would you really notice any difference if you could afford to buy a vintage guitar?

peteri

I am lucky enough to own three instruments that I would call vintage -

1. 1972 Les Paul Custom

2. 1966 Strat

3. 1962 DC Les Paul Jr

first two are definitely player grade, but the important bits are there (the LP has a very well repaired headstock break from the early 80s the Strat was nitro refined, best guess early 70s).

All were purchased in the past year for less than the comparable CS would have cost - ok a couple were close, but certainly not more.

What is a better instrument? In terms of playability - the best CS guitars I've played have 'worked' just as well.

What I find is different is firstly the neck, 30+ years of playing shapes the neck, especially the edges. I've not played a CS guitar that's spot on, I've played some which are similar and more than good enough but there is a subtle difference. I have small hands and I'm pretty sensitive to neck dimensions and I've found them slightly more comfortable.

The wood is definitely more resonant than only a few of the CS guitars I've played, is this because it's drier? Or not so heavily farmed? I don't know, but play one unplugged and you can hear the difference and this translates into a small percentage difference.

So I would say at the player grade end (where you're basically comparing to modern CS types) - I think the CS are just as good, for sure - but for some players, there is a subtle difference to the vintage which is preferable - depending on the player and sound they go for. For example if I was playing into a completely cranked JCM900 I don't think I could tell.

For the prices beyond that - the collectors end stuff, no - but that's not what you're paying for at that point, it's a different market.

This doesn't mean this is all I play, I'll likely buy a CS Tele this year - because a Tele is a 'side' instrument for me, and the price of a player grade seems too expensive for me relative to a used CS - and I love and enjoy my modern Ibanez (although that's 15 years old now, so nearly vintage ) and 90's Strat.

And also - as has been stated here, vintage is a journey - I set out over the last 12-18 months to see for myself, and I've played a lot of vintage instruments. The ones I've bought I'm happy are stunning, but I also walked away from a lot of guitars - 1971 Les Paul Deluxe, 1972 and 1970 Strats, 1959 Les Paul Jr - and many more, all of which were frankly not worth the money and significantly inferior to most modern CS guitars (and no more resonant).

There are good guitars from any age, stuff made today is much, much more consistent.

But when you get a good vintage - there is something there, only you can decide if it's worth it. But remember, they're all massively different.

bbill335

I A/B'd my near new MIJ mustang with a '66 that was about £1k more valuable. The differences were subtle but very apparent. Now I own the 66 and the MIJ is gone.

newi123

Yes - I`d be happier and my life would be much more fulfilled!

Gassage

Here's an analogy:

Would you as a musician, notice a difference in playing at the Albert Hall or the Filemore to playing the NEC or say G-MEX?

It's all about mojo and inspiration.

jeztone2

p90fool said:

Well a lot of us old farts grew up playing "holy grail" guitars because contemporary production stuff was not as good, so there is no mystique around them.
Most of us will now acknowledge that current production guitars have pretty well caught up, and that although some old guitars have that certain "something" you're not actually forced to play them if you want classic sounds like you were in the late 70s.
At one point you couldn't have prised my pre-CBS guitars away from me at gunpoint, nowadays I don't have any and don't particularly care.

THIS!!!!!!!!!

Bridgehouse

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

richardhomer

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

mikeyrob73

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

But then it wouldn't be the original thread and would be not as good 

cruxiform

"would you really notice any difference if you could afford to buy a vintage guitar?"

 No.

Bridgehouse

mikeyrob73 said:

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

But then it wouldn't be the original thread and would be not as good 

Surely this thread isn't pointy enough for you, or short enough?

richardhomer

Bridgehouse said:

mikeyrob73 said:

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

But then it wouldn't be the original thread and would be not as good 

Surely this thread isn't pointy enough for you, or short enough?

To be honest I think it's time I looked into finding someone who could build me a replica of this thread....

Bridgehouse

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

mikeyrob73 said:

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

But then it wouldn't be the original thread and would be not as good 

Surely this thread isn't pointy enough for you, or short enough?

To be honest I think it's time I looked into finding someone who could build me a replica of this thread....

I understand there is a very well revered and talented web designer who works in sercret making copies of threads like this. He doesn't use copy and paste - he actually creates them a line of code at a time to ensure an exact replica - down to the typos, poor grammar and bad humour.

He can only copy a few a year, and is due to retire soon. I understand his parting swan song will be an exact copy of the Flat Earth thread. 

prowla

I've got a couple of vintage basses and they are bloody good kit!

Bridgehouse

prowla said:

I've got a couple of vintage basses and they are bloody good kit!

Vintage basses?

Meh. Load of tosh. You wouldn't catch me with one of those clapped out old overrated pieces of crap.

Strat54

I agree with @peteri ,acoustic resonance and neck shape/feel are the major differences for me too. I can't remember which top relic tele builder it was (could have been Nacho Banos) but he recently and honestly said 'sure I can make a guitar that looks identical to an original but not one that feels like one'. There's something about those old necks, I'd guess the worn in bit is the bulk of that feel. Good and bad of both old/new. Still not found a new Esquire that sounds like this one....

mikeyrob73

Bridgehouse said:

mikeyrob73 said:

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

But then it wouldn't be the original thread and would be not as good 

Surely this thread isn't pointy enough for you, or short enough?

i have already commissioned Terry Morgan to build me an exact replica of the Baby Dean 

stratman3142

I have no interest in vintage or relic guitars. I can understand how an instrument can have a certain mojo if it has a history of being played by someone I have great respect for.

I was very moved when I saw Phil Lynott's bass in a glass case at a rock music museum in Liverpool because I'd seen him play it live. But I definitely wouldn't want to play it or even touch it because that might break the magic.

I've never actually played a vintage guitar so I have no evidence on which to form an opinion. I expect some vintage guitars would have a special something, just like new guitars.

Bridgehouse

mikeyrob73 said:

Bridgehouse said:

mikeyrob73 said:

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

I find it most impressive that as an example even this thread is Vintage.

May be we could get it refinished....

But then it wouldn't be the original thread and would be not as good 

Surely this thread isn't pointy enough for you, or short enough?

i have already commissioned Terry Morgan to build me an exact replica of the Baby Dean 

Come now, you know that the TM joke is tired, not funny and worn out - the masses don't approve.

You are going to need some original material. Maybe you could start a thread on whether a modeller is better than a valve amp?

Strat54

stratman3142 said:

I have no interest in vintage or relic guitars. 

I've never actually played a vintage guitar so I have no evidence on which to form an opinion. I expect some vintage guitars would have a special something, just like new guitars.

Maybe go try one.....then post?

stratman3142

Strat54 said:

stratman3142 said:

I have no interest in vintage or relic guitars. 

I've never actually played a vintage guitar so I have no evidence on which to form an opinion. I expect some vintage guitars would have a special something, just like new guitars.

Maybe go try one.....then post?

Fair comment

But when does vintage start? I started playing in 1969 and must have tried/played quite a few guitars in the early 70s some of which weren't new. I don't recall those being more special than recent day guitars.