[quote name='molan' timestamp='1357483890' post='1923191']
Easy - any instrument that's over 20 years old is a classic. Doesn't matter if it's any 'good', has a particularly high value, has been copied, is still in production etc.
If it's good enough for The Classic Car Club of America it's good enough for me
[/quote]
I respectfully disagree. In my opinion, Vintage would be a better term for an instrument that you wish to classify based on age alone. As an example, I think most would agree that one of those Ampeg scroll-headed instruments would be a Vintage bass, but not a Classic.
[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1357484482' post='1923215']
I think there are only four classic bass guitars:
Fender Precision
Fender Jazz
Rickenbacker 4001/4003
Musicman Stingray
[/quote]
I think you're pretty close to the mark. The only one I'd think to add would be the Steinberger L2/XL2. Where it could be argued that most other basses have their ancestry in the instruments you've picked, the Steinberger is a radically different design which has stood the test of time and is still revered by many. But perhaps this is just because I'm in the process of buying one. :-)
CB