1956 Fender P Bass @ Tom's Guitar Shop

[madshadows]

Tom's Guitar shop in Greenwich Market has a 1956 Fender P Bass for sale, I've just seen the photos below on Instagram but it looks stunning, don't know the price but if anyone is looking for one !!

 

John 😄

 

 

[Burns-bass]

As a London shop, I reckon £18,500.

[Reggaebass]

Doesn’t appear to be on the shops website yet, I’d guess a bit more than 18,500, depending on how original it is 

[Burns-bass]

11 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Doesn’t appear to be on the shops website yet, I’d guess a bit more than 18,500, depending on how original it is 

 

It's a vintage bass off!

 

Maybe Sting will buy it and it'll never be advertised for sale. 

[Beedster]

I had a '56 (or was it a '55). Nice bass, was it £17,500 nicer than an MIJ '55 RI.........?

 

Answers on a postcard 

[Reggaebass]

I’ve never really liked that earlier style P bass , i much prefer the last year 57- 58 onwards, but I’ve never played one, maybe if I did It might change my mind 

[bassbiscuits]

I played a Fender Custom Shop one some years ago. It looked amazing and I really wanted to love it (I’m a P bass fanboy). But no it was very different from the 57-onwards style. Not for me at all. Bummer.

 

That one does look beautiful tho. 

Edited 4 hours ago by bassbiscuits

[Burns-bass]

19 minutes ago, Beedster said:

I had a '56 (or was it a '55). Nice bass, was it £17,500 nicer than an MIJ '55 RI.........?

 

Answers on a postcard 

 

Let's not open this old can of worms (argh go on then...)

[walshy]

Bet the number starts with a 2 not a 1

 

[Steve Browning]

And definitely not a 0. Despite my listing 0189 on my theoretical Xmas list, it was not comfortable to play, as bassbiscuits states. 

[andytoad]

1 hour ago, Reggaebass said:

I’ve never really liked that earlier style P bass , i much prefer the last year 57- 58 onwards, but I’ve never played one, maybe if I did It might change my mind 

I tried one at Andy B's years back, nothing to write home about. It felt like my first attempt luithering.

 

Just my opinion with one single example mind you.

[Beedster]

The SC Precisions are an acquired taste but one that I've acquired, pickguard has to be off though

[martin8708]

I had an early Fender Custom Shop John English 51 P bass , beautiful to look at , but my thumb kept slipping off the single coil pick up .

If money was no object , a 57 / 58  P Bass would be my choice .

[Beedster]

2 minutes ago, martin8708 said:

....but my thumb kept slipping off the single coil pick up .

 

I play them with a pick, brings out the SC/flats tone beautifully

[SteveXFR]

Is it any good for metal?

[Mediocre Polymath]

Dang, that's got to be worth a few bob. 

 

Tom's Guitars is a great little shop that has carved out a nice little niche. Tom Smith specialises in weird and unusual second-hand instruments, unique and interesting things that fit in well with a vintage/craft market like Greenwich. It's not an approach that would work in many places, but I think the high footfall he gets in that spot makes it possible to find someone for all his odd 1960s East German guitars, electric bouzoukis, 80s shred machines, etc. I think it helps that he gets a lot of bored blokes who have been left dangerously unattended while their wives are off looking at the market's excellent selection of jewelry, fancy soap, handbags and antiques. 

 

I sold a home-built baritone guitar on commission through the shop last year – the sort of instrument that would have sat for years on ebay or in most shops. Tom shifted it in about three weeks.