. We have some knowledgeable vintage and/or fender/gibson experts on this site and wonder what there opinions are so as to assist the poster[/quote] I think people are reluctant because yet another BC disagreement could emerge Gareth! I know nothing about Gibson, and although I have VGPR for the last 8 years, I don't think they're much help in the current economic climate so my view is based on what I've seen over the last year or so. I would say that the two Fenders would fetch more than you've quoted, even in the current climate, perhaps up to £1000 more for the Jazz and around £500 more for the Precision. Although post CBS, '66 still attract a big market. This assumes they are 100% all original. Good luck with the sale BA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 17, 2010 Author Share Posted October 17, 2010 [quote name='gareth' post='991629' date='Oct 17 2010, 09:11 PM']I am surprised more comments have not been made on this post to help the poster. We have some knowledgeable vintage and/or fender/gibson experts on this site and wonder what there opinions are so as to assist the poster[/quote] I'm hoping to get more, but I've noticed that activity on the forum tends to die down over the weekends, so maybe there'll be some more responses tomorrow. Still, some good stuff so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 17, 2010 Author Share Posted October 17, 2010 [quote name='Beedster' post='991643' date='Oct 17 2010, 09:20 PM']I think people are reluctant because yet another BC disagreement could emerge Gareth! I know nothing about Gibson, and although I have VGPR for the last 8 years, I don't think they're much help in the current economic climate so my view is based on what I've seen over the last year or so. I would say that the two Fenders would fetch more than you've quoted, even in the current climate, perhaps up to £1000 more for the Jazz and around £500 more for the Precision. Although post CBS, '66 still attract a big market. This assumes they are 100% all original. Good luck with the sale BA[/quote] Thanks Beedster. I'm fairly confident of them being 100% original. The Precision was bought from a well known vintage store in London. The Jazz came from a respected member of this forum, and he also provided a certificate of authenticity that he'd got from another vintage store. The Gibson came from a friend of mine, but we both went over the bass and were confident of it's condition. Of course, you know how these things go, there's always a chance that something may be amiss, but I've made every effort to make sure of their originality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Let's see some pics of those Fenders mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 [quote name='Beedster' post='991762' date='Oct 17 2010, 10:56 PM']Let's see some pics of those Fenders mate [/quote] Yes, good point. I'm going to get some up today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Right, some photos of the Fenders. I've tried to capture some of the imprefections as best as possible. [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=214"]Fender Precision 66 Front[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=212"]Fender Precision 66 Back[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=211"]Fender Precision 66 Full[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=210"]Fender Jazz 66 Full - 1[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=209"]Fender Jazz 66 Full - 2[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=208"]Fender Jazz 66 Body - 1[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=207"]Fender Jazz 66 Body - 2[/url] [url="http://www.ebassist.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=19&pictureid=206"]Fender Jazz 66 Back[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Would it be worth selling them through a dealer? If they could acheive prices nearer Beedsters (which Im guessing they might if they check out ok) that would leave you £3825 for the Jazz and £2975 for the P working on a 15% commision. Of course no one likes the dealer taking the cherry off but if they can make a sale and get around 15% or maybe more than you will privately then its worth a chat on the phone IMO. Always going to be a hard one and like beedster says no one wants to start a price wars argument again! Good luck and if I find a few grand knocking about I will give you a pm, What did we say £1200 for the P? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I think one thing people seem to miss is the difference between players price and dealers price. Dealers can afford to hold on to instruments longer as they have other sales generating income. So they wait until they can get a good return on what they spent. I think if advertised in a classifieds or ebay or here you would be looking to get a little less than what a dealer would sell them for. From examples over the last few years i would say £2500- £2700 for the p bass and £3000-£4000 for the jazz bass. I think the best thing to do would be to find a good shop in london that would do a commission deal as they seem to sell for more than they do north of the midlands. You just need to make sure its a deal that would get you more than selling privately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 The problem you have valuing these things is that there's bugger-all precedent. They just don't change hands with anything approaching useful regularity in the UK. Dealers charge what they like, and hang on until someone DESPERATE for that particular bass turns up on the doorstep - then the negotiations can begin. Beautiful basses - especially the J. I hope you get a good price for 'em... I'm sure you will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Loving the Thunderbird The colour of yours is more unusual than the 'burst finish. It is a '76 Thunderbird IV Bicentennial, which were made in fairly limited numbers. Just to add a little confusion, some '76 Bicentennial's were made in 1977. The serial numbers are easy enough to decode. My '76 is one of the ones that was built in '77. Later 70's models still had the red and blue bird on the scratch plate, but didn't have the '76 logo on the bottom of the bird. The bass does look good, but for the most part, looks like it would benefit from a good polish. The nitro cellulose finish on these should shine like a toffee apple, and the chrome shines up really nice too. I use Auto Glym Super Resin car polish on mine, with fantastic results. Assuming it is all original, with no headstock repairs, original case, original ash trays, and not been refinished, I would say you should be looking at least £2500 for the Thunderbird. Although Thunderbird's don't attract the same following as early Fenders, a good early Thunderbird has good investor/ collector potential. I seem to remember that there is some good info on the Fly Guitars website. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 Thanks for all the replies. Just to add some more information, my main motivation for selling these is that I simply don't use them. They sit there, gathering dust, and I've got to a point where I feel it's time they were in the hands of people who intend to use then. The bass I'm most motivated in selling is the T'Bird. It's a beautiful example, and from the time I first saw it I wanted to buy it from the previous owner. However, I'm always scared of the fragility of the instrument - I realise that one unfortunate slip, and I've got a broken neck on my hands, which destroys the integrity of a nice piece, and obviously takes a lot of the value away as well. The Fenders don't worry me anywhere near as much, purely because they're a lot more robust. From a historical point of view, the T'Bird is a really enigma to me. I love the sound of it, and it really does live up to it's reputation of being a great rock bass. It makes me wonder why Gibson didn't make a bass with similar electronics and construction, but in a more accessible shape. I think they would've had a winner on their hands if they had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retroman Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I know what you mean...... I had been after a Bicentennial 'Bird for eons, and finally got one. I really want to gig it, but I can't help feeling scared to do so. Main things that bother me are cracking the headstock one by accident, or worse still, someone stealing it...... They definately are one of the iconic rock basses. Pete Way of UFO used one to great effect, and even Lemmy has been seen with one, identical to yours. Probably closest thing out there that Gibson made to doing the Thunderbird thing, but being far more practical, was the Les Paul bass. The current style of Thunderbird is easier to live with than the 60's, and 70's ones, thanks to its slimmer neck, and much smaller headstock, so the balance issues are far less noticeable. Go on, keep it, and get rockin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) Does the value of vintage instruments vary form country to country does anyone know? Or is just down to the varying value of different currency? Edited October 19, 2010 by JMT3781 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='JMT3781' post='993362' date='Oct 19 2010, 12:00 PM']Does the value of vintage instruments vary form country to country does anyone know? Or is just down to the varying value of different currency?[/quote] I think that sort of thing still exists, but it has tended to even out a lot with the growth of the internet. Inside the EU, although sellers in some countries will try to get a premium through rarity, they now have to compete with sellers from all over the EU, as there are no tax implications whern importing an instrument from within the EU. The US still tends to be less expensive than the EU, but even there I think the difference in price has got smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='retroman' post='993358' date='Oct 19 2010, 11:54 AM']I know what you mean...... I had been after a Bicentennial 'Bird for eons, and finally got one. I really want to gig it, but I can't help feeling scared to do so. Main things that bother me are cracking the headstock one by accident, or worse still, someone stealing it...... They definately are one of the iconic rock basses. Pete Way of UFO used one to great effect, and even Lemmy has been seen with one, identical to yours. Probably closest thing out there that Gibson made to doing the Thunderbird thing, but being far more practical, was the Les Paul bass. The current style of Thunderbird is easier to live with than the 60's, and 70's ones, thanks to its slimmer neck, and much smaller headstock, so the balance issues are far less noticeable. Go on, keep it, and get rockin' [/quote] When I bought it, I'd never had any real interest in T'Birds. The guy who owned it had quite a few old basses (a lot of Ricks, some nice Fenders), and he pulled this out and said "try this". My first impression was mainly of the great condition of it, but when I plugged it in, the sound was just amazing. About the neck size, I quite like it. I'm really not all that familiar with the modern ones, so couldn't really comment on that comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilLordJuju Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='bassaussie' post='993250' date='Oct 19 2010, 10:31 AM']It makes me wonder why Gibson didn't make a bass with similar electronics and construction, but in a more accessible shape. I think they would've had a winner on their hands if they had.[/quote] ah well, you perhaps are thinking of the Gibson IV of the late 80s..... Not exactly the same (set neck rather than neck through - but then not all Tbirds were neck through) but more or less the same ... same pickups, body wood etc... but a different shape, and often seen for sale at less than $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilLordJuju Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='JMT3781' post='993362' date='Oct 19 2010, 12:00 PM']Does the value of vintage instruments vary form country to country does anyone know? Or is just down to the varying value of different currency?[/quote] I guess it's a supply and demand thing. Fenders and Gibsons are certainly cheaper in the US than over here, but a lot of British stuff (UK Vox's, Hayman, Shergold etc - and Marshall amps etc) are more over there. Maybe old Ibanez's are cheaper in Japan too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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