I bought my sixties TB IV from Kevin at the time, the bass was a little derelict (no neck break, but drilled holes for extra pots and other crimes) and not all parts were original, but that was evident. Paid something like 5.000 bucks for it at the time and thought that an ok price back then, it would probably go cheaper today, I wanted to refin it anyway
so the badly, but not nicely worn fin was of no concern to me (but would have been an issue to buyers wanting to keep it original hence Kevin's more moderate pricing). I felt neither cheated nor running away with a steal. I have nothing against the guy, he makes a living selling basses at a profit to people who can afford them.
But I remember the EB-650 episode Dave recounted very well and Kevin's arguments were downright cynical at the time. Along the lines of "someone will stumble over this bass one day and want to have it for that price (not knowing what its value is), you just wait". Well it seems Kevin is the one still waiting. At the time I actually thought that he didn't know the difference between an EB-650 and a -750 which at least regularly fetches 3.000 bucks (or used to, today it would probably be closer to 2.500) and is much rarer (only about 70 were produced) 4.500 bucks for an EB-650 - fine bass that it is - is out of this world.
And the whole Orville thing is frankly a hype and only explainable before the background of the dearth of affordable sixties and seventies neck-thru TBs. Reminds me of the Tokai hysteria in the eighties.
Uwe
