Vintage Fenders

[Mrbigstuff]

Did you get it?

7 hours ago, BassAgent said:

It isn't. But it is legendary. I want it.

Edited Wednesday at 21:33 by Mrbigstuff

[Steve Browning]

9 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

It certainly looks nice, I don’t think I’ve ever played a slab body before, with it having no contours it can’t be comfortable I’d have thought 

They're bl00dy uncomfortable after a short while but I still wish I had mine. 

[BassAgent]

8 hours ago, Mrbigstuff said:

Did you get it?

Nope. I don't have money like that

[BlueMoon]

10 hours ago, BassAgent said:

On the high side? The price is insane.

Reverb pricing seems to be “a race to the top” generally. How do folks realistically expect to sell, unless to investors?

[Burns-bass]

2 hours ago, BassAgent said:

Nope. I don't have money like that

Smelt funny that one. Unless it came with rock solid provenance I’d walk away.

 

This was an interesting one:

 

https://auctions.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/catalogue/lot/1ca91b4dbe70d6ccba6859c87575452d/63b778f7668dabe928d3800924a99077/the-guitar-auction-four-day-sale-lot-375/
 

All just bits of old wood, but this had something. 

[Belka]

1 hour ago, Burns-bass said:

Smelt funny that one. Unless it came with rock solid provenance I’d walk away.

 

This was an interesting one:

 

https://auctions.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/catalogue/lot/1ca91b4dbe70d6ccba6859c87575452d/63b778f7668dabe928d3800924a99077/the-guitar-auction-four-day-sale-lot-375/
 

All just bits of old wood, but this had something. 

Too many of those slab body Ps have been sold through Music Ground/the Harrisons at one time or another, so you have to consider the possibility that not all of them are as they should be. 

 

To be fair, the one at Bass Bros looked mostly correct - the neck did look suspiciously modern - I don't recall seeing birdseye maple that figured on any vintage Fender before, but it has the right tuners, and is obviously a maple cap fingerboard (no birdseye on it), as it should be. I couldn't quite see from the pictures if it was the correct veneer fingerboard, and not a slab, which would make it a fake, but I would probably trust Bass Bros' judgement there. 

 

The rest of those basses, the body and the pickguard at least would not be hard to fake (again not saying this is the case here in fairness to Bass Bros) While Spitfire and Lavaguard come close, it's impossible to source tort that looks exactly like the real stuff these days. Black plastic however... And a swamp ash slab body with a blonde finish? A lot easier to do than a vintage sunburst (again, not about this specific bass as the ad does state it's a refin already).

 

I've seen some of these basses for sale with tort guards - there was one at ATB a while ago - these would probably be the safer bet if you really wanted to buy one. 

https://www.atbguitars.com/products/1967-fender-precision-bass-slab-body-blonde-hsc

 

Slab body '66 Precisions are probably a bit like '58-60 Les Paul bursts - more survivors around than were originally built.

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, Belka said:

Too many of those slab body Ps have been sold through Music Ground/the Harrisons at one time or another, so you have to consider the possibility that not all of them are as they should be. 

 

To be fair, the one at Bass Bros looked mostly correct - the neck did look suspiciously modern - I don't recall seeing birdseye maple that figured on any vintage Fender before, but it has the right tuners, and is obviously a maple cap fingerboard (no birdseye on it), as it should be. I couldn't quite see from the pictures if it was the correct veneer fingerboard, and not a slab, which would make it a fake, but I would probably trust Bass Bros' judgement there. 

 

The rest of those basses, the body and the pickguard at least would not be hard to fake (again not saying this is the case here in fairness to Bass Bros) While Spitfire and Lavaguard come close, it's impossible to source tort that looks exactly like the real stuff these days. Black plastic however... And a swamp ash slab body with a blonde finish? A lot easier to do than a vintage sunburst (again, not about this specific bass as the ad does state it's a refin already).

 

I've seen some of these basses for sale with tort guards - there was one at ATB a while ago - these would probably be the safer bet if you really wanted to buy one. 

https://www.atbguitars.com/products/1967-fender-precision-bass-slab-body-blonde-hsc

 

Slab body '66 Precisions are probably a bit like '58-60 Les Paul bursts - more survivors around than were originally built.

Agreed 100%

[Steve Browning]

That one had a 1974 pickup so it would be a no from me. 

[Burns-bass]

48 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

That one had a 1974 pickup so it would be a no from me. 

Was an interesting one that. It was sold in the previous auction and then relisted 3 months later. 
 

Wouldn’t buy it either!

[Cliff Edge]

16 hours ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Fender Jazz bass 1969 - burgundy mist https://reverb.com/item/94457176?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=94457176

 

What a poor advertisement. It's priced on the high side, probably because presumably it would have been a custom color at one point. But; custom color would have a white pickguard (and matching headstock) as far as I know!? And even then; it's a refin.

 

The lack of usable pictures is surprising. At this price point, you'd expect some effort..

 

On the side; I don't  understand the premium price dealers ask for an instrument that once had a rare custom finish but has refinished since. 

 

 

 

 

Shocking colour. 

[Steve Browning]

 

I've shown this before. That's more the price, I reckon.

[Stub Mandrel]

10 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

 

I've shown this before. That's more the price, I reckon.

 

What was the year you bought it?

[Sparky Mark]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

What was the year you bought it?

Wapping closed early 2003, so before that. Plus inner London phone numbers went from 01 to 071 in 1990.

Edited yesterday at 00:34 by Sparky Mark

[Steve Browning]

8 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

What was the year you bought it?

I think it would have been late 80s.

[Aidan63]

so roughly £1400-1500 now

[Stub Mandrel]

2 minutes ago, Aidan63 said:

so roughly £1400-1500 now

 

In 1986 it was 20 years old the equivalent of, say, a 2006 Fender.

 

It's now 60 years old, that does make a difference. 

[rwillett]

2 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

In 1986 it was 20 years old the equivalent of, say, a 2006 Fender.

 

It's now 60 years old, that does make a difference. 

Does that mean I'm now getting more valuable then....  

[MungoBass]

On 12/02/2026 at 08:17, Burns-bass said:

Smelt funny that one. Unless it came with rock solid provenance I’d walk away.

 

This was an interesting one:

 

https://auctions.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/catalogue/lot/1ca91b4dbe70d6ccba6859c87575452d/63b778f7668dabe928d3800924a99077/the-guitar-auction-four-day-sale-lot-375/
 

All just bits of old wood, but this had something. 

I’m intrigued, in what why did it smell funny?

[Burns-bass]

39 minutes ago, MungoBass said:

I’m intrigued, in what why did it smell funny?

The neck, for one. The maple seemed so much more ornate than the others I’d ever seen. There was discussion online about whether this one appeared in any of the books (the Barry Matthews one and the other), and they suggested it hadn’t. 

 

Refins are always a risk, too.

 

If I was spending £15k I’d want independent verification from a known vintage guitar dealer or a probable history from original sale.

Maybe that was provided here, if so, happy days!

 

 

 

[Burns-bass]

Sorry, verifiable history (like an original bill of sale or family sale details etc.)