Super_Freak said:
I've never experienced that with any bass, old or new. A good neck shouldn't need that kind of frequency of adjustment at any stage.
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Are basses like wine?
- Thread starter ThuzzleFump
- Start date
I've never experienced that with any bass, old or new. A good neck shouldn't need that kind of frequency of adjustment at any stage.
Well, my bass sounds better after a bottle of wine
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
There's vintage, and then there's just old. Sometimes, just old turns to vinegar.
I've played some old instruments that were very nice and some that were not. Much of it had to do with the set up more than the instrument itself.
I laugh when I see people seeking or bragging about vintage pots, caps, wiring etc. Not worth it for my money.
Materials are better than ever--- if you use them. All this mojo stuff and makumatsu factory is a bunch of marketing jargon IMO.
I laugh when I see people seeking or bragging about vintage pots, caps, wiring etc. Not worth it for my money.
Materials are better than ever--- if you use them. All this mojo stuff and makumatsu factory is a bunch of marketing jargon IMO.
I've just never bought in to the whole 70's fenders are no good thing. Maybe some bad examples out there, but, my 78 is a gem. I also just sold an early 80's mij that was outstanding.
"Rampant romanticism". Spot on, there it is. And as a player of stuff and not a collector of anything, to heck with that and sentimentality and self-delusion. It's a bass, let's look and move forward. The future is soon!
I mean, no, there's nothing to that, nevermind what I said. I'll trade you those nasty old basses for new ones, just PM me.
NO! IMO - The whole "vintage" thing started because the quality of instruments in general and Fender specifically went to s**t in the 70's and 80's as the companies became solely profit oriented and outdated manufacturing methods could not keep up with demand. However, modern manufacturing technology has turned that around completely.
Mass-produced guitars and most other instruments made in the last few years are made much more precisely than was possible with the old hand methods. We are all familiar with how incredible the newer Squiers are from the new factory in Indonesia. Ibanez also.
I saw an article on a violin shootout where a super professional violinist tested several violins blindfolded and could not pick the Stradivarius out from the Chinese instruments. My friend buys AMAZING instruments of all kinds for his music store and school from China and the quality is astounding.
You sure as heck would not want to be driving a car from the 50's -70's for anything other than appearance. They are crude, polluting death traps compared to modern cars.
Mass-produced guitars and most other instruments made in the last few years are made much more precisely than was possible with the old hand methods. We are all familiar with how incredible the newer Squiers are from the new factory in Indonesia. Ibanez also.
I saw an article on a violin shootout where a super professional violinist tested several violins blindfolded and could not pick the Stradivarius out from the Chinese instruments. My friend buys AMAZING instruments of all kinds for his music store and school from China and the quality is astounding.
You sure as heck would not want to be driving a car from the 50's -70's for anything other than appearance. They are crude, polluting death traps compared to modern cars.
All I know is this; I've played a ton of vintage instruments and only a couple have ever jumped out at me as being "superb". And those were acoustics! Most have simply had the life beaten out of them. And let's not get started on the horrors of vintage electronics.
I've thought about this too but not with regards to vintage. For me, a Precision bass is a Cabernet whereas a Jazz bass is a Pinot Noir. The former is thick, full, reliable, always gets the job done. The latter is temperamental, requires very specific context, can either fail miserably or soar to magical heights.
*I realize this is beyond bougie. I'm indulging my vices from a distance since I no longer drink. Humor me.
*I realize this is beyond bougie. I'm indulging my vices from a distance since I no longer drink. Humor me.
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I agree it is weird seeing fairly recently made basses and guitars sold as vintage.
When I was a kid, 30 years ago seemed like the dinosaur age. As an adult, looking back 30 years seems like the blink of an eye.
To paraphrase my boss (a great salesman) - and relate to basses - Basses are like wine, in the way some might prefer a $2000 to a $200 bass, and others the $200 over the $2000 bass - they are both right!
When I was a kid, 30 years ago seemed like the dinosaur age. As an adult, looking back 30 years seems like the blink of an eye.
To paraphrase my boss (a great salesman) - and relate to basses - Basses are like wine, in the way some might prefer a $2000 to a $200 bass, and others the $200 over the $2000 bass - they are both right!
If basses are like wine then whats the MadDog2020/Boones Farm/Ripple bass?
my experience so far - two NEW Fenders (Dimension...sent back for service twice), and a RI '63 P...also sent back for a full neck replacement/broken truss rod (after I had it for a week).... but I JUST found, and snagged, a GOOD 1970 P bass (I know..some people think anything after 64 is junk - meh, I don't buy that)....45 years of use and light abuse - sounds probably better than my RI, MUCH nicer neck, and hey..the truss rod works and the knobs weren't installed off angle. I think new and old has good and bad QC issues.... The only advantage to buying a vintage over the same priced new version, is any sort of resale....doesn't matter if you spend 3K on a vintage or 3K on an RI...the RI is gonna lose money on any resale...the vintage ...well...just look at the history of that. Plus I finally have a bass that I am not terrified to mark or ding, cuz it already HAS lots 
Here's another (maybe off topic for this post)..comparing this 1970 to my boutique newer Dingwalls (which is MY benchmark for perfection in sound/playability), the DW's are much easier to play and sound clean and clear. The 70 P, is a raw "dirty" version of my DW Super P...and sometimes, being a little dirty is just as perfect.
Good wine/Bad wine...after a few glasses of the good, the bad can taste just as good. IMO
Here's another (maybe off topic for this post)..comparing this 1970 to my boutique newer Dingwalls (which is MY benchmark for perfection in sound/playability), the DW's are much easier to play and sound clean and clear. The 70 P, is a raw "dirty" version of my DW Super P...and sometimes, being a little dirty is just as perfect.
Good wine/Bad wine...after a few glasses of the good, the bad can taste just as good. IMO 
Fair point, but I don't think the aging completely changes the character of the tone, just the nuances. Really, I think it's more that older basses often have lower output, which allows for broader frequency response and greater dynamic range to my ears. They started low and got ever so slightly lower. Maybe my hamfisted playing needs the gentler response of weak pups, but it sure is nicer for me to play than a hot bass.
I was also mangling a point about 70's basses now being bought by those nostalgic for the era, as well has being older and having the disposable income to drive prices up. Nothing to do with how they play or sound, more about what they represent. Also, older things are rarer, so if the demand is there, prices will naturally go up. Me, I love the Matsumoku neck-through Alembic rip-offs of the late-70's and early-80's. But the prices have jumped so much recently, I don't pay much attention anymore.
I don't think basses necessarily get better over time, but there is the whole mystique about wood drying out, etc. which I do buy into to a degree, and I like the feel of worn finishes. I have a bunch of new and old basses, and my stock '64 Jazz is one of the top two recording instruments for sure - not necessarily because it's old, but because it's a quality instrument which plays like butter and sounds great in a track.
Re. some of the earlier posts, it's still hard to think of mid-to-late '70's Fenders as vintage instruments when they were considered the ultimate dogs for so long (thanks, Marcus Miller), but I have to admit I've played a few that sound and play great, even though the workmanship (esp. neck pocket & pickups routs) is shoddy.
Re. some of the earlier posts, it's still hard to think of mid-to-late '70's Fenders as vintage instruments when they were considered the ultimate dogs for so long (thanks, Marcus Miller), but I have to admit I've played a few that sound and play great, even though the workmanship (esp. neck pocket & pickups routs) is shoddy.
