60s budget basses

[Annoying Twit]

From information about a Harmony H22 bass.

[url="http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/H22.php"]http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/H22.php[/url]

[quote]1960s budget guitars were very much better than the mass-produced budget offerings of today.[/quote]

Really? That's not what I've heard.

[hillbilly deluxe]

Not the ones that i had,most were dreadfull.

[geoffbyrne]

Personally, I think cheap basses are currently the best they've ever been. With CNC routing there is, at least, a consistancy about the better-known brands even if they *are* cheap.

I remember the really cheapo's being sold in places like Woolworths and they were really only fit for firewood.

I picked up one once, and I think it started out with a FLAT fingerboard, but due to shrinkage & warping the fretboard was CONCAVE complete with now concave frets.

The tone off the pickups was usually very thin as they didn't have many windings on them and I think many of the bodies were made from old orange boxes......

G.

[BigAlonBass]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='925355' date='Aug 15 2010, 09:35 AM']From information about a Harmony H22 bass.

[url="http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/H22.php"]http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/H22.php[/url]



Really? That's not what I've heard.[/quote]
I only wish the people that write this sort of tosh were actually there to play the same Basses I did. I'd love to be 13/14 years old, and starting off again with the type of equipment there is on sale these days. I'm constantly astounded at the levels of finish, etc. that are available for much less (in real terms) than I paid back then. [i]Young'uns today-don't know they're born-I remember when it was all fields round here........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz[/i]

[Cat Burrito]

I had an old Harmony acoustic which was great but definitely better consistancy in budget kit now. No question

[nick]

Think the majority of the old 'budget' stuff can be considered rubbish, but there are a few gems amongst the crap.

I've got a Commodore hollowbody from that period, probably made by Matsomuko. Picked it up for peanuts, gave it a set-up, fret dress etc... and it's great!

Edited August 15, 2010 by nick

[Toddy]

No brainer really,,,our crack conveters have at least 5 basses under £50, that, with a set up and strings,, would beat a lot made by fender in the 70,s !

,,,,,,never mind a 60,s budget.....

Edited August 15, 2010 by Toddy

[Toddy]

and too prove a point,,,,, the first guitar,,,, of Mr George Harrison,,, wasnt great eh !!!!

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Toddy' post='925944' date='Aug 15 2010, 10:40 PM']No brainer really,,,our crack conveters have at least 5 basses under £50, that, with a set up and strings,, would beat anything made by fender in the 70,s !

,,,,,,never mind a 60,s budget.....[/quote]
+1 to BigAlonBass`s comment - you had to have one of these to really appreciate them. My first bass, a Kay SG copy cost me £45 in 1980 - considering beer was abt 30p a pint back then, equivalent to 140 pints (approx £400 in todays money). It was the cheapest bass abt at the time, action prob near an inch away from the fretboard.

The quality of budget instruments is so much better now, and the prices are way more reasonable. Nice to see, usually things "back in the old days" are viewed as being better, but in this case, progress has certainly been made.

[Marcus Müller]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='925355' date='Aug 15 2010, 09:35 AM']From information about a Harmony H22 bass.

[url="http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/H22.php"]http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/H22.php[/url]



Really? That's not what I've heard.[/quote]
all bujit gitarz is crap - unless it is a good bass gitar of corse, then its good crap!

[nick]

[quote name='Marcus Müller' post='925963' date='Aug 15 2010, 10:56 PM']all bujit gitarz is crap - unless it is a good bass gitar of corse, then its good crap![/quote]

That about sums it up, bang on Marcus!

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='nick' post='925938' date='Aug 15 2010, 10:33 PM']Think the majority of the old 'budget' stuff can be considered rubbish, but there are a few gems amongst the crap.

I've got a Commodore hollowbody from that period, probably made by Matsomuko. Picked it up for peanuts, gave it a set-up, fret dress etc... and it's great!

[/quote]

I like that

[tauzero]

I've just had a look at some numbers, and if you use average earnings as the yardstick for the pound's worth, a tenner in 1970 would be £209 today. That's about one and a half SXs IIRC, and there's quite respectable Ibanethethetheth, Peaveys, Yamahas etc for one and half times that.