“Sale proof” is a term dealers use for a bass or
other instrument that is a slow
and difficult sale. We’re going to
discuss sale proof basses and the
remedies for this ailment.
Each year, from the fourth
quarter and into the first quarter of the following year, many
vintage dealers go into heavy
trade-show season. Along with
the typical buying and selling, we track trends in both
sales and price points. With
our experience and tools, we
attempt to determine accurate
pricing. We all know the world
went off-axis in 2007 primarily
due to the mortgage crisis—
affecting home prices, investment portfolios, and vintage
everything—including instruments, cars, artwork, etc. We
saw prices drop as much as 75
percent on many instruments,
basses included.
We used to see people take
second mortgages, buy expensive
Kebo’s Bass
Shopping Tips
•;Never;believe;the;hype;that
the;bass;you;are;looking;to
buy;is;a;surefire;investment.
•;As;stated;in;previous;col-umns,;the;market;has
bottomed;and;pricing;has
remained;flat.
•;Buy;the;best;example;avail-able;and;get;the;bass;you
want!;Do;not;settle;by;pur-chasing;a;bass;in;need;of
tailoring;to;your;liking.
•;Have;it;verified.;If;you;are
unsure;of;what;you;are
buying,;have;the;bass;sent
to;an;expert;before it is
sent;to;you.;Most;dealers
will;have;a;24-;to;48-hour
approval;period.;I’ve;had
many;basses;sent;to;me;for
verification;and;would;say
roughly;35;percent;are;not
as;described,;and;5;percent
are;grossly;over-described
or;just;plain;bogus.
•;Spend;the;extra;bucks;for
your;peace;of;mind.
and over-valued basses, play
them for a few months, and
then sell them—paying back
their credit lines and ending up
with a tidy profit. They would
then essentially buy a bass for
“free” with the leftover bread.
Well my friends, the dance has
ended, and many folks are sitting on expensive basses they
want to sell to buy something
else, trade to get something different, or just cash out.
Many gorgeous basses were
presented to me at the trade
shows I’ve recently attended,
but I couldn’t meet the sellers’
pricing. One was an absolutely
immaculate, one-owner ’ 58 P
bass with an asking price of
$16,000—too pricey given the
value is only about $12,000.
Another that comes to mind
was a ’ 65 Fireglo 4001 in great
shape for $25,000. For that
price, I thought the owner
was selling three of them!
Interestingly, many of the sellers—including some Premier
Guitar readers—were asking me
for advice on how to move a
seemingly unmovable bass.
The bottom line is that you
are not alone. The stagnation
seems to be hitting the higher
end of the market. The purchase frequency is off by 70
percent, and I’m now retailing
high-end basses for less than
I used to pay wholesale. The
problem here is very simple:
There’s just less money in this
segment to spend. Jobs are
fewer and they pay less, and
gigs are following suit.
An average ’64 Jazz
Bass will run about $8500.
Hypothetically, let’s say an average reader makes $60,000 per
year. Today, a guy simply cannot
justify spending 12 percent of
his salary on a non-appreciable
item. It’s incredible that just
five years ago, the value of this
bass would probably outpace
ago, I was reading some dribble
from a “finance wizard,” far
removed from our market, that
there is an index showing an
annual escalation of 20-22 per-
cent for an investment portfolio
of blue-chip guitars. Sure, that
was a accurate analysis until the
say you paid $8000 for your
gorgeous ’ 65 P bass in 2006.
Today, the retail for that bass is
about $6000. And now you’re
lusting heavily for a ’ 66 Fireglo
4005. That Ricky would have
retailed at $12,500 in 2006, but
today should run you $9500 or
Today, a guy simply cannot justify
spending 12 percent of his salary on a
non-appreciable item. It’s incredible that
just five years ago, the value of this bass
would probably outpace an average 401k.
bottom dropped out four years
ago. Don’t get me wrong, these
are still true blue-chip instruments, but they are way down
in value compared to 2007, and
non-appreciating in my humble
opinion. So, where does that
leave us?
Remember that the price on
the tag does not represent the
sale price. I could tag a lump of
coal for a million dollars, but
it doesn’t mean it’s worth that
price. For accurate pricing, do
your homework by going to
a major trade show and find
four or five identical items.
Track the pricing, throw out
the highest and lowest price,
and the middle price will be
your starting point. Keep in
mind that a dealer can usually
get another 10 percent off the
“civilian” price. Also check completed sold items on your local
e-auction, and you’ll get a feel
for what the market can handle
for your bass.
If you don’t want to cash
out, but you want or need a
different bass, you just need
to change your mindset. The
bass you want to buy today is
as devalued as the bass you are
selling today. Many guys have
said, “I’d love to buy that bass,
but I’m not taking a 30 percent
hit.” So, let’s re-evaluate. Let's
so. As long as you’re “washing”
basses, you are making a lateral
move. Using this philosophy
will keep you sane.
KEVIN BORDEN has
been playing bass since
1975. He is the principal and
co-owner, with “Dr.” Ben
Sopranzetti, of Kebo’s Bass
Works (visit them online at
kebosbassworks.com). You
can reach Kevin at kebobass@yahoo.com.
Feel free to call him KeBo.
