Great episode gents! Suggestion for a discussion topic sometime in the pod: in this new episode, Chris mentioned using rings and this made me think that it'd be an interesting topic to talk about playing ergonomics - and especially the little things that could affect one's playing that you've noticed / heard someone else notice. For example, some people do NOT like to use rings / bracelets / watches at all while playing or prefer to keep the instrument really high up and use a specific strap etc etc..
I'm reminded of this study they did with professional violin players, to see if people could tell the difference between a Stradivarius and a cheap modern violin. When only the listener was blind-folded, they could absolutely tell, but when both the player and the listener were blindfolded, they couldn't reliably tell. So a special instrument can make you play in a special way. Wabisabi. I also think with vintage basses, that the electronics degrade a bit in a certain way, so you genuinely do get a different sound, and as it gets worn in it becomes more comfortable to play. I have this pet theory too that as basses are played more and more, the wood kind of vibrates into the shape it wants to be in, via its resonant frequency. Kind of sounds like magic, the biggest difference is probably from how you play, then the strings, then the pickups, then the tension in the instrument itself. Anyway, I don't have much interest in getting a vintage bass... it may or may not have something to do with the number of pounds in my bank account. The best bass is the one you have in your hands right now :) and the longer I keep my basses, the more vintage they'll become... it's just a waiting game lol
I really enjoyed that. I think you navigated the topic really well. I personally don't fancy dropping £10k on a bass but it's great to see / hear these. They're basically museum exhibits and the basses you played sounded great.
The bridge covers for P-Basses and J-Basses also had a strip of foam attached to the inside, meant to mute the strings to try to get closer to the sound of an upright. IMO, Star Trek > Star Wars 😄 Star Wars is great, but Star Trek is post-capitalist for many societies, they have replicators (you could replicate a copy of a vintage bass 😉), and transporters so you don't have to drive 4 hours to make £40 😁 I would be too anxious to own- and gig a vintage instrument, and I don't think I could justify the price. BUT, I do appreciate vintage instruments. Plus, I live in a place where humidity and temperature levels change drastically, so regular truss rod adjustments are common for me; vintage Fenders had the Phillips head truss rod adjustment at he base of the neck, meaning you'd have to *remove the neck* to adjust the truss rod. I hope that the more recent of now-considered-vintage instruments (like what my MIM '97 P-Bass and my 2017 or 2018 Squier Classic Vibe P-Bass will eventually be) DO NOT approach the vintage pricing of what the 50's and 60's Fenders have gotten to - my newer instruments are mass manufactured and use polyurethane finishes. I don't mind relic'd new instruments, since it will help an instrument feel worn in (albeit artificially) and like what was brought up in the episode, you feel less bad about the "first ding/scratch/dent".
Love this! The blind challenge is a cool idea. A little disappointed that I didn’t get a comparison between the Mike lull and olinto. That olinto is the best feeling instrument I’ve ever played
You already see some of the Korean and Japanese Squiers commanding higher prices. I'd say "vintage" is anything older than 25 years (30 is fair enough). A 50s instrument will always be worth more than an 80s one, but that doesn't mean the 80s one isn't vintage. I do think it's worth noting that vintage instruments aren't always better. There are vintage instruments that suck to play. There are new instruments that are amazing to play. As far as instruments being "settled" and "played in," I think that tends to happen between 5 and 15 years depending on how often they've been played. That 58 P sounded incredible though. And the 60s J looked amazing. I was most surprised by that Thunderbird though. That sound is absolutely a vibe. Side note: headless Thunderbird might be the only thunderbird that will balance.
I knew the covers were there just for looks and had no function but I didn’t know Leo Fender put them in there because he thought the pickups were ugly!!
I was going to whinge about Squiers not being vintage - but then you mentioned the JVs ;). I bought a JV Precision a few months ago, I tried it in the shop and though it played wonderfully - but was worried I was just falling for the reputation. So I went back to the shop and tried it again compared to the Fender Vintera, Player and Pro Precision they had in the on the wall and it felt and sounded so much better. I'm not sure what it was, but the sound was warmer and the neck just felt easier to play.
I haven't played a ton of basses, but every one of them has been an affordable brand. Everything thing I've ever touched in a store has been sub $800 and I currently own 3 squiers and a sterling sub 4. The most I've paid for a bass is $450 for my squier 40th ann P bass. I've never even touched an actual Fender. Part of me is scared to try anything boujee or vintage out of fear that I will never be able to settle for my affordable guitars ever again. Because to me, what I have sounds plenty good to my ear. And I love effects as well so what's the point of putting drive or fuzz on a vintage P bass?
Vintage basses are always cool to hear others play. I technically own a vintage peavy it’s 30 years old this year. But I have recently fell out of touch with it. I just don’t reach for it or enjoy playing it anymore and looking to replace it with a passive p or pj.
I could buy a brand new SVT Cl head and 810 cab, pedals, a decent Squire bass and a hard shell case for the price of a vintage bass that is… Just what it is…a bass.
‘What the hell is this ugly little piece of plastic?!’ Bro uses it while playing at 21:25 -> *instant killer bass tone*. Leo Fender was right in so many ways 😊
On the other hand, you pick up a late 70s p bass and think someone was in a punk band playing this back in the day maybe be Dee Dee Ramone might have once or twice. It’s from another time..you’re paying for the history behind it.
The point of vintage basses is that they’re cool and old, like vintage cars. Relic-ed basses however, are stupid, pretentious, lame, a joke and a scam.
Great episode gents! Suggestion for a discussion topic sometime in the pod: in this new episode, Chris mentioned using rings and this made me think that it'd be an interesting topic to talk about playing ergonomics - and especially the little things that could affect one's playing that you've noticed / heard someone else notice. For example, some people do NOT like to use rings / bracelets / watches at all while playing or prefer to keep the instrument really high up and use a specific strap etc etc..
I'm reminded of this study they did with professional violin players, to see if people could tell the difference between a Stradivarius and a cheap modern violin. When only the listener was blind-folded, they could absolutely tell, but when both the player and the listener were blindfolded, they couldn't reliably tell. So a special instrument can make you play in a special way. Wabisabi.
I also think with vintage basses, that the electronics degrade a bit in a certain way, so you genuinely do get a different sound, and as it gets worn in it becomes more comfortable to play.
I have this pet theory too that as basses are played more and more, the wood kind of vibrates into the shape it wants to be in, via its resonant frequency. Kind of sounds like magic, the biggest difference is probably from how you play, then the strings, then the pickups, then the tension in the instrument itself.
Anyway, I don't have much interest in getting a vintage bass... it may or may not have something to do with the number of pounds in my bank account. The best bass is the one you have in your hands right now :) and the longer I keep my basses, the more vintage they'll become... it's just a waiting game lol
I really enjoyed that. I think you navigated the topic really well. I personally don't fancy dropping £10k on a bass but it's great to see / hear these. They're basically museum exhibits and the basses you played sounded great.
Excellent episode. I'm waiting for the episode about those made in Japan...
Fujigen for the win!
@@svenleeuwen Fujigen is very good. A lot overlook Matsumoku as well and they made some lovely basses too
The bridge covers for P-Basses and J-Basses also had a strip of foam attached to the inside, meant to mute the strings to try to get closer to the sound of an upright.
IMO, Star Trek > Star Wars 😄 Star Wars is great, but Star Trek is post-capitalist for many societies, they have replicators (you could replicate a copy of a vintage bass 😉), and transporters so you don't have to drive 4 hours to make £40 😁
I would be too anxious to own- and gig a vintage instrument, and I don't think I could justify the price. BUT, I do appreciate vintage instruments. Plus, I live in a place where humidity and temperature levels change drastically, so regular truss rod adjustments are common for me; vintage Fenders had the Phillips head truss rod adjustment at he base of the neck, meaning you'd have to *remove the neck* to adjust the truss rod.
I hope that the more recent of now-considered-vintage instruments (like what my MIM '97 P-Bass and my 2017 or 2018 Squier Classic Vibe P-Bass will eventually be) DO NOT approach the vintage pricing of what the 50's and 60's Fenders have gotten to - my newer instruments are mass manufactured and use polyurethane finishes.
I don't mind relic'd new instruments, since it will help an instrument feel worn in (albeit artificially) and like what was brought up in the episode, you feel less bad about the "first ding/scratch/dent".
Love this! The blind challenge is a cool idea. A little disappointed that I didn’t get a comparison between the Mike lull and olinto. That olinto is the best feeling instrument I’ve ever played
Coming sooner than you think 👀
You already see some of the Korean and Japanese Squiers commanding higher prices. I'd say "vintage" is anything older than 25 years (30 is fair enough). A 50s instrument will always be worth more than an 80s one, but that doesn't mean the 80s one isn't vintage. I do think it's worth noting that vintage instruments aren't always better. There are vintage instruments that suck to play. There are new instruments that are amazing to play. As far as instruments being "settled" and "played in," I think that tends to happen between 5 and 15 years depending on how often they've been played.
That 58 P sounded incredible though. And the 60s J looked amazing. I was most surprised by that Thunderbird though. That sound is absolutely a vibe. Side note: headless Thunderbird might be the only thunderbird that will balance.
I knew the covers were there just for looks and had no function but I didn’t know Leo Fender put them in there because he thought the pickups were ugly!!
Wow this was just one day ago..
I was going to whinge about Squiers not being vintage - but then you mentioned the JVs ;). I bought a JV Precision a few months ago, I tried it in the shop and though it played wonderfully - but was worried I was just falling for the reputation. So I went back to the shop and tried it again compared to the Fender Vintera, Player and Pro Precision they had in the on the wall and it felt and sounded so much better. I'm not sure what it was, but the sound was warmer and the neck just felt easier to play.
I haven't played a ton of basses, but every one of them has been an affordable brand. Everything thing I've ever touched in a store has been sub $800 and I currently own 3 squiers and a sterling sub 4. The most I've paid for a bass is $450 for my squier 40th ann P bass. I've never even touched an actual Fender. Part of me is scared to try anything boujee or vintage out of fear that I will never be able to settle for my affordable guitars ever again. Because to me, what I have sounds plenty good to my ear. And I love effects as well so what's the point of putting drive or fuzz on a vintage P bass?
Where was Andy to join in the conversation
Quote of 2024; "it feels like a traditional p-bass to me"
Johnny holding a 1958 p-bass 😂😂😂😂
Vintage basses are always cool to hear others play. I technically own a vintage peavy it’s 30 years old this year. But I have recently fell out of touch with it. I just don’t reach for it or enjoy playing it anymore and looking to replace it with a passive p or pj.
I could buy a brand new SVT Cl head and 810 cab, pedals, a decent Squire bass and a hard shell case for the price of a vintage bass that is…
Just what it is…a bass.
Did you try out one of their vintage Mustangs?
We did! They had three in that were AMAZING
‘What the hell is this ugly little piece of plastic?!’ Bro uses it while playing at 21:25 -> *instant killer bass tone*.
Leo Fender was right in so many ways 😊
The OX'S weapon of choice, well the reversed version Thunder bird anyway🤘
On the other hand, you pick up a late 70s p bass and think someone was in a punk band playing this back in the day maybe be Dee Dee Ramone might have once or twice. It’s from another time..you’re paying for the history behind it.
I agree non reverse bass 🤮I refer the reverse shape
The point of vintage basses is that they’re cool and old, like vintage cars. Relic-ed basses however, are stupid, pretentious, lame, a joke and a scam.