Yea, but on another hand, me being in my 50s just can't call 80s and 90s basses vintage. For me "vintage" ends in 70s. Its crazy l know.That's been my whole point all along. But boomers can't help themselves. A car, or guitar/bass, or album that didn't come out when THEY were young is garbage. If you don't believe me, just ask them.
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When is a bass "vintage"?
- Thread starter H K
- Start date
Seems to be an empirical regularity that 'vintage' comes a lot earlier if you're selling, and the same bass is 'just old' if you're a buyer 
Going on a personal hunch: '60s for most stuff.
But, there are also regional conventions. For example, in Japan, basses/guitars that are typically labelled as 'J-vintage' tends to refer to the pre-1982/lawsuit period.
Going on a personal hunch: '60s for most stuff.
But, there are also regional conventions. For example, in Japan, basses/guitars that are typically labelled as 'J-vintage' tends to refer to the pre-1982/lawsuit period.
I didn't read all replies, but the "older than me" option makes sense to me. I like the idea of "vintage" being relative to one's age. For instance, I was born in the 80s, all the stuff produced in the late 80s and early 90s don't appear old-timey to me as I saw those for sale new on store shelves. But to a Gen Z born in the early 2000s I'd understand these are vintage since they probably never saw those for sale new.
Vintage always suggested style to me rather than age. Like a vintage reissue instrument that has some of the features of much older instruments but it’s new.
old instruments may be described as vintage but I think the term antique is more appropriate, although because it probably reminds people of furniture the industry uses vintage to mean antique.
old instruments may be described as vintage but I think the term antique is more appropriate, although because it probably reminds people of furniture the industry uses vintage to mean antique.
Vintage is older than 25 years, according to people who work in the fashion industry. Most antique dealers consider an item to be vintage if it is at least 40 years old. So lets meet somewhere in between. Can consider any instrument older than 30 years as vintage?
I'm in my 50s as well. I don't like Van Halen's 1984 album being classic rock. And I don't like Datsun and Nissan early Z cars being vintage collectable cars. And it hurts my head that 80s Fullerton Fender guitars and basses are vintage collectable instruments. Heck, even shoes from when I was in high school fetch a hefty price.
But that's the world we live in.
Vintage refers to age or year of construction. Marketing aside, they are all vintage, even if they are mutts you finally slapped together. When was that? THAT'S their vintage. As far as what is desirable from a certain era of instruments, that depends, too. The '50's have the mystique of being rare and great instruments. Some were, others weren't. Before the computerized modern manufacturing techniques were standardized, the workers used to eyeball a lot of stuff that made the specs just a ballpark generalization. The '60's had its problems, too. CBS bought Fender in 1965. 1966 Fenders still were using the same stockpile of parts even though the management team was different. Despite that, 1964 Fenders are twice as expensive as the '66s, because of the nosedive in QC by the end of the decade. The '70's were even worse. Japanese companies made what should have been made in America but wasn't. They got sued and stopped. Lawsuit models are more expensive than some American originals of that era. Truth is that every instrument is unique and there have been some fine specimens that made it out of each decade. Finding them is the problem. You may have to wade through a morass of firewood in order to fine a gem. It's still worth it. Happy hunting.
Kind of, but it's important to remember that there are, and have been, and always will be good vintages and bad vintages.Are you sure? You! He, she, it. They, them, theirs. Thee and thou. Ours. Who, whom. What?
Come on! Haven't I swayed your interest by now?
Maybe just put the year the instruments were manufactured and let the potential buyer decide if they are “vintage.”
Marketing is part of any sale. OP should try to get the most money he can for his bass(es). If the word "vintage" adds value for some, he should use it (if he thinks it applies). Rarely would the word "vintage" ever turn off a potential buyer who is really interested in the bass. Sure, it will offend boomers who think anything manufactured after their 18th birthday is garbage. But they likely wouldn't be interested in a "vintage" instrument from after that period anyway. So they don't count.
In other words, let's just say I'm very interested in a 1995 Fender Roscoe Beck Signature bass. The seller uses the 25 year mark as a parameter to go ahead and describe his bass as "vintage". I frankly don't care. If I want the bass, that word won't turn me off. Anyone who IS turned off by that, likely wouldn't buy the bass anyway. Anyone who would otherwise buy that bass, but can't bring themselves to do it because the seller called it "vintage", has serious emotional/mental issues.
Everything is vintage really. Take wine for example, a bottle of wine that the grapes were harvested & bottled as 2010 is vintage 2010. That said, trees that were harvested for the purpose of manufacturing a guitar, is it's truest vintage, especially when it all comes together to become a guitar, date/time stamped and whether there is a serial number assigned to it.
Wine Vintages and Why They Matter (Sometimes) | Wine Folly
Vintage vs Antique vs Retro vs Classic «
Wine Vintages and Why They Matter (Sometimes) | Wine Folly
Vintage vs Antique vs Retro vs Classic «
Hehe, allthough it really doesnt matter, The bass in question IS actually from 1995Marketing is part of any sale. OP should try to get the most money he can for his bass(es). If the word "vintage" adds value for some, he should use it (if he thinks it applies). Rarely would the word "vintage" ever turn off a potential buyer who is really interested in the bass. Sure, it will offend boomers who think anything manufactured after their 18th birthday is garbage. But they likely wouldn't be interested in a "vintage" instrument from after that period anyway. So they don't count.
In other words, let's just say I'm very interested in a 1995 Fender Roscoe Beck Signature bass. The seller uses the 25 year mark as a parameter to go ahead and describe his bass as "vintage". I frankly don't care. If I want the bass, that word won't turn me off. Anyone who IS turned off by that, likely wouldn't buy the bass anyway. Anyone who would otherwise buy that bass, but can't bring themselves to do it because the seller called it "vintage", has serious emotional/mental issues.
There are currently 114 listings on Reverb for "vintage Fender Bass" from the 80s.... mostly a couple grand or more.
There are 167 listings for "vintage Gibson" filtered out to only the 80s.... mostly guitars going for several thousand. A lot of the Les Paul guitars are going for three to eight grand.
There are 122 listings from the 80s for "vintage amp". A Boogie Mark II from 1980 will set you back around five grand. There are several 800RB amps in those listings.
There are 1,040 "vintage guitar" listings from the 70s. 441 "vintage bass" listings from the 70s. 499 "vintage amp" listings from the 70s.
So there are over 2300 listings for vintage amp, bass, or guitar from the 70s and 80s on Reverb alone. Clearly, I'm not the only one who understands what is and isn't vintage.
93 listings for "Vintage Fender Bass" from the 70s and 80s are going for $5,000 or more. Surely, FIVE GRAND seems to indicate something is both vintage and collectable. (Sure, a handful are delusional. But most are about right.) Right?
There are 167 listings for "vintage Gibson" filtered out to only the 80s.... mostly guitars going for several thousand. A lot of the Les Paul guitars are going for three to eight grand.
There are 122 listings from the 80s for "vintage amp". A Boogie Mark II from 1980 will set you back around five grand. There are several 800RB amps in those listings.
There are 1,040 "vintage guitar" listings from the 70s. 441 "vintage bass" listings from the 70s. 499 "vintage amp" listings from the 70s.
So there are over 2300 listings for vintage amp, bass, or guitar from the 70s and 80s on Reverb alone. Clearly, I'm not the only one who understands what is and isn't vintage.
93 listings for "Vintage Fender Bass" from the 70s and 80s are going for $5,000 or more. Surely, FIVE GRAND seems to indicate something is both vintage and collectable. (Sure, a handful are delusional. But most are about right.) Right?
"When is a bass 'vintage'?"
When it ages well, like a fine wine. I'm sure others will have said this, but I really think there's no further complication. Extra years just help sort those that do from those that don't. Like a good vintner will know, I bet the trick is knowing how to predict outcomes in advance!
When it ages well, like a fine wine. I'm sure others will have said this, but I really think there's no further complication. Extra years just help sort those that do from those that don't. Like a good vintner will know, I bet the trick is knowing how to predict outcomes in advance!
