The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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timiscott
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The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by timiscott » Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:16 am

I only own offsets and a Gretsch so I've been wondering if Strat and Tele players have the same obsession with vintage correct features on their guitars. I'm a bit 'whatever' about it so I was wondering what the obsession stems from. Is it a desire to recreate guitar tones from the past?

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Futuron » Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:32 am

Absolutely they (some of them) do. Go to places like tdpri and you'll see plenty of objection to the occasional contours on the back. The new professional series incorporates a contour on the neck heel, I saw complaints about that not belonging on a Strat because the guitar was perfect in the first place, why ruin it (with such mod-cons...) ::)

Yes, let's all drive our cars without power steering, air conditioning and the like ::)

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:40 am

So, on a strat I don’t care.

But for offsets and even telecasters I prefer vintage

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Beyer160 » Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:45 am

Although I think it often gets out of hand, the idea behind the "vintage correct" obsession isn't all corksniffery- it's rooted in the fact that most design changes since the Golden Age have been aimed at reducing manufacturing cost, fixing nonexistent problems or adding dubious features.

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Powdered Toast Man » Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:48 am

Tele players are so traditionalist that Fender changed the 6 saddle bridge back to 3 saddle when they changed the AmStd line into the AmPro.

I own 5 Teles and even I think tummy cuts and arm contours on a Tele are an abomination.

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by SAVEStheDAY » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:15 am

I think just about every guitar has a subset of pearl clutching, vintage spec fans that insist nothing ever changes. That's okay, everyone has a right to their opinion, as you've surely noticed, since those vintage spec people tend to be the squeaky wheel on just about every guitar forum. They're like the vegans of the guitar world.

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by s_mcsleazy » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:29 am

my friend posted her modded mexican telecaster on the telecaster board and got loads of people saying "that's not a real telecaster, you want a real telecaster, you got to have it within these vintage specs, your telecaster will never be a real telecaster"

so yes. it does exist.
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by blunderbuss » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:56 am

I love Telecasters. I’m in the “if it’s good I dig it” camp. I love the panorama on the American Pro II JM and I’d consider a roasted pine Telecaster. Some things like body contour, etc. don’t feel right to me. But we all have our hills to die on.

The three saddle Telecaster bridge is a thing of art and beauty. To change it is absolutely wrong.
Ryan

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Powdered Toast Man » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:12 am

SAVEStheDAY wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:15 am
I think just about every guitar has a subset of pearl clutching, vintage spec fans that insist nothing ever changes. That's okay, everyone has a right to their opinion, as you've surely noticed, since those vintage spec people tend to be the squeaky wheel on just about every guitar forum. They're like the vegans of the guitar world.
Offset bridges come to mind lol

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Jaguar018 » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:19 am

What makes a particular guitar model special is completely subjective. For some people it's the general shape, for others it goes down to the individual screw. I get mildly annoyed when people put humbuckers into Jaguars, but the worst is when they make Jaguars 25.5" as it really changes the sound/response. HOWEVER, I'm not going to swoop in and shit all over some excited person's new build post and tell then them they screwed up or what have you. I tend to espouse my particular beliefs if there is someone soliciting opinions and weighing options on a new build.

For all of those terrible Tele purists, there is a fairly large group that I'd tar with the same brush (I have complained about them before): the "I will put Tele parts ON ANY AND ALL KNOWN GUITAR BODIES" modders. Are they any better or worse?

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by DeathJag » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:21 am

SAVEStheDAY wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:15 am
They're like the vegans of the guitar world.
That is a hateful statement, bro. I am sorry if you've had bad experiences with vegans, but there’s no need to spit at them for no reason.

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by SAVEStheDAY » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:24 am

DeathJag wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:21 am
SAVEStheDAY wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:15 am
They're like the vegans of the guitar world.
That is a hateful statement, bro. I am sorry if you've had bad experiences with vegans, but there’s no need to spit at them for no reason.
Maybe you didn't see what I was going for: Vegans love to tell you they're vegans. Vintage spec folks love to point out guitars aren't vintage spec. That's the correlation. Not really hateful.

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Larsongs » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:31 am

Sometimes they get it right. Leo did with the early Tele's & Strat's.. They work, look, sound & play great.. If it ain't broke it don't need fixin'.

The same is true with the early Jazzmasters & Jaguars. Same with Gibson, Rickenbacker & others..

Why wouldn't you prefer one of those? The rest IMO are Alternate Reality Guitars...

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by DeathJag » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:39 am

SAVEStheDAY wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:24 am
DeathJag wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:21 am
SAVEStheDAY wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:15 am
They're like the vegans of the guitar world.
That is a hateful statement, bro. I am sorry if you've had bad experiences with vegans, but there’s no need to spit at them for no reason.
Maybe you didn't see what I was going for: Vegans love to tell you they're vegans. Vintage spec folks love to point out guitars aren't vintage spec. That's the correlation. Not really hateful.
I’m guessing you are not a hateful person, but what you said is.

From google:

“hate speech is understood as any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are”

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Re: The 'Vintage Correct' Obsession

Post by Sauerkraut » Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:47 am

Powdered Toast Man wrote:
Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:48 am
Tele players are so traditionalist that Fender changed the 6 saddle bridge back to 3 saddle when they changed the AmStd line into the AmPro.
I'm not sure that's why they made that change. Of course opinions differ on this, but I made the same change on my partscaster Tele and much prefer the feel and sound of the 3-saddle bridge. It made a surprisingly big difference too. So for me it's not so much about the look - though I do like those pretty brass saddles - as about functionality. Sometimes the old thing really is better, other times it's not. With my JM, I can't wait to order that new panorama trem for the same reason.

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