Is it okay for me as a guitarist...

kovachian · #1 07-20-2007, 05:47 PM

...to be insanely jealous of the bass industry as a whole? You guys get the wildest looking woods while most guitars are still hung up on maple/mahogany/ash/alder. Yes they get the job done, but...still (yawn). You guys get the most adventurous shapes and designs while guitars in general are still regurgitating the same old tired 50 year old designs. I see a fine line between paying homage to the past, and being hopelessly obsessed with the past.

Or has this been discussed before? My searching didn't turn up anything.

Webtroll · #2 07-20-2007, 05:57 PM

I hadn't thought about that before. The exotic basses tend to look cool, but when guitars are made that strangely they tend to look ugly. Then again I'm a vintage Les Paul whore /shrug.

coolrunner989 · #3 07-20-2007, 06:06 PM

yeah - I'm glad I'm a bassist first, guitarist second. I have more fun, more options, cooler looking intruments.

It's proven:
bass > guitar

spade2you · #4 07-20-2007, 06:06 PM

Tiz true that we have a ton of options. Some stick with the norm, and some of us....(myself included) take full advantage of all the possible options and combinations. It's fun.

Although, with a little searching and creativity, there are some builders who can do some crazy stuff on guitar as well. Mr. Conklin knows how to make a mean 8 string guitar.....

i_got_a_mohawk · #5 07-20-2007, 06:07 PM

Ive seen many fancy topped guitars.

But, SGs or Teles are the way to go

Flintc · #6 07-20-2007, 06:08 PM

Yeah, I've noticed that the sheer scope of bass options dwarfs that of guitars. Shapes, woods, electronics, number of strings to choose from, scales, you name it.

But I've also noticed that there are plenty of guitar luthiers out there willing to build any shape, scale, color, wood, etc. you want, for a price.

MysticMichael · #7 07-20-2007, 06:13 PM

Supply follows demand. Guitarists, as a rule, tend to be much more into the whole vintage thing. Why? Maybe because it really worked for them during the whole classic period of the 50s, 60s & 70s, when the electric guitar first began to dominate popular music, and many guitarists would subconsciously like to hang onto that. Builders and suppliers have taken note - and responded largely with variations of the same old thing...

Bassists historically haven't had it quite that easy. Especially early on, it was very difficult to be heard. Recording engineers and live sound engineers didn't pay much attention to us. And much of the music of the time didn't really showcase our efforts anyway. So bassists really had a powerful incentive to innovate - so we have. And the builders and suppliers have responded accordingly. Now times have changed...

How's that for a succinct analysis?

MM

coolrunner989 · #8 07-20-2007, 06:21 PM

well said Mystic

Linkert · #9 07-20-2007, 06:36 PM

I feel that way. That guitars are very undeveloped in looks. Im a "String-instrument-player" so i want all string instruments to have fancy tops

kovachian · #10 07-20-2007, 06:39 PM

Yea, Mystic summed it up excellently. On one hand I can understand why the bass scene is different from the guitar scene, I guess I'm just voicing my disappointment that what innovations have come about, hasn't permeated the guitar scene more. I know exceptions abound such as Conklin, but the popularity of such builders is nowhere the level that it should be.

As of right now I'm a guitarist first and bassist second, but there's always a chance of that changing.

cricketfever32 · #11 07-20-2007, 06:57 PM

it has never crossed my mind in my 4 years of experience at how big the bass world really is, wow...sweet....

Poop-Loops · #12 07-20-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovachian

...to be insanely jealous of the bass industry as a whole? You guys get the wildest looking woods while most guitars are still hung up on maple/mahogany/ash/alder. Yes they get the job done, but...still (yawn). You guys get the most adventurous shapes and designs while guitars in general are still regurgitating the same old tired 50 year old designs. I see a fine line between paying homage to the past, and being hopelessly obsessed with the past.

Or has this been discussed before? My searching didn't turn up anything.

I've been thinking the same thing, man. Whenever I shop for a guitar, all I can see is the same old stuff. Shopping for a new bass is completely different, as there are so many styles/shapes/whatever to choose from.

Crow · #13 07-20-2007, 07:08 PM

Oh Goody ;-) IMHO the reason a lot (if not most) basists are into the "designer" custom made, wait 18 months for your bass to be made, 4 strings good, then 11 must be REAL GOOD is that they have a terrible inferiority complex. Mick/Keith, Rober/Jimmy, Roger/Pete, Axl/Slash & so on & so on grooving up front together, while Bill, John, John, Duff etc etc just laying in the back grooving with of all things...THE Drummer. I am 57 years old & started playing guitar when I was in the 4th grade, after seeing Elvis. I started playing the bass about 2 years ago due to a touch of arthritis & not being able to move my left fingers as fast as I once could. Bass is a lot easier for me now. Also IMHO a lot of these spalted, burl, etc etc tops are down right HIDEOUS. Give me a nice Strat, or Lest Paul Standard, or a Fender Jazz any day to some creation that looks like it was dredged up from some horror movie.

spade2you · #14 07-20-2007, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crow

Oh Goody ;-) IMHO the reason a lot (if not most) basists are into the "designer" custom made, wait 18 months for your bass to be made, 4 strings good, then 11 must be REAL GOOD is that they have a terrible inferiority complex.

Also IMHO a lot of these spalted, burl, etc etc tops are down right HIDEOUS. Give me a nice Strat, or Lest Paul Standard, or a Fender Jazz any day to some creation that looks like it was dredged up from some horror movie.

Someone better call up Jean and Yves. Apparently they have the worst inferiority complexes here.

I know I ordered my custom basses to make up for a complete lack of talent.

....er wait, it was because I really love the sound and the feel of these bad boys. They're certainly not too hard on the eyes. Except this ugly-ass spalted bass. Hideous. Sheesh. I don't know what I was thinking. I ordered a P-bass and this is what came.

FL Knifemaker · #15 07-20-2007, 07:40 PM

Check out Neal Moser!

This is my Korina SST. The pics don't do it any justice, it's stunning in person

Fit, finish, details and overall quality are second to NONE!

iamlowsound · #16 07-20-2007, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

Check out Neal Moser!

This is my Korina SST. The pics don't do it any justice, it's stunning in person

Fit, finish, details and overall quality are second to NONE!

Nice guitar, but they could have come up with something a little more original for a headstock. Looks like an Ibanez headstock.

lowsound

capnsandwich · #17 07-20-2007, 07:56 PM

I'm starting to see a tiny little trend in the guitar world coming about. I went to a guitar show here where I live in central Ohio. The Low End bass shop was there from Nashville with all their high end toys. Another thing I saw was a booth that had some of the nicest looking guitars I had ever seen. I think the company was Abyss Guitars. They had quilted maple tops as pretty as any Ritter Roya top I've ever seen. They had art work inlays up and down the fretboard. They had some exotic wood tops and bodies that were available and their prices, much like custom basses, were astronomical. I think some of these guitar luthiers are starting to follow the ways of the bass luthiers. They're doing some cool stuff with those things.

iamlowsound · #18 07-20-2007, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnsandwich

I'm starting to see a tiny little trend in the guitar world coming about. I went to a guitar show here where I live in central Ohio. The Low End bass shop was there from Nashville with all their high end toys. Another thing I saw was a booth that had some of the nicest looking guitars I had ever seen. I think the company was Abyss Guitars. They had quilted maple tops as pretty as any Ritter Roya top I've ever seen. They had art work inlays up and down the fretboard. They had some exotic wood tops and bodies that were available and their prices, much like custom basses, were astronomical. I think some of these guitar luthiers are starting to follow the ways of the bass luthiers. They're doing some cool stuff with those things.

But they looked like a tele right?

lowsound

FL Knifemaker · #19 07-20-2007, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Nice guitar, but they could have come up with something a little more original for a headstock. Looks like an Ibanez headstock.

lowsound

Neals probably been using that shape longer that Ibanez

iamlowsound · #20 07-20-2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

Neals probably been using that shape longer that Ibanez

Might be, but fender has been using the body shape since the 50's.

lowsound