When does a bass become "vintage"?

[taurus1]

it's a wine making term that literally means the year it was made.
"anything old enough to be fashionable again", is basically all it means outside of wine making.

 

[georgestrings]

I think that when you stop equating 'vintage' with 'valuable' it's easier to make sense of the term. With musical instruments, 25-30 years old or more seems to be the concensus where the term 'vintage' applies. Whether or not a vintage instrument is valuable or not involves so many other factors!

For instance, I have a 60's Decca bass (re-branded Teisco) that is by all descriptors a vintage instrument. However, it has no appreciable value advantage from that fact and is only worth 100-150 bucks.

As long as you don't let yourself get sucked in purely by the term 'vintage', confusing it with 'valuable', the terminology is easier understood and less polarizing.

This...


- georgestrings

 

[marchone]

Well the Mustang bass came out in '66 so that means there's no such thing as a vintage Mustang.

Or that my '68 Fender Telecaster Bass is not a vintage guitar. This is where the holes show in that argument.

I think that when you stop equating 'vintage' with 'valuable' it's easier to make sense of the term. With musical instruments, 25-30 years old or more seems to be the consensus where the term 'vintage' applies. Whether or not a vintage instrument is valuable or not involves so many other factors!

I agree this view makes the most sense. Others are sure to disagree.

 

[bikeplate]

When the Rabbi blesses it. Oops, that's kosher. Sorry

 

[tbplayer59]

In the area of automobiles, vintage usually refers to cars that were first class products when new and are now old. Some crappy old Datsun B210 from the late 70's isn't considered "vintage" just old. A similarly aged Datsun 240Z is considered vintage because it was a was a top of the line sports car in its day.

 

[smcd]

I always snicker when I see people affix some kind of mystique to pre-CBS Fender and Gibson instruments. As though November 1964 is the day the Lord Of Light stopped providing Fender with magic wood, or the elves went on strike, or some other such ridiculousness. The whole thing is such utter rot. Fender was mass producing a commercial product at the lowest cost possible and selling it for a profit. They didn't send Tinkerbell into the woods to pick out the "special" trees for their guitars. People like George Gruhn should be placed in stocks and pelted with overripe tomatoes for spreading such nonsense.


Vintage = 25 years. Just like cars. You know who fights that designation the most? 50 year old guys who have a hard time facing the fact that the Charvel they were rocking in their hair metal band back in 1986 is now a vintage instrument.

 

[darkstorm]

Id say 25 yrs old or older.

 

[Munjibunga]

If it's older than I am, then it's vintage as far as I'm concerned.

That goes for me, too. Except there are no Fenders of that vintage.

 

[marchone]

Somebody needs to tell this guy his stuff isn't vintage; it's just old.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[smcd]

In the area of automobiles, vintage usually refers to cars that were first class products when new and are now old. Some crappy old Datsun B210 from the late 70's isn't considered "vintage" just old. A similarly aged Datsun 240Z is considered vintage because it was a was a top of the line sports car in its day.

B210's and the like are totally vintage. People love to see them on the road. Mainly because more people can relate to owning a B210 than a 240Z. And the fact that it was a budget priced commuter car, and people didn't hang onto them, means you're a lot less likely to see a 70's B210 than a 240Z.

 

[InternetAlias]

It's vintage whether or not the quality may be debatable.

 

[77PBass]

Invalid Link Removed

Wow, that is every guitar I lusted after in the Lafayette Electronics catalog when I was a kid. I used to stare at the pictures thinking "what do all those switches do?" I remember that radioactive green color leapt from the page.

Years later I found out those switches make a very crunchy sound when operated...lol.

 

[mikeswals]

You know who fights that designation the most? 50 year old guys who have a hard time facing the fact that the Charvel they were rocking in their hair metal band back in 1986 is now a vintage instrument.

That's absolutely right! I remember an old timer (baby boomer) arguing this, that "a CBS Fender can never be considered vintage". I'm 40 now, and when I'm on my death bed in my 90's, I certainly will be calling my '69 Jazz Bass vintage.

 

[marchone]

... when I'm on my death bed in my 90's, I certainly will be calling my '69 Jazz Bass vintage.

It's vintage now, dude.

 

[InternetAlias]

That's absolutely right! I remember an old timer (baby boomer) arguing this, that "a CBS Fender can never be considered vintage". I'm 40 now, and when I'm on my death bed in my 90's, I certainly will be calling my '69 Jazz Bass vintage.

You'd still be wrong, by that time it will be antique