Fender Vintage really worth it?

youngmanhood · #1 08-30-2010, 08:03 AM

i've heard a lot of great things about the fenders being put out nowadays... but would i still be missing out on some great tonal quality getting one new as opposed to a genuinely 60's or 70's model? I play vintage rock n roll very much in the vein of creedence clearwater and all that chuck berry southern boogie

Jonyak · #2 08-30-2010, 08:05 AM

I have played a ton of 70's fenders and have not liked a single one.

my 97, and my 06 are both better made, and play better IMO.

although the one 62 p bass I played was incredible.

trunkshope6 · #3 08-30-2010, 08:10 AM

Dont mean to hijack ur thread but,im also very interested in purchasing a early 70's late 60's era precision bass,how much is a fair value for one,and will it appreciate with age?

tdizzle · #4 08-30-2010, 08:10 AM

Just remember, the modern Fender will be old one day too. So just go on ahead and save yourself a few thousand dollars.

topcat2069 · #5 08-30-2010, 08:12 AM

I had a '62 P-Bass that I put a 67 Jazz neck on and .... well lets just say I like my newer Fender stuff better.... the '62 body and pickup were no better than new stuff and the '67 neck warped,
Vintage = Old

Disco Batman · #6 08-30-2010, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdizzle

Just remember, the modern Fender will be old one day too. So just go on ahead and save yourself a few thousand dollars.

Exactly.

RedLeg · #7 08-30-2010, 08:17 AM

It's kinda like owning a '65 mustang or '77 cadillac. There are the 2010 models of both cars, but some will always be nostalgic. Besides, didn't you know? Everything was better back then!

Doctor J · #8 08-30-2010, 08:21 AM

Ask yourself if man gets better or worse at making things with the benefit of experience and knowledge, then ask yourself are you paying for the instrument or the exclusivity.

There you go

giacomini · #9 08-30-2010, 08:29 AM

It is not about the chunk of wood, old hardware and pickups. The price that those puppies go is more related to the brand and the history behind those awesome instruments.

Said that, I tell ya I'd pay every penny for a '60s Fender. Not just because of the history of that vintage bass, but because they are very likely to feel and play great!!

Emibass · #10 08-30-2010, 08:30 AM

Got a new one, couldn´t be happier

Gougedeye · #11 08-30-2010, 08:30 AM

Don't we see this question posed just about every week? Fender offers American Vintage reissues that are really fine instruments and the expense is considerably less than that of an actual vintage Fender Bass. The vintage market seems to be moving further and further out of reach for some of us. That being said, The recent Fender gear is every bit as good and sometimes better than the old stuff. If you feel like you can spend the money on a vintage Fender, by all means do so. Go try some stuff out. There are lots to choose from.

johnnycat42 · #12 08-30-2010, 08:30 AM

If you are a player, it probably makes no difference at all.

If you are a collector, than that is something else entirely

thumpbass1 · #13 08-30-2010, 08:32 AM

Tonewise, and from a playablity factor, you can find many good modern equivalents from Fender and other makers that will save you some big money over the cost of a really decent vintage Fender bass. However if you have the money, and have the obsession to own a vintage Fender bass, there ain't nothing that will satisfy that passion for having a true blue vintage instrument quite like jumping in and go about buying and owning one.

I ain't saying vintage is the only way to go at all. It's simply a different area that one needs to consider, if the time and money spent is worth it all, as a passion of personal interest. It's like when I had an interest in vintage cars, and one guy into the hobby big time, told me that it was a hobby that made no sense financially; but it gave him great joy and satisfaction. He didn't need to justify it any further to me.

gbazinet · #14 08-30-2010, 08:38 AM

I agree that if you want to buy just a standard P bass or J bass and new one will get the job done. Yes, there have been tons of upgrades to the design over the years and some people love them. Now on the other hand if your looking at fender reissue because you like the "vintage vibe" then it makes more sense to me to buy an actual vintage bass rather then the reissues. It might cost a little more at first but will definitely hold its value when you decide to sell down the road. (especially if you wait for a good deal, and believe me in this economy prices have come down on this stuff!). And keep in mind regardless of the decade not all basses are built alike so try out a bunch. I have owned two identical sunburst 75 p-basses. Both were entirely different animals. The same thing with two late 90’s jazz basses I tried out. Both basses played and felt different despite the fact they came off the same assembly line months apart

Fender32 · #15 08-30-2010, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdizzle

Just remember, the modern Fender will be old one day too. So just go on ahead and save yourself a few thousand dollars.

It's not just a question of age though, is it

? "Vintage" is not a word intended to reflect only the age of something, but rather to indicate that something came from a special period of high quality/desirability

.

Modern 'standard' series Fenders use different materials and construction techniques, as well as different hardware, to the older basses. As a result, they sound and feel different. Some players feel that difference and decide that they prefer the older models - some don't. This partly explains why re-issue models are so popular - people don't want them because they are old (they're not), they want them because of the different tone and feel (and possibly, the look). The point is, there are a large number of Fender fans out there who regard "the vintage years" to be around the late '50s to mid '60s.

Will a 2005 (for the sake of argument) American Series P Bass be exciting the masses in the year 2055? I somehow doubt it, but I could be wrong

. Apart from anything else, there are far more of them made now than in the early days of Fender and they will last a lot better than the nitro-covered '60s basses, too, making them far less rare.

Besides, there are many more playable, excellent and exciting basses from today for a 'vintage' collector of the future to choose from

. When Fender were making their (classic) pre-CBS basses, there wasn't much else around to get excited about (Rics, maybe

).

My point is; vintage Fenders ('50s/'60s) today are seen as 'something special' - when today's Fenders become old, they will probably just be seen as ... old

.

Just my $0.02

StarchMan · #16 08-30-2010, 08:46 AM

I rolled my eyes when I saw this thread...

However, I will say that I would never generalize that a vintage is better than a newer model. Nor would I say vice versa. It's all subjective and situational.

For example, my '71 P just happened to be a good fit for me. I tried several newer models, and it just felt and sounded right. I would not doubt there is a new Fender out there that may make me want to drop this one, but I've not found it yet. I've played a few "lemons", even from the best manufacturers and luthiers, whether it be vintage or modern...but even declaring something a lemon is subjective, and there are far too many other considerations (setup, amp, strings, room qualities, etc.). My '71 P is a collector of sorts and has loads of "mojo", but I didn't buy it for those reasons and it is my current workhorse.

Play before you buy.

bassbully · #17 08-30-2010, 09:03 AM

FWIW you can buy a reissue or newer Fender and it might sound just as good or play even better than a vintage Fender. You can relic a bass to make them look old and like a vintage too. Or you can find and buy the real deal.
Only the real vintage Fender will be that "vintage" the others will be a copy or an attempt to look like one. There is nothing wrong with going this route and many do.
But if you want a real vintage bass you have to buy just that a vintage bass. I say one thats at least 25+ years or older. Nothing else is vintage but a real deal. You might have to search and pay the price but if you want it thats the game and it's not going to change. If you want a reproduction...great...relic...that's great too.

Spinal Tapper · #18 08-30-2010, 09:07 AM

Play before you buy.

Nothing can touch my 62 or 75 P's, but they're special. I also got them both for INSANE deals. Actually paid LESS than the cost of a new AV Reissue

I'd say, if you want a vintage fender, save up some dough, but be patient. This is key if you want a good player and don't want to overpay.

Try as many as you can before you decide which one is right for you. FWIW, I think the AV Reissues are fantastic basses as well.

Dark Horse · #19 08-30-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngmanhood

i've heard a lot of great things about the fenders being put out nowadays... but would i still be missing out on some great tonal quality getting one new as opposed to a genuinely 60's or 70's model? I play vintage rock n roll very much in the vein of creedence clearwater and all that chuck berry southern boogie

Yes...no....maybe.

Depends on the bass and the player.

Some vintage basses are great, some are terrible.

Some new basses are great, some are terrible.

All you can do is try as many as you can out and find the one that "fits YOU"...regardless of whether it is "brand new", or "vintage".

M.R. Ogle · #20 08-30-2010, 09:08 AM

Can we request that this subject be made into a "sticky" so we never have to go over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over this subject again?