I think it's a reflection on the human condition that a genuine, sincere enthusiasm, that harms nobody else, generates bitterness from individuals that don't share the interest.
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Vintage Fenders. Why??
- Thread starter tb-player
- Start date
My thing is neck feel. If a bass has a neck feel I like and the sound and tone to go with it's a keeper. This comes from my 62 P bass. I like the neck feel and the lighter-weight body. I look for those things in any Bass I'm considering regardless of its birthyear 
Yes, and you pay extra for it.Are you actually saying that relicing is fake?
Wait a minute, really?
I just can't pay a lot of money for a bass.
I've had/have so many fine used basses for so little money that I just can't get excited about the expensive vintage category.
I have two '91 Yamaha basses that I prefer over all the expensive basses I've ever touched. My ex brother in law has a 1962 (maybe a '63) Precision that just isn't a bass that does a thing for me. He has owned it since about 1972. The neck doesn't have a shape that turns me on and it sounds just like a million other P basses. It looks cool because it is an old sunburst Precision with a rosewood fretboard and tort guard but that's just not worth much to me if it plays like an old tractor.
I've had/have so many fine used basses for so little money that I just can't get excited about the expensive vintage category.
I have two '91 Yamaha basses that I prefer over all the expensive basses I've ever touched. My ex brother in law has a 1962 (maybe a '63) Precision that just isn't a bass that does a thing for me. He has owned it since about 1972. The neck doesn't have a shape that turns me on and it sounds just like a million other P basses. It looks cool because it is an old sunburst Precision with a rosewood fretboard and tort guard but that's just not worth much to me if it plays like an old tractor.
The old Fenders do look cool and some play really well, I have a 74 Jazz and a 81 Fullerton P, but my Sadowsky is the one I use.
Not a bass story, but my friend owned a 1952 Telecaster that he bought for 10K. He left it with me for a weekend and it was one of the best feeling guitars I've ever played. Were ALL the 1952 Teles that nice? Of course not. As others have pointed out, most of the existing vintage guitars floating around the more money-than-sense market are the prime examples. The duds have been parted out or thrown away.
It's not like it was made of some exotic, old growth "tonewood" either. That Tele was probably made out of pine, sassafras or maybe alder. Whatever wood they could get cheap at that moment. Leo didn't care. That guitar was made to be utilitarian. That's why they have bolt on necks.
Some guitars and basses feel like magic in your hands, others don't. This is really down to chance, not pedigree or vintage. I've played other 50s-70s guitars and basses and some were great and some were meh. Just like brand new guitars and basses.
Personally I have no desire to own any vintage instruments. They would feel more like a financial/insurance liability than a useful tool.
It's not like it was made of some exotic, old growth "tonewood" either. That Tele was probably made out of pine, sassafras or maybe alder. Whatever wood they could get cheap at that moment. Leo didn't care. That guitar was made to be utilitarian. That's why they have bolt on necks.
Some guitars and basses feel like magic in your hands, others don't. This is really down to chance, not pedigree or vintage. I've played other 50s-70s guitars and basses and some were great and some were meh. Just like brand new guitars and basses.
Personally I have no desire to own any vintage instruments. They would feel more like a financial/insurance liability than a useful tool.
Having said whatever I said before, I have been jonesing for the new American Vintage II P bass in 3tsb. Reminds me of my 62 P, I think. Having gotten one in my hands yet.
Change 'additionally' to 'definitely'.
Played many vintage* and FCS/GCS and don't get the attraction. I have a wonderful HH Tele guitar that was under $200 new and is perfect in every way.
* I have a vintage guitar I got may years ago by chance for little, and it's a closet queen until I need the money. It's nice playing and sounding, but nowhere near it's market value.
A couple years ago I did a setup on an early 80s MIJ Squier P-bass as a favor for a neighbor of one of my musical buddies. I think he said he had paid about $200 for it (and cleaned up 40 years of squalor). After swapping on a set of slightly used tapewounds I had around and doing the usual simple mechanical tweaks, that thing was awesome - played clean, low action, sounded and felt like a P-bass. It played and sounded so nice that I thought of making him an offer on it, until he told me that it was for his daughter when she grew into it (she was only 8).
Is early 80s "vintage"? I don't know - but $200 was not a lot of money for a very fine used bass.
I have to admit, I have some nice "vintage" basses, bought long ago when I couldn't afford anything expensive. They're probably worth "a lot of money"... to someone (they're not for sale). As a rough estimate, they've cost me the equivalent of one grande mocha per week over the years.
Buying fine used basses for not a lot of money and keeping (and playing!) them is the best way to end up with coveted vintage instruments. Your heirs will thank you for your forethought
, and meanwhile you get to enjoy them.
I've played a few vintage Fender basses. I think there is something to the mystique about them. They just sound - and feel - different. It's not always better maybe, but they have a vibe for sure. That said, I'm not in a position to buy one of the, or a birth year bass (66) but if I did have that kind of money available, I'd have one or two.
That said, I've played some "custom shop" vintage basses and they are also very nice. I'd take a Pino any day. Amazing playing and sounding bass. Played o e at a shop for about 45 minutes. I couldn't make a bad sound. I could sell off all my other basses (I thought about it for minute or two) and buy a Pino I suppose, but I like having a little variety, too.
That said, I've played some "custom shop" vintage basses and they are also very nice. I'd take a Pino any day. Amazing playing and sounding bass. Played o e at a shop for about 45 minutes. I couldn't make a bad sound. I could sell off all my other basses (I thought about it for minute or two) and buy a Pino I suppose, but I like having a little variety, too.
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Threads like this are one sided and inevitably contentious. One either likes/owns vintage Fender (or any brand) basses - or not. I've yet to see a thread "why would anyone own any bass other than a vintage Fender?" It's because those who own/play vintage Fender basses own and play their basses and they don't hold it as a reason to debate someone's choice of why they don't own/play one.
Vintage Fenders. Why??
Why not? Some are really great, some are dogs, and they can be a good investment.
Why not? Some are really great, some are dogs, and they can be a good investment.
There's been so much improvement to production basses and there are so many options for aftermarket electronics that the physical and sonic advantages of vintage Fender don't distinguish them from modern as much as in years past. Also, I'll say that my CS '59 Precision is a dead ringer for the '61 I previously owned and while expensive at just under $3k used it is pretty obtainable for those who want the vintage look & feel.
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I think (at least for me) there is a "diminishing returns" kind of thing happening with good condition vintage instruments. I really love the feel and tone of my vintage basses, but are they 200% better than something new that has good components and a good set up? I dont think so. For me, the real question is…is the (perceived) quality difference sufficient enough for me to overlook the deficiencies of a vintage instrument vs a comparatively good new one? In most cases (for me), a vintage bass is more enjoyable to play, and mine sound somewhat better (what percent, I cant say), than a new one. For me the vintage thing isnt a status aspect, it is a playing enjoyment thing, even if the difference in sound/quality etc is relatively minor.
