maxrossell Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 When I started out playing guitar and bass and stuff (we're talking maybe '91 or so) I was really into anything really shiny and sparkly and pointy and modern. Trans blue and green flame maple finishes, Ibanez RGs, thin 24 fret necks, Floyd Roses, EMGs, all that stuff that we associate with "modern" guitars. With amp heads it was like, the more knobs and channels and functions and LCD displays the better. Now that I'm at the tail-end of my twenties though, it seems that I've totally changed my tastes and now only older stuff will do. By that I mean older designs. Les Paul Standards, Strats, Esquires, old Gretschs, Precisions, Jazzes, maybe at a push a Flying V. I also only really like single-channel valve guitar amps, and I've totally gone off modern bass amp heads. More than five dials on the front of an amp and I probably won't want it. It's gotten to the point where I generally won't look at a piece of electric music gear unless it's got valves and simple circuitry in it, and I literally would rather not play an instrument if the model wasn't being made over forty years ago. I'm not rich enough to afford actual vintage gear, so at the moment I just stick to the least modern gear I can find. but if I had the money I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't own any instrument, pedal or amp that was built after 1980. I'm curious to know - do you guys think this is a realistic and reasonable approach to music gear, or do you think it's just snobbery and pointless nerdy obsession? Do you share my infatuation with older equipment, or do you believe that modern stuff is better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) What exactly is the reason you like vintage gear..would like to know the exact reasons for this preference to older gear....is it the sound of an old valve amp, the (i hate this word) Mojo of an early bass...i believe as a musician (apart from the asthetic qualities) you should buy the gear that suites you most in every aspect of your playing... i would like to try out an early 60's jazz but personaly find it a bit daunting..seems its a little bit of a mine field, especially with the sort of cash they go for...ive had a few basses, but in the end ive come down to two basses that i cant really fault, and give me the sound, feel and playability that i want.. alot of 'modern gear' is very hard to beat, i defy any vintage bass, to match a Sei jazz for performance..0r any othr high end instrument,.. unless you find something old, thats very special...The evolution of design is inevitably going to make things erm...better.(not always i know) My own views are that bass and amp building are better than they were 20/30 years ago, no doubt about it...for me wanting vintage gear is more about a certain sound, nostalgia, or an investment...im a jazz bass nut so i love the thought of a 62 jazz, but the reality is, i would rather spend 3-4 grand on an Alleva or Celinder than a 62 jazz...unless the jazz was amazing!! the bottom line is there is room for both..an old bass through a modern valve amp, a modern bass through a vintage amp.and mix it up..pays your money, take choice...there is so much choice you can get lost..for me a CS jazz or Sei through an Aguilar is enough...still like to funk a 62 jazz through a valve Ampeg though. i certainly wouldnt just stick to vintage gear though,, the modern world of bass has so much to offer... Edited November 20, 2009 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barks Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='659827' date='Nov 20 2009, 03:31 AM']What exactly is the reason you like vintage gear..would like to know the exact reasons for this preference to older gear....is it the sound of an old valve amp, the (i hate this word) Mojo of an early bass...i believe as a musician (apart from the asthetic qualities) you should buy the gear that suites you most in every aspect of your playing... i would like to try out an early 60's jazz but personaly find it a bit daunting..seems its a little bit of a mine field, especially with the sort of cash they go for...ive had a few basses, but in the end ive come down to two basses that i cant really fault, and give me the sound, feel and playability that i want.. alot of 'modern gear' is very hard to beat, i defy any vintage bass, to match a Sei jazz for performance..0r any othr high end instrument,.. unless you find something old, thats very special...The evolution of design is inevitably going to make things erm...better.(not always i know) My own views are that bass and amp building are better than they were 20/30 years ago, no doubt about it...for me wanting vintage gear is more about a certain sound, nostalgia, or an investment...im a jazz bass nut so i love the thought of a 62 jazz, but the reality is, i would rather spend 3-4 grand on an Alleva or Celinder than a 62 jazz...unless the jazz was amazing!! the bottom line is there is room for both..an old bass through a modern valve amp, a modern bass through a vintage amp.and mix it up..pays your money, take choice...there is so much choice you can get lost..for me a CS jazz or Sei through an Aguilar is enough...still like to funk a 62 jazz through a valve Ampeg though. i certainly wouldnt just stick to vintage gear though,, the modern world of bass has so much to offer...[/quote] +1 to pretty much all of the above. I am playing a Nordy VJ5 bass that has to be nicer than any old Jazz, certainly that I've come across up to now. And my Aguilar, Bergantino rig is half as heavy as vintage stuff usually is with no loss of quality in terms of sound. (It's probably better actually.) I will qualify that with the fact that I would still love to own a nice old P Bass, just because they do have a certain something if you find the right one. Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I definitly know where you're coming from! When I started out It was all about modern designs, tiny body shapes, hated trad. shapes etc etc. As I've grown up, I have definitly matured and mellowed in my tastes, Fender designs, Old school hollowbodies and the like. Haven't found a preference for old tube amps though, as reliability is still important to me haha. But yeah, all but two of my seven basses are Jazz basses, with the other two being a Precision and a Stingray....so hardly uber modern there . I have one 'vintage' bass, I have an ever increasing love for old fenders, but I don't think I'd limit myself to just using them, my '73 is lovely, but my 2003 Jazz is the benchmark for ALL basses I now try. I just bought a new Squier Classic Vibe and that is superb. I'm also perving over a 1969 Jazz (lots of bunce). Hmmmm Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxrossell Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='659827' date='Nov 20 2009, 03:31 AM']What exactly is the reason you like vintage gear..would like to know the exact reasons for this preference to older gear....is it the sound of an old valve amp, the (i hate this word) Mojo of an early bass...[/quote] I think it's two things (which ultimately I suppose are the same thing). I think firstly I like the feel of older instruments, the way they look and the way they play. I think their flaws add the their character, and to me what makes a good old guitar harder to play is also what brings out more personality in your playing. You take a Les Paul, it's heavy, a bit unwieldy, it isn't really comfort-contoured and if you play it hard you can even end up cutting your hands - that to me adds an intensity to your playing that you don't get from a slim, lightweight superstrat where you can barely feel the thing when you're playing it. It's the same with amps and effects and stuff. It seems to me that with older stuff you have to work harder to find sweet spots, but when you find them they're better than anything, whereas with more modern stuff it all works fine across the board, but the trade-off is that you don't get any sweet spots (Line6 gear is a good example of this). I think on the whole what I'm saying is that old stuff (good old stuff, I mean) is a challenge to use, but is so much more rewarding when you get it right, whereas modern stuff is far less challenging but doesn't give you anywhere near the same kind of satisfaction. For instance, one of my guitar players owns a Mesa Dual Rec, one of the latest ones, and it's a real plug-in-and-go amp. Three channels, each with three gain settings, and individual gain, EQ and master, and you can't really get a bad sound out of it. But the trade-off is that there aren't really any amazing sounds in there either. It's actually a pretty boring amp. My Marshall Vintage Modern, on the other hand, is a pretty basic single-channel amp, and if you don't know your way around it then it'll most likely sound awful - but once you get to the sweet spots it makes the Mesa (an amp four times the price) look like dogs*** by comparison. Okay, so the VM is actually newer than the Mesa, but it's a revamp of a design that's been around since the sixties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) for me any flaws are nice in a nostalgic way, i know what you mean...but playing good electric bass is hard enough, so i dont want any parts of the bass, wether it be comfort, uneven tone (although this is inevitable on some instruments).to hinder me...i want to concentrate on my playing, not the fact that the bass is uncomfortable..i get my nostalgia from scratches i made on my Fender or the dings and cracks on my Sei.... remember modern basses will be old one day... for cutting my hands on an un contoured bass, thats not my sort of intensity, but each to there own...i dont think that an instrument that is harder to play adds to your personality, your personality should be there regardless of the instrument..IMHO There is nothing like a worn in bass..i got my Sei 5 from Molan, and its the most comfortable bass ive ever played..from the shallow heel, the silky smooth body, to the lightness of it...then there is the tone.wow the tone......just an amazing instrument...very clever man Martin Peterson..even the side dots that are white, have tinny metal surroundings..and the slim neck with smaller string spacing is such a joy to play..... sound very stupid, but sometimes i im playing and i laugh at how good the tone and playability of this bass is..yes i am strange and have no friends.. ive had heavy, and neck dive basses in the past, and there a pain in the erm....back...each to there own definately...still want a 60's jazz though... one in an off white with a rose wood board and pearl blocks and matching headstock..(dont know if this color was available in 60's?)...B5 is dribbling while writing this... saying all this im really not sure what i would go for out of a well sorted 62 jazz or something like a Celinder or Alleva?? Edited November 20, 2009 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 [quote name='maxrossell' post='659721' date='Nov 19 2009, 10:27 PM']Do you think it's just snobbery and pointless nerdy obsession?[/quote] No [quote name='maxrossell' post='659721' date='Nov 19 2009, 10:27 PM']Do you share my infatuation with older equipment[/quote] Yes [quote name='maxrossell' post='659721' date='Nov 19 2009, 10:27 PM']do you believe that modern stuff is better?[/quote] Probably, but who cares? It doesn't have that smell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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