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Vintage vs. Modern tone

#41
S.F.Sorrow said:
I totally understand what you mean but I just want to add that a properly designed hi end tube amp CAN be just about as clean and hi-fi as any modern solid state amp IF used within spec (meaning not pushed into saturation). But we rarely use tube amps like that, do we? Because we loooove that dirtyness and compression, don't we? ;) I know I do!
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I do too, but I use tube amps clean all the time, and so do a lot of folks I know :D
 
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#44
Vintage tone is the sound of a p-bass with with flatts coming through a 15" speaker driven by a small tube amp like an Ampeg B-15. Modern, or as some may call hi-fi, would be like a Jazz bass with round wounds with both pups on full coming through a full range speaker driven by a higher powered solid state amp with some of the mids dialed back. Vintage and modern are just words for these bass tones and don't have a whole lot to do with when these sounds were/are popular.
 
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#47
JimmyM said:
All they're doing is tuning way farther down than before. The tones themselves are nothing new.


True. But since distortion to musicians means "light overdrive-to-fuzz," I felt compelled to comment on that. Distortion to engineers means "anything that deviates from a dead clean sound at 0 db with razor flat response." People can make up their own minds what they like, but I say "blech" to that razor flat response sound. First off, the pickup(s) you use can cause wild swings in the so-called flat response thing. Second, it doesn't sound like music to me. I as a bass player am creating a sound, not reproducing it, and I don't want an engineer editorializing on it unless they just hire me to play and keep my mouth shut. And even then I don't want them editorializing on it, but what can you do on a work for hire?
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Well - who had his Vitamins today? ( nice spray! )
 
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#48
I like midrange, controlled lows, and rolled back highs. But mostly midrange and more midrange. Amps that are labeled as either vintage or modern can get me there.

I’m in agreement with others that these terms are mostly marketing driven.

Most would refer to GK amps as “modern”, but you can get them to produce just about any tone you want. Scooped, mellow and boomy, punchy midrange....you name it, most amps can do it nowadays.

The pickups in my Jazz bass are labeled “V-Mod” which is short for vintage-modern. But to my ears in a live setting, it sounds like a Jazz bass, just like nearly every other Jazz bass I’ve played/heard (and I’m picky with my tone). So I think it’s mostly marketing. “Vintage” is trendy and therefore you can make money off of it, so smart companies are adopting and using this terminology to help profits.
 
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#49
SunByrne said:
So, I'm new to all of this, so if this topic has been done to death, I apologize.

But, I've noticed in almost every description of a pedal or an amp and even often for basses, the ad copy or the reviewers or whatever are usually all abuzz about the "vintage tone."

Why is that? Is that just because a lot of the music people are playing is older, and they just want to match the tone of the older recordings? Or is there some belief that "vintage" tones are inherently superior?

Because here there is no attempt to sound "vintage" (Darkglass head, Sire bass) and I just love the tone:



I mean, obviously, you wouldn't necessarily want to be that in-your-face all the time, but dang, I thought that was cool. And I'm old enough to remember the vintage tones...
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Now that you mentioned it, I’m not so sure what my tone is. I just hear from folks that it sounds pretty good, and frankly, I kind a like it real well myself.
 
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#51
Vintage: just like a guitar but sounds bigger and fatter than it

Modern: a boom that shakes windows and lift the skirt to the girls in the live audience, paired with a distorted clicky sound that seems like a technical issues, but instead is intentional.

(just a little bit of humor, but not much either.)
 
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#52
rodl2005 said:
Perhaps it's as a lotta 'modern' tones are offa the net etc... are perhaps very clean, slightly scooped in the mids... (note I said perhaps).... which isn't often a tone that'll sound great in a mix.
Most 'vintage' tone is more middy, has a touch of fur or slight overdriven qualities.... all which helps it sit and fatten a mix.
Really... I dunno. Just a cuppla
thoughts
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Also meaning that the 'modern' tone CAN indeed 'sit in a mix'.... maybe not as easily as the 'vintage', it just may require accompanying instruments to adjust to suit
 
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#55
SunByrne said:
So, I'm new to all of this, so if this topic has been done to death, I apologize.

But, I've noticed in almost every description of a pedal or an amp and even often for basses, the ad copy or the reviewers or whatever are usually all abuzz about the "vintage tone."

Why is that? Is that just because a lot of the music people are playing is older, and they just want to match the tone of the older recordings? Or is there some belief that "vintage" tones are inherently superior?

Because here there is no attempt to sound "vintage" (Darkglass head, Sire bass) and I just love the tone:



I mean, obviously, you wouldn't necessarily want to be that in-your-face all the time, but dang, I thought that was cool. And I'm old enough to remember the vintage tones...
Click to expand...



I think you answered your own question. The Darkglass head and the Sire bass don't do vintage tone, on purpose. A lot of new gear doesn't do vintage tone, on purpose.

But there's still a market for vintage tone, so that's why the language creeps into the description. Is there an inherently superior tone? Sure, it's the tone the buyer is looking for. If it happens to be vintage, the description might make the sale. As for what vintage or modern tone "is", you've already seen plenty of replies that say "it depends".....
 
#56
I think “vintage” is mostly, like, sales talk. Some guys go all out playing a ‘59 p-bass on an old tube amp, and define themselves by sounding exactly like the 60’s R&B records. That’s cool, and I think you can call those guys “vintage.” Everyone else is modern, even if they play on flats.
 
#59
here, i'm trying to get a more vintage tone from a fender elite jazz into a 2x12 GK combo... it fits in the mix good which is what i strive for. (btw.. check out the '62 Tele taking a dive at -:48 in)



have since change amps to a Mesa D-800+ into a Mesa SW115 and loving it. we gig once a week.
 
#60
I don’t know if my new old Bag End S15 with black rat fur and plastic corners is “modern vintage” or “vintage modern” but I’m sure enjoying it for the $179 it cost me! I’m guessing it was modern when it was designed. Now it may be retro...???..??...

I also don’t get why a P Bass seems to be the prerequisite for vintage tone. Jazz basses are nearly as old and have paid their dues for decades. Is my new Stingray putting out modern tones?... or vintage 70’s grind? Does it simply depend on the amp?

Speaking of amps, I actually love what my modestly priced Fender Rumble 500 head can do as far as “vintage tone on a budget”... but I hate having the “vintage” voicing engaged.
 
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