Why do people consider old basses to be "beautiful"? when you can get same model

[Oreomeister365]

Now, I'm not knocking on people who ogle over vintage basses saying they're "Beautiful!" (see 54' P bass thread), but when I see vintage basses, the last thing I'm thinking is beautiful, and more along the lines of "it looks like they took the ugliest piece of wood, carved it into a mass produced shape and screwed a bunch of metal plates on it"...

Why, might I ask, do so many of you consider something so...unrefinined, something that was made when crafting was much less sophisticated and technically worse than today, something that would be considered a piece of crap if it were made today, beautiful?

I mean, you all excuse it because it's vintage...sure its worth a lot because of its age, it has a particular tone because of its age, but that don't got anything to do with looks!

I'm not knocking anybody, I just don't understand.

I mean if it sounds beautiful to you okay...(I think it sounds old and boring), but looks wise? Lets be honest.

To clarify what I'm wondering:

Is the bass only beautiful because it is old? So if a pristine vintage bass that looks like ti had been cyrogenically frozen for 60 years came about, would it still be beautiful even if it looks, like you say, brand new? What is the point of a vintage bass that looks new?

I was a tad unclear: I'm talking about old basses period, not their designs so much.

 

[SoLongJake]

Some people like the looks of old cars too. And just because the tools were less complicated doesn't mean that anything in relation to quality.

 

[ibanezcollector]

this is going to get good.

If it wasnt for those boring designs you wouldnt have the "Cool" basses you have now..


END OF STORY

 

[bassteban]

Do you have an ugly 54 P-Bass?

 

[crkempton]

 

[FL Knifemaker]

Tastes change. Gas changes. I went from pointy basses to mondern basses to Fender style P basses all within 3 years

 

[Nino Valenti]

Lets be honest.

OK. We're all different and if we all liked the same exact thing, life would be really old and really boring, really quick.

 

[Thangfish]

this is going to get good.

Got any popcorn left?

 

[Oreomeister365]

Some people like the looks of old cars too. And just because the tools were less complicated doesn't mean that anything in relation to quality.

This is about looks, not quality.

I'm sure it looked good when it came out, but you can get something that looks the same, just new if you really wanted to.

 

[fenderhutz]

I think we have been down this road before. Can't we all just get along.

 

[SoLongJake]

You brought up quality when you mentioned how tools where crappy and unsophisticated back when these basses were first produced.

 

[Oreomeister365]

OK. We're all different and if we all liked the same exact thing, life would be really old and really boring, really quick.

Okay, I'm going to try and be a tad more specific:

You can easily get a bass that looks just the same, but completley new with no wear and tear, but people don't go out of their way to get P-basses that don't look like todays standard. If the bass was so beautiful, why don't I see so many people with custom model or whatever that looks just like the really old model?

Is it only "beautiful" because it's old? Tastes change, but do your tastes in looks alone rely on how old something is?

 

[DeliriumTremens]

I wonder what these modern basses you think look good are

 

[Marlat]

Now, I'm not knocking on people who ogle over vintage basses saying they're "Beautiful!" (see 54' P bass thread), but when I see vintage basses, the last thing I'm thinking is beautiful, and more along the lines of "it looks like they took the ugliest piece of wood, carved it into a mass produced shape and screwed a bunch of metal plates on it"...

Why, might I ask, do so many of you consider something so...unrefinined, something that was made when crafting was much less sophisticated and technically worse than today, something that would be considered a piece of crap if it were made today, beautiful?

I mean, you all excuse it because it's vintage...sure its worth a lot because of its age, it has a particular tone because of its age, but that don't got anything to do with looks!

I'm not knocking anybody, I just don't understand.

I mean if it sounds beautiful to you okay...(I think it sounds old and boring), but looks wise? Lets be honest.

You should read the rules before you post. Pay careful attention to the "Ugly basses" thread rule. The thread title is a dead giveaway!

 

[bassteban]

1. Read the rules.
2. Telling someone their bass is ugly is like telling one's wife that those pants do make her butt look big. True or not, it's rarely done w/o *ugly* repercussions.

 

[Oreomeister365]

You brought up quality when you mentioned how tools where crappy and unsophisticated back when these basses were first produced.

And I meant to imply that basses could more easily be made to look good, or better, than the older basses. There are thousands more options today as far as looks are concerned because technology lets us do things we couldn't.

This thread is all about looks people.

 

[crkempton]

I wonder what these modern basses you think look good are

Well he owns a dean edge and will "soon" own a carvin according to his profile..... That says something.

 

[SoLongJake]

The fact that these old basses are still being sold, and for an extreme premium should indicate to you that not only are they beautiful to people. But the fact that they look like they do should be a testament to the skill it took to make such a bold looking instrument in a time when they had such limited supply of tools to work with.

 

[Oreomeister365]

Well he owns a dean edge and will "soon" own a carvin according to his profile..... That says something.

Hmm, rather than knock my choices which are influenced not only by looks but by money, lets re-read the thread. You can surely get a similar model new, but does the model being vintage make it somehow...look better?

 

[bassteban]

Hmm, rather than knock my choices which are influenced not only by looks but by money, lets re-read the thread. You can surely get a similar model new, but does the model being vintage make it somehow...look better?

To some, yes.