Basses that keep their value?

[Bo0tsy]

The question here is can a bass ever be an investment opportunity? Or is that something you just tell the wife?

I've been looking around for a new bass recently but been a bit alarmed by how much some makes (Warwick's for example), appear to lose their value as quick as when you drive a new car off a forecourt.

Is there such a thing as a bass that can hold or become more valuable over time, any certain makes, or special editions?

Edited September 7, 2012 by Bo0tsy

[Jacqueslemac]

They're a bit like cars. they all lose value in the first few years, but some more than others.

Keep them long enough and they all start to increase in value, some more than others.

Okay, not very helpful I know!

[Bilbo]

I bought my Wal Custom fretless in 1986 for £749 and could sell it today for about £2,500 or even more? But I wouldn't.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/21583-1986-wal-custom-fretless/

[BobVbass]

most of mine seem to be going up a bit these days- I bought the paisley fender <- for £250 about ten years ago - I'm seen a few go for over £500.. decent well known guitars will always go up in the end - people wax lyrical about seventies and early eighties US precisions these days but I remember when they were mostly reviled and dirt cheap (wish I'd bought some then )

[Shonks]

buy any old crappy cheap bass, become famous. and before you know it Fender will be making a custom shop signature version of it for £2500.
Or a regular Jap version for £999. The original then becomes priceless (but still a crappy cheap one)

[brensabre79]

Yep long established brands, Fender, Gibson, (also R*ck*nb*ck*r to some extent although they seem to charge collectors prices for new ones), but you've got to have an old one in pristine condition usually, or with some providence (i.e. the buckle rash on the back is from some famous guy).

As a guide, in the 80s the cost of pre CBS 60s Fender guitars rocketed to astronomical levels, whereas the CBS 70s ones were compared to poor quality firewood. Now CBS 70s ones are going for a lot of money (nothing like the 60s ones though - I think that ship has sailed), they haven't got any better in time, perhaps a few of the really sh*t ones have been burned. In another 10 years people will probably pay a premium for one of those 1980s Fenders where they cut so many corners pretty much everyone used an Ibanez or a Wal instead!

[Lfalex v1.1]

I have two that are definitely "ahead of the curve", as it were. The Vigier and the Yamaha.
Sure I'd recoup (or better) if I sold them on. That said, I paid a good price when I bought them new.

[RhysP]

Apart from old Fenders & the odd exception like Wal I think you stand to lose a fair bit of money on anything you buy new.
There's so much good secondhand gear around these days that I'd never buy new again anyway.

[Gust0o]

I think the question needs a little more definition - [i]over what time frame[/i], would you hope that the bass would keep it's value?

The value curves, getting technical, will be different for them all. But our revered "vintage" Fenders were, at one point, cheap - and people sold them for a lot less than they are now worth.

Might be worth considering. I mean, if you've got decades to play with, you might find a lot more brands keep their value.

[Bo0tsy]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1347013987' post='1795948']
I think the question needs a little more definition - [i]over what time frame[/i], would you hope that the bass would keep it's value?

The value curves, getting technical, will be different for them all. But our revered "vintage" Fenders were, at one point, cheap - and people sold them for a lot less than they are now worth.

Might be worth considering. I mean, if you've got decades to play with, you might find a lot more brands keep their value.
[/quote]

Good question, I was think more of a medium term ownership maybe around 10 years.


[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1347010693' post='1795885']
buy any old crappy cheap bass, become famous. and before you know it Fender will be making a custom shop signature version of it for £2500.
Or a regular Jap version for £999. The original then becomes priceless (but still a crappy cheap one)
[/quote]

Ha ha - If you ever have the misfortune of hearing me play, you'll know the likelihood of me becoming famous is extremely improbable!!

[Shonks]

[quote name='Bo0tsy' timestamp='1347014663' post='1795969']

Ha ha - If you ever have the misfortune of hearing me play, you'll know the likelihood of me becoming famous is extremely improbable!!
[/quote]don't put yourself down like that. The odds for you are pretty good if you consider some of the sig basses out there - dont want to name names but some of those sig Precision basses are a joke!!


anyway...

Buy a bass to play not as an investment that's my advice!
An unplayed bass kept for investment is sacrilegious.

[Dingus]

It all dep
[quote name='Bo0tsy' timestamp='1347003893' post='1795784']
The question here is can a bass ever be an investment opportunity? Or is that something you just tell the wife?

I've been looking around for a new bass recently but been a bit alarmed by how much some makes (Warwick's for example), appear to lose their value as quick as when you drive a new car off a forecourt.

Is there such a thing as a bass that can hold or become more valuable over time, any certain makes, or special editions?
[/quote]

It depends very much what you mean by investment. Do you mean making a profit on your initial purchase , or just limiting the amount of money you will lose if you decide to sell? I suspect you probably mean both.
Put simply, if you are thinking about buying a new bass the brand you will lose least money on is a U.S.A Fender. Get a good one in the right colour and they are as good as money in the bank. In the short to medium term you won't get quite what you paid for it, but you will lose much less than most other brands, and in the long term you may well recoup your initial outlay. EBMM basses are a similaly good bet. Both of these brands never go out of fashion, and there will always be a residual demand, meaning that if you ever want to sell you will actually be able to find a punter to buy them without too much difficulty. There are a few other fairly good bets, but these two are the best sellers and keep the best price.
If you want to buy basses as an investment to make a profit, all I can say is that you are wasting your time . Vintage guitar prices in the U.S.A have dropped recently- just like the housing market people thought prices would only ever go up- and a lot of people have lost money as a result. You might pick up a secondhand bargain on Ebay or something, but you could equally end up getting stuck with a lemon. There are a lot more solid and sensible ways to invest your money.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1347008915' post='1795849']
I bought my Wal Custom fretless in 1986 for £749 and could sell it today for about £2,500 or even more? But I wouldn't.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/21583-1986-wal-custom-fretless/"]http://basschat.co.u...ustom-fretless/[/url]
[/quote]

Thats what I would call a real investment- and I don't mean a financial one ,either.

[pietruszka]

Can basses keep their value? Not mine. My stingray has knocks all over the head stock, I think even calling that mojo is debatable! It's been well used and still plays brilliantly mind. The Carl Thompson basses seem to keep their value very well, one has just been sold on here I believe. Though it seems to really come down to the condition and any molesting thats gone on, ie as new condition and no molesting/modding.





Dan

[funkypenguin]

IMO you buy a bass because you want to play it, not as an investment. Everyone i know who has bought a bass as an investment has ended up selling it within a couple of months for more or less the price they bought it for. Bass guitars are meant to be played, not to sit in their cases while their owners wait for them to go up in value. If you want to make an investment, buy a painting, not a bass

[Judo Chop]

[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1347015236' post='1795983']
don't put yourself down like that. The odds for you are pretty good if you consider some of the sig basses out there - dont want to name names but some of those sig Precision basses are a joke
[/quote]

Pete Wentz, Mikey Way?

[Dave Vader]

Rickenbacker, cost you about a grand, will sell for about a grand. Job done.

[thisnameistaken]

Fenders are your safest bet, although Bilbo makes a good case for Wal and they have been highly valued since I first started lusting after them in the early '90s.

I've always liked Warwicks but thankfully I found my current bass at a very low price so I wouldn't be too concerned about its value should I decide to re-sell it. Although it's been with me for nearly 10 years now I doubt I will ever re-sell it.

[Big_Stu]

The prices of desired guitars goes round in circles, it was covered not so long ago. As already posted by someone I can remember the times when 70s Fenders and Gibsons were both vilified for bad finishes, poor build quality and bad design, the tilt neck being one such. That was when custom guitars came into their own for a while, closely followed by decent quality Japanese copies. Now copies are made to various levels in all of the far east countries and "custom" guitars are downgraded largely and even something which uses "off the peg" parts is seen by some as a "custom", so I doubt their star will ever rise again.

Now there are so many variants from Fender & Gibson that I doubt anything they make now will ever be regarded as a sought after classic, not in the sense of someone with a clean 1st edition Les Paul Goldtop, which apparently has a better appreciation value than buying a house.

[Mr. Foxen]

Idea of this thread was to figure what is gonna be selling underpriced, so I can sit on them for a while: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/134417-what-are-really-unfashionable-at-the-moment/

[paul_5]

[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1347015236' post='1795983']
Buy a bass to play not as an investment that's my advice!
An unplayed bass kept for investment is sacrilegious.
[/quote]

playing a bass [is] an investment - admittedly, it's unlikely to make you enough money to retire on, but that's OK; I'd rather play music than make money.

[Bo0tsy]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1347031918' post='1796263']
playing a bass [is] an investment - admittedly, it's unlikely to make you enough money to retire on, but that's OK; I'd rather play music than make money.
[/quote]

I agree fully with that paul_5 - BTW I'd still like to play the bass regularly, but I'd just like to buy a bass that doesn't depreciate heavily in value overnight, and [i]might [/i]in the medium to long term hold it's value.

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1347013987' post='1795948']
I think the question needs a little more definition - [i]over what time frame[/i], would you hope that the bass would keep it's value?

The value curves, getting technical, will be different for them all. But our revered "vintage" Fenders were, at one point, cheap - and people sold them for a lot less than they are now worth.

Might be worth considering. I mean, if you've got decades to play with, you might find a lot more brands keep their value.
[/quote]

This, Fenders are a funny thing, it also depends on other factors. For example, 70's Fenders, for collectors anyway, are pretty much a no-go area, because many are heavy, and poorly made, and several years ago, sellers couldnt give them away. But, because 50's, and early 60's Fenders are now commanding monstrous money, 70's Fenders are now the 'affordable' choice for people who want vintage Fenders, so they're price has now gone back up, so the comment about curves and fluctuations, over periods is very true.

Regarding the comment about the Wal increasing in value, I would disagree, a wal bought in 1986 for £800, now worth £2500, in real terms is still a loss, I mean £800 in 1986 is alot more than £2500 is today.

in order to buy something new now, that will increase in 10 years, is very hard to do, as with anything, if we had this ability, we'd all be rich. History tells us that things that are limited, and in very good condition, and are good quality items, and therefore desirable, should increase in value, whether its a car, painting, guitar or whatever. There are of course exceptions, many! If you want a good player, and investment, go for something thats already vintage, otherwise it's all a bit of a gamble.

I'd recommend just buying something you like/want.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Rick's Fine '52

[Skol303]

I obtained a Hohner Rockwood off my brother for the price of a pint of beer.

De-fretted it. It's still worth about a pint of beer. Maybe throw in a packet of nuts too.

Does that count?

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1347034062' post='1796309']
I obtained a Hohner Rockwood off my brother for the price of a pint of beer.

De-fretted it. It's still worth about a pint of beer. Maybe throw in a packet of nuts too.

Does that count?
[/quote]

Beer is probably more expensive now, so yes, definitely counts!

Edited September 8, 2012 by Rick's Fine '52