Happy Jack Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 The guy is being completely up-front about this and drawing it to my attention. He says: [i][color="#8B0000"]The bass weighs 9 lbs. The serial number is 5852xx and the bass has had a couple of owners. At one point the headstock was cracked slightly and professionally repaired, I'll include pictures below. Everything on the bass is original, including the hard shell case. There are no covers for the bass though. This is one of the last 4 bolt neck plate jazz basses of the seventies. Everything on the bass still works great, pickups, pots and truss rod. Even the frets show minimal ware compared to most basses I've seen from this era. The bass is definitely a player and still has many years left. [/color] [/i] [attachment=36691:Headstock_front.jpg] [attachment=36692:Headstoc...ck_front.jpg] [attachment=36693:Headstoc...ack_rear.jpg] What do you think? Is this a deal breaker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Pffff... I'll leave that one to The Bass Doc. Are you there, Howard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Depends how much he wants. If the price was right I'd still be interested, as long as the repair is good and the bass plays well. It looks like more than a crack from here, it looks like the headstock may have been off it completely as the crack goes all the way through, could be wrong though. Collectors are funny about stuff like this though, so be aware of it's re-sale value if you go off it like I did with my '78. Basses are made to be played not collected IMO, so as long as the price is sensible I'd be happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Looks like "cracked slightly" translates as "snapped in half"! If it was me considering spending substantial wedge on this, I'd want the repair checked & verified as solid & stable by a reputable luthier - and I'd want a big discount off the asking price, too! Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 [quote name='Happy Jack' post='659444' date='Nov 19 2009, 05:19 PM']What do you think? Is this a deal breaker?[/quote] If the price makes the risk worthwhile, no. If it's premium or near premium price, hell yeh. If he has documentation of the repair (as I had from Mrtin Simms when he repaired my Flea Bass), it would go some way towards easing my mind for sure? Good luck Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Hmmm, there's two factors here: 1). Value / Resale. Basses with that kind of damage, even repaired, will always lose some of their value as it will be a negative point regardless. Is the price it is being offered for good, considering the damage? 2). I'm no luthier, but whilst I am sure the crack is probably stable, it doesn't LOOK all that nicely repaired - from a non-woodworker's perspective. This counts for quite a lot, so unless the deal is screaming 'bargain', it wouldn't be for me. My personal call on it is that it simply would bug me, so I'd pass. Others may feel differently! Cheers, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 [quote name='Moos3h' post='659459' date='Nov 19 2009, 05:33 PM']Hmmm, there's two factors here: I'm no luthier, but whilst I am sure the crack is probably stable, it doesn't LOOK all that nicely repaired[/quote] Didn't want to say it above but I agree. The repair Martin carried out on my Modulus was quite literally invisible after he'd done the work. Even though I new where the crack was, I couldn't see any evidence of it. The repair above looks to have been done either at low cost (i.e., the owner at the time was happy for a stable repair without being concerned about aesthetics, and perhaps negotiated a price on that basis), or by someone without the skills or tools to do the job as it could (should?) have been done. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 This is not the 'fairly common' split from 1st machine head hole to the nearest edge. Whilst that particular one wouldn't cause great concern (though taken into account on valuation) this crack looks serious enough to steer clear. There is always the possibility of looking out for a replacement neck in the future so a price to reflect such a plan may just work - medium term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Looks a shabby repair to me (and would the tattoo have been reapplied i.e. non-original) and as I know HJ is looking for an unmolested version... possibly not the best idea. HJ'd end up hating this as it will significantly affect it's long term value as an investment piece! Just my take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt-pluck Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I don't like the look of that either FWIW. It would have to be a very good price for me to buy it - enough of a discount to cover the cost of a proper professional repair ( unlike that one by the look of it! ) to a snapped headstock.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I think often the repairs wind up being stronger than the original wood but the risk is it seriously devalues the instrument and can bother the owner. I wouldn't run away from such a sale but I'd certainly be looking to proceed with caution and the word discount would certainly have to be in the sellers vocabulary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I'd be inclined to take a chance if the price reflected the defect. I'd only be looking for a player and not anything else like an investment so forget those prices. It is a damaged bass and you may have to consider putting a new neck on it at some point and I'd want this factored into the deal. I'd also want history of the repair... as in if the bass has been played in that state for a few years, then ok.. if it has lived in a box and not fully restrung then that is another question altogether. It is a beat-up bass to me and therefore worth a beat-up price, IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stag Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I just had to say, this thread title was awesome. [i]gets coat[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Jack wants a nice unmolested bass. This one is compromised, IMHO. Why bother, unless it's a screamingly good deal? There's bound to be another one along shortly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 You'd also have to ask what happened to the bass to get that kind of damage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 [quote name='XB26354' post='659515' date='Nov 19 2009, 07:01 PM']You'd also have to ask what happened to the bass to get that kind of damage...[/quote] Likely as not propped against a table/chair/amp and then a slow languid fall sideways whilst owner only has time to think "Argh F*CK! Why didn't I spend £15 on a guitar stand'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 MB1. ...."It's not Exactly Kerry Katona.... but it could be as worrying in the long Run!"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Unless it's dirt cheap, I tend to avoid any tainted goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxrossell Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 My two cents: The headstock on that has not been "cracked slightly", it's been almost broken off, and then badly repaired. Based on that, and bearing in mind that I don't know what he's asking for it, it sounds like he's trying to minimise the damage and therefore I assume he's trying to get more for it than it's worth in this condition. Then I suppose you have ask yourself what other quite serious damage he's trying to pass off as "cracked slightly". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Forget it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Guys, thanks a lot ... that really was very helpful. I'm not going to take this one any further, and what's more I'm going to pull the plug on the whole vintage Jazz thing before it gets to be an obsession! Think I'll blow the Jazz fund on something else for a while, and re-visit this issue next year sometime. Maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='659517' date='Nov 19 2009, 07:04 PM']Likely as not propped against a table/chair/amp and then a slow languid fall sideways whilst owner only has time to think "Argh F*CK! Why didn't I spend £15 on a guitar stand'! [/quote] Been there and thought that. It was an easy enough repair, but made resale a real pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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