Retro style basses - What do you like about them?

[SubHuman]

When I think of RETRO I don't include guitars that have never stopped being in production or are already sporadically manufactured as "vintage" types of copies. The T-Birds, Fenders, SG style, etc. have almost always been produced in some form since the glory days of Rock n Roll.
Vox teardrops, Phantoms, Longhorns, Rivoli's and all of the Teisco, Kay types are RETRO styling to me. Not saying I wouldn't love to have any new "vintage" modern production but they have never hardly left so much they don't have the same RETRO feel...to me anyway.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

When I think of RETRO I don't include guitars that have never stopped being in production or are already sporadically manufactured as "vintage" types of copies. The T-Birds, Fenders, SG style, etc. have almost always been produced in some form since the glory days of Rock n Roll.
Vox teardrops, Phantoms, Longhorns, Rivoli's and all of the Teisco, Kay types are RETRO styling to me. Not saying I wouldn't love to have any new "vintage" modern production but they have never hardly left so much they don't have the same RETRO feel...to me anyway.

I'm not sure how this impacts your criteria, but only two basses have been in constant production since the 1950s: the Fender Precision and the Hofner 500/1. This is if one counts the Rickenbacker 4000 to be distinct from the 4001. If you jump to the 60s some more models are added, such as the Jazz and SG, but I don't think the Thunderbird would be included.

 

[Dynacord]

It's a subjective call but I think Fenders that are recreations of 1957, 1962, 1964, etc iterations would be "retro" - even if very common.

 

[SubHuman]

I'm not sure how this impacts your criteria, but only two basses have been in constant production since the 1950s: the Fender Precision and the Hofner 500/1. This is if one counts the Rickenbacker 4000 to be distinct from the 4001. If you jump to the 60s some more models are added, such as the Jazz and SG, but I don't think the Thunderbird would be included.

Oh I already have a translucent black Thunderbird and I love it but it doesn't tickle my RETRO fancy like that silver Phantom!

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

I like retro basses because they are different, yet familiar to modern basses. On actual vintage basses, the sunbursts and tort can’t be beat. The neck feel on vintage basses are usually pretty unique to vintage basses. I can only play modern C necks for so long. Here is my 76 P with an A neck and my replica 66 J. No bass can compare to them, they are very unique.