Is Vintage All-That? - Ask Zac 49
Вставка
- Опубліковано 28 вер 2020
- To Support the Channel:
Patreon / askzac
Tip jar: paypal.me/AskZac
Venmo @AskZac
Or check out my store for merch - www.askzac.com
Today I take a look at our obsession with vintage guitars. It all started with a good friend calling me and informing me that he was going to sell a high-end boutique amp and guitar, so he could afford a vintage guitar. Although I supported him in doing it, I also had to look at what drives me and so many others to become obsessed about owning instruments that were made before many of us were born. Being that I also own, and feature in my show, guitars built by current builders, I look at what amazing instruments we have to choose from in modern built instruments. Without getting too edgy, I try to expose how the vintage guitar market is firmly in the "collectibles" category, and how volatile values can be, and how pricing is actively manipulated so the values of them will continue to rise. As a bonus to those that make it to the end, I am ending each episode by showing a lick or playing concept.
Gear for this video
1967 Telecaster - stock except for steel compensated saddles, and the tone control is wired to the bridge pickup only.
Strings:
Ernie Ball 10,13,15,24,32,42
Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35 RB
Amp:
1967 Deluxe Reverb amp with Celestion V30 speaker
Effects used:
TC Polytune
Mirage compressor pedal
Boss DM-3 delay
9v power via Truetone CS6 amzn.to/38S9rZK #askzac #guitartech #telecaster
Not many people can monologue on a guitar channel without playing and keep people's attention. Zac, you are a great story teller. I very much enjoy this channel.
I appreciate that!
Me, too! It is compelling!
Completely agree. One of the few guitar channels I can just stick on and listen to and learn from his experience. I'm not into country music at all but absoultely love hearing Zac play and really appreciate hearing about his experience. I've also finally been convinced to buy a Telecaster. It's not a particularly high end one but a mid-90s Mexican made Fender and I have to say I'm kicking myself for not buying one sooner. It instantly became my favourite guitar and is amazing versatile. So thanks Zac for that :D
Would you rather inherit a $300 k house or a $300 k 59 les paul ? Ah that’s a good one ain’t it ?
I think I'd go for the burst.@@dananthony6258
I am turning my new Strat into a vintage version, by playing the hell out of it.
Lol!!! Good for you brother!!!
Make Rory proud!
I have a Godin Exit 22s from back in the 2000s that I do the same!!!
When we all bought “vintage “ guitars back in the 70s they were because the contemporary guitars were not as good. So I bought a 55 tele at We Buy for $450 and a 57 strat for $1000 and would leave them in the locker at the show I was doing on Broadway. I used to tour with the strat. I had to do a lot of customization to make those old guitars work for me. New tuning machines. I flattened the neck installed bigger frets. Fast forward to today. I find that new well made guitars are better than those old instruments. They’re easier to play. And with all of the variations of pickups and parts you can get a new guitar to sound great. And they don’t cost an arm and a leg. I personally don’t like a guitar whose value has been decided by doctors and lawyers. So I really don’t care I love my MIM tele and my American Standard Strat and my Memphis 335. So I’m good.
We are in the golden age of new gear. The gear made today is great (not only guitars, but microphones, channel strips, synths, amps, pedals, everything). The old gear sounds great, but many times needs some work to play well. Collectors, want all original, and that doesn't always make for the best playing gear. I'd prefer a vintage piece that is already hacked so I can fix it's shortcomings and still use it's outstanding qualities.
Nice observation by an actual player of the time. As with so many other things, its largely a case of Star-Bellied Sneetches.
Amen brother
I agree the prices don't make sense, and the fit and finish of new guitars are great, lots of tonal options but it's the sound, the tone, it's not the same. A 62 RI Strat does not sound the same as the real thing. Same with a 52 Tele? 59 Les Paul? Not sure why that is. Better is subjective but different is not so much, just can't get the same tone.
Yep, I have to agree with that statement. Same situation here.... I would say for acoustics it's the same for the most part... most part.... =)
I'm an 80s kid, who started playing in the 90s. I'm starting to realize that nostalgia is the key word. For me, its nostalgia for those guitars that were super cool and just out of reach when I was young and super excited about the guitar. I dig proper vintage guitars too, but they aren't the guitars of my generation, and not the ones I'm nostalgic for. Most people might not think twice about 90s guitars, but for me, seeing those guitars that were super rad in the musiciansfriend magazine, pop up for sale on reverb, always makes me smile, remember fondly being a kid, and all to often, reach for the wallet. None of them are rare or valuable, but they've got an irreplaceable nostalgia factor for ME. I bet if people really thought about it, they realize they have similar feelings.
PRS, Framus, Knaggs, Music Man, Suhr, Friedman, LSL, Crook, I could name many more. All of these companies are making great guitars. Affordable guitars, though not always cheap. But these are all built better than most all vintage guitars. They may not sound the same as a vintage piece, but they sound great and play like butter and are built to last. Yeah, I love a nice vintage guitar, but the new stuff made today is fantastic.
I have a 2008 PRS that's rare. It's my favorite guitar, but it's value is now around $7k and I can definitely relate to it not being fun to play and leave on stage anymore. I now play a Squier that I've built up.
During the latest Dipped in Tone Podcast, Rhett mentioned Paul Reed Smith talking about Hendrix recording Wind Cries Mary on what was basically a brand new guitar, through a brand new amp and that kind of tone is what people reference as a "vintage sound". I think that kind of idea is pretty interesting.
All the "classic" albums were recorded on brand new equipment.
Yes, its a weird kind of logic that argues that the “ageing” of pickups and wood make a “vintage”tone in instruments that made “classic” tones in the 50s and 60s, but were new and unaged at the time. Perhaps that’s why “relicing” really threatened so many people? The issue was less how it looked “old” by manufacture, and more that it answered the “played in” argument about the superiority of “vintage” guitars. I’ve always thought the real value of a Fender Telecaster or Gibson 335 lay in the design itself; both for its effectiveness and its “character”/idiosyncrasy.
Point in case B Gibbons played a LP that was only 12 years old in 72 Amps make more of a difference in my opinion 😉
@@paulcowart3174 I would agree that many new players don't understand that the amplifier is responsible for the majority of your final tone. I've seen guys spend thousands of Dollars trying different pickups searching for "that tone" all the while playing through a sub-par amplifier that makes everything sound average. Upgrade the amplifier first, only then will you be able to realize the small differences the instrument contributes to the overall sound.
And when I say amplifiers I do indeed include speaker choice. Choice of speakers could be compared to tires on a car.
The right speaker for the job to desired tone is paramount.
@@hkguitar1984 Enzo Ferrari said "the tires make the car".
Worrying about high dollar gear getting stolen or damaged is a miserable feeling. When I was 20 or so, I saved up for a new 335. It wasn’t vintage or anything special, but that $2800 it cost me might as well have been a million dollars at the time. Gigging with it was like a 6 hour anxiety attack.
Insurance brother. I understand the exact guitar can never be replaced though Insurance helps with the anxiety or just buy a Mexican strat or Tele for gigs or whatever less expensive good guitar you like that you don't worry as much about. All the above I do. Save your expensive instruments for the studio or higher end gigs that are safer.
Be careful with the vintage axes some may be in bad condition and totally unusable ! Sometimes even beyond repair..I had gotten a 1967 Telecaster that was beaten and not well taken care of. The neck was petrified and back bowed and it was very tragic how it was damaged by someone that really didn't care about it, but on the same token by the thing being damaged it made it possible for me to get it ...for $75 and a can of beer ! Chance of a lifetime deal but the guitar was totally unplayable and useless so I sold it to reputable guitar dealer that specializes with vintage high-end guitars and I had traded it for a Rickenbacker 360 and some cash but if that neck wasn't back bowed and all I would have kept that guitar! A lot people treat these guitars so badly to the point of making them damn near worthless ! I have restored numerous vintage fender guitars and a lot of them were owned by guys that were irresponsible.
I like old amps, old guitars, old motorcycles, old cars, old dogs, old friends... bottom line, have and enjoy things that inspire you, old or new.. we only have so much time here on planet earth..
Aaron, this is by far the best comment I have read. +1 !!
Zac when you called these trolls "flat-earthers" I almost spit my coffee all over my computer! Gonna have to bless the tip jar for that little nugget!
THANKS!!!!
Yup, old wood makes a big difference in tone..........it is called "tight grain" and "harder" ! I lived in a house in Groves TX that had 2x4 framing. The house was built in the '50s and I tell you what, that pine was extremely hard to drive a nail thru !
@@AskZac Zac, serious question; How come on a clear mid-day in NYC I can look up in the sky and see the moon, face time call my buddy right then and there during a clear midnight in Perth Australia and he can hold his phone up and see the same moon at the same time? It's there and can be done every day so long as it's not cloudy. Shouldn't us being on opposite sides and opposite hemispheres of the Earth make that impossible?
Is there a mirror in space? Or is it some effect of "refraction" or the "gravitational bending of light" that can be explained with math we don't understand by scientists we don't know because we have faith and believe it to be true? I'm honestly not being smug here (unlike people who deride "flat earthers" as having lesser intelligence) but I'm yet to have someone explain that to me.
**(Typos edited as I'm sure my fat fingers mistyping words will be catalyst for someone to dismiss my inquiry)
@@AnodyneHipsterInfluencer because you're on facetime & he's seeing it on your phone?
@@tomk1tl39 Do flat earthers believe in carved tops or are only slab guitars possible? I need to know. :P
The reason people buy vintage gear divides neatly into two camps. Musicians who use their gear. Collectors who admire their gear. I don't have a problem with either view. Vintage guitars are historic time capsules, a message from the past. I fall somewhere in between. For awhile I was buying vintage and collectable instruments and that was fun. Fast forward ten years, I have about the same number of guitars, but they're mostly MIJ and MIM Fenders from the last 20-30 years. I have hardly any true vintage instruments left and they all have sentimental value far in excess of their monetary value. Bottom line is that I think any reason that a person may have for loving guitars is a good one.
By the way, Zac is spot on that we should play vintage because we love the guitar not just because it's "vintage." Vintage isn't necessarily better than some of the exceptional guitars being made today.
My personal opinion is that vintage guitars were NEW GUITARS when used on the records that we love. My Custom Shop Fender guitars are excellent instruments and inspire more than any vintage guitar I’ve ever owned. Especially with the incredible relics that are being made today, you can get the vintage feel and tone without the vintage problems. But everyone is entitled to their opinions. This is just mine! :)
Agree totally. The few vintage guitars I've owned were nowhere near as good as new Custom Shops I own. I don't even lust after vintage guitars, but I do lust after new "relics" 😃
When it comes to collectibles, (and whiskey), price is a reflection of rarity not quality.
You hit the nail on the head for my reason I sold my 1978 Strat for a new one! You feel more like a caretaker that you have to keep it preserved to hold or help appreciate its value. Plus many vintage guitars need work in order to be gigging worthy or you’d have to get a better case than its original
I totally agree about solid body woods changing tone. I used to not agree with this - until I built two partscasters. One with a knotty pine body, roasted maple boat neck (with rosewood board) and a second one with roasted ash body and roasted maple (all maple) boat neck. Same pickups. And they sounded very different. They were setup as identical as possible. I wound up eventually selling the roasted ash one and kept the knotty pine one. The knotty pine one is more resonant, although the roasted ash one was awesome too. You have to be careful with the knotty pine body - it responds like something between a semi-hollow and hollow body - it will howl with feedback if you are not a bit careful. Very interesting guitar. And I agree - old wood does change things. The roasted necks don't take as long to dial in and they stay put for me. The roasted ash body was very light and tough. Roasted woods seem like they might replicate the properties of old wood to at least some degree. I have never owned a vintage electric - and won't ever own one. I am lucky to have a Baxendale conversion Harmony - and it is plain awesome. Old wood....
Important vid. Your love of vintage comes through but also your honesty. The wood/tone comment was great.
Get a guitar you love, keep it and play the heck out of it until it's vintage. That's a win all the way around! I play inexpensive Squires and i love them but I don't expect them to jump up in price.
Zac, you are so right about old wood. One of my Teles I built it out of 80 yr old wood that came from an old church. It was the scaffolding that they used to clean the stained glass. It just has a ring to it that you cannot find in any newer wood.
“Flat earthers” oh my god, that was so great! Awesome episode Zac!
The earth is flat as far as I can see, Brett! lol
Thanks, Rhett! Honored to have a comment from you. Been watching your show for a long time.
It's great to believe that "old wood" add to tone, but in a solid body electric isntrument "science" tells the truth - it doesn't.
@@marcbolan1818 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Dear Flat Earther,
I bet you still use flat-wound strings.
I love the little lessons you’ve been doing at the end of your episodes - thanks for doing that!
I played an Eric Johnson Semi Hollow Strat not too long ago and they were talking to me about how that neck is based on a vintage early Strat and when I put it in my hands I felt like I was trying to wrap my hands around a California Redwood. I thought to myself that if I paid the astronomical price of a vintage Strat and it had a neck like that I'd cry my eyes out. It was just completely uncomfortable to me but I guess some people love that. My favorite Fender neck that's not from the Custom Shop or whatever is just the simple modern C neck. That's what I try to get if I can on Strats and Teles. Chris Buck is the same way I'm assuming because his number one Strat is a Highway One then he must like that type of neck too.
I used to take my '54 Goldtop LP on gigs. Once in awhile, someone would mention how good it sounded and ask me about it. I always said that it was a reissue. It made me nervous that it was being noticed so much, so I stopped taking it out.
Say what you will about vintage prices and new guitars, the effect of age on wood and electronics is why most vintage guitars sound the way they do. Nothing can duplicate this. Many (most?) vintage guitars are just magic in a way that no newer guitar can be, and those who sell them and those who can buy them know it.
That said, A good guitar is a good guitar. If you find a new or newer guitar that works for you, great. If you find a vintage guitar that does the same, great. It doesn't matter. What does matter is the music you make. The instrument is irrelevant. Play music, not guitar.
Cheers, Zac. Stay healthy.
Or perhaps it was just a decent guitar? It doesn't seem to occur to anyone that there's a good chance that it's only the guitars that play well and sound decent that survive. So you're looking at maybe 10% of the original output and probably the top 10%. I had a 1965 Jazzmaster. I bought a Japanese Jazzmaster and put Lollar pickups in it. Sounded indistinguishable from each other. Sold the 65 - just didn't want to take it out to play because of the value. That's not what I play the guitar for - to be anxious.
@@pdp977 +1,000,000
I used to have a 2 tone burst 64 Jazz bass. I was worried about gigging with it. Afraid to take a whiz and leave it on stage. I used to come home and make sure it was still there. The frets were practically bald but I was afraid to refret. I ended up selling it because I wasn't able to enjoy it and I got a better tone out of my '75 which was more easily replaceable.
@@rrdream2400 I know exactly how you felt. However, professionally re-fretting a guitar/bass is like putting new brake pads on a vintage car. It makes it playable (drivable) and it ought not reduce its value, but unreasonably, it does to some.
@@pdp977 it's not the good ones that survived, it's a percentage of the total built that survived. People keep rehashing the bad ones were thrown away theory, doesn't hold water. Also Sound is subjective
I'm 75. I've owned vintage guitars since before they were vintage. At one point in Tokyo, I had 47 really good vintage guitars. Four Blackguards. Half a dozen pre-63 Strats. Lesters out the kazoo. Brazilian Martins, Gretsches, Emmons Steels, you name it, I had a bunch. Through a clean amp, only a ‘59 Lester gets that tone. All other guitars can be mixed and matched. I’ve owned them all minus that particular Lester. I sold them all when I came back from Tokyo in 2000. These days, I have 14 guitars and the ones I play most are my Martin Authentics. They aren't as good as the prewar Martins I've owned. They're better. Far better. The only remotely vintage guitars I have are a '74 Lester Standard and a '63 D28. I'm fine with that...
Of course, you are listening to your guitars through 75 year old ears.. :)
@@rosewoodsteel6656 my hearing is surprisingly good. My waistline not so much. Smiles..
I've played some of that imagined and authentic stuff. They don't have the tone of a prewar. Maybe they just need to age get playing time
Great segment as usual Zac. That vintage market sure hit its peak back in 2007 or so. It goes up and down, like anything else. A lot of people who buy vintage, rare gems keep them in jars, kinds like guitars in jars. It's a shame, really. They need to be played, heard and enjoyed. Are they all worth the price they sell at? Some yes, some no. It's not automatically a 'great' vintage guitar because of its brand and age. There were duds then too. Some sounded better than others. Some folks have a lot of money to throw at stuff. Good for them. I don't. I remember telling one of my buddies, who was so happy to have a vintage strat in his collection, 'you're doing ok, can't you afford to buy a new one'??? haha.
Finally someone that approaches vintage vs new with pure logic.
Thanks for your common sense.
...or so you imagine. haha... HEY! just teasin'.
As a new guitarist, I love your series of Ask Zac! Keep them coming your stories about guitars and amps please!
Don’t buy a vintage guitar. If you do you’ll out that the thing that is holding you back is your lack of talent not your instrument. Ask me how I know!
Exactly!!!
Great points Zac. I am often eating dinner with my L5 in downtime at gigs. Sometimes it just puts you right on edge. It’s annoying because you just can’t relax.
Zach, this is a show I had asked you about making in a comment of a previous video and I was so stoked when I saw the notification for this one. As usual, you approach these things in a very level headed fashion.
Two thoughts: First, it’s very easy to make strong arguments from either camp on the vintage vs modern debate and you will usually find that most people are promoting the belief that is in line with the gear they own. Vintage gear owners rarely say new guitars are better and vice versa.
As someone who does not own a vintage guitar, but really wants one, I think there is also something about owning an instrument that has a story, a piece of history so to speak. Maybe I will finally get that vintage Strat and find it plays and sounds worse than my modern boutique ones. Who knows?
Second point is that you made a really reallly important statement that was almost an aside. Vintage Amps have not inflated the same ways guitars. They are by far the best deal in vintage gear, and they just so happen to affect your tone more than anything else in the chain besides your own fingers. As someone who owns and has owned a lot of amps both old and new, I can say that IMO, vintage amps are definitely better. Better iron in the transformers, simpler circuits, etc. I think a modern reissue of a classic amp (Deluxe reverb, Plexi, etc) is likely way further off from the original, in a way that would be audible to an audience, than a modern boutique guitar vs it’s vintage counterpart.
Thanks for a great episode. It would be cool to hear the same lick played on your ‘67 vs one of your boutique teles though... cheers.
I was a teenager in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s and would go to the music store to try out the guitars which I couldn’t afford to buy.
I always remember trying a Telecaster with a maple neck, this was it as far as I was concerned it was a really good playing experience.
After about 50yrs I finally bought a Baja Telecaster and I love it.
I have mixed feelings about vintage. The fact that they are unique, good, and bad. Collectors are greedy and want to push the prices up. I build guitars that I play. Vintage doesn't excite me like it does others. If you're that concerned, don't spend the money on them. The market is controlled too much by influencers. That's just stupid.
Old wood is great, but it doesn't mean it's good.
Nostalgia has its limits as well. Cheers, Zak. You are doing a great job. Thanks
I bought a 1961 Gibson Les Paul jr in January of 2021. I was expecting an ok guitar but once I held it in my hands and played it blew my mind. Here it is 8 months later and its still inspiring me to play. Love it.
The LP Juniors are really nice and affordable guitars. I have a 1960 Les Paul Special that I fell in love with the first time I played it. The P90's are outstanding!
@@rosewoodsteel6656 very nice! Those vintage p90s roar don't they? I forget im playing a single coil. Fat full and great
We are as humans all restless, this energy has to be channeled outwardly somewhere. Gear Acquisition Syndrome rears its ugly head in the consumerism you address. The latest color, hardware, electronics combinations are infinite apparently as evidenced by the marketing and sales we anticipate and spend on with every new lineup! The volatility of vintage guitars and amps is insane IMHO. I have the crazy habit of buying and selling mid-priced guitars and amps and feel like that is a bit crazy.
Same addiction, less cost. I am selling my larger collection and purchasing better quality but keeping my investments in the sub $1,000.00 range. I am an average musician and could never justify Vintage price spending any more than I could a Rolex or Maserati. Cool video and great playing as usual!
I have a Big Apple Strat that I bought new in 1997. I've always been happy with it, but I have to say it is really coming alive now. It has a magical sound that it didn't have before.
So much sense spoken in this Video. As with most rare collectibles vintage guitars command very high prices but if it’s just a great sounding and easy playing guitar you’re looking for there are some really nice new instruments out there.
In a sense, vintage guitars are free. If you choose a decent instrument and take pretty good care of it, you'll sell it for what you made (and then some) a decade later. Seldom true for boutiques.
Thanks for the mini lesson at the end!
Finally it's clear to me what the whole vintage market is all about! Thanks, Zac and as always, superb work!
I traded a 74 Tele Custom Deluxe to a Nashville artist we all know and love for a PRS Swamp Ash. The guitar served me well 25 years. It sat most of it's life due to a pickup solder gone bad. He was estatic and I saw him play it live on stage in front of 15K. The PRS? It sat for a decade because it needed a shim and I could not figure exactly how to fix. (I brought it to a luthier who FAILED to fix) Now it plays PHENONMINALLY. Two different guitars. Two different values. I got what I needed as well as he. I was grateful I still had the old axe for so long after so many moves and shady living abodes.
I remember talking to Dad in the 90's about the vintage ads in Vintage Guitar magazine. '57 LP Jr for $2000. 50's Telecasters for as low as $4-5k. Seemed like an easy leap to make when the new relics and reissues were going for $1300-$2500. Great stuff, brother.
Been watching every episode! Love all the content! Keep it coming!
Awesome! Thank you!
Excellent episode Zac! Thank you
The way I look at it, our heroes and idols played 50’s guitars in the 60’s, Waylon had a 53 in the 60’s, Merle had a 65 in the 60’s. My point is, our idols never played 50 year old guitars when they started, they were 10-15 years old. Sometimes they had ones that were only a couple of years old. So if I buy a custom shop 10 or 15 years old or newer, it’s similar to when Merle and Waylon bought their guitars, or obtained their guitars. They weren’t old guitars when they originally had them and they sounded great
Awesome video Zac. Thanks again for the the help the other day identifying the wood on my '72 strat
Glad to help!
Always an enjoyable and informative experience to watch. And I love your playing!
Thank you kindly!
So glad I came across your channel.Level headed discourse is very entertaining.
Glad you enjoy it!
Thanks for the double string bends at the end.
I really like my newer Fender Professional Series Telecaster's (2018 to 2020), had to get the pickups that i liked in a couple of them which was easy to do. I have played several vintage 50/60 telecasters and expensive fender custom shop vintage style telecasters but still like my newer professional series telecasters better. Maybe its the feel of the Deep C modern neck I like better although I really like the 60s style telecaster necks. I think if you find a Vintage guitar you really like buy it as you said about Vince, you may never find another one like it which makes it more special.
This was a spectacular segment...
Dude I sweat any guitar I have. Not just because of the values, but mostly because of the feelings I have invested in them. The wonderful times I have had with friends & family members playing these instruments. It doesn't matter to me the value someone else puts on my instruments.
Another well thought thru video, really enjoyed it.
I really love this type of videos, keep it up Zac!
Glad you like them!
Ahhhh the tone wood debate. There’s no substitute for mature tone wood, most likely to be found in a vintage instrument - but NOT necessarily. I have a vintage Telecaster and it has THE sound of mature tone wood. I have other Telecasters that don’t. The closest I’ve found (and I’m sure there’s others) is Nash Guitars (you also mentioned MJT and Danocaster which are in the same sphere) that achieve a very vintage-like tone at reasonable prices and don’t leave you sweating bullets to leave on stage after a gig. In my experience it’s these companies if you want a player guitar with vintage tone, or search through the hit and miss world of real vintage instruments and be prepared to take out a second mortgage. I can still remember seeing Craig Ross playing at a Lenny Kravitz concert with his 1955 Tele. The very first strum I was like, now that’s how aTele should sound, but I could guarantee that not every 55 Tele would sound like his does. To me Nash and the others mentioned deserve respect for making a huge effort to produce guitars that sound like what we expect of the models they duplicate.
I made a parts caster, vintage asian made squire strat neck(late 80's), vintage output T pickups/bridge from craigslist, 3 piece ash body from wood supply a guy had hanging out for 5 years, I had the parts sitting for 4 years, assembled-voila, vintagy. I really like that I don't have to worry about it in the back of the car, plays nicely, sounds good, good reviews from friends, very enjoyable, reminds me of my early G&L bass, sounds and plays really well, kind of beat up, if it was a Fender I likely feel I would have to watch it if out in public.
That aside, an "antique" instrument" does have a certain something to me(as long as it plays well or can be salvaged to play well". I'm getting an antique Martin from a friend who resurrected it, there is something really neat about that where there is something hard to describe. We also have a 300 plus year old violin that one of my kids plays and there is something special about that, is it better than a new violin?
Not sure if I could tell, though interesting to imagine the story of the instrument and of those who played it before.
Very nicely done Zac, enjoyed your video.
When our hero's were playing these awesome guitars the guitars probably were'nt old.
Another cool episode. Thanks for the vintage info Zac.
The last thing you said is what I was thinking. It's the variance in old hand-made instruments that gives them their unique character. Some are exceptional, and others are not very good at all. Given the rarity of the good condition / unmodified ones, and the fact that people expect top dollar for anything old whether it's good or not, it seems like it's better to look at new custom made instruments where you can have everything you want and can swap out parts as desired, rather than go chasing an ideal thing that might turn out to be a pig in a poke. I have found that brands and prices have little to do with my enjoyment of a thing. Stereo equipment is another example of this. It's often about the synergy of the entire signal chain. By connecting a bunch of expensive components, you are in no way guaranteed of getting a good sound.
Thanks for this great video,on vintage guitars Zac.
What you didn't mention on this subject,is the growing amount of counterfeit reproductions.
2 months ago,i had a discussion about this,with a customer,for a Fender Brownface Superamp.
He told me,he owns a Fender Stratocaster 1963.I guessed him a value of around €25000 and he confirmed that.I told him that the quality of counterfeiting these kind of guitars is rising.When you sell such a guitar,lots of interested buyers will be quite insecure of the authenticety of such an offer.Even experts are getting a much harder time,to get all the facts straight.
I told him selling such a guitar becomes much harder,instead of selling this Fender 1963 Super Amp(which is totally original,in mind condition and probably the last transition version to the Blackface era amps and asking price €4500),which i never saw any counterfeit reproduction.
Great summary of the vintage landscape/value
Thanks Zak, some real food for thought about vintage guitars. I have a vintage Deluxe Reverb that makes all my guitars sound great no matter how old they are😉
Sounds like a keeper
amplifiers deteriorate way faster than guitars do LOVE THE VID!!!!!!!!
Enjoy the Channel. Great topics & comments. Miss my '51 Esquire from a long time ago. Now I have a Roadworn Tele. Closest I could afford like the '51.
Excellent lecture. Valuable information and just an enjoyable "class." Thx Zac.
My pleasure!
I really enjoyed your video. Definitely a lot of great advice when it comes to the tricky world of vintage guitars. A number of times I've offered to buy guitars I liked years before their owners were ready to sell. Twice I've been contacted years later asking if I was still interested. I was able to purchase very valuable guitars for down to earth prices just because the owner or the owners family remembered I was interested.
sounded great, I really enjoyed the red t-shirt you wore in the intro. The bright blue shirt was also well received by me. Thank you
I’m lucky I’m good at building things so the last 12-13 years I’ve built my own, including pickups. I have long hands and love big V necks. Way too expensive to get what I like, but I can use the very best hardware, pots, one pice blanks of perfect weight swamp ash, alder or pine, nitro and well under a grand. I could afford vintage, but I spent a lot of time with a 1954 Strat and 50 Broadcaster and they just weren’t all that. Yes, there are magic ones out there, but with torrified maple necks, Wudtone hardware for Strats, rutters for Teles. I’m happy and it leaves more for all of you.🎉
I always enjoy PLAYING the cheap ones the most….of course HEARING is a whole different story
Love the channel , all the way from Alberta Canada !
Thanks for you HONESTITY
I AM a vintage snob.When I worked in hi volume music store (We discounted New Fenders and Gibsons and were cheaper than the Guitar Center in the days when Guitar center was very aggressive). We'd sell 8-12 Fenders or Gibsons a week - mostly Les Pauls,335's, Strats and Teles. I was a teenager in a store less than 15 miles from the Fender factory.We also were known as a "pro" store so sadly we had many Junkie players or guys who couldn't pay the rent so they would sell us great vintage stuff at low prices. Here's the bottom line -- if you played 20 pre CBS or pre Norlin Gibsons probably 15 were really good. 3-4 were magical. A few were duds. But if you took 20 new Les Pauls or Strats fully 10-12 were boat anchor heavy duds. Some new ones a very small number were also magical. It;s just easier to pick a winner with vintage. Are they worth 20-30-50K ?? No. But an unmolested Les Paul Junior for 10-12K?? Yeah they were 5K or less a few years ago - but man are they amazing....
Rick Kelly at Carmine Street Guitars, uses wood from really old NYC buildings- "Bowery Pine" and they're the best of both worlds, I've found. Ancient wood, made to spec. Oh, and I fell in absolute love with a Witfill blackguard- I never even bothered to plaug it in before I asked to have it put on layaway.
You're absolutely right about acoustics- my Regal parlor guitar is from 1925-35(?) and it sounds amazing. It's hard to play and you can't put a capo on its gigantic neck, but it sure sounds pretty. That said, I play my 12-fret Waterloo much, much more, for all the reasons you pointed out.
I still think that the best way to get a "vintage" guitar is to buy one you love new and play it for 37 years. I'm looking at you, Skippy, my beloved 62RI Strat from 1983.
Great lick at the end! I'm gonna play that all the way through the debate.
I have a 74 thin line tele and a 78 Stratocaster and feel the same way, I actually quit using my vintage guitars several years back and built two telecasters and repaired to strata, and I now play my built telecasters and I am very content, thanks for posting this video Zac
Great episode Zac.
Hey Zac! I love your channel and I plan to pick up some merch on payday. My take on “tone wood” on electric guitars is that it’s a feel thing more than what is picked up by your pickups and into your amplifier.
I think the feel is important as a player, but I think even someone as experienced as yourself would have a difficult picking that out in a blind test.
Great episode as usual. Zac, it's clear that you feel that well-made boutique guitars can approximate the experience of playing a vintage guitar in good condition. But beyond the domain of the Fender Custom Shop or other boutique manufacturers, what's your opinion of the production models coming out of Fender today -- from the Mexican-made Player and Vintera series through the American Performer, American Professional, American Original and Ultra? Fender just released some Vintera Road Worn models as well.
My 91 rg550 is vintage now...and so am I...😥
I totally agree, wood matters. It matters more than we even understand.
I like and own vintage instruments. Mainly '30's and '40's Martins. But this month I bought a used D-28 Authentic 1931 version. This guitar was built in 2013. It is everything I would look for tone wise in an instrument.
I always look at anything new this way; if I found a vintage instrument and it sounded this good, would I be happy with it?
This is the third Authentic D-28 I've bought, and this is by far the best one I've had, regardless if it was built in 2013 or 1931.
Great episode Zac, thank you for all you do.
You are so welcome!
None has ever argued against wood affecting tone on acoustics, only electric guitars.
Great video !!! When you were talking about old necks being harder and kind of fosselized ..... I was wondering what you thought of roasted maple necks ?
I had built a couple of franken tele's over the last year that I used roasted maple necks on and , well , the first time I touched one , it just felt soo good ., I was wondering ( out of curiosity ) what you thought of them..... Cheers , Keep up the good work , Bro !!!
Hiya Zac, Thanks for sharing. After over fourty years of playing, repairing and some building of guitars, my opinion on Vintage guitars is totally in line with what you're saying in this vid. I must say that they're all different, but at the same time these oldies from before around 1970, share a particular brilliance that is very hard to find in later guitars. I think it has to do with woods and how these were dried. Also Leo's hardened hardware has yet to be equaled. To get the sound of old fender guitars, they need a kind of sirup before finished and I think I really found what it is.
It's bringing the brilliant ring to the sound. But not when the wood is kiln dried and the year rings are aligned in the wrong direction.
Greetz y'all from the Netherlands.
Great video Zac. Funny how things change over time. I remember buying a 71 Fender Custom Tele in a pawn shop for $400, in 1980. It was just an older Tele. Still play vintage guitars mostly but got ‘em a long time ago before they got expensive. Could never afford them now.
I have played a lot of vintage Fenders teles and strats some are amazing some not so amazing. It is the feel and mojo of a vintage guitar that is so attractive but you don't necessarily have to spend so much money to get that. My Nash T63 is an amazing guitar and it feels broken in just like a well used vintage ax for way less money. The most important thing is does the guitar inspire you to create music. If it does the year it was made matters not one little bit.
I’ve only played a few vintage guitars that really blew me away, a refinished 66 jag and a early 60s epiphone coronet, neither were over 3k though. I think just like modern production guitars some vintage guitars are dogs and some are great and have a special thing. On the other hand I’ve had great luck with my handful of vintage fender amps. They sound great and are equal in price or cheaper than some modern boutique stuff. I got my 67 bassman head for less than a new hot rod deluxe. I think we’re living in a golden age of gear with quality stuff in all price ranges.
Thank you Zac, enjoyed this presentation. Regarding tone and feel of older/vintage instruments, there maybe a factor called "covalently bonded" molecules. When two materials are fastened together, over time their molecules can share their outer orbit electrons. (This used to be call 'Cold flow' - this term has now changed). The longer instrument parts (guitars, violins, possible wooded wind instruments) are fastened together the more they become 'one' piece' sharing outer electrons between materials. This is possible why we like the feel and sound (resonance) of older/vintage instruments. They will resonant differently than a new identical instrument. As a possible example of this, guitars with removable necks may sound different to sound when put back together. I seem to think my Stats get 'angry' at me for having there neck 'broken' when I do a neck adjustment and they pout for a few days and then everything is alright again. I watch a documentary on old violins in the million dollar range. Any change/adjustment /repair is meticulously managed.
You nailed it on this one; again!!!
Great episode and I love the Vince Gill story at the end too. I’m a huge Vince fan. And I love your cool string bends on that ‘67. I would love to own a 50s Tele or Strat but the prices are insane. And even if I could afford one I would never throw out the cash for one if I didn’t love how it felt and played. Speaking of Vince’s 53 tele I love his story of how much he paid for it. $550 in the 80’s! Just being in the right place at the right time. And to think that he has yet to find one that compares.
I have a left handed 1960 McCarty Gibson Doublecut. (Same model Beato plays). It has the original frets and electronics on it. I'm not gonna lie: It sounds absolutely amazing for some stuff but it is in no way a workhorse guitar. This is why more times often than not it stays in the closet, and I will typically grab my MiM Tele or Gibson SG for rehearsals, jams, and gigs.
Had a vintage experience with a saxophone. I found a rare 1950s Selmer Mark VI, similar to John Coltranes and had an opportunity to play it and it played like butter. I had no intention of getting a vintage instrument, but it just played so well and sounded so great that I fell in love with it. Sadly, even getting a massive deal on it, it was still far more than I could afford.
I think an underrated factor in your sound, regardless of instrument, is how it feels to play. An instrument you have to fight to play is going to sound far different than one that plays like butter, even if everything else is constant.
I laughed for 10 minutes when you said flat earthers 🤣
Scott Mcdonald
Pancakes for breakfast.
Another more recent friend of mine built me a Don Rich Silver Sparkle Tele over this last year.Cost me $2500.00 and he didn't charge any labor.Now I'm playing a guitar that I don't let out of my sight.I fully understand how you feel about going on break and leaving yours sitting in a guitar stand 100' away.I've never had this issue before.
A great post and a nice little lesson, ta 😎🎙🎸✅
I totally agree on the nostalgia point! My first car was a 67 mustang bought used in 76. I had to work on it all the time to keep it running. My first guitar was a 30 Gibson The Paul. Both long gone. I would like to have them back - only for the memories…what I have now is better.
Excellent and informative as always
Thanks again!
Great topic thank you
My pleasure
Hey Zac, I love the way you approached this subject! I’ve recently become a tele guy without ever owning one in 20 years of playing lol. And own a fender 65 deluxe reverb reissue because of your video! I admire your approach with your videos and your a man of god so that’s a bonus! Inspiring 🙏
I agree with everything you said about the wood and all. But coming from an acoustic world, I feel this is 100% true because your sound IS the wood. But I feel like the wood with electric instruments doesn’t apply nearly as much. The wood resonates “vibrates” when a string is plucked, but the pickup is right below where your strumming so the majority of what the pickup is actually picking up is all a 1/4” away depending on action and pickup height. But I am a firm believer of if your electric guitar sounds and resonates nicely acoustically “unplugged” then it’s sure to be a great guitar either way. You can always upgrade your pickups. Either way just wondering what your thoughts were on that type of approach?
And feel is a totally different subject also. Vintage feel is unmatched in my opinion. That’s why the newer fenders of today are going with a satin finish on the back of the neck vs glossy to mimic the worn feel of bare wood in my opinion.
Cheers man! And god bless brother
I didn't believe the vintage hype until I played a 64 Strat. I saved a ton and bought it. It really is what I was looking for and there is nothing modern that can capture the sound and feel. I own several boutique strats and they sound great but they just aren't as close to the 64 strat. It's got soul. But yeah, I'll never take it out to play, but I would sell every single guitar guitar I own before I'd consider selling my 64 strat.
I owned a 1962 hardtail strat for a long time. It was beautiful, and sounded amazing. I was so scared of it getting ripped off or broken that after a while I was hiring a guy to go to gigs just to watch the guitar. When I didn't take it out of fear, when I was gigging I would hire a house sitter to watch the guitar. It got to the point where owning it became a burden, and I ended up selling it. I have one of the first 57 vintage strats from 1982 that I have played almost to death and a very nice custom shop strat that is a beautiful guitar. They both play and sound really nice, but that 62 had magic in it. I miss it, but don't miss the stress thar went along with it. I agree totally with what Zac says.
Keep on pickin.....
Zac, that intro was killer!
Great episode! With most consumer marketplaces you'll find those two major sides of collectors or users. Aa a player for 20 years I spent most of it entirely unaware there were people who can barely play buying vintage guitars as wall hangers. At first I was annoyed(jealous more like it), then I realized it's cool that people out there appreciate the arts and craftsmanship of old instruments. And being completely honest playing a few of them reminds me that the new stuff from today is just as good or better from a practical standpoint. Especially the old Fender stuff where they were bolting together whatever they could get their hands on some days.
As far as "tonewood" goes, on solidbody electrics it doesn't seem important enough to worry me. Any percievable difference should be easily within the range of adjusting your tone knob, amp EQ, presence, and in the case of my Boogie friends a second EQ.
Great Video, you hit the point!
Classic cars can cause use anxiety, I enjoyed old beaters more in the end
Absolutely! Thankful for the beaters :)
Regarding what you commented about vintage maple necks, the stiffness and hardness of the maple is not a perception. All woods to some extent contain sap and pitch. I had some Douglas fir beams once that literally leaked pitch all over the floor of my shop overnight. Over time that sap and pitch "cure" and turn into amber resulting in the wood becoming harder and less giving. Old slow-growth pine is prized among furniture makers because the density caused by the tight ring growth and ambering of the liquids make it often harder than many hardwoods.
Wayne Moss---- essential Nashville A-Team guitarist to know. Those Chet Atkins runs on Bob Dylan's "I Want You" from "Blonde On Blonde" are among my favourite guitar licks. And hard to play!
And to think no one in the audience can distinguish the difference! Thanks!🙏🏻
At the end of the day......