LeftyBassist.com

Beats me why I spend my free time looking at craigs... oh well...

Here are some interesting things I found while wasting my time tonight:

Ibanez SR505L - $300 http://annapolis.craigslist.org/msg/2738553342.html
Fretless Fender J - $400 http://nh.craigslist.org/msg/2730224134.html
MIA Fender P - $500 http://stlouis.craigslist.org/msg/2743974367.html
MIA Fender J - $600 http://huntsville.craigslist.org/msg/2771406330.html
1977 Fender P - $800 http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/msg/2713692069.html

EDITED: Please move, this should be in "spotted", not in "for sale"

The lefty fretless J seems an awfully good deal if the description is correct.

Yup, thought so, that's why I posted, although it's unclear if its a MIA or a MIM.
If the latter, it's a good deal on the upgrades, but not necessarily on the bass itself, right?

Thanks for checking and reporting back! Lots of good stuff here!!

The Jazz in Huntsville is a righty.

Yep, this is the dead giveaway "THIS BASS IS NOT A LEFTY".

what CL search engine are you using? Since Jaxed went down, I have not tried to look for a replacement - the idea being I should spend more time practicing instead of aimlessly searching for gear I cannot afford.

I don't know about that 1977 P-bass. It looks cool, but to my knowledge all left handed late seventies basses (both Precision and Jazz) had a different headstock logo. To me, that looks as though someone added that headstock decal or combined a late 70's decal with an early 70's decal.
Example:

That's what it should look like but I could be wrong. Never saw one like the one posted on CL.

You're right, that's for sure a fake decal. For me it's enough to jump away from that bass.

Not to mention the number of frets. Fenders from the 70's had 20 frets.

I'm not 100% sure, but I had thought the MIA Deluxe Jazz only came in black (montego) with a gold pickguard for lefties, while the black MIM Deluxe had the tortoise pickguard. So if that fretless J is stock, it's likely a MIM. Not the worst thing in the world, BTW, as they're much rarer than the MIAs.

Yeah, that is definitely not a '77 Fender neck on the P-Bass.

and another one I found just now while looking at another CL search site:

Ken Smith 6 String $2000 obo http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/msg/2774050284.html

As some of you know, am a luthier and bass repairman...worked full time at Sam Ash Brooklyn as repair tech, then in Queens- a high volume Fender dealer, from 1979- 1982. I saw hundreds of headstock serial number Fenders in the 3 years working there. That, I can assure you IS INDEED Factory... a 1978, NOT a '77 Fender decal. I have never seen a fake 'serial number' era decal or reproduction in my 40 years repairing. SOME of these were large logo, and this logo might have just been what they did in '78.

Your saying that is indeed a Factory 1978 Authentic Fender Logo on this bass below?

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/msg/2713692069.html

On ALL production left handed '78 Fender P's and J's, they had the Fender logo below the G string tuner and the precision bass followed, not vice versa! See my pic below of my 78' P. In addition, that craigslist neck has 1 fret too many.

Please ignore this if I misread something.

Not sure which bass you're referring to Dave. The pic that I posted of my 78 P bass or the one that's for sale on craigslist? The one on CL has 21 frets and from what I understand, all Fender basses from that era, had 20 fret necks (again, I could be wrong and would take your advice and expertise on that). As for 70's era decal reproductions, there's quite a few guys that do them and do them pretty much dead on with serial numbers and they design them for left handed orientation as well. Only difference is, the real 70's decals had a raised feel to them (if you run your finger across the word "Fender" you can actually feel the letters of the word "Fender") and on the new or repro ones, you can't. So do you think the CL one is a real 77?

Three more. I need to stop

1982 Westone (I like this one) - $450 http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/2767986132.html
5 string KSD - $500 http://pensacola.craigslist.org/msg/2707087420.html
62RI MIJ Jbass - $850 (a bit on the high side, no?) http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/msg/2772132025.html

I live in Toronto and have been eyeing that Westone for a day or two now. I might contact the guy and go take a look tomorrow or Monday.

This is almost exactly like the first bass I ever owned as a kid. My parents took me to the local - small town - music shop to buy me the left handed Vantage guitar that I'd been whining about. That guitar had been there for over a year and when my folks finally gave in, it was sold the day before. The only other left handed instrument - and I mean ONLY - was this Westone bass. I made up my mind I wasn't leaving the shop that day without an instrument I didn't have to play upside down. My Dad said, "I thought you wanted to play guitar?" I told him that I'd - suddenly and without warning - changed my mind. The rest is history....

(Good thing too. I get way more work than my guitar playing army of buddies.)