Nash vs Vintage P

[tb-player]

Did you end up preferring the Modern Vintage over the Nash? I know you were back and forth on those for a minute, eh?

For me, yes. The Modern Vintage ticks a few more boxes than the Nash. Better finish, roasted neck, matching headstock, better shaped neck, fretwork, no relic… etc. The Nash does have a great tone and tends to be slightly lighter in weight. It also does a tad better on resale, since it’s more widely known.

I’d rock either one without hesitation. But in the end, the Modern Vintage is (mostly) the better bass.

 

[point_departure]

For me, yes. The Modern Vintage ticks a few more boxes than the Nash. Better finish, roasted neck, matching headstock, better shaped neck, fretwork, no relic… etc. The Nash does have a great tone and tends to be slightly lighter in weight. It also does a tad better on resale, since it’s more widely known.

I’d rock either one without hesitation. But in the end, the Modern Vintage is (mostly) the better bass.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[bootstrap]

Painted headstocks are for Jazz basses.

 

[Bass Viking]

Two of the most important parts (body and neck) they cut out of stuff that comes from trees. The most important variables in those parts are things they don't control at all.

If there is anything to old basses in terms of better sonics, it's almost certainly the wood aging - that's the thing where things change measurably. As roasting necks and bodies do the same things to their properties as time, you should be able to make new basses that work (sonically) as well as old basses. All my basses have roasted necks, and all but one have roasted bodies - whether or not they are sonically superior, they are really nice sounding basses.

My feeling is that the great sounding old basses probably sounded good from day 1 and the aging only improved them. Kind of like home brewing beer: aging will make a good one even better but it won’t cure a bad batch. I love the roasted necks and have 3: 2 Warmoths and a Spector.

 

[artimus667]

Adding my two cents… just because. I’m sure I’m not adding anything new to the conversation. I just got this Nash B6 in April. It’s a light relic. It might not be “authentic”, but it’s very cool and beautiful and significantly more affordable than a CS or vintage Bass VI. It plays and sounds fantastic and I predict it’s going to be in my life for a long time. I don’t expect a Nash guitar to look like an authentic vintage instrument. They’re making a great guitar that is useful and playable in a working situation. They’re not cheap but they’re way more replaceable than a vintage guitar if something bad were to happen.

If you’ve got deeper pockets and want something that is way more legit to vintage, I would recommend a Joe Riggio Papa bass. I JUST bought a used one on Reverb and will post pics when it arrives later this week. Joe is one of the best when it comes to authentic vintage finishes and is a popular choice when someone has a vintage instrument in need of a makeover.

 

[58kites]

This may sound like a crazy choice, but the Yamaha Attitude Limited has the same neck profile as a 1951 PBass. That’s how Billy Sheehan spec’ed it. And when you solo the DiMarzio split-coil, it sounds like the best PBass you’ve ever played.

I’ve had maybe a dozen 1st generation Attitude Limiteds. They’re very consistent with first-rate fit and finish. The neck joint is rock solid. They feel perfect if, like me, you prefer the big neck of a ‘50s Precision.

The only downside (for me) is that they look very “modern” in a ‘90s kind of way. So, I sent one of mine to MJT to be refinished in aged shell pink with a moderate relic job.

View attachment 5375559 View attachment 5375560 View attachment 5375561 View attachment 5375562

Holy Moly!!! ....that looks fantastic. I have two Yamaha Attitude basses, an Attitude Custom and Attitude Standard and I'm not a huge fan of the look that Billy/Yamaha chooses for these basses but they are the best feeling/playing necks I've ever touched. The colors are not typically what I like, not a fan of the "finger" fret markers, not usually a fan of white picgkuards either. Love their body shape and contouring, and the headstock shape is a good fit.
What you've got now looks so good. The aging and relic work is perfect and the fretboard looks so much better darkened up.