jeigenbass Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 (edited) *original post edited to provide some more info* Calling all vintage Fenderheads! I've been after an old P bass for a while now and I've recently come across one being sold as a 1977. The asking price is generally reasonable for a 70's P at £1289 however, having been to the shop, spoken to the guys and played it, some things have flagged up so I'm trying to find out some more information on the actual value. Here's what I know so far - *The bass is an absolute pleasure to play. The neck is smooth and quick and frets are in good condition. Tone is very warm with typical old P bass charm though pickups are NOT original. Felt like a very good match for me. I know most will say this is the most important thing and I tend to agree, I just want to get a better idea of the sale being fair (as i got a slightly cloudy vibe off the sellers). I also know it's been up for sale online for at least a few months now. photos - [url="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/77cc7398jzt8qvx/AAD4MAqXkPhaXA9CgZYXv6QNa?dl=0"]https://www.dropbox....CgZYXv6QNa?dl=0[/url] [b]Body[/b] *The seller is claiming the finish is "Mocha" however this finish looks darker than most I've seen and isn't exactly walnut. Possibly a refin? He claims the body has been inspected by a luthier to confirm it's authenticity and says he's 90% sure it's original (whatever that means). The body does seem quite worn, especially on the backside, lots of scratches. *The bass is very light compared to other P basses I've played. Possibly even lighter than my 2001 American Standard Jazz. *I've had a look under the scratchplate and the holes for the thumb-rest have been drilled under the G string (Could this potentially mean it's an earlier 70's body?) No holes in the scratchplate so I'm guessing it's not original. *Unfortunately I do not recall seeing any clear stamps or markings in the neck pocket. I've asked seller for a picture and will update when it arrives. [b]Electronics[/b] [b]*[/b]The pickups most certainly aren't original, though one shop worker told me they were, the other quickly corrected that these are 80's DiMarzios. As stated above, they still sound great. *I immediately noticed the tone knob wasn't working. One seller told me it is but is very subtle (BS), though when I asked the in store "technician" to open her up, he told me he'd unwired the tone pot as it was crackling and needed replacement. When I asked for a picture of the pots and for them to tell me what the serial numbers on them were, they replied saying "250KA is the value of the pot, you dont find serial numbers in pots". The pictures are in the link above. [b]Neck[/b] * The serial number and stamps on the neck confirm the 1977 manufacture. There is no visible date on the heel, pictures of the other stamps are in the link. As stated, I did have a 'click' with the instrument but I'd like to know exactly what I'm getting. The bass is being sold without any of the original parts, and apparently with no hard case. Considering that tone pot may need replacement and the question of the body's authenticity, £1289 is starting to sound quite steep, am I right? Any help is appreciated as always. Thanks! Edited October 3, 2016 by jeigenbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Dunno about the heel stamp, but the serial number is right for a 77. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisanthony1211 Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 Best way to be sure is pot codes and pick up codes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 [quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1475217803' post='3144028'] Best way to be sure is pot codes and pick up codes. [/quote] What he said. The late 70's Fender serial numbers are really a guide only, You should take the latest of the serial number, pickup stamps, and pot codes to be the year of manufacture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeigenbass Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 *bump following major edit* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Body stamp in neck pocket ? It's a bit dark but maybe a custom colour ? 70swere all about brown and orange Pots do have codes, the tech guy is wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeigenbass Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1475507270' post='3146462'] Body stamp in neck pocket ? It's a bit dark but maybe a custom colour ? 70swere all about brown and orange Pots do have codes, the tech guy is wrong [/quote] Here are some pictures of the pot serial numbers and neck pocket. The pot serial number is in fact a 1977 number. Is that enough to authenticate the body being original? https://www.dropbox.com/s/u9g8gex9vh7wzce/pots%20serial.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/8q1waono9hjyfpp/pots%20new.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/z1lkjd3lfiyjpj9/Neck%20Pocket.jpg?dl=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 (edited) I see no serial in that neck pocket photo - can you see one? Edited October 4, 2016 by Geek99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeigenbass Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Nope, if there was one it must have faded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 (edited) I'd suggest it was a replacement body if you like it, you like it, but I think it's overpriced for what I think it is. You can buy genuine 70s basses on here for that, there's a 70s jazz in white listed for c 1200 Edited October 5, 2016 by Geek99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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