Vintage Fenders

[Belka]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

You know it’s how the vintage game works. Stick them up for mental prices and watch the rest of them rise up a few hundred quid in response.

 

The laws of market dynamics don’t really apply when buyers are treated this way. (We have a classic imperfect market…)

To be fair, I think Andy Baxter has a more realistic experience of the market than some other dealers and knows what something is really worth. He tends to get in the extremely rare/valuable stuff perhaps more than others do, and it is often very expensive. However, refinished/stripped/altered basses are often considerably cheaper at his place than other dealers - just recently I've seen refinished mid '60s Fender basses go for around 4K, and early '70s ones for around 2-2.5K. Compare that with the likes of the Gallery and Vintage Bass Room for their '60s/70s refins and he seems much better value. 

 

 

Edited October 4 by Belka

[Reggaebass]

4 minutes ago, Belka said:

However, refinished/stripped/altered basses are often considerably cheaper at his place than other dealers

I think one reason that could be because he gives really low prices for part exchange and buying in, I’ve known him for a long time and I know money has to be made but I haven’t been able to do any deals because of what he offers, quite disappointing sometimes 

[ped]

It also has the effect of making less original or post CBS basses appear to be good value, despite them being incredibly expensive

[Belka]

35 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I think one reason that could be because he gives really low prices for part exchange and buying in, I’ve known him for a long time and I know money has to be made but I haven’t been able to do any deals because of what he offers, quite disappointing sometimes 

To be honest I've never received a decent offer from any shop for part exchange/buy in, and I think these days Andy Baxter won't accept any part exchange against a commission sale. However, when I sold through him his commission was 15% while a lot of other shops take 20%. It's swings and roundabouts I suppose. 

 

 

Edited October 4 by Belka

[Belka]

I think pre EB MusicMan stuff has also gone up a great deal over the last year or so - it used to be priced similarly to Fender stuff of the same vintage, but the fact that they now have their Retro '70s/Pino basses sold new for over £3000 new means that no-one, shop or private seller, is going to take anything less than £3000 for any pre-EB stuff, unless it's modified/very bad condition.

[ossyrocks]

2 minutes ago, Belka said:

To be honest I've never received a decent offer from any shop for part exchange/buy in, and I think these days Andy Baxter won't accept any part exchange against a commission sale. However, when I sold through him his commission was 15% while a lot of other shops take 20%. It's swings and roundabouts I suppose. 

 

 

Ah, I didn't know he did commission sales at 15%, that's useful to know thanks. 

 

Rob

[ossyrocks]

1 hour ago, Belka said:

I think pre EB MusicMan stuff has also gone up a great deal over the last year or so - it used to be priced similarly to Fender stuff of the same vintage, but the fact that they now have their Retro '70s/Pino basses sold new for over £3000 new means that no-one, shop or private seller, is going to take anything less than £3000 for any pre-EB stuff, unless it's modified/very bad condition.

I think you're right. The cost of new basses these days has pulled the vintage market with it. 
Look at this brand new Fender custom shop Precision for sale at Peach for £4600, and it becomes harder to say that a nice condition, all original sunburst/tort/rosewood '70-'73 P bass is worth less. 
https://www.peachguitars.com/fender-custom-shop-2023-collection-64-precision-bass-relic-bleached-3-colour-sun.htm

[rwillett]

3 hours ago, Chiliwailer said:

When I was working in the vintage guitar trade I was told in 2008 by a solid UK source that there is a group of vintage dealers in the States that get together each year prior to a trade show and certain vintage prices are set from there, and like you say, the rest follow and other vintage gear rises accordingly. 

One solution to this would be to sell your older Fenders at a very, very low price to drive the prices down to counteract the cartel pushing them up.

 

As a service to this community, I'm very happy to buy them at this low price. Feel free to contact me. 

 

Rob

[Lozz196]

Great idea Rob 🤣

[Homatron]

I'd also be willing to take one for the team and buy a vintage Fender at a bargain basement price. For the good of the community.

[Reggaebass]

I think we’re unanimous in this, who’s gonna be the first to sell 🤔😁

[Homatron]

Let the Great Recalibration commence!

[rwillett]

I wouldn't feel right if anybody else took the financial risk of buying them, so I'm happy to lead and buy the first 50 or so. 

 

Once we've lowered the price, by all means lean in.

 

Rob

[Pow_22]

So the Rickenbacker is really not bonding with me (or vice versa) so im considering trading it it and going back to a fender (either P or J).  Initial feeler searches have thrown this up locally@-

 

https://www.sellusyourguitar.co.uk/product-page/fender-jazz-bass-natural-1976-vintage-electric-bass-guitar

 

Ad states replacement volume pots and a refret.  Doesnt seem to mention the pickups.

[Mrbigstuff]

I hate it when the ads describe what a jazz bass is. If you’re paying for a vintage one, you know the difference between a jazz and a p bass!

Personally I’d only buy if they have photos that prove they’re the original pickups.

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Pow_22 said:

So the Rickenbacker is really not bonding with me (or vice versa) so im considering trading it it and going back to a fender (either P or J).  Initial feeler searches have thrown this up locally@-

 

https://www.sellusyourguitar.co.uk/product-page/fender-jazz-bass-natural-1976-vintage-electric-bass-guitar

 

Ad states replacement volume pots and a refret.  Doesnt seem to mention the pickups.

I’m usually a negative Nellie but I like this. 
 

Agree you’ll want to check it’s got the original pickups but looks great and if the regret is good and sympathetically done (doesn’t chop out loads of binding) it should be good for a long time.  

[Belka]

5 hours ago, Pow_22 said:

So the Rickenbacker is really not bonding with me (or vice versa) so im considering trading it it and going back to a fender (either P or J).  Initial feeler searches have thrown this up locally@-

 

https://www.sellusyourguitar.co.uk/product-page/fender-jazz-bass-natural-1976-vintage-electric-bass-guitar

 

Ad states replacement volume pots and a refret.  Doesnt seem to mention the pickups.

It's a shame they didn't take any pictures with the pickup covers off. They do give decent enough disclosure about the refret and the changed Japanese pots, so, I'd guess the pickups are original and they just didn't see the need to say anything. Definitely worth checking just in case however.

 

Interestingly, this bass could almost be labelled a mid-late '70s transition item. It has some features of earlier '70s models (the serial number and original knobs, rather than the Strat knobs), and some of the later '70s models (Fender-branded Schaller tuners instead of the bigger 67-76 Fender tuners and smaller headstock logo). Not that these features make it more desirable/valuable however, but definitely captures an interesting turning point in production.

 

The weight, condition and price (the latter is in line with Bass Bros, Bass Direct, Andy Baxter) seem decent for a late '70s Jazz - if the pickups are original and it sounds good I think it would be a good score.

[Mrbigstuff]

A chambered fender bass before sadowsky or anyone did it 😂 https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1976-fender-precision-bass-4/

[Pow_22]

21 minutes ago, Mrbigstuff said:

A chambered fender bass before sadowsky or anyone did it 😂 https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1976-fender-precision-bass-4/

At least it looks neatly done but still such a shame

[Steve Browning]

My 66 slab had a rout under the pickguard, where a mudbucker had been fitted. I had absolutely no idea and only found out well after it was sold. I had been under the impression it was all original. My current Jazz has a huge rout under the scratchplate and you wouldn't guess from holding it.

[Pow_22]

On 24/10/2025 at 15:55, Steve Browning said:

My 66 slab had a rout under the pickguard, where a mudbucker had been fitted. I had absolutely no idea and only found out well after it was sold. I had been under the impression it was all original. My current Jazz has a huge rout under the scratchplate and you wouldn't guess from holding it.

Im just wondering if missing such a large chunk of wood would have an effect on the sound/resonance?

[Steve Browning]

6 minutes ago, Pow_22 said:

Im just wondering if missing such a large chunk of wood would have an effect on the sound/resonance?

None. The 66 slab sounded huge and recorded better than any bass I've used. The Jazz is wonderfully resonant. I can't compare to the original, of course, but neither bass is/was deficient in any respect. 

[rwillett]

Just now, Pow_22 said:

I'm just wondering if missing such a large chunk of wood would have an effect on the sound/resonance?

 

It's amazing how much can be missing and it makes very little difference. I saw a video once on YouTube (so clearly doing my own research and am now an expert in this) about a American who kept removing bits of his electric guitar to see the effect. Most of the guitar had gone and he was down to strings between two tables and pickups. 

 

Being realistic, had he cheated, I simply don't know, I do know that my 3d printed guitars sound to me, fine, a slightly different tone, but I suspect that the cheap pickups may have something to do with that. I have zero wood in the body of my 3d printed basses and guitars. I try to use a decent wooden neck, a decent bridge and decent electrics but that's it. I don't spend a fortune (or even a large amount).

 

At the SW Bass Bash 2025 @Phil Starr did a great blind listening test with a range of speakers from a 6" to a 15" in various cabs. They all sounded very good but the 8" was very well liked. Perhaps somebody should organise a blind listening test of a range of basses at a bass bash, I have no idea what the criteria would be but it might be interesting to hear. I'll happily put my home made basses in. 

 

Rob

[Cliff Edge]

I’ve had my ‘72 jazz since ‘82 and played it continuously since in some very smokey stinky dives. The natural finish and maple neck have consequently aged well. Other bits have not, and the original pickups went in the bin years ago. The wiring and pots followed not long after, before vintage collectable was ever a thing. Aftermarket pickguard replaced the cracked original, and hides very rough routing where some monkey tried installing a P pickup, before I bought it. Not sure where I threw that. Probably the same place the original plastic nut went. However I do still have the original tuners and bridge saddles in a box, replaced by ones that actually work. As do the Fender vintage 70’s pickups installed a few years ago. Plays and sounds nice but realistically it’s a Frankenstein. 

[peteb]

20 minutes ago, Cliff Edge said:

I’ve had my ‘72 jazz since ‘82 and played it continuously since in some very smokey stinky dives. The natural finish and maple neck have consequently aged well. Other bits have not, and the original pickups went in the bin years ago. The wiring and pots followed not long after, before vintage collectable was ever a thing. Aftermarket pickguard replaced the cracked original, and hides very rough routing where some monkey tried installing a P pickup, before I bought it. Not sure where I threw that. Probably the same place the original plastic nut went. However I do still have the original tuners and bridge saddles in a box, replaced by ones that actually work. As do the Fender vintage 70’s pickups installed a few years ago. Plays and sounds nice but realistically it’s a Frankenstein. 

 

This was very common with Fenders, especially from the 70s that were not thought to 'vintage' until relatively recently!

 

I've got my 78 P bass on a stand next to me right now. These days it has a Badass bridge, a different p/up, new pots and (I think) a new nut. It's also had a re-fret and the back of the neck now has a satin finish. The only original things left are the wood, the scratchplate and the tuners, which still work great.  It looks, sounds and feels like a 70s Fender, just it's had a few tweaks over the years to ensure that it plays and sounds how it should! 

 

Edited 45 minutes ago by peteb