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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