This 68 is definitely my number 1. Science has displayed that older instruments sound better. I can't argue with science.
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Retro style basses - What do you like about them?
- Thread starter Sacha Lévesque
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- mojo retro retro bass vintage
Well, I’m old enough (67) to remember when the brands currently being copied, or reissued, were what we had available. Danelectro, Teisco, Kay, and others were marketed at Sears under the Silvertone brand. Montgomery Ward (you have to be pretty old to remember this Sears wanna-be) also marketed guitars under the Airline brand.
These guitars were also available under their own brands, as beginner or first guitars in some music stores. This is what we owned at 13 years old, in our first garage bands.
But, a couple times a month we’d pedal our bikes across town to G. Sharp Music to look at the real Fenders and Gibsons and Gretsches.
We knew, even then, that the Sears and Wards guitars played terribly, sounded horrible and looked weird. Who knows, it may have just been bad set-ups, but at 13 who knew “set-up”?
But once I got a real Fender (even that, just a new 1967 Mustang, and I don't care to own a re-issue of this, either) I never looked back.
The new retro tributes to those old guitars hold no charm for me at all.
edited to add:
I have to be honest, though. My early influences were surf bands, and I wanted what the Beach Boys and the Ventures played. I can see that I have never let go of that, as evidenced by my Avatar.
These guitars were also available under their own brands, as beginner or first guitars in some music stores. This is what we owned at 13 years old, in our first garage bands.
But, a couple times a month we’d pedal our bikes across town to G. Sharp Music to look at the real Fenders and Gibsons and Gretsches.
We knew, even then, that the Sears and Wards guitars played terribly, sounded horrible and looked weird. Who knows, it may have just been bad set-ups, but at 13 who knew “set-up”?
But once I got a real Fender (even that, just a new 1967 Mustang, and I don't care to own a re-issue of this, either) I never looked back.
The new retro tributes to those old guitars hold no charm for me at all.
edited to add:
I have to be honest, though. My early influences were surf bands, and I wanted what the Beach Boys and the Ventures played. I can see that I have never let go of that, as evidenced by my Avatar.
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It's an Epi V , made in the Korean Unsung factory . Beautifully made , but the V is a simple slab body set neck instrument without elaborate inlay , binding or carving . Korina , lightweight , and surprisingly well balanced . I really like it .
I guess it matters what you consider retro aesthetics. Most Fenders are “retro style” in that the designs haven’t changed much since the 50’s/60’s, if you consider the classic vibes, the vintera series, and even the parallel/paranormal series are all vintage inspired to say the least. Personally, I would consider two of my basses “retro style”, my tele bass and my Grote BB2. What I love about them is their tone, feel, and looks. They sound woody, thick, and thunky. Tones that are kinda hard to coax out of most modern voiced basses. The tele bass damn near plays itself, and the Grote’s neck is so small/narrrow it feels more like playing a guitar than a bass, and that’s fun because it alters my playing style.
I don't really agree with that, Brian. I know a lot of people who buy the newer ones for that exact reason...they don't sound like the originals and they feel better.
I guess I qualify for this thread, as I own a Serek and will take delivery of one the first batch of Acinonyx basses.
I buy stuff for tone AND looks. I'm shallow that way.
I buy stuff for tone AND looks. I'm shallow that way.
My own two cents:
From a player's standpoint, I prefer the simplicity of passive, vintage styled basses. I am usually able to get the sound I want with a split p pickup, and that happens to be the bass sound I really, really like. I have never been a fan of active preamps and pickups, and when I've gone in that direction in the past, I've always wound up regretting it. For my purposes, I don't care about the "versatility" of a more modern configuration, I just want "my sound" without having to spend a lot of time dialing it in. It should be important to note that I'm a hobbiest and not a hired-gun, so I can get away with having just the gear that I like, rather than the gear that I "should" have.
From an aesthetic standpoint, I love the fun, vibrant colours that a lot of older/vintage basses used to be made in. I don't like the look of fancy, figured wood tops, dyes, gilded hardware that a lot of more modern-looking basses have. I like my instruments to look like cool vintage cars, rather than high-end furniture.
From a player's standpoint, I prefer the simplicity of passive, vintage styled basses. I am usually able to get the sound I want with a split p pickup, and that happens to be the bass sound I really, really like. I have never been a fan of active preamps and pickups, and when I've gone in that direction in the past, I've always wound up regretting it. For my purposes, I don't care about the "versatility" of a more modern configuration, I just want "my sound" without having to spend a lot of time dialing it in. It should be important to note that I'm a hobbiest and not a hired-gun, so I can get away with having just the gear that I like, rather than the gear that I "should" have.
From an aesthetic standpoint, I love the fun, vibrant colours that a lot of older/vintage basses used to be made in. I don't like the look of fancy, figured wood tops, dyes, gilded hardware that a lot of more modern-looking basses have. I like my instruments to look like cool vintage cars, rather than high-end furniture.
I would agree with those that say these things have always had their small cadre of fans but for the wider guitar/bass playing fandom the oddity/vintage/retro thing comes in waves, at least once a decade.
In the 90's when I was starting electric bass, I remember the craze over the relaunch of Danelectro. IMHO, these were mostly pretty darn good versions of the classic basses and guitars. They sold pretty well for a while and had a good line of pedals (not reissues of classics) as well.
Then in the 2000's the white stripes came out and suddenly Eastwood really began to grow. Ibanez re-released the Jet king design (influenced by some of their earliest guitars) for guitar and bass, etc.
I'm not sure what to blame current interest but it's unsurprising.
I've had a few retro and retro-inspired instruments over the years. A 60's Japanese Crown Violabass...
...a first Gen Artcore bass I put Casady pups and guts into...
and a couple others that might qualify. They're all gone now.
I do however gig this one weekly. It's based on Fender style of course, but one of their least-popular designs.
In the 90's when I was starting electric bass, I remember the craze over the relaunch of Danelectro. IMHO, these were mostly pretty darn good versions of the classic basses and guitars. They sold pretty well for a while and had a good line of pedals (not reissues of classics) as well.
Then in the 2000's the white stripes came out and suddenly Eastwood really began to grow. Ibanez re-released the Jet king design (influenced by some of their earliest guitars) for guitar and bass, etc.
I'm not sure what to blame current interest but it's unsurprising.
I've had a few retro and retro-inspired instruments over the years. A 60's Japanese Crown Violabass...
...a first Gen Artcore bass I put Casady pups and guts into...
and a couple others that might qualify. They're all gone now.
I do however gig this one weekly. It's based on Fender style of course, but one of their least-popular designs.
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I don't have any vintage basses and have no plans to buy one - the prices are laughable right now and the quality inconsistent at best. I from time to time entertain the thought of a birth-year J, but I was born in '71 and there are few good specimens from that era. I wonder if that reflects on me.
But -
I do prefer Fender-shaped instruments (let's call them "retro styled") as those do not make a statement of their own. Any statement that gets made is going to be me or the band I'm playing with making it. I'd rather it that way.
But -
I do prefer Fender-shaped instruments (let's call them "retro styled") as those do not make a statement of their own. Any statement that gets made is going to be me or the band I'm playing with making it. I'd rather it that way.
What science were you referring to? I'm not aware of any similarly rigorously conducted double-blind comparisons of, e.g., 1950's or 1960's basses to identical modern basses that resulted in statistically significant data. If you can provide a link to one, I think we'd all like to see it.
Otherwise, I think this paragraph (from the Science magazine link that I provided above) pertains here:
The finding also leaves open the possibility that Strads do sound better than modern instruments under certain circumstances—when the listener knows they are hearing a legendary instrument. "If you know it's a Strad, you will hear it differently," Fritz says. "And you can't turn off that effect."
I found an article from the 90s that expresses the science I was referring to. I'm not sure how it fits with what you posted. I'll post it later. Just hanging with my son.
Can we get a definition of what people mean by "Retro" basses. Are we talking specifically modern basses made in the mold of Teisco, Vox, (various other imports), Silvertone, Airline, Supro, etc, cheap instruments, but with updated playability and build? Or are we talking just...passive, straight forward instruments. Is a Precision with its bridge and pickup covers on retro? Cause to me, the other side of the coin from Retro would be Modern, and to me modern is about active electronics, newer pickup designs, fan frets, coffee tables, etc. Which most basses before like 1985 would fall into the purview of not modern.
You are THE original retro!
Meant in the sincerest possible and most appreciated way!
And please notice, that in both these images, the bassists are thumb-plucking and leveraging the tug bar.
The kinda retro style is part of why I like my new Grestch 2220. I even got it in the walnut stain color because it reminded me of old cherry Gibsons.
