Paul_C Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I've not had the privilege of trying one myself (I did own a '78 P bass, which was nice, but nothing really pricey), but I know that a number of people on the forum own/have owned some of the more desirable 60s Fenders, whether P or J. (I did own a '78 P bass, which was nice, but nothing really pricey.) I had a Highway One P bass that, as far as I can recall, sounded more or less like the '78 but have never had the chance to A/B a new bass against one that might fetch ten times as much. So is there any substance to the belief that vintage is best ? Or are you just as likely to buy something modern that would be indistinguishable when it comes to sound ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdy Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 [quote name='Paul_C' post='488401' date='May 15 2009, 12:16 AM']I've not had the privilege of trying one myself (I did own a '78 P bass, which was nice, but nothing really pricey), but I know that a number of people on the forum own/have owned some of the more desirable 60s Fenders, whether P or J. (I did own a '78 P bass, which was nice, but nothing really pricey.) I had a Highway One P bass that, as far as I can recall, sounded more or less like the '78 but have never had the chance to A/B a new bass against one that might fetch ten times as much. So is there any substance to the belief that vintage is best ? Or are you just as likely to buy something modern that would be indistinguishable when it comes to sound ?[/quote] I have a 65 Jazz and there is something wonderful about the tones that it produces in my opinion. Not sure they are worth the additional dosh that you have to pay to get one really but most of the vintage basses I have played have sounded different to newer ones in a subtle way. A lot of people prefer the more modern sound so I dont think that you could say that vintage is 'best' - just different and some people like that. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) i have often wondered (being a jazz fan) if its worth buying a 60's/70's jazz?.. I have heard you can either get a peach or a turkey.. and not all vintage jazzez are good..i may take the plunge and sell the sadowsky and 75 RI to get one..or are custom shop's a better bet? Edited May 15, 2009 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjb Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) [quote]...i may take the plunge and sell the sadowsky and 75 RI to get one...[/quote] Really? I'll bet it won't sound better than the Sadowsky or the Fender 75 you have. Why trade two great basses just to come out of the deal with an older version of what you already have? I'm very skeptical about the value placed on some of these old basses - there's a bit of a gold rush going on at the moment and prices can get silly. Edited May 15, 2009 by rjb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I don't get 'old is better' from a tone / playability point of view - bad basses made in the 60s/70s are still bad basses today. Granted, there will be some sublime instruments amongst them but some old Fenders I've seen / played costing thousands where absolutely bloody awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRISDABASS Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [quote name='rjb' post='488439' date='May 15 2009, 06:24 AM']Really? I'll bet it won't sound better than the Sadowsky or the Fender 75 you have. Why trade two great basses just to come out of the deal with an older version of what you already have? I'm very skeptical about the value placed on some of these old basses - there's a bit of a gold rush going on at the moment and prices can get silly.[/quote] HUGE +1 i'd stick with what you have!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 It's more about looks, feel and investment than sound, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [quote name='Paul_C' post='488401' date='May 15 2009, 12:16 AM']Or are you just as likely to buy something modern that would be indistinguishable when it comes to sound ?[/quote] I love the look of an old beaten up [sunburst] bass, but have always maintained that new gear sounds/plays better. It's flares and pointy headstocks. Trends change. I've got an old Precision (sill available...) but I'd argue that my newer gear sounds much nicer. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 There's good and bad in all eras - I would say that newer basses are more likely to be consistent in quality simply because of modern manufacturing techniques. The early ones varied considerably as a result of more hand finishing (You know the idea of a 'Monday morning' or Friday afternoon' one). If and when you are lucky enough to find a good early Precision or Jazz however there's nothing quite like it. The investment angle is a bonus 'cos they ain't going to go down in value whereas a new (particularly exotic high-end) bass takes a dive as soon as you walk away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [quote name='Paul_C' post='488401' date='May 15 2009, 12:16 AM']So is there any substance to the belief that vintage is best ? Or are you just as likely to buy something modern that would be indistinguishable when it comes to sound ?[/quote] I find it hard to believe that in every other aspect mankind has improved and progressed apart from the ability to shape wood into a bass/guitar and wrap copper wire around a magnet. I think the best guitars ever made will be made this year and next years guitars will be even better. We've now got people with decades of electric instrument manufacturing experience, something we didn't have in the 50's and 60's. Are we really saying that these people got worse as their knowledge and skils were honed? FWIW, I used to have a 77 Jazz. Not a bad bass, but a long, long way away from what I'd call a great bass. There's also a vintage instrument shop not to far from here with prices that would make your eyes bleed. Some nice instruments, but nothing special I've got some modern basses which are just so much better in every aspect which still cost substantially less than what that bass would be worth today. Yes, there is a coolness factor to old equipment and maybe that acts as a placebo to some who buy into the concept, but I think it's hot air to suggest that as a rule old=good, to be honest. Yes, there are some great old instruments but there are more bad than good, in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I'm picking up a '78 Precision later today, and as excited as I am, I must confess to being nervous about whether or not it'll be as amazing as I hope. It could be comfy, dripping with mojo and everything I'm looking for, or, it could just be a beat up old P bass. I'll let you know tomorrow. I've never owned a "vintage" Fender before, so I have no idea what to expect, but I'm [i]hoping[/i] for a [i]vibe[/i] as much as anything like WOT points out. I also think the price I've paid is fair too, and I agree that many of the old Fender I've seen have been vastly over priced IMO. My other bass is a battered Fender H1 Jazz, and I'm hoping they'll partner each other well live, and whether or not there will be any great difference between two Fenders made 30 years apart I really don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I prefer new stuff. Old Fenders feel like antiques! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I don't think there's much risk with yours Russ - it's not costing much more than a new US Precision and I'm sure it'll be a good working bass. It's the really battered ones costing thousands I don't understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='488531' date='May 15 2009, 09:22 AM']Old Fenders feel like antiques![/quote] A bit like me Yes Al, I'm sure you're right. I can't wait to get my hands on it later on, and I know it's coming from a good seller. Very excited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Having owned and sold 70's Fenders when they were new(ish), I can honestly say that my Squier VM Jazz is equal to any of them in sound/playability. However, I understand the concept of desirability for older basses (although I wouldn't call the 70's 'vintage'). If I had kept some of the basses that I have owned, I would be a rich man.... but at the time some of them were so bad they just were not worth keeping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Nice bike mate, is that you in the avatar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [quote name='Rayman' post='488553' date='May 15 2009, 09:44 AM']Nice bike mate, is that you in the avatar?[/quote] Thanks, it took me two years to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) I have a 73 P I bought in 78 and the trouble is....I don't know if it's any good or not. I bought it because it was a professionals tool and the choice at the time was small. I love it - but I don't really know if it's a good example , just that it feels good to me. It's the ref. that I base other instruments on but it might be a poor ref. and I wouldn't know that. Hope that makes sense. I have played other vintage instruments - even owned others - and there is something to me about the 'mojo' of a bass. If it's your 'own' mojo from years of playing it - that's priceless , not so sure about paying a fortune to 'buy in' mojo. If you think about it - I've never bought a vintage instrument - I bought a fairly new used one and kept it for ages. At the time the established Fender heads would say I bought a rubbish one because it wasn't pre-CBS. Now 73 P's are collectors items. I suppose the real question is 'what would I replace it with if the house burned down'. I'm pretty sure the answer would be a japanese re-ish. Edited May 15, 2009 by Dr.Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozbass Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) [quote name='bubinga5' post='488437' date='May 15 2009, 02:38 AM']..or are custom shop's a better bet?[/quote] I've played a good few very old Fenders, tried a few custom shops and own a Masterbuilt Jazz Fretless (supposedly a step up from CS - an individually, hand-built instrument) - to me the CS basses have the look and feel of an older Fender but sound more like a more recent model - I'd include my Masterbuilt in this (and don't think it's a bad thing). I'm not sure that I'd sell two lovely Jazzers to get hold of an older Fender or CS instrument. Edited May 15, 2009 by lozbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) I can't remember who's really old P I was fortunate enough to have a quick noodle on at the SEBB last year [and my sincere apologies for that] but it was great and I'd have that over the VMP I briefly had any day, ditto the CIJ 50th anniversary P me mate has. The others were good, but there was something about the old one that was just, I don't know, much much better. I felt bloody scared holding it though. I'll have a pair of 1970 Fenders one day, it's me birth year see. Tomorrow mebbe, when the lotto comes in. EDIT: It was Sixshooters, so that makes it a '59. Carry on. Edited May 15, 2009 by johnnylager Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I've played new Ps and Js that were as nice as mine to play. There's more to it that that, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I've had the pleasure of playing an old 1972 Jazz for a few gigs and it does sound terrific, but I'd say buying an old Fender is more of an investment. Prices for them are rocketing sky high, I remember looking round a couple of years ago and the price of a pre-CBS was the same price for an early to mid 70's model now... it's getting really out of hand. A lot of them sound great though, I think that once the wood has dried out over years and years, tone in Fenders vastly improves. I got the chance to play a '79 P-Bass and it sounded amazing, but the asking price was £2000... no thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I still have difficulties with the idea of 70s Fenders being vintage instruments... They're old, right enough, but in the 1980s you couldn't shift them... the perception being that they were awful instruments, not just compared to pre-CBS instruments, but also in comparison with new ones. When did they suddenly get 'good'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) I've got a '78 Jazz and it sounds great and plays very nicely, I doubt though that all basses from that year would Someone made the point that skills had improved in instrument building. I'm not sure I agree, I think standards in all mass production have steadily declined since the concept first appeared and Fender are certainly no exception to that, obviously specialised manufacturers have improved.... Thats why I've also got an Alembic, it is a very hard wearing, over engineered tool that can fit very well and perform to a very high standard in any situation which for a gigging and recording pro is essential. Edited May 15, 2009 by jakesbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 [quote name='jakesbass' post='488614' date='May 15 2009, 10:35 AM']Someone made the point that skills had improved in instrument. I'm not sure I agree, I think standards in all mass production have steadily declined since the concept first appeared and Fender are certainly no exception to that, obviously specialised manufacturers have improved....[/quote]T'was me and, don't worry, I wasn't referring to FMIC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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