Great video, you hit the mark on so many levels. I started playing bass and guitar in 1973 and your "vintage P" would have been just another 7 year old Fender hanging on the wall in some music store. None of us thought these were "Holy Grail" instruments, in fact, we always looked forward to what the next model year would bring which was better instruments hopefully! BTW, I've played hundreds of basses from different eras and what do I play now? A 2010 Squier P, a 2009 Squier J, and Taiwanese made Yamaha RBX (all with better quality pickups installed) All are as good as anything else I've ever used.
Thank you! You're so right about no one thinking of them as "Holy Grail" instruments. You could even score a Carl Thompson bass for cheap back when I started and that was the late 80s. I had to edit out my rant about how things were when people first started going crazy over vintage gear. It was absurd!! Anyway, good on you for realizing the only difference between Fender & Squier is the name on their head-stocks. The core principals are still there, just like Music Man/Sterling. I've never owned a Yamaha RBX but I have played them and I appreciate that they have 24 frets. These days, I've been playing my Ibanez ATK and AFB a lot. I'd put the ATK up against any Stingray and while I still think the Epiphone Jack Casady is the best semi-hollow bass right now, the Ibanez AFB is a close second...I need to run a solid test on the Guild Starfire, though.
I dig this guy, down to earth, honest, knows his sh*t and an excellent player. That’s the way it’s done folks. You can learn tons from this man. Thank you sir
Thanks for this awesome advice, so glad i just saw your video, i’ve been really looking at Vintage Fender Basses lately, but haven’t gotten myself to pull the trigger with the crazy cost of them, I appreciate you. 👍🏼
I agree 💯%!! I bought my 1976 Rick 4001 in 1982, and always keep it at home. It still plays great and I have many fond memories playing that bass. This year I bought a new Fender American Pro II P-bass, put some Labella low-tension flats on it and I’m loving it! I never hesitate to take it to rehearsals or gigs and consider it my #1 now. Thanks for this insightful video!!
I have a 2004 Mexican P-bass with Lollar Pick Ups and a Fender Hi Mass Bridge which sounds pretty good but I had a Squire Vintage Modified PJ that felt and sounded way better 😂😂, I just traded the Vintage Modified for a Squire Classic Vibe 70s P-Bass and it also feels better than my Mexican P-bass and it still has the stock pick ups and cheap little bridge. I swapped the pots and raised the pick ups and it came to life and soon I'll put a better bridge.
Great point. Love vintage gear. However manufacturing has advanced so much that budget guitars are amazing. If it’s not perfect to your preferences you can spend a few extra hundreds dollars to modify it
I agree. You don’t need it and it’s silly to buy it. However if I had the money I would still gladly buy it because it’s like buying a museum item. And it has a cool vibe. Keep in mind items from that time period actually do show up in history museums
100% agree. I haven't spent as much as you on fender stuff, but its hard for me to replace my schecter stiletto. It's just lighter and slimmer than most stuff I try
I have both vintage and modern. I really think it depends on the bass. My favorites are an 90’s Stingray, a new Sandberg, and an 80’s Squire. Funny thing is the Sandberg set me back the most and my Squire was 400 bucks but it just vibes with me. Thanks for the video. You saved me some serious 💰chasing the vintage gear. 🙏🏼
This guy is right. There's tons of new basses out there that sound and play fabulously, and the crafting is incredible, if you compare with axes sold in the seventies or earlier. Look at Yamaha, Sire, Ibanez, Jackson, etc
Man, I mostly play guitar but I love playing bass too. The only bass I have is a Squier Vintage Modified 70's Jazz bass that I bought brand new in 2014. It's been professionally set up and it's perfect, it didn't need any modifications. I could play that bass for the rest of my life.
Great video and your point about having to gig with an expensive piece of gear is spot on. Les Claypool, earlier this year, said he doesn't travel with the Rainbow Bass anymore because he's afraid something will happen to it and it's just too valuable. The new gear really is amazing too. Totally agree there. When finding a good bass, for me, it's always been about one that "fits" me. When I was young, that could be a more vintage bass or a newer one, but today I have been priced out of the vintage bass market. Fortunately there are a ton of great newer bass options out there. My only complaint is that they almost always need a setup. I wonder how many times a great bass is passed on because the action is too high or low or varies too much down the neck.
Thank you! I'm sure a lot of basses with great potential are passed on for the reasons you mentioned, as well as issues with the electronics. Yes, there are great new options out there and like you, I'm always looking the one that "fits me" in every way. I am still searching...
Me looking over at my mid-late 2000s Jackson Dinky with the reverse headstock. Was maybe $400 bucks back then. Has been my go to studio guitar for years now because it plays great and I can get everything from country to metal out of it. Just broke the nut on the last restring so I’ve gotta get that fixed. But in another 20 years that guitar will be vintage af!
I got a Rickenbacker 4003S brand new in 2019 for roughly 1500 bucks. It is by far my number one bass followed by my Mexican made Fender Precision. The only vintage bass in my collection is an early 80s G&L L-1000 and it has a warped neck, but I didn't pay anything for it, it was given to me by a family friend.
The price you paid for your Ric is exactly what I'm looking to pay for one. Also been looking at new L-1000s. So crazy what you said about it being from a family friend because I cut those words out of this video to get it under 10 minutes!
@@progrockjock There's also the L-2000 which has two humbuckers and has a an active-passive switch so if you run of battery there's no problem unlike the Stingray that it's exclusively active, the L2000 it's like a Swiss knife of basses. This demo convinced me of saving for one: ruclips.net/video/qLtsx-eH9Wc/видео.html
Love this, especially when you pulled out that 2007 fender jazz bass. I recently got one in gross condition for $350 but fixed it up and it sounds so great now
You're absolutely right. I bought a early 70's Gibson Grabber - tone is very cool and unique, but the action is like my upright bass and it's very tiring to play. As you say, the imperfections become our "perfection"... I don't play it often, only in the studio when looking for a unique tone.
I have a 1990 fender Squier P bass which I’ve had from New, The difference could be, it was especially ordered left-handed base, and my tech seems to think there’s more fender than Squire in it, but I’ve tried more expensive, more modern and more older bass guitars always gone back to my squire. I just love it
Praise to the lefty players!! I played a Squier Jazz in the early 90s, which actually belonged to a close friend and former musical companion of mine. He was actually the one who got me into vintage gear in the first place when he loaned me his uncle's early 70s Jazz Bass. We went on to explore session recording and touring together and still to this day, he swears by the old gear, but I think Squier just as good and terribly underrated.
Just before Covid I picked up a 73 Fender Jazz for $4,500 (AUS) it's now worth about $6/7K. The only reason to buy an old vintage bass is for investment. People are flogging their old P basses here at high prices. I have a (Steve Chick) Industrial Radio Midi Jazz bass he built for me last year, I put some custom 62 Jazz pickups in and it sounds amazing. New Fender basses are made so well, I'd be happy with a light weight P bass. When I play a long gig I take my Fender Lyte Bass, through a Gallien Krueger Head it rocks. You never mention strings? Preferences? I gather you have old flatwounds on the 66 P? Cheers, great vids btw.
Hi, I agree with you about instruments being an investment. I used to lose money on all of them 20 years ago but now I've made a profit on 4 out of the 6 instruments I've sold over the past year. I borrowed an early 70s Fender Jazz from a close friend and bandmate of mine for a couple of years but the natural 2007, MIM Jazz in this video is my first. I've owned 5 Precision basses - 1966, 1967, 1968, 1983 and 1989 (P/J Deluxe). I kept the 66 and sold or traded the rest. I know I wasn't very detailed about the strings and other preferences in this video, but I've since learned that people want to know that stuff, so all of those details are generally mentioned in my more recent videos and moving forward. On the 66 P, I'm using 3-year old rotosound, round wounds. The only bass with flats is my 2019 BFR Fretless Stingray. My Pedulla has ghs pressurewound strings. My favorite strings are Ernie Ball Super Slinky. I use those on the Fender Jazz and the Ibanez ATK 700. In most of these videos, you're hearing the tc electronic BG500. I also have the SVT-2 & 3 but that's it for my amps. Thank you for watching and commenting!
The best SG guitar I've ever played is a Harley Benton dc600 that I bought for barely 120 bucks second hand but mint. That colour! Omg! I love it! Tuners where already fine and I've put on a vibrola with an roller bridge. And put in a pair of tonerider alnico4 pickups and a octane alnico8 pickup. And it became an monster if an SG. A true beast from the classic pafs growl for awesome rock or roll tunes to the heavy tight metal sound with the octane pickup. The guitar costed me around a total of 350 bucks. It will never be sold off again in my lifetime.😊
1. I owned an early '65 L-serial Fender Jazz Bass--for all intents and purposes pre-CBS--in the early '90s, back when I could buy that for under $1,000. Though the finish had been stripped before--and so I refinished it nicely--it was a very good bass. Though I later sold it and regret it to some extent it's not a big deal. I learned to build and set up my own basses and I've come to realize that they are positively every bit as good as that '65 at least. They look great, feel great, play great, and sound great and I honestly believe they're in all ways at least as nice as what Fender Custom Shop produces, but for a fraction of their retail prices.
Vintage bass pricing is crazy. My first bass was a 76 Fender Mustang I picked up for like $250 in 86'. Played it till I got a full size bass in 89' and it sat in a closet till my son wanted to learn bass in 09' then back in the closet. FFWD to a couple years ago, one of the bass players I follow posted pics of a new bass he was stoked to find. I look and see it's a 77' Mustang and thought "really?" Then I saw the "deal" he got and was stunned. Looked mine up and learned that my first "beginner bass" was the Jewel of my collection lol. I never loved the tone back in the day but now that I know how to set up a bass immediately saw why. Pickups were slammed to the pickguard. Intonation was spot on though and after a quick set up, I plugged it in and was pleasantly surprised. I was Impressed enough that I used it to track a song on an album I was working on lol. I'd love to get a 60's era P but would be hard pressed to pony up for it. I'd likely nab something like a Sean Hurley signature custom shop bass. Expensive but way less money than vintage and designed to sound like a 62'.
@@progrockjock Dude... $4500 for one in good condition. That's crazy! Mine is relic'd by teen clumsiness and punk rock angst when didn't devalue it like I'd expect lol. Really, it's priceless to me and I'd never part with it. It's where my journey began. I'd love a vintage P for tracking but not at current prices.
I know what you mean. My 66 was pretty beat up when I got it, which made it easier to add some extra wear to it. Most of my other basses are in pristine condition. I think it has something to do with the way they finished instruments back in the day.
Thanks for this video, it definitely helped me save money! By the way, there's a poster with a green-haired man in the background, where is it from? I really like it
I did the same with Gibson basses. Great instruments but felt like I was paranoid to damage them, lose them or get stolen. Found other basses in my collection more fun to play and take care of, that cost a lot less and could modify to my liking without 'defacing' a relic
I tried a cherry red Hagstrom Viking B at my area Guitar Center like the one you returned and the switch was exactly the same way. It would keep coming loose too as you use the selector switch, that plus I was not sure if the neck could be cranked down and action gotten low. Asking the on-site guitar tech to do that because you’re looking to buy does not always get the desired results as I found with the Jack Casady model.
Just a tip. I bought my self a Japanese 1984 Fender Jazz bass medium scale. Not being satisfied with my standard Fender jazz bass neck action was suddenly gone. So much better to use medium scale. Better fit for the human avarage hand.
I bought my P bass brand new I love it in 1973 looks awesome & I love it. I like the P bass for me the neck nice & nature for me. I play double bass P bass feels comfortable on my hand nice transition 👌.
Just for you own fun or fun with friends he's so right. I've always been able to find and love an affordable version of any bass I've wanted (except Rickenbacker). However to compete as a pro, it makes sense to walk into an audition or a session with at least one instrument that will make producers and engineers be glad to see you. They see an 'affordable' one and worry that they're going to have to spend a lot of time hunting for the sound they want or moving faders up and down between notes, or giving up and just compressing the hell out of it so they can move on with their lives. However, they know well how to get the right sound from a top-of-the-line, tried-and-true product they're used to working with and love you for it. Unless they're gear-snobs and tell you that you were stupid not to already know that the instrument they own is the only one that should be permitted to remain on the Earth. You know the type. But at least even THEY, (who OWN the project and thus you) can't accuse you of cheaping out or not caring. After a lot of reading and talking around, I saved up for a "Fender American Ultra Precision" (PJ actually, it's got a bridge pickup that kicks ass too). In the Ultra series they're going back to the original reasons for inventing these instruments. The Precision (Fender's first) was first conceived to solve the problem in the studio of the very 'imprecise' nature of upright basses. Engineers needed a more consistent, reliable tone with a flatter envelope to sit in the mix and players wanted to achieve that, but uprights are naturally subject to subtle performance nuances that are cool and fun, but the new Rock and Pop needed bass tracks to be more consistent and 'precise.' Then players started missing the expressive nature of upright basses, so Fender created the Jazz bass, which offers more freedom of expression as bass was becoming more of a featured player in bands. So to be in good standing in my industry and to best serve my band, the ultra Precision. For fun when it's just a few dudes going impromptu, my souped-up Squier Jazz that totaled about a quarter of the price.
You want two secret tips? 1 vintage is also a guitar brand in the UK and they have icon and reissue series. They are really affordable but such an high quality and feel. 2. There's a pickup brand called tonerider pickups. They are really cheap and their sound is better than the original it copies.
2. The heart of great bass is essential in the neck and the setup. There are lots of great pickup makers e.g. Fralin, Novak, Arcane, etc. Great hardware--easy. Pick your strings to taste. It isn't rocket science. Knowing how to dial in your own setups; knowing how to use a soldering iron... if you've got a handle on that then you're well on your way to having a bass that always plays great and sounds great.
Great video. This fever for posh and vintage tools is getting out-of-control and taking people away from actualling playing and enjoying it. I'm recovering from a Mustang chase and getting back to the basics. Got a Sire P5R by around 500 bacon and I'm studio-ready with an alder body and roasted neck far more lighweight, reliable, stable and comfortable than many MIM.
Another great video mate. RUclips hasn't been putting your videos in my feed for a long time. It's infuriating because I want to see your uploads (I'm sub'd) but they keep feeding me crap. Sorry for the rant, but I subscribe to channels because I want to see their videos (obviously) and lately, I haven't seen a single upload by You, C.C. Bass, Lobster, Tony Franklin or Nate Navarro. I'm guessing YT is trying to starve out independent music channels. 😡
Hey, I hope you're doing well! That's crazy to hear about the RUclips feed - I also subscribe to smaller channels and I also have to search out new content from them. Either way, it's great to hear from you and I'm grateful for your support! Thank you!!
All of my equipment right now is modern stuff. People are really hesitant to accept that modern gear can achieve vintage tones for some reason. Gear does matter to a certain extent in that you need it to be reliable and for it to hold a set up and tuning etc but largely I think if you can't make a P or a J or an HH bass and make it work then honestly the problem is kinda on you. Adjust that technique, change up your EQ, etc. Modern CNC machining is super good. The person finishing it is the question right now for production basses. Some of them will be excellent but others you will basically have to finish building. Some of the vintage stuff is very good. It can also be just as bad as today's misses and sometimes worse since the tolerances for all the dimensions of the parts aren't as accurate as today. People forget that not ever instrument made in 59 was good. The revered ones are the prime examples, and there's plenty of stinkers out there. Basically, there's pros and cons to both, but I'm gonna lean toward modern gear since it will be more cost effective for a larger demographic. And yeah the best point is the cost and anxiety of it being stolen too. Even my modern stuff is pretty expensive and I needed something I wasn't panicking about bringing to seedy bars. Set the max price to like $500-$750 on Reverb and you'll find stuff that would blow people's minds even in the early 00's. It's a great time to be a musician and it's a great time to get younger generations into live music and stop poopooing new gear.
Great video. When all that great music that a mid 1960s bass was recorded with, it was basically brand new. IF there is any difference in tone it would actually be the sound of a 60 year old instrument, not a 5 year old one.
Two points 1) no matter how long you keep an instrument, it will not turn into a golden era instrument 2) no one is going to pay $18k for that bass. That is a player grade instrument, worth 4-5k. You can get a really nice, all original, early 70s P for around $3k, which you probably pay for a used custom shop. I have a ‘58 P refinished fiesta red, but all original otherwise. Paid $1,200 in 2003. Probably worth 7k now. Not a bad investment
You make some really good points and I think I'm with you on the "golden era" part. However, it depends on which instrument you purchase. As I've said, my instruments have proven to be much better investments than some stocks I've purchased that were supposed to show promise. Getting $18,000 for my bass might not happen overnight, especially in today's economy but it would easily claim half of that without much effort. A 58P even refinished, will still pull a lot more than a '66 because of the fact that Leo Fender probably had his hands on your bass if he wasn't in the shop that day.
Absolutely! My roots are all tangled up in Metal and Anthrax was one of the first concerts I attended without parental supervision in 1989. I've seen them countless times and had the happy accident of meeting Scott Ian right before I went on stage in New York, back in 1999. I talk about Metal from time to time on this channel but I have yet to tell this story, even though it meant a lot to me. I love Anthrax!
Finally, the truth comes out, and I, along with many others, appreciate you, my brother, for telling it like it really is while speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Nice one PRJ. Love your P bass brother. Yeah I've never really gone down the vintage rabbit hole. Yeah sure I'd love a birth yeah Jazz but that's not likely to happen. The vintage instrument thing is an industry now. Wealthy collectors own most of the valuable stuff, they cause the price hikes which in turn increases the value of their collection in time. Better than buying gold...if you're a collector. My 2 P basses are made from Warmoth parts & Fender pickups and both are increadible. They do the job live & studio no worries.
Thanks, man! You're making some great points that should've been in this video! Believe it or not, it was close to 19 minutes long before I began editing out my rambling. Thanks for telling me about Warmoth! You've mentioned them before and it appears you can build an instrument that would be much better than a lot of offerings on the market today.
@@progrockjock yes indeed, I know everyone says their P bass is the best they've ever played but my P basses are the......🤣 Don't worry too much about editing the rambling, we're bass players here, when we get together it's what we love to do. Besides, our wives & girlfriends are sick it 🤣🤣😉
Here's a funny thing, back in 82/83 I supported the British prog band Marillion at a student union bar in my local town when I was 17. Today I joined a Marillion tribute band. Stranger things happen at sea I guess lol PRJ are you on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?
That's awesome that you opened for Marillion! I don't have deep knowledge of their material but I definitely know who they are. I bet playing their music is a lot of fun! The bass playing on Misplaced Childhood is very smooth and melodic. I mainly focus on RUclips for social media but I do have an instagram account (@progrockjock) I plan on using at some point...
I haven't been brave enough to post more than one or two unedited videos because I tend to ramble on for so long. I'll see about posting some of that stuff. You're so right about wives and girlfriends 😅.
WARNING: Those overly expensive brand-named vintage guitars and basses has a curse on them, and you always have to sleep with one eye open due to its high value. These types of instruments only belong on a "Grammy stage" and don't belong in a typical "bar and grill" venue. Just use your favorite makeshift instrument instead and leave that "Stradivarius" at home. Because of possible damage or theft, most touring musicians choose Mexican Stratocasters, Telecasters, Squiers and Epiphones due to their low cost, convenience, ease of play and variety.
Props for being objective, in the music world people tend to be so snobbish as if you automatically must enjoy something that's vintage, don't get me wrong i love the vibe and often the sound, but it rarely justifies the price.
Originally, people bought the 50's Les Pauls in england because used gibsons and Fenders were basically the only thing available. Then music stars were seen playing these old used instruments, which inspired younger players to buy like "branded" instruments through out the 70s. Not the older instruments per say, just the brands, mainly. Those older instruments were just called "Used" gear, not "vintage". In the 80's you could buy used les pauls, customs, standards, deluxes, for around $300-$350 all day long especially in pawn shops. The year/vintage, still didn't matter. These were still just "used" guitars.Then around 1982 magazines like guitar player, started talking about "vintage" instruments. Things like a 59' Les Paul similar to the one Page played could be bought for around $6000-$8000. But the masses really didn't know much about the "vintage" market. For most, these were still just used guitars. Enter a new generation in the late 80's early 90's. The idea of "vintage" was starting to really take root. Fender starts making "road worn" guitars and this new generation starts thinking these beat up/new guitars are cool. Guys from my generation were thinking, why would you pay NEW prices for these used looking guitars?? It's just silly! Enter another generation were now things like old guitars become "legendary" in their minds. I mean Kurt Cobain didn't look for vintage when he was shopping for a guitar before Nirvana. He just bought a used instrument he could afford. By 2000, vintage becomes a real thing. Older guys start getting sentimental and start trying to acquire these older instruments. The guitars they owned or dreamed about owning when they started playing when they were younger. It was like the perfect storm. Legend meets sentimentality. Prices started going through the roof by 2005-2010. Now quite frankly, prices are just ridiculous. This year i turned 60. I've owned a 52 LP standard. A 56' Les Paul custom. plenty of 60's fenders. Probably over a hundred 60's, 70', 80's and forward Les Pauls (not all at once. Just one or two at a time). My first Les Paul was a brand new 1981 Silverburst custom, I bought after joining the Air Force in 1981. I was stationed over in England, where at the time Marshalls were a dime a dozen and pretty cheap. I was new to playing electric and bought the Les Paul and my first amp, which was surprisingly a Mesa Boogie combo. At the time I didn't have a clue what a Mesa Boogie was, and quickly swapped it for a 69' Marshall head I paid 100 quid for. Anyway, I digress. I was lucky enough to own many Marshall in the 2 years I was stationed there. lol Over the years I've owned a lot of gear. Where am I going with his story? Around 2018 it is my opinion that Fender, Gibson, pretty much all the decent brands really started making the best gear they have ever made. Even the budget versions of their guitars, made in Japan, Mexico, or where ever. I wouldn't own some over priced vintage anything again. Save your money and buy something new or from around 2006 forward. I think thats when Gibson started Plekking their guitars. You'll save not only major money, but get a much better instrument. And it won't weigh a ton like the vintage stuff does. You know the same for microphones. I had quite a collection of Neumann mics until around 2001 right around when a company called "Studio Projects" started putting out microphones. When compared to the Neumann's, the difference was so negligible, I sold most of my high end mics and started trying out and buying the newer mics. I still have my original Studio Project mics and that's been over 20 years now, I love them that much. I'm sure there are plenty of these newer mic companies that have taken the bar up even farther. So, if you like "vintage" gear that's fine. But my journey took me elsewhere. Don't get caught up into all the hype, youtube videos, marketing and sales tactics where all's they want to do is separate you from your hard earned money. Prestige is not worth the price they are asking now a day...
Wow, man! So well said. Your words remind me so much of what I went through with a former, long-time musical comrade of mine. I would never have owned any old instruments or gear if it weren't for him but at the same time, I learned so much about studio gear from him. He truly meant well, but once we parted ways, I went right back to buying musical gear I could afford and quite frankly, preferred. I actually bought a 30th Anniversary Marshall from him but foolishly traded it for a pair of Kustom amps and cabinets. This was only one out of the many foolish transactions I would carry out in that store. The crazy thing is that every piece of collectable gear I have ever owned came from that same store. The irony is that I relinquished gear I bought new to that shop only to watch it's value surpass some the gear I swapped it for. Thank you for sharing your experience. I really enjoyed reading it!
I'm not into any of the hype, and I think there is only so much that can be done with a block of wood, some magnets, and a bunch of metal cables, and I think people's perception is more based on confirmation bias than actual perception. However, there is a 62 P-bass in salmon pink that I played at rudy's music in NYC some time around 93 that I will never forget. It was like it was part of my body. But for 10k, even at the time, I didn't mind leaving that part of my body behind! Also there is something to be said for old wood. It's far more stable and you know you're not going to get fret sprout and all that crap. It's dried as dried can be, which is what roasted maple is trying to replicate. But it's hilarious to see these unobtainium fenders with gaps in the neck pocket you can fit a pinky in, while there's squires that are built to better tolerances.
Vintage-itis is only one of the manifestations of the incredible conservatism that has been plagueing the music world in general. I mean even obvious improvements that some "classic" instruments direly need, like for example the head angle of Gibsons, are not implemented because of this reason.
I've owned a lot of modern Fender basses and while they played great the didn't sound the same, close but it's like they are too polite. There is something about the older ones, despite the imperfections, they have this extra grunt when you dig into them that the new ones don't have.
I LOVE my 200$ Ibanez Tallman TMB-100 A vintage bass will cost 100times that and sound 10% better (In the hands of an absolute pro... In the hands of a novice like my it will sound 2-3% better only)
Upgraded my Mexican P Bass with EMG GZRs and a Badass II. Sounds better than any vintage one I’ve ever played. Seems like People buy vintage gear more for validation than whatever else. Spending minimum $3k on an instrument is ridiculous.
I used to go on reverb and look at old basses..$5,000…$9,000…$19,000.. What am I paying for.. yea it’s a 1968 or what ever but who’s going to know you spent $15,00 on a bass? Just you.. you buy a vintage bass and what do you do you put it on a wall cause you’re afraid you’ll break it! I think people who have the money to burn are trying to buy nastalgia but what they get is an old hunk of wood to put on the wall.. a fender Mexican p bass is not any different than an old p bass made 50 years ago. My opinions don’t mean right, just my thinking
- Buying a newer used bass is also a much lower risk than an expensive old used bass. They were all just basic new basses at one time. Being 50 yrs old doesn’t mean value. Demand dictates the price.
online guitar player syndrome - symptoms constant gassing , non-ability to connect two musical tones or write music , non-existant attention span exceptions include ola, spectre studio,60 cycle. berating peers for not playing thru identical gear. Excessive use of laughing, laughing till crying emoji.
Vintage instruments are kind of unnecessary in my opinion when you can get new ones that sound nearly identical if not better, the only real exception being any models that aren't in production anymore.
I bought a used squire and the owner swapped out the "squire" logo for a regular precision one. So I don't own a squire.😂 I did a setup, filed the frets, slapped some pickups and it's a player. I've done a tone of sessions with them, nobody knows the difference.
I HAVE 40 GREAT VERY COOL BASSES SO I WAS COMPELLED TO WATCH THE POWER OF LEO COMPELS ME THE POWER OF LEO COMPELS ME WORTH EVERY DAMN PENNY CARLOS GUITARLOS 90042 USA
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video, you hit the mark on so many levels. I started playing bass and guitar in 1973 and your "vintage P" would have been just another 7 year old Fender hanging on the wall in some music store. None of us thought these were "Holy Grail" instruments, in fact, we always looked forward to what the next model year would bring which was better instruments hopefully! BTW, I've played hundreds of basses from different eras and what do I play now? A 2010 Squier P, a 2009 Squier J, and Taiwanese made Yamaha RBX (all with better quality pickups installed) All are as good as anything else I've ever used.
Thank you! You're so right about no one thinking of them as "Holy Grail" instruments. You could even score a Carl Thompson bass for cheap back when I started and that was the late 80s. I had to edit out my rant about how things were when people first started going crazy over vintage gear. It was absurd!! Anyway, good on you for realizing the only difference between Fender & Squier is the name on their head-stocks. The core principals are still there, just like Music Man/Sterling. I've never owned a Yamaha RBX but I have played them and I appreciate that they have 24 frets. These days, I've been playing my Ibanez ATK and AFB a lot. I'd put the ATK up against any Stingray and while I still think the Epiphone Jack Casady is the best semi-hollow bass right now, the Ibanez AFB is a close second...I need to run a solid test on the Guild Starfire, though.
I dig this guy, down to earth, honest, knows his sh*t and an excellent player. That’s the way it’s done folks. You can learn tons from this man. Thank you sir
Thank you for your words!
@@progrockjock Just found this channel and I'm digging it. Honesty, clarity, no BS.
Thank you!!
Thanks for this awesome advice, so glad i just saw your video, i’ve been really looking at Vintage Fender Basses lately, but haven’t gotten myself to pull the trigger with the crazy cost of them, I appreciate you. 👍🏼
I really appreciate your words. Thank you!
Define vintage? You can pick up a musicmaster or bullet bass for around 1k...but if you want a '60s p-bass you're gonna get reamed
I agree 💯%!! I bought my 1976 Rick 4001 in 1982, and always keep it at home. It still plays great and I have many fond memories playing that bass. This year I bought a new Fender American Pro II P-bass, put some Labella low-tension flats on it and I’m loving it! I never hesitate to take it to rehearsals or gigs and consider it my #1 now. Thanks for this insightful video!!
I have a Fender American Pro Stat and it is excellent. I also have Fender Mexican Strat and after changing pickups, it’s equally good.
Last Bass I got myself was a mexican P Bass. Had the bridge and the pick-ups upgraded, never been happier.
I have a 2004 Mexican P-bass with Lollar Pick Ups and a Fender Hi Mass Bridge which sounds pretty good but I had a Squire Vintage Modified PJ that felt and sounded way better 😂😂, I just traded the Vintage Modified for a Squire Classic Vibe 70s P-Bass and it also feels better than my Mexican P-bass and it still has the stock pick ups and cheap little bridge. I swapped the pots and raised the pick ups and it came to life and soon I'll put a better bridge.
Great point. Love vintage gear. However manufacturing has advanced so much that budget guitars are amazing. If it’s not perfect to your preferences you can spend a few extra hundreds dollars to modify it
Guitar is like a shovel: a tool. I will sharpen, oil, and store it properly, but you will never see me buying vintage shovels for stupid price.
Lmao you have lame shovels
@@HomeMadeKrazy LMFAOROTF!!! You must be the government foreman.
@@HomeMadeKrazyNo, he just doesn’t have tools that are old pieces of wood and metal that only idiots spend money on.
I agree. You don’t need it and it’s silly to buy it. However if I had the money I would still gladly buy it because it’s like buying a museum item. And it has a cool vibe. Keep in mind items from that time period actually do show up in history museums
Some chinese guitars are better as shovels
100% agree. I haven't spent as much as you on fender stuff, but its hard for me to replace my schecter stiletto. It's just lighter and slimmer than most stuff I try
I have a riot 5 and got nicer basses since with plans to sell it but it’s so damned nice and it feels amazing
@@HappyChillmore Those are sharp too. Just picked up a pj fender recently tho tbh. Still have the stiletto
I have both vintage and modern. I really think it depends on the bass. My favorites are an 90’s Stingray, a new Sandberg, and an 80’s Squire. Funny thing is the Sandberg set me back the most and my Squire was 400 bucks but it just vibes with me. Thanks for the video. You saved me some serious 💰chasing the vintage gear. 🙏🏼
This guy is right. There's tons of new basses out there that sound and play fabulously, and the crafting is incredible, if you compare with axes sold in the seventies or earlier. Look at Yamaha, Sire, Ibanez, Jackson, etc
Man, I mostly play guitar but I love playing bass too. The only bass I have is a Squier Vintage Modified 70's Jazz bass that I bought brand new in 2014. It's been professionally set up and it's perfect, it didn't need any modifications. I could play that bass for the rest of my life.
Great video and your point about having to gig with an expensive piece of gear is spot on. Les Claypool, earlier this year, said he doesn't travel with the Rainbow Bass anymore because he's afraid something will happen to it and it's just too valuable.
The new gear really is amazing too. Totally agree there. When finding a good bass, for me, it's always been about one that "fits" me. When I was young, that could be a more vintage bass or a newer one, but today I have been priced out of the vintage bass market. Fortunately there are a ton of great newer bass options out there. My only complaint is that they almost always need a setup. I wonder how many times a great bass is passed on because the action is too high or low or varies too much down the neck.
Thank you! I'm sure a lot of basses with great potential are passed on for the reasons you mentioned, as well as issues with the electronics. Yes, there are great new options out there and like you, I'm always looking the one that "fits me" in every way. I am still searching...
Me looking over at my mid-late 2000s Jackson Dinky with the reverse headstock. Was maybe $400 bucks back then. Has been my go to studio guitar for years now because it plays great and I can get everything from country to metal out of it. Just broke the nut on the last restring so I’ve gotta get that fixed. But in another 20 years that guitar will be vintage af!
I got a Rickenbacker 4003S brand new in 2019 for roughly 1500 bucks. It is by far my number one bass followed by my Mexican made Fender Precision. The only vintage bass in my collection is an early 80s G&L L-1000 and it has a warped neck, but I didn't pay anything for it, it was given to me by a family friend.
The price you paid for your Ric is exactly what I'm looking to pay for one. Also been looking at new L-1000s. So crazy what you said about it being from a family friend because I cut those words out of this video to get it under 10 minutes!
@@progrockjock There's also the L-2000 which has two humbuckers and has a an active-passive switch so if you run of battery there's no problem unlike the Stingray that it's exclusively active, the L2000 it's like a Swiss knife of basses. This demo convinced me of saving for one: ruclips.net/video/qLtsx-eH9Wc/видео.html
Love this, especially when you pulled out that 2007 fender jazz bass. I recently got one in gross condition for $350 but fixed it up and it sounds so great now
You're absolutely right!
You're absolutely right. I bought a early 70's Gibson Grabber - tone is very cool and unique, but the action is like my upright bass and it's very tiring to play. As you say, the imperfections become our "perfection"... I don't play it often, only in the studio when looking for a unique tone.
I have a 1990 fender Squier P bass which I’ve had from New, The difference could be, it was especially ordered left-handed base, and my tech seems to think there’s more fender than Squire in it, but I’ve tried more expensive, more modern and more older bass guitars always gone back to my squire. I just love it
Praise to the lefty players!! I played a Squier Jazz in the early 90s, which actually belonged to a close friend and former musical companion of mine. He was actually the one who got me into vintage gear in the first place when he loaned me his uncle's early 70s Jazz Bass. We went on to explore session recording and touring together and still to this day, he swears by the old gear, but I think Squier just as good and terribly underrated.
Just before Covid I picked up a 73 Fender Jazz for $4,500 (AUS) it's now worth about $6/7K. The only reason to buy an old vintage bass is for investment. People are flogging their old P basses here at high prices. I have a (Steve Chick) Industrial Radio Midi Jazz bass he built for me last year, I put some custom 62 Jazz pickups in and it sounds amazing. New Fender basses are made so well, I'd be happy with a light weight P bass. When I play a long gig I take my Fender Lyte Bass, through a Gallien Krueger Head it rocks. You never mention strings? Preferences? I gather you have old flatwounds on the 66 P? Cheers, great vids btw.
Hi, I agree with you about instruments being an investment. I used to lose money on all of them 20 years ago but now I've made a profit on 4 out of the 6 instruments I've sold over the past year.
I borrowed an early 70s Fender Jazz from a close friend and bandmate of mine for a couple of years but the natural 2007, MIM Jazz in this video is my first. I've owned 5 Precision basses - 1966, 1967, 1968, 1983 and 1989 (P/J Deluxe). I kept the 66 and sold or traded the rest.
I know I wasn't very detailed about the strings and other preferences in this video, but I've since learned that people want to know that stuff, so all of those details are generally mentioned in my more recent videos and moving forward. On the 66 P, I'm using 3-year old rotosound, round wounds. The only bass with flats is my 2019 BFR Fretless Stingray. My Pedulla has ghs pressurewound strings. My favorite strings are Ernie Ball Super Slinky. I use those on the Fender Jazz and the Ibanez ATK 700. In most of these videos, you're hearing the tc electronic BG500. I also have the SVT-2 & 3 but that's it for my amps.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
The best SG guitar I've ever played is a Harley Benton dc600 that I bought for barely 120 bucks second hand but mint. That colour! Omg! I love it! Tuners where already fine and I've put on a vibrola with an roller bridge.
And put in a pair of tonerider alnico4 pickups and a octane alnico8 pickup. And it became an monster if an SG.
A true beast from the classic pafs growl for awesome rock or roll tunes to the heavy tight metal sound with the octane pickup.
The guitar costed me around a total of 350 bucks.
It will never be sold off again in my lifetime.😊
1. I owned an early '65 L-serial Fender Jazz Bass--for all intents and purposes pre-CBS--in the early '90s, back when I could buy that for under $1,000. Though the finish had been stripped before--and so I refinished it nicely--it was a very good bass. Though I later sold it and regret it to some extent it's not a big deal. I learned to build and set up my own basses and I've come to realize that they are positively every bit as good as that '65 at least. They look great, feel great, play great, and sound great and I honestly believe they're in all ways at least as nice as what Fender Custom Shop produces, but for a fraction of their retail prices.
First, I must say that I love your YT handle! Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge on this subject!
Vintage bass pricing is crazy. My first bass was a 76 Fender Mustang I picked up for like $250 in 86'. Played it till I got a full size bass in 89' and it sat in a closet till my son wanted to learn bass in 09' then back in the closet. FFWD to a couple years ago, one of the bass players I follow posted pics of a new bass he was stoked to find. I look and see it's a 77' Mustang and thought "really?" Then I saw the "deal" he got and was stunned. Looked mine up and learned that my first "beginner bass" was the Jewel of my collection lol. I never loved the tone back in the day but now that I know how to set up a bass immediately saw why. Pickups were slammed to the pickguard. Intonation was spot on though and after a quick set up, I plugged it in and was pleasantly surprised. I was Impressed enough that I used it to track a song on an album I was working on lol. I'd love to get a 60's era P but would be hard pressed to pony up for it. I'd likely nab something like a Sean Hurley signature custom shop bass. Expensive but way less money than vintage and designed to sound like a 62'.
I love what you said about "the "deal" he got" 😂
@@progrockjock Dude... $4500 for one in good condition. That's crazy! Mine is relic'd by teen clumsiness and punk rock angst when didn't devalue it like I'd expect lol. Really, it's priceless to me and I'd never part with it. It's where my journey began. I'd love a vintage P for tracking but not at current prices.
I know what you mean. My 66 was pretty beat up when I got it, which made it easier to add some extra wear to it. Most of my other basses are in pristine condition. I think it has something to do with the way they finished instruments back in the day.
Thanks for this video, it definitely helped me save money!
By the way, there's a poster with a green-haired man in the background, where is it from? I really like it
Thanks!...I think you're referring to Mr. Bungle.
it's the cover of drums and wires by XTC
Great video! Well summarized.
Thank you!
I did the same with Gibson basses. Great instruments but felt like I was paranoid to damage them, lose them or get stolen.
Found other basses in my collection more fun to play and take care of, that cost a lot less and could modify to my liking without 'defacing' a relic
I tried a cherry red Hagstrom Viking B at my area Guitar Center like the one you returned and the switch was exactly the same way. It would keep coming loose too as you use the selector switch, that plus I was not sure if the neck could be cranked down and action gotten low. Asking the on-site guitar tech to do that because you’re looking to buy does not always get the desired results as I found with the Jack Casady model.
Thanks for the great tips!
You're welcome!
Just a tip. I bought my self a Japanese 1984 Fender Jazz bass medium scale. Not being satisfied with my standard Fender jazz bass neck action was suddenly gone. So much better to use medium scale. Better fit for the human avarage hand.
good music taste brother. and good points i agree
I bought my P bass brand new I love it in 1973 looks awesome & I love it. I like the P bass for me the neck nice & nature for me. I play double bass P bass feels comfortable on my hand nice transition 👌.
Just for you own fun or fun with friends he's so right. I've always been able to find and love an affordable version of any bass I've wanted (except Rickenbacker).
However to compete as a pro, it makes sense to walk into an audition or a session with at least one instrument that will make producers and engineers be glad to see you. They see an 'affordable' one and worry that they're going to have to spend a lot of time hunting for the sound they want or moving faders up and down between notes, or giving up and just compressing the hell out of it so they can move on with their lives. However, they know well how to get the right sound from a top-of-the-line, tried-and-true product they're used to working with and love you for it. Unless they're gear-snobs and tell you that you were stupid not to already know that the instrument they own is the only one that should be permitted to remain on the Earth. You know the type. But at least even THEY, (who OWN the project and thus you) can't accuse you of cheaping out or not caring.
After a lot of reading and talking around, I saved up for a "Fender American Ultra Precision" (PJ actually, it's got a bridge pickup that kicks ass too). In the Ultra series they're going back to the original reasons for inventing these instruments. The Precision (Fender's first) was first conceived to solve the problem in the studio of the very 'imprecise' nature of upright basses. Engineers needed a more consistent, reliable tone with a flatter envelope to sit in the mix and players wanted to achieve that, but uprights are naturally subject to subtle performance nuances that are cool and fun, but the new Rock and Pop needed bass tracks to be more consistent and 'precise.' Then players started missing the expressive nature of upright basses, so Fender created the Jazz bass, which offers more freedom of expression as bass was becoming more of a featured player in bands. So to be in good standing in my industry and to best serve my band, the ultra Precision. For fun when it's just a few dudes going impromptu, my souped-up Squier Jazz that totaled about a quarter of the price.
Glad your back.
Thank you!
You want two secret tips?
1 vintage is also a guitar brand in the UK and they have icon and reissue series.
They are really affordable but such an high quality and feel.
2. There's a pickup brand called tonerider pickups.
They are really cheap and their sound is better than the original it copies.
2. The heart of great bass is essential in the neck and the setup. There are lots of great pickup makers e.g. Fralin, Novak, Arcane, etc. Great hardware--easy. Pick your strings to taste. It isn't rocket science. Knowing how to dial in your own setups; knowing how to use a soldering iron... if you've got a handle on that then you're well on your way to having a bass that always plays great and sounds great.
Great video. This fever for posh and vintage tools is getting out-of-control and taking people away from actualling playing and enjoying it. I'm recovering from a Mustang chase and getting back to the basics. Got a Sire P5R by around 500 bacon and I'm studio-ready with an alder body and roasted neck far more lighweight, reliable, stable and comfortable than many MIM.
I'm thinking of getting one over the fender because sires are built better. Don't care for it being active so i'd make it a passive monster.
Great insight man
Another great video mate.
RUclips hasn't been putting your videos in my feed for a long time.
It's infuriating because I want to see your uploads (I'm sub'd) but they keep feeding me crap.
Sorry for the rant, but I subscribe to channels because I want to see their videos (obviously) and lately, I haven't seen a single upload by You, C.C. Bass, Lobster, Tony Franklin or Nate Navarro.
I'm guessing YT is trying to starve out independent music channels.
😡
Hey, I hope you're doing well! That's crazy to hear about the RUclips feed - I also subscribe to smaller channels and I also have to search out new content from them. Either way, it's great to hear from you and I'm grateful for your support! Thank you!!
All of my equipment right now is modern stuff. People are really hesitant to accept that modern gear can achieve vintage tones for some reason. Gear does matter to a certain extent in that you need it to be reliable and for it to hold a set up and tuning etc but largely I think if you can't make a P or a J or an HH bass and make it work then honestly the problem is kinda on you. Adjust that technique, change up your EQ, etc.
Modern CNC machining is super good. The person finishing it is the question right now for production basses. Some of them will be excellent but others you will basically have to finish building. Some of the vintage stuff is very good. It can also be just as bad as today's misses and sometimes worse since the tolerances for all the dimensions of the parts aren't as accurate as today. People forget that not ever instrument made in 59 was good. The revered ones are the prime examples, and there's plenty of stinkers out there. Basically, there's pros and cons to both, but I'm gonna lean toward modern gear since it will be more cost effective for a larger demographic.
And yeah the best point is the cost and anxiety of it being stolen too. Even my modern stuff is pretty expensive and I needed something I wasn't panicking about bringing to seedy bars. Set the max price to like $500-$750 on Reverb and you'll find stuff that would blow people's minds even in the early 00's. It's a great time to be a musician and it's a great time to get younger generations into live music and stop poopooing new gear.
Well said!!
Great video. When all that great music that a mid 1960s bass was recorded with, it was basically brand new. IF there is any difference in tone it would actually be the sound of a 60 year old instrument, not a 5 year old one.
Absolutely fantastic video have a good weekend ❤😊
What is the name of the 6 string you played in the video?
SR506e
Two points 1) no matter how long you keep an instrument, it will not turn into a golden era instrument 2) no one is going to pay $18k for that bass. That is a player grade instrument, worth 4-5k.
You can get a really nice, all original, early 70s P for around $3k, which you probably pay for a used custom shop.
I have a ‘58 P refinished fiesta red, but all original otherwise. Paid $1,200 in 2003. Probably worth 7k now. Not a bad investment
You make some really good points and I think I'm with you on the "golden era" part. However, it depends on which instrument you purchase. As I've said, my instruments have proven to be much better investments than some stocks I've purchased that were supposed to show promise. Getting $18,000 for my bass might not happen overnight, especially in today's economy but it would easily claim half of that without much effort. A 58P even refinished, will still pull a lot more than a '66 because of the fact that Leo Fender probably had his hands on your bass if he wasn't in the shop that day.
Among The Living was part of rhe sound track to my 7th grade year back in 1987 👍
Digging the Anthrax Among the Living poster! Is there a story behind that?
Absolutely! My roots are all tangled up in Metal and Anthrax was one of the first concerts I attended without parental supervision in 1989. I've seen them countless times and had the happy accident of meeting Scott Ian right before I went on stage in New York, back in 1999. I talk about Metal from time to time on this channel but I have yet to tell this story, even though it meant a lot to me. I love Anthrax!
When are getting that fretted StingRay back in your collection ?
I'm not completely sure. It all depends on if I thin the herd a bit but I did almost buy one a couple of months ago.
Finally, the truth comes out, and I, along with many others, appreciate you, my brother, for telling it like it really is while speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I appreciate you, man. Thank you for listening!
NPR did a story on Stradivarius violins vs high end remakes. Professional violinist were split 50/50 on what they thought was the real thing.
Thanx so much, pal!
Nice one PRJ. Love your P bass brother. Yeah I've never really gone down the vintage rabbit hole. Yeah sure I'd love a birth yeah Jazz but that's not likely to happen. The vintage instrument thing is an industry now. Wealthy collectors own most of the valuable stuff, they cause the price hikes which in turn increases the value of their collection in time. Better than buying gold...if you're a collector.
My 2 P basses are made from Warmoth parts & Fender pickups and both are increadible. They do the job live & studio no worries.
Thanks, man! You're making some great points that should've been in this video! Believe it or not, it was close to 19 minutes long before I began editing out my rambling.
Thanks for telling me about Warmoth! You've mentioned them before and it appears you can build an instrument that would be much better than a lot of offerings on the market today.
@@progrockjock yes indeed, I know everyone says their P bass is the best they've ever played but my P basses are the......🤣
Don't worry too much about editing the rambling, we're bass players here, when we get together it's what we love to do. Besides, our wives & girlfriends are sick it 🤣🤣😉
Here's a funny thing, back in 82/83 I supported the British prog band Marillion at a student union bar in my local town when I was 17.
Today I joined a Marillion tribute band. Stranger things happen at sea I guess lol
PRJ are you on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?
That's awesome that you opened for Marillion! I don't have deep knowledge of their material but I definitely know who they are. I bet playing their music is a lot of fun! The bass playing on Misplaced Childhood is very smooth and melodic. I mainly focus on RUclips for social media but I do have an instagram account (@progrockjock) I plan on using at some point...
I haven't been brave enough to post more than one or two unedited videos because I tend to ramble on for so long. I'll see about posting some of that stuff. You're so right about wives and girlfriends 😅.
Love your honesty,,!
I appreciate you!!
WARNING: Those overly expensive brand-named vintage guitars and basses has a curse on them, and you always have to sleep with one eye open due to its high value. These types of instruments only belong on a "Grammy stage" and don't belong in a typical "bar and grill" venue. Just use your favorite makeshift instrument instead and leave that "Stradivarius" at home. Because of possible damage or theft, most touring musicians choose Mexican Stratocasters, Telecasters, Squiers and Epiphones due to their low cost, convenience, ease of play and variety.
Props for being objective, in the music world people tend to be so snobbish as if you automatically must enjoy something that's vintage, don't get me wrong i love the vibe and often the sound, but it rarely justifies the price.
Real Talk🍻
Originally, people bought the 50's Les Pauls in england because used gibsons and Fenders were basically the only thing available. Then music stars were seen playing these old used instruments, which inspired younger players to buy like "branded" instruments through out the 70s. Not the older instruments per say, just the brands, mainly. Those older instruments were just called "Used" gear, not "vintage". In the 80's you could buy used les pauls, customs, standards, deluxes, for around $300-$350 all day long especially in pawn shops. The year/vintage, still didn't matter. These were still just "used" guitars.Then around 1982 magazines like guitar player, started talking about "vintage" instruments. Things like a 59' Les Paul similar to the one Page played could be bought for around $6000-$8000. But the masses really didn't know much about the "vintage" market. For most, these were still just used guitars.
Enter a new generation in the late 80's early 90's. The idea of "vintage" was starting to really take root. Fender starts making "road worn" guitars and this new generation starts thinking these beat up/new guitars are cool. Guys from my generation were thinking, why would you pay NEW prices for these used looking guitars?? It's just silly!
Enter another generation were now things like old guitars become "legendary" in their minds. I mean Kurt Cobain didn't look for vintage when he was shopping for a guitar before Nirvana. He just bought a used instrument he could afford. By 2000, vintage becomes a real thing. Older guys start getting sentimental and start trying to acquire these older instruments. The guitars they owned or dreamed about owning when they started playing when they were younger.
It was like the perfect storm. Legend meets sentimentality. Prices started going through the roof by 2005-2010. Now quite frankly, prices are just ridiculous.
This year i turned 60. I've owned a 52 LP standard. A 56' Les Paul custom. plenty of 60's fenders. Probably over a hundred 60's, 70', 80's and forward Les Pauls (not all at once. Just one or two at a time).
My first Les Paul was a brand new 1981 Silverburst custom, I bought after joining the Air Force in 1981. I was stationed over in England, where at the time Marshalls were a dime a dozen and pretty cheap. I was new to playing electric and bought the Les Paul and my first amp, which was surprisingly a Mesa Boogie combo. At the time I didn't have a clue what a Mesa Boogie was, and quickly swapped it for a 69' Marshall head I paid 100 quid for. Anyway, I digress. I was lucky enough to own many Marshall in the 2 years I was stationed there. lol
Over the years I've owned a lot of gear.
Where am I going with his story? Around 2018 it is my opinion that Fender, Gibson, pretty much all the decent brands really started making the best gear they have ever made. Even the budget versions of their guitars, made in Japan, Mexico, or where ever. I wouldn't own some over priced vintage anything again. Save your money and buy something new or from around 2006 forward. I think thats when Gibson started Plekking their guitars. You'll save not only major money, but get a much better instrument. And it won't weigh a ton like the vintage stuff does.
You know the same for microphones. I had quite a collection of Neumann mics until around 2001 right around when a company called "Studio Projects" started putting out microphones. When compared to the Neumann's, the difference was so negligible, I sold most of my high end mics and started trying out and buying the newer mics. I still have my original Studio Project mics and that's been over 20 years now, I love them that much. I'm sure there are plenty of these newer mic companies that have taken the bar up even farther.
So, if you like "vintage" gear that's fine. But my journey took me elsewhere.
Don't get caught up into all the hype, youtube videos, marketing and sales tactics where all's they want to do is separate you from your hard earned money. Prestige is not worth the price they are asking now a day...
Wow, man! So well said. Your words remind me so much of what I went through with a former, long-time musical comrade of mine. I would never have owned any old instruments or gear if it weren't for him but at the same time, I learned so much about studio gear from him. He truly meant well, but once we parted ways, I went right back to buying musical gear I could afford and quite frankly, preferred. I actually bought a 30th Anniversary Marshall from him but foolishly traded it for a pair of Kustom amps and cabinets. This was only one out of the many foolish transactions I would carry out in that store. The crazy thing is that every piece of collectable gear I have ever owned came from that same store. The irony is that I relinquished gear I bought new to that shop only to watch it's value surpass some the gear I swapped it for. Thank you for sharing your experience. I really enjoyed reading it!
I'm not into any of the hype, and I think there is only so much that can be done with a block of wood, some magnets, and a bunch of metal cables, and I think people's perception is more based on confirmation bias than actual perception. However, there is a 62 P-bass in salmon pink that I played at rudy's music in NYC some time around 93 that I will never forget. It was like it was part of my body. But for 10k, even at the time, I didn't mind leaving that part of my body behind!
Also there is something to be said for old wood. It's far more stable and you know you're not going to get fret sprout and all that crap. It's dried as dried can be, which is what roasted maple is trying to replicate. But it's hilarious to see these unobtainium fenders with gaps in the neck pocket you can fit a pinky in, while there's squires that are built to better tolerances.
I have a thing for early 70's Jazz basses. Nut, tje new amps & cabs are far better.
Vintage-itis is only one of the manifestations of the incredible conservatism that has been plagueing the music world in general. I mean even obvious improvements that some "classic" instruments direly need, like for example the head angle of Gibsons, are not implemented because of this reason.
P-bass is actually my pleaser, I don't know why, I enjoy it. Although is this true most P-basses kinda lack in sustain?
I think the sustain is there. Maybe not like some boutique basses but it's pretty good, in my opinion.
@@progrockjock Maybe my Gallien Krueger MB110 sounds like that. Trebly and punky.
I dont buy vintage .....and im vintage!
I've never purchased a vintage bass but I have an old ass knock off p bass that has a p90 in it for some reason
Vintage instruments can definitely have mojo, but the bass you've played for decades will have YOUR mojo and a story for every blemish.
I've owned a lot of modern Fender basses and while they played great the didn't sound the same, close but it's like they are too polite. There is something about the older ones, despite the imperfections, they have this extra grunt when you dig into them that the new ones don't have.
I have a 67 guild starfire bass that plays like a dream. Then again I got it for free lol
sometimes old basses are just old basses
I have a early 80's G&L L-1000😂
I LOVE my 200$ Ibanez Tallman TMB-100 A vintage bass will cost 100times that and sound 10% better (In the hands of an absolute pro... In the hands of a novice like my it will sound 2-3% better only)
Upgraded my Mexican P Bass with EMG GZRs and a Badass II.
Sounds better than any vintage one I’ve ever played.
Seems like People buy vintage gear more for validation than whatever else. Spending minimum $3k on an instrument is ridiculous.
I love my 76🤷🏻
I used to go on reverb and look at old basses..$5,000…$9,000…$19,000..
What am I paying for.. yea it’s a 1968 or what ever but who’s going to know you spent $15,00 on a bass? Just you.. you buy a vintage bass and what do you do you put it on a wall cause you’re afraid you’ll break it! I think people who have the money to burn are trying to buy nastalgia but what they get is an old hunk of wood to put on the wall.. a fender Mexican p bass is not any different than an old p bass made 50 years ago. My opinions don’t mean right, just my thinking
- Buying a newer used bass is also a much lower risk than an expensive old used bass. They were all just basic new basses at one time. Being 50 yrs old doesn’t mean value. Demand dictates the price.
finally ! and thank you . this type of gatekeeping and elitist excuse making is tired .
online guitar player syndrome - symptoms constant gassing , non-ability to connect two musical tones or write music , non-existant attention span exceptions include ola, spectre studio,60 cycle. berating peers for not playing thru identical gear. Excessive use of laughing, laughing till crying emoji.
Vintage instruments are kind of unnecessary in my opinion when you can get new ones that sound nearly identical if not better, the only real exception being any models that aren't in production anymore.
I always buy new instruments. What I don't get is "relic" instruments.... it is so stupid!
Thank you so much. your video saved me financially from probably getting ripped off❤!! God bless your music career by helping people like myself.
You're welcome. Thank you for your kind words 🙏
I like to make vintage instruments - buy a high quality new instrument and keep it for 30+ years!
Don't worry mate, I don't have the money for vintage 😂
I find your arguments to be persuasive.
I bought a used squire and the owner swapped out the "squire" logo for a regular precision one. So I don't own a squire.😂 I did a setup, filed the frets, slapped some pickups and it's a player. I've done a tone of sessions with them, nobody knows the difference.
I HAVE 40 GREAT VERY COOL BASSES
SO I WAS COMPELLED
TO WATCH
THE POWER OF LEO COMPELS ME
THE POWER OF LEO COMPELS ME
WORTH EVERY DAMN PENNY
CARLOS GUITARLOS 90042 USA