Really need advice before buying! 71 J OMG

OhDee

OhDee

May 14, 2017
86
104
5,286
#1
Hey all!
So.... I'm new to bass and poopie but I tried to learn as much as I could and...
I found a pretty incredible 71 J!
The store seems really trust worthy and they seem good and honest people. They said it's a refin although it's very worn. Not a relic job but just a very light finish probably from the 70s or 80s that got worn. Looks amazing IMO you can tell it's been played and not reliced.
The pickups are non original DiMarzios and the knobs have been changed to stack knobs.
So basically all electronics and knobs are non original.
Body, neck, tuners bridge and pick guard are 1971.
But it sounds really mind blowing I don't care about the originality as long as it sounds and feels as good as it does.
They wanted 2500$ for it, got em down to 2300 I'm not a great negotiator.
Is this a decent price for a piece that is very modded?
Would this retain its value?

I'm pretty sure I'll never sell it but I'd hate to find out later on it's worth a lot less if I do end up having to sell.
I saw other semi original 70s j go for much more but couldn't find any that were this modded to compare.
Whoever did the mods was very tasteful though, pickups sound amazing even better than some original 70s I've tried. But their still very authentic and sound vintage. And I have no prob w stack knobs.

Excuse my photography they were closing the store on me. Too much fun playing the thing....
Also forgot to ask about frets. They felt fine.


Advice?
Thanks
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0558.JPG
    IMG_0558.JPG
    621.2 KB · Views: 48
  • IMG_0560.JPG
    IMG_0560.JPG
    373.7 KB · Views: 38
  • Like
Reactions: Pbassmanca, TerriblePeril and Michael Schreiber
#5
I am far from a Fender historian but there are plenty of guys (and gals) on here who know a lot about this kind of stuff. I don't know that 71 was a special year for jazzes. But it seems like with the pots and pups changed and a body refinish, $2,300 is a bit high. But I've also seen prices on 70s jazzes all over the place. If you could get it sub $2,000 sounds like it might be more in line. My .02. Good luck though it looks like a player!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Michael Schreiber and jaymelewis
#6
Hard to tell with the pics, but that doesn't look like a 71 tort guard...looks more 62 RI tort. Bridge should have longer G intonation screw which I can't see, so the bridge isn't original. Pots and pickup replaced. So when you look at it that way, you are buying a 71 neck and replacement parts for $2300. Personally, I might be interested at $1200-$1300. Looks cool though!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Inara, jchrisk1, copacetic and 1 other person
#7
OhDee said:
I had a feeling... but what is it worth then?
Click to expand...

A lot less than $2300, that's for sure.

Re-finish cuts the price in half to begin with. Lack of original pickups and pots brings it down even further. If I *really* liked the bass and *absolutely* had to have it, I'd say $1500 if it had the OHSC. And that's being generous.

Any "vintage" value that the bass in question once had is gone, and is not coming back. No collector will touch it with a ten-foot-pole. It may be an excellent player, but it's still in fairly poor shape.

If I were buying it with a cold head, they would get $1200 unless they had some pretty serious guns pointed at my kids.

My $0.02 only...
 
  • Like
Reactions: copacetic and five7
#10
It is still amazing to me the price on 70's Fenders on Reverb, EBay, and G base that dealers ask. I see mid 70's P's up in the 3K and up range, late 70's in the high 2 to 3K range. There's many examples, especially on eBay from overseas sellers. They are so far off the market value its ridiculous. At the same time, there are similar year basses listed for 1/2 that price right next to them.

Who do they think is that stupid to spend 3500 on a 78 P when any search can find the same bass in the 1500 range? Sorry to rant and to derail the thread.

I think this shop is like all the rest...they are selling it as a vintage bass on an inflated value based on what they see on eBay when it's really far from an original bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gregmon79 and Reedt2000
#12
Agreed with the others above -- that's a sub $2,000 instrument. No question about it.

If all-original, we're having an entirely different conversation, obviously.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pbassmanca
#13
One way to do this is show up with cash you are willing to give in hand. That's a tipping point for some sellers. Also, modding a bass beyond what it takes to properly maintain it is deal-done as far as "classic" is concerned. Even at that, you have to be faithful and judicious with your choices on that front. So, when you start hanging aftermarket stuff on a bass, it's not marketable as a "classic". Now, having said that, I would evaluate what they did to it, and add up what all that would cost to go buy, depreciate it according to what kind of shape it's in, and factor in what the bass would be worth given it's condition, and bring that cash. If you and seller disagree on what that should be, move on. - If you're convinced it's the sweetest, best playing bass you've ever picked up, factor in something for that too, but don't forget, there are lots of fish in the sea...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pbassmanca, Michael Schreiber, gregmon79 and 1 other person
#14
I once paid almost double what a bass was worth because it really grabbed me. I'll share my particulars and you can decide how they jive with your situation.
  • I play lefty--I have a lot less to choose from.
  • It was a rarer model--I've only seen two lefties for sale in the last three years, and the other was the same price but had non-original electronics and pick guard.
  • It was all original and played like new, despite showing generous wear.
  • The manufacturer has a better reputation for QC than '70s-era Fender.
  • The price was ~30% less than the same model new.
  • The price included cross-country shipping.
  • The total price was half what you're looking at.
 
#16
No three bolt neck plate for that year?. The wear on the back looks suspiciously faked to me. I can see buckle rash, but not way up into the horn and around the top of the heel. The Refin looks more like a poly than an expected nitro lacquer. Something tells me it's not exactly what it's claimed to be. For around that kind of money you could get one of the highly acclaimed AVRI instruments.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pbassmanca, getrhythm and Spidey2112
#18
Seems to me that after being refinished and modded, that it isn't collectible, so that value is out the window. If you took it to pieces and sold it for parts, what could you get? A couple hundred for the control plate and bridge, maybe 600-900 for a great condition loaded neck, probably the same for the unloaded body. I think those folks that are saying 1200-1500 are on the right track as far as it's appropriate value goes. If it's a *killer* player, absolutely amazing sounding and feeling instrument that speaks to you, buy it no matter what. Keep it forever, and play it until you achieve bass nirvana! If not...just look in the used section here at the astoundingly gorgeous playing instruments you could get for the same money.

*edit- my apologies for duplicating others ideas, best of luck to you OP!
 
#20
Fender_Bender said:
No three bolt neck plate for that year?.
Click to expand...

Nope. These kicked in very late in '71/early '72 and there's quite some inconsistency from model to model as well. This is where the downfall of CBS-era Fenders started big time, IME. I'd much rather have a beaten up 4-bolt body/neck than a nice 3-bolt one when it comes to stuff from this era. Obviously, YMMV.

The Refin looks more like a poly than an expected nitro lacquer.
Click to expand...

It was Poly from the factory, so no loss there. Refin is a refin, and a poor one like this is worse than getting a completely stripped instrument IMO.

For around that kind of money you could get one of the highly acclaimed AVRI instruments.
Click to expand...

If OP is after an early 70s JB, he could simply add a few more bucks and get a decent one...AVRIs are a very different animal altogether.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back