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Post subject: pricing help
Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 8:34 pm
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I have a 1978 Fender Precision Bass that I bought new in my younger years during a brief (I want to be a rock star phase). It's in excellent condition and has a natural wood finish. I'm contemplating selling it. Any idea of it's value?


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Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:46 pm
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Last year I was short of funds and needed to pay some bills, so I sold my '78 P-bass (natural finish as well) for $500. I think maybe I got short-changed as I quoted $500 for a quick sale as I was desperate, and didn't want to risk haggling and losing a sale, and he didn't quibble, so I suspect I probably could have gotten maybe twice that, I don't know.


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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 9:27 am
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tomvo wrote:
I have a 1978 Fender Precision Bass that I bought new in my younger years during a brief (I want to be a rock star phase). It's in excellent condition and has a natural wood finish. I'm contemplating selling it. Any idea of it's value?


It is difficult to quote local values for where you are located. I don't even know what currency you use. A '78 Fender P-Bass is worth more some places than others. Outside the USA for example they bring more than here. Also music center cities like Nashville, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or Seattle tend to bring a bit more than here around Charlotte, NC which isn't exactly a music Mecca.

It is also hard to give any estimate without actually doing an in person appraisal or having excellent photos to examine.

An instrument that has been modified in any regard beyond routine string replacement is worth significantly less than one in factory original configuration. Replaced pickups, tuners, pickguards, etc, refinishing and even non-original solder joints all mean varying degrees of deductions.

Every instrument is different and must be evaluated individually. i can't just lump all '78 P-Basses together and say they are all worth X amount of dollars.

Here where I live in North Carolina USA, if it is truly EXCELLENT, meaning totally original with no abuse, scars, marks and only a very few difficult to find signs of very light use along with normal finish checking it would appraise for $2500 up to $3000. The actual value (sale price it brings) would be lower, probably closer to 1500 to 1900. If the "natural" finish is NON-ORIGINAL or anything else has been modified from original stock configuration then deduct about 20% to 40% depending on what was modified.

In the past 6 weeks or so there has been a turn around with sale prices being a slightly higher percentage of the appraised value for vintage Fender basses. However the sale prices are still below where they were 3 years ago percentage wise in relation to appraised values. If possible, I would encourage you to hold it for at least a few more months and see if sale prices on vintage instruments recover a bit more. One thing that I can safely say is that the longer you can afford to keep it the more it will be worth. I think prices have bottomed out and are starting a comeback. If it is any help, there is a 78 P-Bass in VERY GOOD PLUS condition for sale right now in Nashville for $2000 and I know they have had it up for sale for several months at least.


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Post subject: Thanks for the help
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:38 am
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Great information. Much appreciated.


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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:16 pm
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Another '78 in EXCELLENT condition with SUNBURST finish sold in Charlotte since I wrote this for just over $2,000. Just FYI.


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Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:20 pm
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Not completely related to what's at hand, but the first Fender bass I ever played was a 78 p bass. It was a fantastic instrument. If I had my hands on one, I'd hold on tight. The fingerboard seemed to be less raised up from the body than usual, so that there was a smaller gap between the strings and the body of the instrument. It had a different feel.


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