Vintage vs new.

[JIO]

I was referring to your house key. Although presumably your bass collection comes with it?

 

[BluesMan84]

On another forum, this comes up all the time. Something that really stayed with me was one of the players said.

"They aren't good because their old, they are old because they are good."

 

[mongo2]

On another forum, this comes up all the time. Something that really stayed with me was one of the players said.

"They aren't good because their old, they are old because they are good."

Except I've played plenty of old instruments that aren't so good.

 

[Iridescentone]

On another forum, this comes up all the time. Something that really stayed with me was one of the players said.

"They aren't good because their old, they are old because they are good."

That might make sense to me. If I was stoned.

 

[Laurent]

What about the vintage instruments owned by pros? Many bass players seem to have something vintage in their collection.
Some studio pros also have their special go-to bass.

Do they use them just because of the inspiration factor given by older instruments (the mojo factor)?
Were they good instruments to start with that just go better as these masters worn them out to their taste?

 

[Yango]

I don't believe that vintage is necessarily better than new or vice versa. A great instrument is a great instrument. I have discovered that I prefer to buy or trade for second hand instruments, but I think that's simply because I prefer my instruments to be "broken in" (and I'm not talking about relic'd—that's another kettle of fish all together...).

When it comes to amps and effects though, new is definitely better in my opinion. I don't miss any of the weight, size, buzzing or humming at all!!

 

[JIO]

I don't believe that vintage is necessarily better than new or vice versa. A great instrument is a great instrument. I have discovered that I prefer to buy or trade for second hand instruments, but I think that's simply because I prefer my instruments to be "broken in" (and I'm not talking about relic'd—that's another kettle of fish all together...).

When it comes to amps and effects though, new is definitely better in my opinion. I don't miss any of the weight, size, buzzing or humming at all!!

I agree, but a good instrument over time can evolve into a great instrument and I don't think that is imagined.

Don't want to derail this thread into a vintage amp/speaker tangent but I just learned recently that one of the big factors of a great sounding speaker is the magnet (!) I do love the smell of an old warmed up tube amp though…

 

[FretNoMore]

I agree, but a good instrument over time can evolve into a great instrument and I don't think that is imagined.
...

Sometimes that does indeed happen, but experience and the laws of entropy tell me it's much more likely that a good instrument will get worse over time.

 

[JIO]

Sometimes that does indeed happen, but experience and the laws of entropy tell me it's much more likely that a good instrument will get worse over time.

I can only speak from my own personal experience, and I own such basses. (never been good w/laws)

 

[skwee]

P.S. any of those "old" Strads have been taken apart, reinforced, etc. by modern hands. They are not truly vintage in that regard--the wood on the outside is old, but it's not what you think.

 

[dvdtlsn]

If you take a well made bass to a qualified luthier, have the neck properly dressed, intonation, action set up perfectly, it can play as nice as a vintage bass.

There will be a difference in the pickups, even pickups designated passive vintage in design tend to be louder than actual vintage AlNiCo pickups.

The most obvious reason to play out with a newer bass is reducing the risk of theft of a highly valuable and often irreplaceable vintage instrument.

Yes...short version...I dragged my beat up J around for years before taking the neck off and finding out it was a 65. Went down to GC and bought a used G&L for $450 and now keep the Fender in the case.

 

[FFTT]

Some friends had their entire truck stolen including a 57 Gold Top and $22K in amps and drums etc.

 

[Tgb]

For the better part of my life I've been working on trying to get the sounds in my head out for other people to hear. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it until about two weeks ago when I joined this forum. I've since learned that my technique is entirely wrong. There is apparently a small number of approaches to playing that are acceptable. Then I found out that I'm playing the wrong bass, a Jazz Bass. I know, it's ridiculous, I just didn't know any better. Then to top things off, I thought I liked the sound and playability of a good vintage bass, wrong again. It turns out that I'm a fool and that I just like the patina.
No worries though I'm not old to learn new tricks. I'm gonna sell all my gear, get a couple of those brand spanking new modded Squire P basses and learn where I'm supposed to keep my thumb.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I see zombies!

 

[FretNoMore]

For the better part of my life I've been working on trying to get the sounds in my head out for other people to hear. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it until about two weeks ago when I joined this forum. I've since learned that my technique is entirely wrong. There is apparently a small number of approaches to playing that are acceptable. Then I found out that I'm playing the wrong bass, a Jazz Bass. I know, it's ridiculous, I just didn't know any better. Then to top things off, I thought I liked the sound and playability of a good vintage bass, wrong again. It turns out that I'm a fool and that I just like the patina.
No worries though I'm not old to learn new tricks. I'm gonna sell all my gear, get a couple of those brand spanking new modded Squire P basses and learn where I'm supposed to keep my thumb.

Welcome to TalkBass.

 

[KramerDon]

In my opinion a well designed and skillfully built instrument using quality materials will always play and sound better and have a higher value than one designed primarily to be cost effective and mass produced whether it was built 40 years ago or yesterday.It's about the individual instrument to me,not the age

 

[gln1955]

In my opinion a well designed and skillfully built instrument using quality materials will always play and sound better and have a higher value than one designed primarily to be cost effective and mass produced whether it was built 40 years ago or yesterday.It's about the individual instrument to me,not the age

This thread will not come back to life if you're gonna make sensible statements like that.

 

[JoeWPgh]

It's kind of funny how 'vintage' has changed over the years. In 1971, a ten year old (pre-CBS) Fender was a desired and coveted thing. Now a 10 year old Fender is merely 'used'

 

[JIO]

It's kind of funny how 'vintage' has changed over the years. In 1971, a ten year old (pre-CBS) Fender was a desired and coveted thing. Now a 10 year old Fender is merely 'used'

You say "is merely used" as if it's a bad thing.

 

[JoeWPgh]

Well yeah, I did. That's my take on how things are viewed today