Stephen Howard
Well-Known Member
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This'll make you chuckle...or cry - depending on your perspective...
Got a call a few week back - client wants to bring a bass in for a once-over. No make mentioned.
I figured it'd go one of two ways; either a new Chinese job that would need the action rebuilding, or a vintage banger that had been around the block a few too many times.
Come the day, the client rolls up with the bass. No case. I feared the worst.
However, as soon as it came through the door I thought (in my best Leslie Phillips voice) "Well hello,,,,"
It's a 1929 Pan American 56M, in remarkably good nick. I can't remember when I last saw a vintage bass with so few dings and bashes.
Anyway, it seems that the client's daughter wanted a baritone sax - and her father happened to chance upon an estate sale where 'a rather large' sax was up for grabs...so he bought it and rushed home with it, hoping to delight his daughter.
"Ummm...er...dad - that's not a bari, that's a bass!"
"Is that good?"
"Well, it's, er...it's big".
Having examined the bass and chatted with the punter, I've advised them to spend a few quid on some tweaks and to sell the horn 'as is', given that the daughter doesn't really want it (and can barely lift it) and buy a bari. But what's it worth?
I do so little buying and selling that I'm rather out of touch when it comes to the esoteric horns - so I figured one of the folks in here would be up to date with vintage bass values.
I did make the point that bargain basses tend to come up but once in a lifetime, and that if the young lady had even a modest hankering to play one, she'd be hard put to find a better example...but no, it's got to be a bari (which is fair enough).
Got a call a few week back - client wants to bring a bass in for a once-over. No make mentioned.
I figured it'd go one of two ways; either a new Chinese job that would need the action rebuilding, or a vintage banger that had been around the block a few too many times.
Come the day, the client rolls up with the bass. No case. I feared the worst.
However, as soon as it came through the door I thought (in my best Leslie Phillips voice) "Well hello,,,,"
It's a 1929 Pan American 56M, in remarkably good nick. I can't remember when I last saw a vintage bass with so few dings and bashes.
Anyway, it seems that the client's daughter wanted a baritone sax - and her father happened to chance upon an estate sale where 'a rather large' sax was up for grabs...so he bought it and rushed home with it, hoping to delight his daughter.
"Ummm...er...dad - that's not a bari, that's a bass!"
"Is that good?"
"Well, it's, er...it's big".
Having examined the bass and chatted with the punter, I've advised them to spend a few quid on some tweaks and to sell the horn 'as is', given that the daughter doesn't really want it (and can barely lift it) and buy a bari. But what's it worth?
I do so little buying and selling that I'm rather out of touch when it comes to the esoteric horns - so I figured one of the folks in here would be up to date with vintage bass values.
I did make the point that bargain basses tend to come up but once in a lifetime, and that if the young lady had even a modest hankering to play one, she'd be hard put to find a better example...but no, it's got to be a bari (which is fair enough).