Vintage T bird II on Ebay... High Price..bad Pics..

Bionic-Joe · April 14, 2015, 03:18:57 PM

This asshole has the nerve to ask $7.000 and doesn't even show a pic of the rear of the headstock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Vintage-Gibson-Thunderbird-II-w-Yellow-Thunderbird-Hard-Case-/171754597491?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27fd5f2c73

Dave W · April 14, 2015, 06:16:59 PM

It's a pawn shop, what do you expect? They may not know about the issues, they probably just looked at some price guide and set their price high.

Bionic-Joe · April 14, 2015, 09:36:09 PM

I'm sorry. You're correct. I'm just BLOWN away by people these days who "Seen one goin' on Ebay for such and such Price"......drives me nuts.

JazzBassTbird · April 14, 2015, 11:19:27 PM

There IS a pic of the back of the headstock. Deliberately cropped before the area where a break would be...

gearHed289 · April 15, 2015, 09:10:49 AM

Quote from: Baz Cooper on April 14, 2015, 09:36:09 PM
I'm sorry. You're correct. I'm just BLOWN away by people these days who "Seen one goin' on Ebay for such and such Price"......drives me nuts.

Reminds me of the few 80s Gibson Flying V basses that have been on eBay forever in the $4000+ range. What was that Aerosmith song again???

Bionic-Joe · April 15, 2015, 09:03:33 PM

They must have just posted a pic...of the back.. where you can't really see anything...

mc2NY · April 17, 2015, 01:07:59 PM

I emailed days ago asking for pics of the BACK of headstock in the "nut to first fret area"...and specifically said "just past the cropped area in your other photo." I explained that it is the area where these necks commonly crack/break. I also asked for a shot of the neck joint.

Also asked for a shot inside the electronics cavity.

I got a reply with the shot of the inside of electronics cavity and added the shot to the listing.....BUT HE TOTALLY IGNORED THE BACK OF HEADSTOCK REQUEST.

** HE DID POINT OUT THAT THE NECK IS SEVERELY BOWED!! Close action at first fret and VERY HIGH STRINGS AT THE BODY END.

Could be nothing.....but VERY suspicious, since he has not photos of the high string action/bowed neck...or the back of the headstock....and listing says "NO RETURNS."

Dave W · April 17, 2015, 09:46:44 PM

He ignored your request for a photo of the most critical area. That's all you need to know.

the mojo hobo · April 18, 2015, 06:45:21 AM

This bass looks to me like it spent it's whole life in the case. With the neck being bowed it is a sure thing it hasn't been played lately, probably not adjusted either. The finish isn't checked, the pick-guard hasn't shrunk, and it probably has the original flat-wound strings. The book under the bass is a Mel Bay bass instruction book from the Sixties, I had the same book. I think this one has been sitting under the bed for a long time.

This is what a '64 bass that has been played looks like:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Gibson-Thunderbird-Bass-Guitar-/131485410595?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e9d242523

Denis · April 18, 2015, 04:12:15 PM

Quote from: Baz Cooper on April 14, 2015, 09:36:09 PM
I'm sorry. You're correct. I'm just BLOWN away by people these days who "Seen one goin' on Ebay for such and such Price"......drives me nuts.

When I hear people use that claim, I always tell them "Yeah, but you have to look at the 'completed listings' to see what they are ACTUALLY selling for".

mc2NY · April 18, 2015, 06:16:18 PM

I've never seen a 64 thumb rest so far down. Wonder if it and the pickguard are original ? Or maybe it had none and the owner screwed one on?

Yeah, looks like someone bought it to learn bass in the 60s and gave up. But having it sit under a bed for 50 years with flat wounds and a bowed neck could have boogered the neck beyond just a simple adjust,net to dial it back in. So, even if there is no neck break, it still seems like a crap shoot.
Definitely would need to see it in person IMO.

Dave W · April 18, 2015, 09:53:37 PM

Quote from: mc2NY on April 18, 2015, 06:16:18 PM
I've never seen a 64 thumb rest so far down. Wonder if it and the pickguard are original ? Or maybe it had none and the owner screwed one on?

Yeah, looks like someone bought it to learn bass in the 60s and gave up. But having it sit under a bed for 50 years with flat wounds and a bowed neck could have boogered the neck beyond just a simple adjust,net to dial it back in. So, even if there is no neck break, it still seems like a crap shoot.
Definitely would need to see it in person IMO.

That can definitely happen. A neck with too much upbow can take a permanent set in a lot less time than that.

About 15 years ago I encountered a new T-Bird that had sat for about a year and a half with a severely bowed neck; the truss rod was completely loose. Sales guy then adjusted it but two months later it was right back where it had been.

Highlander · April 19, 2015, 03:10:19 AM

The '64 reverse that Mojo posted is intact but at least he's honest enough to show a picture with what I think may be the tell-tale curl of a neck about to go...
I think it was Scott that posted a comment a few years back that an unbroken neck from this era is just one waiting to happen, anyway...

Basvarken · April 19, 2015, 05:26:03 AM

Exactly. I don't see why a fixed headstock break should be such a big deal. The only thing that matters is the price. Anyone is free to ask as much as he or she wants. If the price is right, it'll get sold. If the price is too high, they'll be stuck with it forever. There are enough examples on Ebay.