Newbie Question: Vintage vs 'Hi-Fi' sound

[Naetharu]

Hi folks,

Since starting to play earlier in the year I've heard this comparison between so-called Vintage vs Hi-Fi sound made quite a bit. The thing is, I have no real idea of what it means. Could someone explain to me the difference and why one might be favored over the other?

[chris_b]

The stereo-types are:

Vintage: fat, warm, bassy, woolly, feel the notes more than you hear them, boomy, more bass than mids or top, what they sounded like in old fashioned times. Ampeg.

Hi-Fi: not so fat, not so warm, bassy, clear, defined, hear every note, middy, more low mids rather than low bass. EBS.

There is also a middle ground, which is my sound. A combination of all the good bits and none of the bad bits. Bergantino.

Edited September 5, 2015 by chris_b

[Oopsdabassist]

From my (abeit limited) experience a vintage tone will be a warm, muddy sound with a lack of treble, whereas the hi fi sound is the opposite, very clean with lots of treble and mids.

As I mainly play a Precision through a modern class D amp and a Barefaced cab, I can pretty much get both ends of the scale to the degree that satisfies me.

Slappers tend to prefer the hi fi sound and soul/reggae is the vintage end of the spectrum, us rockers use the lot according to taste!

Dunno if that helps or not.

[bertbass]

When I started playing, vintage was state of the art and hifi. I would guess that adding a tweeter so you get more treble bite would now class as hifi sound.

[discreet]

Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.

[Beer of the Bass]

Vintage vs. hi-fi can be an odd distinction to draw, as a lot of bass sounds considered "hi-fi" have massively hyped EQ applied, whether that's from the amp or an onboard preamp. If you take a typical passive bass with flatwounds and plug it into a clean, flat system (like a high impedance DI box into a desk and studio monitors), the sound isn't much like the stereotypical hi-fi bass sound and wouldn't sound out of place as a 70s studio tone.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]

I shall praise you for that description first though, Mark.

[timhiggins]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]There all to busy double thumbing their G strings !

[SICbass]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]

Once again Discreet sums it up tidily

Edited September 5, 2015 by SICbass

[mrtcat]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]
Pretty sure this is my favourite BC post ever.

[lee4]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]
Thank you for clarify that! My sound is resolutely hetro,bearded and drinks pints of beer,not glasses of wine.

[JTUK]

Wow, seriously...?? You've got to be kidding..

[The Admiral]

[quote name='lee4' timestamp='1441478512' post='2859169']

Thank you for clarify that! My sound is resolutely hetro,bearded and drinks pints of beer,not glasses of wine.
[/quote]

And in a proper glass - with dimples, and a handle, not one of those Yankee style overgrown straight sided milkshake glasses!

[Bikenbass]

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1441492489' post='2859315']
And in a proper glass - with dimples, and a handle, not one of those Yankee style overgrown straight sided milkshake glasses!
[/quote]

Not that lager stuff or pathetic yankee bud crap either, but real, manly, hairy chested ale. eg, Ol' Scrumpers Gut Bloater or Thrunkstons Navy Fleet Stiffer.

[lojo]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]

Please can you go onto the "all the gear" thread and end that with a similar summing up

[drTStingray]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.

I await the backlash with pleasure.
[/quote]

I enjoy your sentiments Discreet!!!

However I have the likes of Andy Fraser, Jack Bruce and Chris Squire as definitely not modern but clearly not vintage as you can hear what they play.

I think vintage (UK) = pre 1968
Modern = post late 70s

70s = people listening on new fangled hi fi stereos to people recorded using old fashioned instruments but with high quality recording technique.

And Discreet the only thing which ever falls down stairs musically speaking is a drum kit........

[barneyg42]

WARNING!!! Over 5 minutes long!!

http://youtu.be/9BWByvs_ITQ

[HowieBass]

[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1441529532' post='2859457']
WARNING!!! Over 5 minutes long!!

[media]http://youtu.be/9BWByvs_ITQ[/media]
[/quote]

I'd rather watch Brian Cox playing a synth

[JTUK]

Very apply named. Assume he doesn't play like that all the time..??

[barneyg42]

http://youtu.be/fBJxyGDfRWY

[discreet]

Truly terrible. He is quite obviously a drummer.

[barneyg42]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1441531295' post='2859472']


I'd rather watch Brian Cox playing a synth
[/quote]

How Dare you say that!!!

[discreet]

[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1441532367' post='2859484']
http://youtu.be/fBJxyGDfRWY
[/quote]

Now that's a BIG improvement.

[tauzero]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1441453559' post='2858998']
Vintage: Proper hefty bass sound with bass played as it should be, as part of a rhythm section. Rugged and manly.
Hi-Fi: Widdly-widdly twangy cutlery-drawer-down-the-stairs in your face inappropriate slappy solo nipple-rub for gaylords.
[/quote]

Vintage: muffled muddy indistinct sound, where not only can you not tell what type of bass is being played, you can't tell what note is being played either. Think "hippopotamus farting underwater" and you're there.

Hi-fi: Unforgivingly distinct sound, where every single wrong note and string noise is amplified a thousandfold. Useful for discovering exactly how inaccurate a tab is.

[dincz]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1441531904' post='2859479']
Very apply named.[/quote]

Brian Cox? Never noticed that before.