Vintage Guitars & Basses

Vintage Bass Guitars

A bass guitar is a stringed instrument, and the player primarily plays it with the fingers or the thumb. It is played through slapping, popping, plucking, or strumming. You can also play bass guitars by thumping, tapping, or picking with a plectrum.

Understanding the basic parts of a vintage bass guitar will help you while looking for one. It is also important that you understand the guitar’s design and body shape if you are buying a guitar for a specific purpose or sound. Some aspects to pay attention to include:

• Neck: The type of neck for your bass guitar should be dependent on the size of your hand. The necks come in different shapes, including oval, flat back, V, asymmetrical, and round.
• Body style: A bass guitar is usually a solid body electric guitar. However, some will have a semi-hollow body designed for more acoustic and rounder tones.
• Scale length: If you have smaller hands, choose a guitar with a shorter scale. A bass guitar with a longer scale provides a more defined tone on low strings.
• Number of frets: Vintage guitars will have 21, 22, or 24 frets. Most bass playing takes place in the lower positions, so number of frets is a matter of personal taste.
• Wood: When it comes to wood, what matters is whether you like the sound and tone of the bass. The choice of wood on your bass guitar can yield different bass, tone, and weight. It is your personal preference on how you will use the bass that matters.
• Pickup: A pickup has more effect on the final bass sound. It can give different results for each bass tone. A guitar’s pickup is also affected by the age of the string.

Fender makes coated bass strings for vintage electric and acoustic guitars. The list below gives the different string types that you can choose from.

• Half round series: This string type is ground down for a smoother feel and tone.
• Roundwound series: The roundwound string is characterized by ridges on the winding.
• Flatwound series: A flatwound string reduces finger noise. It is also smooth to the touch and has a warm, mellow sound.
• Tapewound series: This type is characterized by an outer nylon wrap that gives a shorter decay and a more thud.

Choosing the right make and design of your bass guitar influences the results for your music. The strings also play a role in what sounds your guitar will give whether it is a Fender or any other brand.