vintage guitar vs. modern guitar

what are some of the pros and cons of vintage guitars and modern guitars, in terms of playability only?

i have fairly normal sized hands that measure 7 and half inches from the wrist to the middle finger, and i play a mim strat with a c neck and 9.5 radius. However, i tried a 56' relic strat with a chunky U neck and vintage frets, 7.5 radius etc..., and it felt like magic. Chords were alot eaiser for me to do, especially barre chords and chords that require stretaching.

plus the fact that you're playing a vintage strat gives you more confidence as opposed to a mexican or even an american strat.

however i found the 56 strat to be hard to bend strings with, as it doesn't alway go in pitch, if you bend like a step and half. also it seemed alot harder to tune the guitar, as the tuners are alot more sensitive.

I also seemed to prefer the U neck of a 52 tele vs. a modern tele with c necks.

IMO, "vintage gear" is all about aesthetics and ego and has nothing whatsoever to do with playability ... or tone, for that matter.

IMO, we're in the Golden Age of Guitars - never before in the history of the world have such truly worthy and superb guitars been made available at price points and quality that are close to the standards of the 50's and 60's. Thank you Pacific Rim ... and vastly underpaid but highly skilled workers.

Vintage guitars are firewood. I've said it before and with each passing year find it to be more and more true. But all of this is just my opinion and is not presented as fact.

There are of course standouts among vintage gear but in my experience, most of it is junk. I don't say this to incite of inflame. I own a 1955 Les Paul Custom, but the vast majority of vintage gear I have played, (I've played alot), rarely approaches the quality and tonality of a high quality modern guitar.

Personally I find the Pacific Rim stuff still smacks of cheapness a little but it is worlds ahead of what it was just 10 years ago.

In the end, people will have strong opinions about this and of course we're all entitled. The bottom line is, play whatever gets your mojo goin'. It's all about feeling good about what you're playing and if a $200,000 Les Paul does it for you, no one should tell you that's wrong. Likewise, the guy who digs his Squier.

Well on an old guitar the wood dries out more and the sound changes a bit. I find acoustics that are more than 20 years old sound magical even if they were crap in their day. This is what is good about a vintage guitar.

The bad the magnets on the pickups loose their magnetism and they become weaker. Parts rust and it becomes harder to adjust and tune.

Vintage guitars are more varied because a lot more is done by hand and some are great players and sound great and there are duds too. Newer guitars a bit more consistent but the right combination in an old guitar is great.

Neck shapes I have hands about the same size and have a 72 tele RI with a U neck and i find that it is awesome. I want to get a strat neck like that.

IMO, "vintage gear" is all about aesthetics and ego and has nothing whatsoever to do with playability ... or tone, for that matter.

IMO, we're in the Golden Age of Guitars - never before in the history of the world have such truly worthy and superb guitars been made available at price points and quality that are close to the standards of the 50's and 60's. Thank you Pacific Rim ... and vastly underpaid but highly skilled workers.

Rob, I couldn't agree more with the second paragraph. It's a great time for guitar players and builders. As to the first statement, well, some of us bought used guitars as youngsters and played them. We didn't put a halo on our equipment, people with money did. We didn't decide that "hey, this thing will be worth a fortune in 30 years" we just used it and found out later that others had made the tools we use to make a living sell for the price of a new car. I'd love to have a dozen more like my old ones. But I'd have to sell everything else I own to do it. Sad. Some of the old stuff actually was pretty good.

If you want a guitar that sounds great and that's it, I'd look new. If you want something that sounds great AND is an investment, buy vintage. The caveat is that just because it's old doesn't mean it will sound good. Like anything else, you've got to go through them.

Years back when I bought my first Strats I went to a guy who could hook me up with a vintage piece and asked him to. He asked me "why vintage?", and I said "Because those old ones are the best, right?" He replied, they made some ****ty guitars 30 years ago... just like they make some ****ty guitars today. Spare yourself the dough, try a bunch out, and go find a new one that speaks to you. If you can't find anything new that does, THEN come see me, and we'll try out a few vintage pieces. I bought an SRV Strat and a Mary Kay 80's re-issue, and couldn't be happier.

If you've got some coin, the best thing to do is just try out guitars, both vintage and new. When you get to the 3 or 4 that speak most to you, THEN start turning over price tags. When you get to what you can afford, buy that.

Joe, I bought a Mary Kaye RI back in the 80s also, I think they now have become vintage! The best Strat I ever played!

Don

what are some of the pros and cons of vintage guitars and modern guitars, in terms of playability only?

That's a tricky question, given what they're doing with MODERN guitars.

The current MIM "standard" Strats and Teles have a certain neck profile. But that's only the MIM "standard" series -- I recently bought a CIJ Tele, brand new, with a big, chunky neck. Also a classic 50s Strat, brand new, which has a soft V neck.

In terms of playability, it's what works for you. I've been surprised to find that different things work well on different guitars. My Baja Tele (big fat neck) is highly playable. But so is my Daisy Rock (little skinny neck)!

For bigger necks, try the SRV Strat. Thats gotta be the biggest Fender produces, this side of the RI P-Bass....

i remember well the cr@ppy guitars available n the 50's 60's
there were so many that were unplayable - one of the reasons fender / gibson etc were popular amongst players was because they were nice guitars, stayed in tune, were accurately fretted and sounded pretty good

even amongst the fender / gibson you would still find lemons - most players of today, if handed a real broadcaster, set up as they were in the 50's would find it difficult to play

so like rob says go and enjoy the great guitars now available

the challenge of today is to have a guitar that there isnt at least 1 milion of

In my experience I've played good and bad ones, both old and new. I have a 1965 Strat that is just incredible--as well as a 2002 Jeff Beck Strat that I also love. Carl Perkins once said that a guitar either talks to you or it doesn't. I agree.

There are good and bad vintage guitars.

There are good and bad new guitars.

It's up to you to figure out which are which, and what you can afford.

No one hearing you play can tell how old your guitar is.

I agree with Rob, and will add that the Golden Age of Guitars started in the early 90's and has only gotten better every year. Yes kiddies back in my day even the good guitars were kind of junky. Many would be twangers dropped out because they lacked the physical stamina to fret and pick those heavy cheese slicer strings on those twisted necks. The tuners required brute force and I would cringe when the string got close to the required pitch out of fear that the string would break and cut my head off. A good many of us learned on Japanese guitars which were even more inferior and in many cases didn't come close to working like guitars at all. There's a lot of nostalgia for the old stuff but there's nothing like that new guitar smell!

On the other hand...have you ever played a 1937 Martin D-18? WOW!

I own several new Fender and FMIC guitars. I picked them up each individually because they are very good players and each different in their own way. Everyone who plays them loves the way they feel.

I also own a vintage Gibson (1968 in fact). I've had it for fifteen or so years now. It's an incredible player as well. I've been talking about selling it recently because I never play it. Part of that is that I haven't been chasing the humbucker sound as much recently, but part of it is that I fear taking it anywhere. Heck, I'm afraid the cats are pulling it out and playing ti while I'm not home... those little buggers might scratch it if they're not careful!

Seriously, I like all my guitars for what they are. I bought my gibby because it was a vintage instrument and sounded good and played good. I've picked up my newer guitars for the same reason.

The biggest pro to buying a vintage guitar? If you can get one for a good price, you can watch the price skyrocket.

The biggest con to a vintage guitar? You're always worried about keeping it from getting broken.

The biggest pro for new guitars? They're available in more variety and much more affordable.

The biggest con for a new guitar? The price ain't gonna skyrocket as fast on your new guitar... until it turns vintage.

Original vintage sound can only be heard on records from 50s and 60s... but when they were recorded the guitars were not vintage at all... They were brand new. It's said as well that guitar improve the sound over the years - that means that vintage guitars don't sound today like they did when they were new... So... if you want to play with real vintage sound like in the old days then you need to play new instruments... right? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Original vintage sound can only be heard on records from 50s and 60s... but when they were recorded the guitars were not vintage at all... They were brand new. It's said as well that guitar improve the sound over the years - that means that vintage guitars don't sound today like they did when they were new... So... if you want to play with real vintage sound like in the old days then you need to play new instruments... right? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

No. You need to have your record recorded and produced as if it was done in the 50s or 60s.

I often wonder what type of Strat would Hendrix be playing today with all the current models fender has in production.

Wow. I've worked at a music shop for over 20 years. There are a lot of nice Fenders coming out and you find a gem here and there. But the nice vintage ones are head and shoulders above them. No question, to anyone that's heard them side by side. Anyone, a non guitar player, non musician anyone...can tell the difference when you plug a nice new one in compared to a nice sounding vintage one, there's usually quite a difference in sound. I'm talking about 60's strats. I've never had the pleasure to play a 50's strat or tele.

I've played a few so so vintage strats too, but most of them had that old, woody sound.

Comparing old style to modern style strats, the frets have a bit to do with it. Small frets have a different sound than the wide or tall frets. Part of the tone seems a bit muted with the small frets, giving a warmer, woody tone. At least IME.

Original vintage sound can only be heard on records from 50s and 60s... but when they were recorded the guitars were not vintage at all... They were brand new. It's said as well that guitar improve the sound over the years - that means that vintage guitars don't sound today like they did when they were new... So... if you want to play with real vintage sound like in the old days then you need to play new instruments... right? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


Not necessarily. The woods used could've already have been hundreds of years old. these days very likely it's most likely tree farmed, and a very young tree.

Said to have a made a huge difference in the whole stratavarius thing.

I often wonder what type of Strat would Hendrix be playing today with all the current models fender has in production.

Probably the John Mayer model :lol:

I love it when people try to make the argument that Hendrix used stock Strats as if everybody should when people like Jeff Beck, Clapton, Townshend and just about everybody that didn't die used/uses either custom shop models or some other kind of custom guitar. Even Luther Perkins had Fender custom wind him pickups.

what are some of the pros and cons of vintage guitars and modern guitars, in terms of playability only?

i have fairly normal sized hands that measure 7 and half inches from the wrist to the middle finger, and i play a mim strat with a c neck and 9.5 radius. However, i tried a 56' relic strat with a chunky U neck and vintage frets, 7.5 radius etc..., and it felt like magic. Chords were alot eaiser for me to do, especially barre chords and chords that require stretaching.

plus the fact that you're playing a vintage strat gives you more confidence as opposed to a mexican or even an american strat.

however i found the 56 strat to be hard to bend strings with, as it doesn't alway go in pitch, if you bend like a step and half. also it seemed alot harder to tune the guitar, as the tuners are alot more sensitive.

I also seemed to prefer the U neck of a 52 tele vs. a modern tele with c necks.

Hey, your first post! Welcome to the TDPRI. Great people here and a lot of knowledge. And plenty of tolerance for people of somewhat less knowledge, like me!

Modern vs. vintage for playability? It looks like maybe you are actually comparing vintage designs to modern designs, not old guitars and new guitars.

Modern manufacturing processes mean that there is just no excuse at all for a new $100.00 guitar with poor playability. Simple as that. Still, you have good and bad individual instruments, and you have personal preferences.

Smaller radius fingerboards are more comfortable for me to barre. I prefer fat necks with a "V" profile. And I tend to muscle the strings too much, so vintage-style frets (low) help me stay on pitch. Easier to bend with taller frets, though.

If you are thinking about changing instruments, I suggest you play a lot of different ones until you develop clear conclusions about what you prefer.

Probably the John Mayer model :lol:

I love it when people try to make the argument that Hendrix used stock Strats as if everybody should when people like Jeff Beck, Clapton, Townshend and just about everybody that didn't die used/uses either custom shop models or some other kind of custom guitar. Even Luther Perkins had Fender custom wind him pickups.

But that's because they have signature models now. More than likely that's what Hendrix would have too probably.

Hendrix used poly covered late 60s Strats for a majority of his career wasn't his favorite Strat a '68 black model?
He also used nitro finished guitars early in his career. I find it laughable that so many people put Hendrix on a pedestal and talk about him being a tone monster when he himself didn't really seem to care about the finish.

I sometimes get the feeling that the question of whether vintage is better than current gear turns on whether one is buying or selling:

seller: "why buy an off the rack guitar when this 1972 model has so much vintage vibe/mojo/character/tone??? Haven't you heard the tone that on [insert classic rock song]???"

buyer: "why charge that much for a guitar that was made during a time of laughable quality control, heck, when they had just barely discovered electricity and mass-production? You should be paying [I]me to take that 'firewood' off your hands!!!"

Related to this is the whole notion of a Re-issue. Either old guitars were good or they weren't. If they weren't, there's little point in re-issuing them, especially while boasting that the guitars are made exactly to the original specs. If they were good, then that raises questions about why current models would be any different.

I guess in the end there's enough subjectivity that people buy stuff because... they like it. For my money, both vintage and modern are cool, and always harder to play than to buy. :smile:

If you want a guitar that sounds great and that's it, I'd look new. If you want something that sounds great AND is an investment, buy vintage.

If I buy a guitar with the thought of resale value, then I know I don't really like it enough to keep it. Then again, I can't afford anything with resale value, so what am I talking about?


Related to this is the whole notion of a Re-issue. Either old guitars were good or they weren't. If they weren't, there's little point in re-issuing them, especially while boasting that the guitars are made exactly to the original specs. If they were good, then that raises questions about why current models would be any different.


Re-Issues exist because it's the only way the company can make money again off something that they sold years ago. Doesn't matter whether the old one was good or not, as long as customers buy the new ones.

I often wonder what type of Strat would Hendrix be playing today with all the current models fender has in production.

Oh, great. That's gonna just sit in my head and drive me nutso. Thank you very much, Mr. Dairy! :wink:

All guitars feel the same to me, vintage or modern. As for me, it's more about the "affordability".

It has already been pointed out in this thread that Beck and Clapton both play Custom Shop Guitars. This is true but the reason they do is because their beloved #1s were indeed "custom". They took a body from one guitar and a neck from another, maybe pickups from yet another and created their own frankenstrats.

Now in their old age they have the honor and money to call up Fender and say "build me this".

Hendrix is different... he pretty much played what came off the shelf and they didn't have lefty Strats back then so he just made do.

With that said though, most all of the greats did swap parts out to get the neck that felt good to them and the body that had the perfect weight and balance to suit their taste.

We are lucky that it is extremely easy to do this today and even luckier that Fender supports this habit with their "Hot Rod" series and their Limited Edition/FSR "Thin Skins" that mix the best of the old and new.

A lot of people say "I prefer 7.25 radius with vintage frets" but they also prefer beefy necks (Chunky C, Soft-V, etc). Those are custom, not vintage.

Its all a matter of taste. A lot of us spend a lot of time trying this or that guitar, buying it, taking it home and then thinking "maybe I should change out the pickups, or what about the neck". But maybe a better way to try out guitars would be "this body is perfect" and "that neck is amazing"... buy both, part them out and let fleabay make up the difference.

But even better, the aftermarket guitar parts resources are so much better today... custom order everything and get exactly what you want.

Dynasty, you mentioned that you have a MIM Strat you like but you prefer the Neck on a '56 Relic Strat. Would your "dream guitar" be that MIM Strat Body with the '56 Relic Neck? That might sound odd but if that works, go for it and sell the parts you don't want to keep.

Vintage or Modern, it doesn't have to be a choice of one or the other. Mix and Match and get what you really want.