blambo1223 Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Title says it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxson50 Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Because it's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Wood...blah blah...bullshit...blah blah...you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S t e v e Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 i don't think older are better than newer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Gibsons quaility back then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blambo1223 Posted July 16, 2010 Author Share Posted July 16, 2010 But i mean, is it sound, strength of the wood, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Lotsa new people today. welcome to the forum btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witmer Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 For the same reason people think that the old builders knew more about the acoustics of a great concert hall than our modern builders: the halls that sounded bad went out of business and got torn down. The great ones survived, became legend and still sound awesome. All the concert halls we now experience that were built way-back-when sound awesome, ergo, we conclude that all the old ones were great. Of course, any guitar that played well enough to survive the first 20 years will also sound even better now due to the wood seasoning and becoming more resonant with age. So practically speaking, an old guitar has two things in its favor: it probably started out better than average, and it's gotten better with age. And still, I believe that the guitars being built today are consistently as good as most old guitars started out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Well my basis for it is the time invested into the guitar. My 1965 Guild A-50 was one of only 28 of the model they made that year. These guitars werent just flying out of the door, and it should allow for better quality builds. Also all of these guitars were built in the USA by skilled workers, as opposed to being built in china by relatively unskilled workers. Might just be me... Then again it might just be the fact that the users of these 50s LPs are some of the most famous guitarists of all time. People might just want to replicate their tone... <shrug> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witmer Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 But i mean' date=' is it sound, strength of the wood, etc[/quote'] Oh. It is usually said that they sound better, and occasionally that they "feel" better to play. I've never heard anyone claim they were more durable or anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blambo1223 Posted July 16, 2010 Author Share Posted July 16, 2010 Lotsa new people today. welcome to the forum btw. Ive actually been here for a while. I just come on to ask questions and etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V-man Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 A good guitar is a good guitar, a bad guitar is a bad guitar. I have heard certain years of Gibsons for example being great and being not so great. That suggests that older guitars being better, for quality, etc is at least partial BS when craftsmanship improves and backslides here and there. Another important thing to consider: Guitars are NOT WINE. Uncork a 1978 merlot and it is the same as another assuming both are stored properly. Bring 25 members who bought a Les Paul Standard this year (since it is at its newest and not affected by climate, wear, or abuse) and you find that the 25 different guitars are not the same. Find the magic year LP and it may be a dog, whereas that really ugly spot for build quality in 198x happened to give you your best playing axe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S t e v e Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 I believe that the guitars being built today are consistently as good as most old guitars started out. ibanez are a true reflection of the above quote, the craftsmanship that goes into the japanese "prestige" models are second to none... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Psychology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Of course' date=' any guitar that played well enough to survive the first 20 years will also sound even better now due to the wood seasoning and becoming more resonant with age. So practically speaking, an old guitar has two things in its favor: it probably started out better than average, and it's gotten better with age. And still, I believe that the guitars being built today are consistently as good as most old guitars started out.[/quote'] I agree totally. Plus, if there are any manufacturing flaws or anything that may go wrong with the guitar, it will have happened and been taken care of. My Gibson F-25 looked like it had been in a war when I got it so I figured there would be nothing I could do to it that would be worse than what it had been thriugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS1976 Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Nostalgia, idealism, rose colored glasses, perhaps stupidity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 It's all in the mind. All that can be better about an old guitar is the playability. Well played and worn in. New houses are better made than they've ever been. Perhaps not in weight (brick Walls compared to plasterboard), but foundations, insulation etc. Victorian terraced houses often had little foundation if any. Yet people say they are better because of age, fancy mouldings, high ceilings etc. Modern machines can build consistent guitars with flawless finish. If you closed your eyes and were given an unplayed 59 lp and a new vos 59. I bet you couldn't tell the difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 The ones people rave about cannot be duplicated; you can't just buy another one. That's the rarity factor - but it doesn't mean that an old guitar is better just because it's old. There are plenty of old guitars that are just crap. The better one are just better, period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Statistically newer guitars should be better. Here are two very valid reasons why: -Makers that have been in the guitar building and selling business for a long time have now a lot more experience than they had back in the day. -Today there are a lot more options in the market, lots of brands, lots of models, finishes and features to chose from; which translates in potentially every costumer being able to find the guitar that fits his/her needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeVeeWee Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Don't we all make the mistake to think that older guitars are better, just because they have more 'value', in terms of 'money'. If we compare with the most valuable violin on the market, the Stradivarius, ... I've never seen any report saying that the current remaining models are better than when they were in 1950, but price maybe doubled or tripled. Stradivarius was already a master builder in his era(18th century)and he was known for his wood choice and the unique construction of his violin body. These violins were good when they saw the light for the first time and they are still excellent today, but better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky4 Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 I guess it's the way everything ages. The wood, finish, pick ups, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Nostalgia. But it's not nearly as good as it was in my time..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Adirondack Spruce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 The rarity factor combined with nostalgia creates a million dollar market. Look at some 1959 Gibsons, like the ES225 they go for $2,000-$2,500 because there were plenty of them made, bursts are rare so they go for $400,000. You would think that the "magic" that the Gibson employees used in 1959 would have rubbed off a little more on other instruments in the line of production. When a tuner was crooked on an original burst (and there is plenty) it is "cute" if a tuner is crooked in a modern guitar it would be unacceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 Magic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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