So at what point does a guitar/amp/pedal become 'vintage' and then 'antique'?

Instant Dan · September 23, 2011, 11:50:23 AM

I only ask as I still see old timers rocking guitars/amps from the 60's/70's and while they are vintage, I have to imagine they will be antiques soon.

Hemisaurus · September 23, 2011, 12:35:27 PM

I'd like to say while it's still useable in it's normal fashion it's vintage. When it needs special handling and babying, it's antique.

That's probably not the case though, as that would make some new gear antique too. I guess maybe there's a line between antique and crap.

Derelict78 · September 23, 2011, 01:22:58 PM

vintage is 20+ years old.
antiques are at least 100 years old
although antique cars are over 45 years old so

bitter · September 23, 2011, 01:31:39 PM

Quote from: Derelict78 on September 23, 2011, 01:22:58 PM

although antique cars are over 45 years old so

I saw a '66 impala a couple days back and it most certainly was not an antique. Maybe the rust wasn't quite 45 yrs old?

Why'd did they have to switch up the rear lamps in '66??? WHY!?!?

...sorry for the thread jack

grimniggzy · September 23, 2011, 02:24:11 PM

Damn, so stuff from 1990 is vintage? At first I thought that seemed a little off but i dunno.

Discö Rice · September 23, 2011, 02:43:38 PM

I think it's 30+ for vintage. Nothing from the 80's is considered vintage to my knowledge.

welshchris · September 23, 2011, 03:01:34 PM

Vintage made before you were born, antique made before your parents were born?

grimniggzy · September 23, 2011, 03:12:27 PM

How the hell could "vintage" correlate to a persons age? Talk about variables.
Somewhere MadJohnShaft: Scientist Farmer is shaking his head.

grimniggzy · September 23, 2011, 03:16:43 PM

Quote from: Discö Rice on September 23, 2011, 02:43:38 PM
I think it's 30+ for vintage. Nothing from the 80's is considered vintage to my knowledge.

This sounds a little more correct.
I always assumed 25+, but I'd have a hard time calling an 80's amp vintage without snickering under my breath.
Smells like a bad craigslist add to me. Anything 70's is a safer bet for vintage IMO.

Ayek · September 23, 2011, 05:18:21 PM

I remember saying to my dad (jokingly) a while back "It's pretty cool how everyone back in your day drove vintage cars"
I gets hard to comprehend something as vintage if you can remember when it was brand new.

Metal and Beer · September 23, 2011, 05:21:18 PM

I think something becomes "vintage" when a seller is willing to use any ol' word to help sell his item

VOLVO))) · September 23, 2011, 05:25:48 PM

Thank you Larry, for your answer.

I'll go ahead and say, next to Al, this dude is my bass idol. I catch myself ripping off his technique more and more every time I play.

Discö Rice · September 23, 2011, 07:59:28 PM

Is that the music from the epilogue of The Incredible Hulk? Also - that drummer's a bad motherfucker.

neighbor664 · September 23, 2011, 09:59:32 PM

Quote from: SunnO))) on September 23, 2011, 05:25:48 PM

Thank you Larry, for your answer.

I'll go ahead and say, next to Al, this dude is my bass idol. I catch myself ripping off his technique more and more every time I play.

Larry Grahm rules!
Apropos of nothing: I used to work with his niece back in the 90s.

Ranbat · September 23, 2011, 11:25:05 PM

Since the term was really for use in describing the year a wine was made, it could really be any year. To me though, vintage in musical gear would describe the traits of a certain era of instrument. An 80s vintage Kramer brings to mind a certain type of guitar. An 80s vintage Marshall brings to mind a certain amp.

VOLVO))) · September 24, 2011, 07:57:07 AM

Arion Metal Master. That's vintage.

SpaceTrucker · September 24, 2011, 05:00:23 PM

I guess my 78/79 peavey T 40 is an antique.

But in actuality it isnt even vintage, because so many were made.

Discö Rice · September 24, 2011, 05:16:19 PM

Vintage doesn't mean antique, or rare.

RacerX · September 24, 2011, 05:44:40 PM

Of course not. It refers to how many vints the gear requires, much like voltage refers to the volts required.

Simple stuff, really...

RAGER · September 24, 2011, 07:45:08 PM

As far as guitars go. Vintage means prior to 1970. That's what serious collectors say not me. Some of my stuff is just old I guess and some is vintage.

moose23 · September 25, 2011, 06:10:23 AM

Been thinking about this a bit over the last few days, two definitions of vintage I can think of; out of production stuff and pre 1980. Antique would probably be before electric guitars were built but maybe a 30s or 40s guitar would be an antique or anything up to 50s that wasn't really playable but was worth collecting..

mawso · September 25, 2011, 08:41:57 AM

some people on the internet get their dicks tied in a know over what is vintage and what isn't. technically, "vintage" just means something comes from a particular year. So if you're gonna be a stickler, you can have vintage 2010 guitars etc. Colloquially it means something different obviously, I don't think there's a hard and fast rule, obviously a vintage Gibson is going to refer to a different period than vintage Charvels etc.

VOLVO))) · September 26, 2011, 10:31:40 AM

Quote from: mawso on September 25, 2011, 08:41:57 AM
some people on the internet get their dicks tied in a know over what is vintage and what isn't. technically, "vintage" just means something comes from a particular year. So if you're gonna be a stickler, you can have vintage 2010 guitars etc. Colloquially it means something different obviously, I don't think there's a hard and fast rule, obviously a vintage Gibson is going to refer to a different period than vintage Charvels etc.

Use of the word "colloquially" = mind blow + high five