Vintage Guitars

If you're familiar with good music of any genre, you're familiar with vintage bass guitars. Starting as early as the 1950's, electric basses have been used in famous recording sessions and have been accompanying renowned players ever since. There's a pure, raw sound that only an early electric bass can produce and they have consistently been the benchmark of style since their earliest incarnations.

Many experts and professional musicians agree that the quality of craftsmanship, first and foremost, attribute to the allure of vintage bass guitars. New models of electric basses are mostly patterned from the familiar designs from the 1950's and 1960's. However, most modern instruments are mass produced which does remove an element of excellence that was spawned by the woodworkers of yesteryear.

Nothing beats the hand-tooled shape and feel of a guitar body and neck. The meticulously engineered tuning mechanisms and hand-spun pickups are consistent with the superior sound these works of art produce. There's another, often overlooked, element to vintage bass guitars which affects the sound. Over long periods of time, the wooden components mature and slowly "ripen", thus changing the sound the instrument is capable of producing. A great analogy is that of a Stradivarius violin, which has always produced a suburb sound, but continues to become more refined as time moves on. The same is true for an older electric guitar. You can run through effects processors, but nothing compares to the mature, authentic sound of a vintage.

The looks of the earliest guitars and basses are still being copied today, a half-century later. In almost every genre of music and performance art, the same core designs consistently reappear. If you own an older bass, or are thinking about acquiring one, you'll always feel comfortable knowing that your piece is a timeless classic. Many even have elaborate trimmings, such as decorative f-holes or fanciful inlays. These are personality traits that you won't find on most high production lines of today. If you happen to be thinking of purchasing another bass guitar, you should strongly consider investigating a vintage.

With careful maintenance and, possibly, some light restoration, you'll not only own a superb instrument, but you'll most likely be buying an investment. As these time pieces become gradually more and more rare, they naturally escalate in value. In just a few short years, you could be sitting on a few thousand dollars. Meanwhile, enjoy the classic styling and tones that your vintage will provide.

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If you’re a music aficionado and you love playing the guitar, you should most definitely invest in a vintage guitar. A vintage guitar is a guitar that was made from the 1920's to the 1970's. Many collectors of these guitars don't value ones made before the 1920's simply because they are much too primitive. Guitars made after the 70's typically don't have much appeal to collectors.

Guitar brands like Gibson, Fender, Gretsh, Martin, Epiphone, Dobro, National and many others are some of the most sought after vintage guitar makers. Many people these days want to buy a new guitar. But, think it about it, you could easily purchase a vintage guitar that will have a decent monetary value in the future. A new guitar you buy in 2008 isn't going to have much value in the years ahead, simply because it isn't vintage. Guitars these days are made much different than ones in the past.

Guitars in the past were made in a way that cannot be replicated today. For example, many guitars in the 1970's were made of Brazilian Rosewood, whereas today, this type of wood can't be imported legally to the United States. Years ago, guitars were made by hand, but today they are usually made by computer controlled cutters and routers. Though guitars of today are probably much more consistent and the quality is sometimes better, they just don't have the personality that vintage guitars have.

Many people assume that just because a certain type of guitar was only made in a limited number means that it is valuable. Though the guitar may be rare, it isn't always valuable. Any guitar made circa 1970 or later may be easily duplicated, but those made previously cannot. This is what makes vintage guitars so sought after.

Think about it. You could have a guitar that is much like the one that Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton played. Who would pass up such an offer? Though vintage guitars are expensive, they continue to appreciate in value and are a very worthwhile investment.

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