Rare! 1965 Epiphone Embassy Bass (Epiphone Thunderbird)

[dexter]

let me start buy saying thats the sellers description of this Epiphone Bass

I aint seen one of these till now!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140319534854

whatever , its an AMAZING looking bass , notice that it has the early T-bird configuration bridge/tailpiece . very nice!
Two bird p/ups.
condition looks fantastic,
long scale too, and the batwing headstock just floors me , incredibly gorgeous.
whats the consensus on the price ?

i know if i had the money i would be hittin' the button
oscar

[gweimer]

Looks very nice, even with all the checking.  The seller obviously doesn't know the full history of the Epiphones built in Kalamazoo during the '60s.  The reason they sound like a Thunderbird is because all the hardware and pickups were identical.

I'd say the price is way over the top for an Embassy.  Despite the fact that I prefer the Embassy to the Thunderbird (but that's just me), I don't think I've seen one go over $3000 ever.  Couple that with the current economy AND the fact that the bass is in Tokyo, I'd say he's not going to get any takers.

I must have been lucky with my Embassy.  In the 20 years I had it, it never checked at all.  And I was borderline abusive to that bass.

[Stjofön Big]

I guess you're right about that, Gary. Though I wouldn't bet on it until I see where the Ebay auction is going. I visited an old friend of mine in Stockholm, Sweden, last Tuesday. The guy's a famous, and reliable, guitar dealer. As I've been thinking about selling one of my two Embassies, I asked what he thought I could get. His guess was $2 000. That's a little to small an amount for such a bass, especially when knowing that I would have a hard time finding another in decent shape for a comfortable amount. Guess I'll sell my old friend, a 65 Fender P-bass, instead. But anyway you look at it, when selling old instruments, you feel screwed...

[uwe]

They're nice basses and deliver a vintage TB sound, but since no famous player ever played one as his mainstay bass, they have the celebrity/history factor missing in the vintage pricing market.

[Dave W]

You have to be "of a certain age" to remember Fang playing one, and even then his Hoffie and Vox got more notice.

Also, IMHO the price of any Kalamazoo-made Epi is affected a bit by what Gibson did to the brand starting in the 70s.

This one looks great. I just don't think he'll get an offer anywhere near the BIN. I agree with Gary, never saw one sell for over 3K.

[nofi]

i guess i'm of a certain age . i saw fang with a white vox something or other was i was a mere lad.

he had 'fang' on the bass back in big black letters. and the girls went wild...

[Dave W]

Hey, nothing wrong with having a trademarked move.

I think he had Fang on the back of all of them. The Vox was a Phantom IV, the Hofner was a Club.

About 5 years ago he had a band called Fang & the Gang, he was playing a Jazz Bass, also with Fang on the back.

[gweimer]

Well, this guy owned mine, and he's been known to play them every once in a while on stage...

[Dave W]

If you asked 100 Cheap Trick fans which bass they identify with Tom Petersson, would anyone choose the Embassy?

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Didn't he play a Zemaitis too? 

Oh yeah~ a 12 string Zemaitis!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lightyear]

Where are the other 8 tuners?  Or is this just a pic of him with a 4 banger?

[MARICOPAA]

Tom Petersson played a Chandler 12-String built by Paul Chandler up in Chico Ca. Paul does a huge business in pickguards.

http://www.chandlerguitars.com/

[Highlander]

The London branch quoted me £50 for a replacement (hand made) for my damaged RD Artist 'plate and £125 for a new Moog PCB (post her accident) 22 years back... which is why she lay dormant for so many years... 

[Barklessdog]

GreatDealz had RD scratchplate for $24.00 US or 10 Pounds US and they are original unused

[Highlander]

Uwe made me an offer I could not refuse...