Are you getting SCAMMED if you buy a VINTAGE bass? (DEBATE)
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2024
- People are always sending us Instagram pics of vintage bass guitars they’re thinking of buying, asking, ‘Is this okay?’ Old bass guitars can be good - but remember that just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s great.
In today’s video, vintage bass specialist Andy Baxter offers his top tips for assessing whether that pre-CBS Fender Jazz that you’re thinking of buying is likely to be a bargain or a money pit.
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Find Andy's shop here: www.andybaxterbass.com/
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Video Breakdown:
00:00 - Are Vintage Basses truly worth it?
01:10 - Why should people consider buying a vintage bass?
02:14 - Are Vintage basses 'better' basses?
03:16 - Custom Builds and Relics
04:33 - You love gear... what's next?
04:59 - Can you justify it..?
05:47 - So what's the difference?
06:30 - The Nostalgia
07:41 - Using different basses for different professional settings
08:10 - What justifies using vintage basses?
09:45 - Does a custom shop give you the same feel?
11:19 - The magic of vintage basses
12:46 - The conversation piece around vintage basses
13:56 - Can newer instruments match the old ones?
15:41 - The 'quirks' to vintage instruments
17:10 - Electric Guitar Basses as investments
18:24 - The impact of Covid on the vintage bass world
20:16 - Refinished vs. Original Finish Basses
22:30 - How much less are refinished basses?
23:20 - Double Art
24:48 - Blindfold Challenge
27:47 - Do you want more such content?
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The vintage prices are ridiculous, and market driven. I have a 1983 Reissue Vintage '62 Jazz Bass, so I'm good. 😊 Also, the new Squier 40th Anniversary Edition Basses are really well made, and inexpensive.
I mean they talk about that. Something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. People aren’t dropping 15k on a 65 because it sounds so much better. Same reason owning a vintage car isn’t about it being better than a modern car.
@@TheMadMedek its sounds like an american pride comment
@@cacadordorio third worlder moment
I just bought 40th anni vintage Squier Jazz Bass in seafoam green, and what youre saying is absolutely true. For the price, it matches fenders at twice the price imo.
Vintage prices should be expensive. Stuff from the 1960s and 70s become more historical as more decades go by.
Definitely more content like this. The three of you all have collections and change / add more all the time, so a regular meetup of talking about them would be cool for those of us too poor to have our own collections ;)
I agree with you guys' assessment. The vintage StingRay sounds smoother and rounder. In fact, it's probably the mellowest StingRay pickup I've ever heard. That's probably because I've only played modern StingRays.
I have a 73 jazz sunburst original with the original case. Dad gave it to me years ago and I love that bass. It’s priceless to me.
Really enjoyed this grown up conversation, Andy’s shop used to be near me but now unfortunately he’s moved , I play a 71 precision and love it
I bought a 66 P bass from a shop for $4700. it was stripped some time in the 70s no refinish and i feel lucky now to have found that price.
How does it sit in the mix?
@@adammadtin8451 honeslty its incredible. i cant say this on the internet without sounding pretentious but someone who doesn't play everyday probably won't notice the difference but I do and its worth it to me.
Half the real vintage guitars from the 50s and 60s are in better condition than the custom shop reproduction stuff 😂
Thanks guys & Andy for hosting ! Especially liked the SR4 comparison !
l often compare my EBMM with earlier models played by Paul Denman (Sade) & also Talk Talk.
Yes, please. More bass and bass gear geeking out content!
more of this for sure!
You made a lot better content the last weeks !
really? that ended up sooooo abruptly! i could watch this for hours!. im enjoying all the content!
Could listen all day - Andy is so cool!
When I first moved to Nashville I went to Guitar Center and played a ‘64 P-Bass that Tom Peterson sold to them earlier that day and it was one of the most incredible P-Basses I’ve ever played. I compared it to the newer ones and the 64 was so much warmer and had this low-midrange the newer ones didn’t have. I didn’t have the money for it at the time, but I bought another ‘64 later that year that was even better and a better price and it’s my go-to studio bass to this day.
Would definitely love more content like this. Loved all the discussion around the basses and what each one of you look for in an instrument.
Awesome dude! Glad you enjoyed the video 🙌🏻
Great video. Love this kind of content. More like this please. 😊
So interesting! … On that “bass geek” note, could you guys do a vid on different fretboard radius + fret sizes?? I’ve been waiting for that to come forward and feel like it isn’t featured much. There must be such a difference in feel regarding all the options there… 🙏🏼 x love
I would like a 60's/70's Fender Jazz Bass but they are over 2000 euros... You could get a costum handmade bass for that kind of money. Less known brands (Asian) vintage Basses are really affordable though.
As a bassist, I have always kept a rather minimalist arsenal. Let me tell you, I totally agree with the some instruments are just "magic" sentiment. I walked into a shop in 2019 with no intentions of buying anything, especially an instrument. I was surprised to see a '75 Olympic White Fender P (locked wall hanger) but nonetheless just hanging around with all the modern basses. I figured what the hell, I'll ask to play it expecting a '70s Fender shit show. I was immediately in shock. This had none of the issues associated with the CBS '70s Fenders. It was the weight of a new AmPro, perfect neck slot fit, smoothest feeling neck I'd ever played, amazing sounding pickups, fantastic linear tone & volume, overall a stunning bass. It had clearly been PLAYED A TON over the years and magic is really the only word. After playing it for over a hour (thinking fuck I think I have to buy this...) I asked some questions, and everything was 100% original & came with the red velvet OHSC (which contained the ashtray and cover). The tech who set it up offered to unscrew the pickguard to show me the codes/dates on the pots and pickups, as well as the neck and body stamps. All original indeed, I bought it on the spot.I have played a few late 60s P's and one pre CBS '64 Jazz, and this '75 just unlocked something I've never felt in any other bass. I sold my 2008 American Standard P within a week of buying the '75. As I write this (with 'The Unicorn' sitting on my lap) it's still the best sounding, best playing Fender I've plugged in.
Funnest part is I've always played Jazz Basses. I still own, love, and use my late 2016 AmPro Jazz when fitting (another very cool instrument; being the crossover year it really fells like the pinnacle of the American Standard Jazz Bass, with some subtle improvements. Also, the last of an era simultaneously). TLDR: Out of my 3 basses; '16 AmPro Jazz, '13 Musicman Stingray, 1975 all original Fender P, it shocks me, the first bass I always reach for is the '75 P. If I live to be 83 years old, I'd love to throw it a 100th birthday party!
It’s subjective..
It depends on who you’re talking to-and their intents goals..
If you’re a Rich Rockstar and you could afford to pay $15000-$20,000 for a guitar.. you do it without batting an eye
….But anyone other than that who wants to play well-built instrument that suits their individual playing and needs, would be foolish to entertain anything near that price point. I have a few pre-CBS Ps, and a few 70s J Basses I obtained for more reasonable prices, (I know people, lol)
and I can tell you that while they feel like aged furniture in my hand, they’re not necessarily better than a well-built modern instrument today…
I think it’s actually ridiculous that since the early 90s, the industry has made you feel that you have to pay ultra thousands of dollars to get a well-built/excellent sounding guitar.. that is simply BS… you could spend 1000-2000,… and this you know what you’re doing while shopping, have a very nice instrument for that money.. stay away from Fender and Gibson… you’re basically paying for the names.
Now spend the rest of that money, You didn’t give to fender and Gibson,..Taking Lessons …
I loved every second of that conversation. Andy is so knowledgeable about vintage stuff and able to share the insight into that world.
Really good discussion. Enjoyed hearing all your views. I'm not quiet there yet but would love a vintage from my year of birth, thankfully not the same year as Andy, Scott and Ian (one year out)
Please keep up the great work! You guys make me happy every time I watch a video.
Great content! You guys answer all the questions I didn't realize I had! SBL for life!
Great video!! Maybe you could also do a video about “signature” basses and if they’re worth the “investment”, lol?!
We actually have a podcast episode coming up soon on signature basses!
Vintage… you pay for mojo. I had a 2017 MIA Precision. Tone-wise blew away my friends 70’s Precision. But which would I pick? I’d take the 70’s all day.
Great video. The sound comparison and blind test was the best part. The vintage music man definitely sounded far better than the modern one. Would be really interesting to hear how much variation there is between modern basses just down to production variation too.
I compared discussion with buying vintage cars. very much the same view and taste of players of the value. its like being an investment or just a player of the instrument. Great info. The Guitar Carpenter from Seattle Washington (Bass Player).
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Awesome video. Would love more content like this 👍
I feel spoiled since one of the first basses i learned on was a 74 Gibson Ripper my dad had in his garage. Still have it and i love playing it
I can’t ever quite see it, but I think there’s one behind the shop owner. I have my dad’s 79 G3 and it fat rules.
Like such comparisons. Please some more! 😊
Like I always say, are the better than anything made today? Probably not. On paper, for the instrument you're getting are they worth the premium price? I'd say no... but I believe there is more to it than that. You're buying the history and cool factor (and of course the value on the market place) I will say this, since I've picked up a few vintage basses I've never been THIS inspired to pick up my bass and play. I play more now than I ever have... to me that is worth the price of admission.
Yes, yes, yes! Please more content like this! I also would have loved to see more blindfolded trials with different sorts of basses just so I could hear you guys play them all! 😂😂😂❤
Back in the '80s, one of my maestros played a '75 Fender Jazz, and I fell in love with it. Some years later, a friend who owns a guitar store called me to tell me he had a '66 left-handed fretless Fender Jazz neck. I went to check it out, it had the feel, the feel, at least for me, that only old Fender Jazz necks have. I bought it for $390.00. From there I created a custom jazz bass. It has been my go-to bass ever since.
In looking at Andys Ricky it sends memory shivers from the early 70's down my spine. If I'm right and it's a semi acoustic stereo it could even be the one I owned then. Sold it off for a Fender Telecaster bass and cash all because I thought it's body size made me look even more scrawny!
I know it would be worth a lot more now, but have never come across another one since then. Can't believe that I got rid of it considering how much I loved and still love the Rickenbacker sound.
Put me out of my misery guys..🤷🙏🎼🎶🎵
I have a late 70's(????) Definitely early 80's B.C Rich warlock, 4-string bass, definitely a custom shop piece, but I'm having a helluva time trying to definitely pinning down a year, an price. B,c Rich's serial numbers got ALL screwed up for a few years due to company sales, changes, re-locating, an fire sales of parts in between company changes.... please help! Thanks!!!!
One of my fave vids you’ve done- esp the vintage shootout at the end.
Great video as usual. I’m looking for a small light combo amp/speaker for practice - maybe you can do a video on these ? Thanx.
I love this video! I will have to visit Andy's store next time in the UK!!
Yes! I love episodes like this!! Keep it up!
It depends. If one is a collector, maybe. I was in Nashville this spring and tracked down a few early 60s Jazz basses. Price points were in the $17K to $20K range; playability OK and road-worn as expected. Outside of the basses I've bought over my lifetime, I don't consider my self a collector/trader. Eventually I settled on a new 60s Jazz re-issue.
I have an, all maple, 78 Precision that I bought from new. The body is a beautiful honey tone and is still ding free. The neck has started to lose some lacquer at the join with fretboard. Should I get the neck re-finished?
More videos like this please! I would love to hear that hollowbody Rick he was holding. Also not enough gibson bass videos on youtube (Thunderbirds, Rippers etc) also aluminum neck Kramers?? Thanks guys
Myself, I like a new shiny bass. I just got a brand new Fender P bass (MIM). A couple years ago I got a brand new American Fender Jazz Bass.
Without even watching the video yet.
Like all old things; it’s only worth a lot if someone is willing to pay that price.
My advice is play lots of basses and pick the one you like to play and sounds best to your ears. FYI it’s usually around 600-1000.
That was Fantastic - Yes, please-- More content like this !!
My father has a 62’ and 64’ jazz bass. Any recommendations on who in New England can asses / appraise them or point in the best direction for care.
Very interesting conversation. I have a 68 Pbass that it was refinished and refretted before I bought it, I had to change some parts like tuners because of the bad condition but I put new ones because I think instruments are made for being played not behold. It has a huge part speculation on the price but for me is undeniable that feels different that another bass and that don't justify the price is only ans aspect. I don't know, personally, any profesional musician that play with a real vintage bass because they have to be practical and can't afford that amount of money in gear even if is an investment
I’m glad you guys ended with the vintage Stingray b/c I’m deciding on a major repair on mine (the truss rod, of course). Trying to talk myself into it. Seems like a no brainer, I guess?!
💯💯💯
This was such a cool hang
YES! Love this format. More like this
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Great video, really depends on the bass for me, but something about that vintage....
Need to hear more like this. Its the content created for the rest of us that don't have the luxury of shopping what ever we fancy or got rich friends
Andy Baxter has quality pieces! Glad I found this.
For sureee!
This will make me unpopular, but what you said about old ... My '96 Mexican Jazz Bass V sounds better to me than a new USA model. Because it has had years of being played.
I got it this year at a pawn shop, and after 3 hours of setting up and heavier strings (that B string was floppy) it now is a beautiful instrument.
Totally get where you're coming from - sometimes those vintage vibes just can't be beat. It's all about that unique history and how it meshes with your personal style. 🙌🏻🧡🔥
Anyone know what place Andy Baxter was talking about that sells pretty much only custom color Fender basses?
This is why i love my japanese lawsuit pbass from the 70s, i get all the nostalgia, all the feels and tone for less than 20% of the price of a fender
Is a 30 year old Fender P bass made in japan considered vintage? mine is blue with a white scratchplate and a maple neck and fingerboard. I had it at 18 and played the absolute shit out of it for years and its very tired. It needs re fretting. a new nut and the pots need looking at as they have the old crackle through so much use. It was bought in los angeles when I was 18. Im in the uk and after some years of falling out of love with playing I am back into it playing a 6 string fretless every day and loving it but my beloved old workhorse is sat upstairs all sad and lonely. I often wonder what it would cost to put right, re fretted and the electronics working properly again so I could play it. I dont want it re finished as the marks and wear are my story with that instrument and I remember how a lot of them happened. Should I get it sorted? and if so what would you recommend getting done? who should I trust to do it? I would be gutted if I paid a lot to have it done and it wasnt a good job. Decisions.
it’s really about how you relate to your instrument. You spend hundreds of hours playing them and you develop a personal relationship with them. If you’re lucky enough to own multiple instruments you may choose one for a particular mood. Sometimes I want to play (which is a bit different from ‘sounding’) ‘cheap and nasty; on other occasions I want to sound ‘smooth’. I’d choose a different instrument for those situations - because that’s how I relate to each particular instrument.
I really liked the comments by Scott about a particular instrument that; 'played itself’ and Ian’s about; ‘you do have to play them’ and ‘you’re playing is the thing’.
The reality is that many people see vintage instruments as a financial investment rather than a musical one; so there’s too many old instruments sitting in musty cases under beds that are just dying to be played and have the ‘goodness’ squeezed out of them!
Enjoyed that very much.
Those that play and can afford a vintage instrument. It's a good investment. I will say there are so many arguments for old vs new, new vs old. I have a few people in my circle that have pre CBS fender basses. They had full fretboard, fret jobs done and plek'd. There was so much controversy in the shop doing it from the workers saying don't do it, and do it. I can tell you I have never played an instrument that played itself than one of these instruments. Ultimately, these bases are used to play live and used for recordings.
As a pro player and lucky owner of several vintage instruments, I really enjoyed this one and agree with all being said. I also play and own a 100 year old contrabas which gives me another perspective on why older instruments sound "better".
Thanx for the video :-)
But an acoustic instrument is a complete other story. F
I cry myself to sleep every night, I could've/should've bought a '55 Goldtop Les Paul back in '97 for £5k.....£65k now 😢
I absolutely love taking care of my basses like my stingrays, but that being said I can’t wait till their 25 yrs old, I mean my 04 almost is but my 2020 and 2021 have a ways to go, I loved this!! Them old stingrays are a dream bass to me!!😍😍😍
Glad you enjoyed the video dude! Make sure to take care of those Stingrays! ⚡️🧡
I regret selling my 66 refin precision (payed it €2500 and sold it for €2700) about 8 years ago. I'll never have one for an price anywhere near that price. I'm curious what you guys opinion is on old wood. I have nowhere near the experience of Andy of course, but I have played a variety of pre and post CBS vintage Fenders. Not all are great, but a good vintage one has a vibe that no new bass has according to my ears. There is this legend that Leo used very old wood on the pre cbs basses. Do you guys believe the old wood has to do with this? To me an old bass with a new pickup still can sound like an old bass, while vise versa it does not.
There were a few months during covid, especially the early few months of it when the market was full with everything for dimes (okay, not dimes, but significantly cheaper than the previous years). Then bang, the prices went nuts.
Great Video 👍
Thanks for checking it out dude! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
Yes much much much more content like this please ... I love it 🙂
vintage basses are not better ... they are just older
Nothing" production vintage" is superior (like a Fender P orJ) to whats available today. Money can get so much more for what some are foolish enough to pay for an old dogwood bass.
I have a couple of 20 year old basses, and I think there is a difference with the necks. The wood is a little dryer, and a bit more brittle which influences the sound and the feel vibration in my hands.
I love musicians 😂we say things like, I can feel the vibrations!
@@kane6529 that’s why the 5 string bass, love the low end.
I don't know what the big fuss is about. My all-original Candy Apple Red, over Gold '66 Fender Jazz (January, so the appointments are all pre-CBS) set me back about $400. Of course, that was back in 1982...
That old musicman, my godddd
The only objective advantage I could think of is that vintage instruments feel worn in and comfortable. All the plastic and metal edges are rounded off, the fret edges rolled, the neck finish smooth. Other than that, there is no magic dust in vintage instruments.
they also sound different. Better or worse is subjective but the older ones just have a certain tone the new ones don't. 59 Les Paul might be the best example of this.
I want to hear about that Ric that Andy holds through the whole video!
I have 1970 pbass bought brand new with case for 395. My bass was stripped to natural alder. People love this thing.
Loved this video
I encountered a case (not involving musical instruments) which made me realize just how silly the vintage/rarity market can be.
During WW2 the US issued a carbine. Some half-dozen manufacturing firms made several million of them during the war. But the carbines made by one vendor were of such poor quality that the War Department wouldn't accept them even as a wartime expedient. So that manufacturer lost the contract, which was then completed by one of the other contractors. Very few of the crappy one were made. Today they are worth FAR more than those carbines which actually worked well, simply because of rarity.
In short, market value need have NOTHING to do with how great the product is; it's driven by demand, and that need not be related to any other quality than availability and in what it can be resold for in future. Whether or not it's a fantabulous carbine or bass MAY come into it, but more likely won't.
best music channel on this platform
I had a 1972? fretless P bass sunburst body a bit like the one on the wall behind Scott. I sold in in 1985 for £500 which at the time seemed like a good Idea! like everyone else it seemed at the time I wanted a MM stingray ( which I got) Ive often wondered though how much it would go for now ? it was nice and after that Ive bought other things but NEVER sold anything again. anyone know? I think its going to upset me but Id like to know!
I would say you had a result there, I bought a near mint 78 P in Antigua finish in 82 and it cost me 250 quid. I’ve still got it though and it’s still my favourite bass.
Fine deal you never know how much more expensive it will become. If so, I would have bought a lot of vintage Marantz amplifiers and Thorens turntable's, they became 3 times more expensive in 10 years.
That early 70's bass would be real expensive now though.
Vintage bass prices are absurd. it is absolutely insane that a late sixties Fender P or J bass costs more than an Alembic or a Fodera.
Well to be fair you absolutely can pay $20,000+ for a Fodera if you really want to lol
We've just had 10,15 years of cheap money top of the market aint it lol. Dealing with a death here and f all selling unless you want to give it away at moment.
More of this content please 😍
Awsome, we need more!!!!!!!!
We need a whole video on that lovely Ricky he's holding. 🤩
Vintage rics are magic, they have in spades that psychological factor andy mentioned...even from the moment you open the case you can feel it
As someone who couldn’t visually tell which one was vintage. The second he started playing the second one I said that one is the vintage
Scott and Ian is such a lovely couple
Have you seen their children? It's like "Mini-Me" versions of them. So adorable.
A couple of years ago, I had the $$$$ to spend on my "dream" bass. I had found a couple vintage in my price range, but they weren't exactly what I wanted. I wanted Sherwood green, tortoise shell pick guard, etc. Fender had exactly what I wanted, but because I'm left handed, I had to spend a little extra, and order through Fender's Mod Shop. Got the green, and tortoise shell, but I was also able to get a vintage '63 neck, and vintage '63 pickups. So really, in my eyes, I ended up getting a NOS 1963 P Bass. And I couldn't be happier with it. Are vintage worth it? Rarely. Not never, but rarely.
I wasn't familiar with the Sherwood green color you were referencing, but after looking at photos of both P and J basses online, with that tortoise pickguard, it's a really cool looking instrument. Would that '63 neck have a maple or rosewood fingerboard? I didn't investigate it that deeply.
@@och70 Rosewood. And it's a string through. The feel of the string through when playing it is wicked. You can feel the frequencies of the notes through the entire instrument.
@@matthewb8229 That's awesome, man. I'm a maple fingerboard guy, but it sounds like you've got a fantastic bass either way.
My 67 jazz bass totally rocks got it in a pawn shop in the 80's love it
This has done nothing to help my GAS!!! 😂 I love that fiesta red refin Scott is holding! ❤ If I ever come into serious money I'm going to Andy's, without doubt!! 😊
Too bad they don't precisely answer the question : which vintage basses are really worth buying as an investment? That's an interesting question.
The only vintage instrument I want is a 74 P-bass and that's because the mocha finish is the GOAT.
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That lick at 27:09 is something else. Clip it
Vintage basses are like art
Based on what someone will pay for it
There's a massive market for them
I'd kill for 70s Jazz bass.. but the Squier may suffice
The oldest bass I own is a Fender MX Jazz bass made 2001 21 years old Midnight wine rosewood fret board
More please!
agreed! in a nation wide music store I saw this pristine sunburst p bass from the mid 60s that had a very high price claiming all original... sales dude took the ladder out and brought it down... I plugged it in and after 10 secs I told him put it back on the wall... there's a reason it looks showroom... cause even though it was truly old vintage etc etc it actually sounded like total crap!... some of the total parts... had more dead spots than any bass i've ever played! lol.
I would love more content like this!!!
I loved it! Now I'm investing 😎 thanks
that 4005 is so sick
More of this content🤩
I want that Stingray soo much🫠