Do basses get better sounding as they get older?

[Bongolation]

The wood of an electric solidbody is absolutely a major part of the instrument's sound. Different types of wood and sizes of body give very different sounds.

Much less so as bridge mass increases in solidbody instruments. The body's tonal importance in extreme cases is all but gone. That much we know.

And I defy anyone to say with any exactitude how much of a particular instrument's "tone" is due to which components. Can't be done.

 

[Honk'n_down-low]

I'll give hourly updates....I can't put this thing down!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=522318

Fair enough then - where's my update

 

[hrgiger]

Depends - if the bass' value goes up - it sounds better and better, if it goes down - it sounds worse and worse...

 

[Bass Viking]

I think somehow, that they absolutely do sound better over time. I have a new P bass and a 30+ year old P bass.

The older one absolutely KILLS the newer one.

Why? I have no idea - but everyone who hears them side by side agrees.

That doesn't prove anything to do with age though. Your old one probably sounded great the day it was assembled. I know 70s Fenders don't enjoy a great reputation but there were some good sounding ones made.

 

[Flintc]

Presumably everything changes a little bit, very gradually, over the course of time. Wood, electronics, strings, and ears. So the physics supports at least the possibility of sound changing over time in some way that a waveform analyzer could identify consistently.

But other factors change far faster and also more seriously. Playing skill and technique have been mentioned. Improvements in electronics, amps, and strings can make a difference. And of course, that lustworthy bass you've got your eye on is sure to sound better than anything you already have. After you buy it, it will probably sound like the very best bass in the world for months on end, until something else catches your eye.

I don't even want to try to distinguish between what I actually hear and what I THINK I hear. I know that one of my basses sounds better than any bass I've ever heard - whichever one I'm playing right now. So I try to rotate them, at least during practice, so that every one gets the chance to sound better than all the others.

(ETA: Ah yes, the Stradivarius. I read recently that someone did an A-B test (behind a curtain) of a genuine Strad and a modern top-orchestra-quality violin, while the audience of professional violinists listened and rated the sound. The new top-quality violin beat the Strad every time! Amazing how strongly reputation colors our experiences -- but only when we know which sound to attach the reputation to!)

 

[Bass Viking]

Depends - if the bass' value goes up - it sounds better and better, if it goes down - it sounds worse and worse...

+1. Once they hit 5 figures they start sounding "magical".

 

[cnltb]

Better is a subjective term. The tone does in fact change, the magnets in the PUPs degrade a little bit over time, the wood may or may or may not "dry out" but there sure seems to be something that goes on.

+1
I got the distinct feeling that my bass has "opened up" since it was made.

 

[Honk'n_down-low]

Vintage instruments have some Cachet - but there is also a reason they are sought after or have been historically. Not sure they are sought after solely for people to have bragging rights. In my case, I was looking for a Jazz Bass - happened to stumble on an old one and it happened to be a very fine Bass. Is it substantially better than my other Jazz Basses? Not really - but better none the less.

In any case, I can tell you the one I own is particularly nice - and it is nice to have a piece of History too. But I like my new Spector nearly as much - we just have not had as long a relationship as the older Jazz.

So what am I saying? There are some sweet Vintage Instruments that are worth what someone is willing to pay for them - there are others that are just plain killer and then there are so many fantastic new Instruments that I can't get hung up on any of it.

Play whatever you have and make Music that is what matters most.

 

[Iridescentone]

Do basses get better sounding as they get older?

No, but you will.

 

[Bongolation]

I don't even want to try to distinguish between what I actually hear and what I THINK I hear.

Ten points!

And I am absolutely dismissive of what some gristlehead musician on some Internet forum says he thinks he hears.

(ETA: Ah yes, the Stradivarius. I read recently that someone did an A-B test (behind a curtain) of a genuine Strad and a modern top-orchestra-quality violin, while the audience of professional violinists listened and rated the sound. The new top-quality violin beat the Strad every time! Amazing how strongly reputation colors our experiences

Never mind that in 2009, there is usually little (if anything) left of the original Stradivarius instrument. More myth at work...

Anyway, reputation, mojo and fad popularity doesn't mean squat to me in terms of sound.

 

[debassr]

Ten points!

And I am absolutely dismissive of what some gristlehead musician on some Internet forum says he thinks he hears.


Never mind that in 2009, there is usually little (if anything) left of the original Stradivarius instrument. More myth at work...

Anyway, reputation, mojo and fad popularity doesn't mean squat to me in terms of sound.

I don't think the main theme of this thread is mojo, reputation or popularity. The question is, do they sound better as they get older?

 

[cassanova]

I don't have any empirical data supporting me, but I know that Michael Manring says that basses "open up" (or settle in, not sure which) after being played a lot.

Over time the wood has a chance to settle in. So any twisting, turning, expanding, etc has already taken place. But that doesn't mean it'll sound better over time.

The only way I think a bass, guitar, or other instrument will sound better over time is with amplification upgrades or changes in the players technique. If you run the same guitar/bass through the same rig for 50 years I believe it will still sound the same. I'm using my dads 65ish Jazzmaster as my subject since its been played through the same Fender Twin Reverb consistantly for the better part of 40 years and through various guitar amps my brother owns. The only time it sounds better is when it gets run through an amp that IMO sounds better than the Twin Reverb.

 

[Bongolation]

I don't think the main theme of this thread is mojo, reputation or popularity. The question is, do they sound better as they get older?

That's a scientific question that has only been answered by mojo/reputation assertions thus far.

That's all it will ever get here, too, if past experience is any indicator.

 

[lomo]

IMO and IME, unless you start out with really green wood, or wood that has not been dried to the right moisture level, age shouldn't really impact the tone of the instrument. Yes, there might be some changes, but those changes would be distributed evenly between 'getting better and getting worse'.

What you are probably hearing is changes in your ears and most probably MUCH better amplification than 'back in the day'

I second that emotion.

 

[Bongolation]

Over time the wood has a chance to settle in. So any twisting, turning, expanding, etc has already taken place.

These are issues of mechanical connections settling (real ones, too), but have nothing magical to do with wood vibrations.

 

[lomo]

Depends - if the bass' value goes up - it sounds better and better, if it goes down - it sounds worse and worse...

Too true IME, LOL.

 

[John Bergen]

I have always played old P-basses and they sure do sound better than the new ones! Much better quality wood and construction too! I am playing a blond maple neck '59 now so it just turned 50! I have two other slab P-Basses.

 

[old-fashioned]

Honest question.

I have a 30 year Ric and I swear that it never sounded better than it does now. I wonder if the aging of the wood has something to do with it.

I know everyone loves old guitars & basses - but I wonder if its not just the old models, but just the fact that older wood sounds richer & better.

Older bassists sound better? Why not... (I'm old)

 

[NOVAX]

Mojo is mojo: intangible. Either an instrument has it, or more or less does not. A good setup can make a decent bass sound and play great-regardless of age. That being said,
I feel vintage basses, like fine wine, do improve with age.


"Talking about music is like dancing about architecture" -F.Z.

 

[Jjango]

Why would there be a difference between Acoustic and Solid - wood is wood? Just curious how you formed that opinion. It is yours and that is cool - just raised the question in my mind?

By the way - the discussion has been cool and enlightening too.

Hey, Honk'n – thanks for the classy tone of your reply. I hate when people take things personally in these threads, we're all just sharing our opinions!

My answer would be pretty close to what Flintlock said – the wood and the strings of acoustic instrument create the entire sound – while with an electric, there's a lot of other factors in the mix: wood, strings, but also pickups, electronics, speakers, preamps, capacitors, amps, EQs, etc.

Some people in this thread are insisting that the type of wood makes a difference in the sound of a solid-body instrument. I agree! But that's not really what we're talking about here.

The question isn't whether an ash Jazz sound different than an alder Jazz – the question is whether or not a 20-year-old slab of ash, by default, sounds better than a 10-year-old slab of ash.

That's the part I'm not so sure of.