What's Good About Late 70s P Basses?

[Bassnut62]

It seems to me like all of a sudden peops are prepared to pay big money for late 70s P Basses.
Not so long ago there was broad consensus that late 70s Fenders were dreadful second rate instruments to play and sounded pretty poor too.

So what changed?
How come people are paying good money for them now?

Someone is offering their classic 77 MM Ray for a 70s P in the For Sale right now.
That seems like an amazing deal and I wish the seller good luck although IMO he won't need any luck as BCers should beall over that deal.

So am I missing something?

Edited January 19, 2011 by Bassnut62

[neepheid]

They're considered "vintage" now because enough time has passed?

[Happy Jack]

Enormous weight has become fashionable again?

[Soloshchenko]

Without having extensive knowledge of vintage basses, back when I was more of a guitarist I was always under the impression Fender and other big makes like Gibson got sloppy in the 70s. This has been backed up by most of the 70s instruments I've played, I remember a particularly awful fender tele a friend once letme play. I swearto god that a Squier affinity would have sounded far superior.

I'm sure loads of 70s Fenders sound brilliant mind you, like the OP though, I don't understand the premium. Maybe 50s/60s bass prices are so ridiculous this is now the only way vintage fans can afford old insruments.

[73Jazz]

The 60`s P are getting more and more rare, are getting too expensive for a normal bass player, so it is getting to the next step the 70`s P.
It is a question of supply and demand.


[quote name='Bassnut62' post='1094907' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:55 AM']Not so long ago there was broad consensus that late 70s Fenders were dreadful second rate instruments to play and sounded pretty poor too.[/quote]

may be that is wrong? For me it sounds more like an often heard prejudice.
First of all, what is late 70`s?Is late 70`s also 76 or is that more a mid 70`s?You understand what i mean?
It is too common. As i played and owned many Fender basses also from 75-80, there are more normal weight P basses than heavy weights out there.
The bigger part are fantastic basses out there and it is easy to sort out the good ones fast.

What is good about late 70`s P basses:

First of all...THEY ROCK!
They definitely do not sound pretty poor.
Compared to a 60`s P they sound a little bit "smaller", but therefor they have more bite.
The 60`s are more warm sounding, a little "deeper" than the 70`s, but the 70`s cut like a sword and nail it down, some are more than funky!
Both are basses from heaven, you have to decide which sound you prefer and in which context you want to be where.
Saying one is better than the other is in my oppinion not right. how could green be a better colour than red?
Interesting is, to hear how the sound from early 60`s over late 60`s to early 70`s and then to late 70`s developed,
i think according to how the whole music changed in these times.

Edited January 19, 2011 by 73Jazz

[danhkr]

They're good solid basses, always have been. They can be a bit heavy and uninspiring at times, but the lack of 60's stuff and the prices they fetchs mean 70's gear has now become sought-after, obtainable vintage. I think the styling has also come back into fashion. Also the re-issue market can have a big effect. I remember seeing a natural 75 jazz in a shop a few years ago for £899, 2 months later Fender had a USA 75 reissue out at £1500! After that prices of original 70's stuff started to rise in accordance.

[simon1964]

[quote name='neepheid' post='1094924' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:13 AM']They're considered "vintage" now because enough time has passed?[/quote]

Exactly this! There is no logic to vintage guitar prices, other than they attract what someone is prepared to play. The worst Jazz I ever played was a mid-70s one which weighed a ton and was virtually unplayable. But it was priced (and presumabley sold) at £1,500. Now could be a good time to be buying mid-eighties basses relatively cheap, before they become collectable!

TBF 70s Fenders are very variable, and there are some good ones out there, and they do look the part.

Edited January 19, 2011 by simon1964

[wateroftyne]

IMO, there's a huge gulf in average quality between early 70s and late 70s. A world apart.

Of course, the usual caveat applies: There's dogs and diamonds in any era.

[4-string-thing]

I'm not convinced that all late 70's Fenders were bad instruments or badly built. I've had mine for over 30 years and it sounds and plays great to me, though I would like to compare it to others of the same era sometime.

I'm old enough to remember when people would lust over "pre CBS" Fenders, citing that anything built after 1966 was rubbish. Wonder if these people still turn their noses up at a P or Jazz from 68?

[73Jazz]

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='1094954' date='Jan 19 2011, 12:42 PM']anything built after 1966 was rubbish.[/quote]


everything after 65 is rubbish..hrhr

[Lozz196]

I just think of the sound Bruce Foxton & JJ Burnell used to get with their 70s Fenders.

Mmmm, nice.

[xilddx]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1094953' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:42 AM']IMO, there's a huge gulf in average quality between early 70s and late 70s. A world apart.

[b]Of course, the usual caveat applies: There's dogs and diamonds in any era.[/b][/quote]
Apparently not the 1965 (IIRC) L series, every one of them is a diamond, apparently. I think that came from a US pro who had tried a few

[stinson]

I have two Precisions that fall into this timeframe. Both weigh just over 8 pounds so in the lightweight category and both sound and play absolutely great. I love the look of them (logo etc) and have absolutely no desire to get anything older. The B width necks suit my hands over the older wider C shape. To discount them on year alone is nonsense, there are plenty of great ones out there.

[icastle]

[quote name='Bassnut62' post='1094907' date='Jan 19 2011, 10:55 AM']It seems to me like all of a sudden peops are prepared to pay big money for late 70s P Basses.
Not so long ago there was broad consensus that late 70s Fenders were dreadful second rate instruments to play and sounded pretty poor too.

So what changed?
How come people are paying good money for them now?[/quote]

Supply and demand perhaps?
There probably aren't many early 70s PBasses on the market so maybe the market has decided that latter 70s PBasses are the thing to have.
Give it 30 years and 2010 PBs will be highly sought after and probably a far safer investment than the average pension fund...

[matski]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1095047' date='Jan 19 2011, 01:43 PM']I just think of the sound Bruce Foxton & JJ Burnell used to get with their 70s Fenders.[/quote]

Exactly! Also, Derek Forbes of Simple Minds and Mark Bedders of Madness too.

I recently had the chance to A/B my late 70s Precision with a new Tony Franklin fretted - which seems to me to be a remake of the late 70s models - and to my ears my old workhorse had a nicer sound, basically with more mids.

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='73Jazz' post='1094959' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:46 AM']everything after 65 is rubbish..hrhr [/quote]

I'm happy to stand corrected on the year of the CBS takeover (and my grammar) I could have checked in my copy of The Fender Bass book, but TBH, couldn't be bothered, so I took a guess!

[Bassnut62]

Lots of good points and I totally agree that there are diamonds and dogs in every era. IME the late 70s have a far higher proportion of dogs than any other. I have owned and tried quite a lot from that era too, but happy to be corrected. I guess it does come down to economics of both collectors and players. Anyway I am glad to hear there is some genuine appreciation of this era from players.

[ezbass]

This
[quote name='73Jazz' post='1094946' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:35 AM']The 60`s P are getting more and more rare, are getting too expensive for a normal bass player, so it is getting to the next step the 70`s P.
It is a question of supply and demand.[/quote]
Wait a while and 80s Ps will suddenly become desirable.

[Michaelg]

i recorded with a very early 70s P bass and ignoring the fact its considered 'vintage', it was an extremely well built piece of kit.

[73Jazz]

Thats why players love those vintage basses..it is not that word[]

[Roland Rock]

I've had my '78 for ten years.
It weighs 11.5 lbs
It has a 1.5mm gap in the neck pocket (I know it's 1.5mm, as I keep a 1.5mm plectrum there for safekeeping)
It has a pretty low output from the pickup.

Despite all this, I fell in love with it at first play, traded in my 83 Stingray, and never regretted it for a second. It keeps its tune, is a wonderful player and has a gorgeous tone.

[Spike Vincent]

I think the simple answer is they're now old enough to be considered vintage.Although I still can't get my head round the fact that a bass I bought for £200 when it was 3 years old is now worth lots of money.

[73Jazz]

As you were 3 years old..no one would pay 200GBP for your skills. I honestly hope this has changed too

Edited January 19, 2011 by 73Jazz

[Doctor J]

30 years have passed, therefore they are good. You'll find early 80's Fender basses are also good now. Mid 80's, not yet.

[Cat Burrito]

Popular fashions aside I have always had an unhealthy interest in the 1970s. For me owning a 70s Fender is about buying into my childhood in a way. I love my 70s Fenders and they are genuinely good basses. I own a couple of modern basses (reissues - just my tastes) as well but my musical tastes are very much with older acts. I like retro stylings, be it genuine or recreated.

[quote name='neepheid' post='1094924' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:13 AM']They're considered "vintage" now because enough time has passed?[/quote]
Vintage technically is 25yrs which frightenly means 1986 is keeping it old school. Don't sound right does it?

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1094928' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:15 AM']Enormous weight has become fashionable again?[/quote]
Whilst I strongly suspect the comment is meant in a fairly lighthearted way, Basschat does seem to struggle having a thread on 70s Fenders without somebody popping up to say something like "watch the weights". The cynic in me wonders if there must have been a couple of occasions when the comment has been made by people who haven't actually ever played one in the same way that some people can talk for hours at parties about the clutch on a Ford Fiesta having never actually driven one! (& HJ I know you know your stuff more than that so just make the point - please don't think I'm having a pop at you personally). For the record I've owned 4 70s Fenders and played a fair few more. Only one of mine is a tad on the heavy side, [b]all [/b]the others have been medium to fairly lightweight. Perhaps I've been lucky which leads me onto my next point...

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1094953' date='Jan 19 2011, 11:42 AM']Of course, the usual caveat applies: There's dogs and diamonds in any era.[/quote]
Absolutely