What makes vintage instruments so much better?

[bass ampss]

All the time I see bassist using basses from the 80's, 70's, and 60's. What makes them better then the current models?

[x togepi x]

both the fact that they're more rare and that a lot of vintage equipment uses different style electronic systems and materials that alter the sounds. some people think vintage equipment sounds more warm than new/digital models.

[bass ampss]

ohhh well thanks for answering!

[x togepi x]

it's possible to get an amp with modeling and model the vintage sound you want, it doesn't sound exactly the same, but it's closer.

i personally use new stuff since I use so many effects that the original tone of my guitar matters very little.

[UndertheTELE]

I have a 62' jazz bass, it's sick as hell, end of story.

[patrickhowell]

All the time I see bassist using basses from the 80's, 70's, and 60's. What makes them better then the current models?

Bigger companies like Fender, Mesa Boogie, Ampeg, Marshall, etc have built up their companies with really solid manufacturing and great parts. However, do to the massive demand for their products, they are forced to choose between losing customers, or losing quality. On the huge scale that these companies operate, it doesn't make sense to use hand-wired electronics or hand-built instruments. Their products are still goos (especially the higher end models) but well cared-for vintage equipment (from companies such as these) tends to be of a higher caliber.

[SpotlightSound]

As far as tube amps go, when tubes age their sound changes, and a lot of people dig the sound of old tubes...

With guitars... there is not a big difference except some guitars that are now mass-produced were made by hand back then... people also like to have gear with a "history" it makes them feel cool.

[headclub]

it's possible to get an amp with modeling and model the vintage sound you want, it doesn't sound exactly the same, but it's closer.

i personally use new stuff since I use so many effects that the original tone of my guitar matters very little.

me too, i have a marshall amp, but i have 6 pedals (octave, chorus, digidelay, superflanger, superdistortion, tubescreamer) and i am getting a wah and a compressor. i have a Fender Telecaster, great guitar

[x togepi x]

Bigger companies like Fender, Mesa Boogie, Ampeg, Marshall, etc have built up their companies with really solid manufacturing and great parts. However, do to the massive demand for their products, they are forced to choose between losing customers, or losing quality. On the huge scale that these companies operate, it doesn't make sense to use hand-wired electronics or hand-built instruments. Their products are still goos (especially the higher end models) but well cared-for vintage equipment (from companies such as these) tends to be of a higher caliber.

Also, in Fender's case, Fender got bought out by CBS in the 60s. CBS started forcing Fender to drop the cost of making the instruments so they could mass produce them. Because of this, they started using materials that weren't as good as the originals. Then Fender had to beat copies of their equipment during the 80s. A lot of fender and I assume some of these other companies, have ended up outsourcing some of their production on some models which has lowered the quality.

me too, i have a marshall amp, but i have 6 pedals (octave, chorus, digidelay, superflanger, superdistortion, tubescreamer) and i am getting a wah and a compressor. i have a Fender Telecaster, great guitar

I run everything through this digitech pedal to because I like the way I set up a tone on it that'd be impossible to recreate on my horrible amp w/o it. Then i have a few random effects. I wish I had a tele though, I just have an ibanez les paul knock off right now, and a squire strat. I'm guitar shopping right now...probably going to get a toronado.

[we are cured]

i've got a 1970 twin reverb in my room right now :)

[x togepi x]

nice.

[SpotlightSound]

I hate fender amps unless you are using them for clean. Their high gain channels sounds like total crap!

[we are cured]

I hate fender amps unless you are using them for clean. Their high gain channels sounds like total crap!

yeah, the old twins didn't have gain, so i just run pedals. but my sg into that clean channel is beautiful.

[x togepi x]

i haven't heard an amp that I like when its in anything besides clean.

[patrickhowell]

As far as tube amps go, when tubes age their sound changes, and a lot of people dig the sound of old tubes...

That's not true. People with old amps still replace the tubes in their amps. However, a lot of people prefer New Old Stock tubes (tubes that were manufactured a long time ago, but still in the packaging, never used).

[we are cured]

i haven't heard an amp that I like when its in anything besides clean.

any of the mesa rectifiers have really pure distorted channels.

[parallelism]

I have a Marshall 1960's Vintage 4x12 guitar cab, and seriously, it sounds amazing when you run an original JCM-900 100w head through it. Best tone I've ever heard in my life.

By the way, this is coming from somebody who feels that most of Marshall's catalogue is highly overrated...

[patrickhowell]

any of the mesa rectifiers have really pure distorted channels.

Basically any tube-powered amplifier has a good overdrive sound.

[Flynnstoner45]

i have 2 electric guitars and 2 acoustic guitars that are older, 4 basses one thats older and an older drumset. i like older instruments better because that's what i learned on and i like the sound better it's just what i'm used to i guess. i learned guitar on a 1970 something gibson firebird that my dad bought off some guy from a band called blackfoot that where around in the 70s. my first bass was a 1970s epiphone. plus we own two acoustic guitars one from 1962 and another from 1970. i also have an older drumset that was in my neighbors attic and when they moved they didn't want it so they gave it to us.

[x togepi x]

any of the mesa rectifiers have really pure distorted channels.

yeah but I don't have the kind of money for a mesa anything nor a good tube amp. I probably should have made my statement "i've never played through an amp I liked in anything besides clean", because I've only been playing through amps I could feasibly afford.

[Deadwomb88]

yeah but I don't have the kind of money for a mesa anything nor a good tube amp. I probably should have made my statement "i've never played through an amp I liked in anything besides clean", because I've only been playing through amps I could feasibly afford.

If you can't afford a good tube head then you might aswell wait till you can, or you'll end up spending your money on something you'll regret buying.

[x togepi x]

yeah, I know. that's why I currently have a really horrible 10 watt amp to practice in my bedroom with. I'm just saving my cash until something better comes along. I'm probably going to buy a head since someone gave me a cab...which won't be great, but i'm only dropping 50 on the head since it's from a friend.

after I get a job, I'll have enough to get a decent amp. But waiting for a good amp is definitely better than buying a mediocre or crappy one right now. I'm just going to get into a band and they're going ot be really pissed off if I don't have something loud.

[we are cured]

yeah, I know. that's why I currently have a really horrible 10 watt amp to practice in my bedroom with. I'm just saving my cash until something better comes along. I'm probably going to buy a head since someone gave me a cab...which won't be great, but i'm only dropping 50 on the head since it's from a friend.

after I get a job, I'll have enough to get a decent amp. But waiting for a good amp is definitely better than buying a mediocre or crappy one right now. I'm just going to get into a band and they're going ot be really pissed off if I don't have something loud.

dude, there's a lot of LOUD amps out there for good prices. if you're looking for a head/cab, i would go with a marshall jcm 900 (used is good, many technicians are familiar with their construction). as far as a cab, there are tons out there but i'd consult somebody who's played the 900 and loved it.

[x togepi x]

dude, there's a lot of LOUD amps out there for good prices. if you're looking for a head/cab, i would go with a marshall jcm 900 (used is good, many technicians are familiar with their construction). as far as a cab, there are tons out there but i'd consult somebody who's played the 900 and loved it.

the guitarist in my band used to have one. they're pretty sweet, but i'm extremely broke.

[brianl7]

I love my Mesa. You can get pretty much any sound you want out of it.