Finish Hang-Ups -- Who's Got 'Em?

[jaywa]

Here are mine. They've probably kept me from trying / buying some real good basses in my time, but they are what they are.

1) Natural finishes. Just don't like 'em. The darker they are the less I like 'em which in particular has put me off a couple of used Peavey Cirruses since it seems like all they ever come in is dark natural.

2) Gold hardware. Again, just a personal thing but don't like.

3) Matching headstocks. Gotta have 'em on any bass with a rosewood fingerboard. The whole deal where you've got three different things going on (body color, rosewood neck and a third natural color for the headstock) just doesn't do it for me. OTOH, maple board neck with headstock matching body color looks strange to me too.

Those are my big deal breakers as far as how a bass actually looks. Others?

[Munjibunga]

Look at this now, and throw up later. I prefer natural finishes over paint, but I do have a few painted basses.

[Mola Ram]

Ohhh yeah...I'm a picky bastard...right now its trying to get a 5 string that has these:

1. Vintage white, white, trans white finish on the body

2. Pearl blocks on rosewood or ebony

I'm gotten close twice. Lakland's released a special edition with a trans white finish with no inlays...all the other special editions the year had them....but not THAT one.

The other was the Cort 75GB. They offer it in a White Blonde in the FOUR STRING version...but not the 5....booooooooooooo again.

[jaywa]

^ ^

Now THAT one works!

What's with the extra string, though?

P.S. to Moderator, sorry for the dupe thread. Weirdness with the connection. Feel free to close one or the other.

[ptg]

Okay, I'll play....

The only one I can think of is I really don't care for sunburst or similar finishes that do not go all the way into the horns. I love MusicMan but their bursts now consists of a circle of color around the middle of the bass. I think it looks cheap.

I agree about the gold hardware - not a fan at all!

I disagree about the matching headstock. To me it looks less modern unfinished. (Albeit, I do have 1 bass with it and it's not a deal breaker.)

And I do like natural finishes but I prefer them stained dark.

To each his/her own!

[Mola Ram]

Ohhhh yeah, I'm a pretty picky bastard right now and I refuse to settle on something that doesn't fit a few parameters. I've been looking for a 5 stringer with:

1. White/vintage white/trans white finish on the body.

2. Pearl block inlays on ebony or rosewood.

I've gotten close twice. Lakland released a few special edition 55-60s last year and one had this amazing trans white finish but no blocks...every single one of the OTHER special editions had the blocks but not THAT one. It made me cry.
The other was Cort's 75GB. The 4 string model is available in another gorgeous white blonde that is, OF COURSE, not available in the US in the 5 string model.

[LostInSauce]

Pretty dern finicky myself when given choices. I think that most manufacturers tend to forget how picky some of us become whenever the economy takes a dump. When things get especially tight; we tend squeeze a dolar hard enough to turn George blue.

I found it ironic when Mola Ram mentioned a 5'er with white body and block inlays. I'm looking for a used Sterling 5 HH bass right now on the used market. If it doesn't come to fruition at the price I want; I've already been looking into Carvin. New build, White/White, mother of pearl block inlays and will probably cost less than the used EBMM I'm looking at.

[Smilodon]

I'm hopeless when it come to things like this. I want my instruments in a certain way.

Maple fingerboards doesn't do it for me. It have to be rosewood or ebony (Or similar)

Headstock have to match the body color in some way. I can't stand the natural fender headstocks. (On a sunburst body it can work if the picguard is black, though)


I have different demands from guitars than basses, though. On guitars I prefer sunburst, but on basses black have to be a part of the color scheme.



edit: I have one weak spot, though. Gold hardware on a black guitar or bass. Especially gold on a black Les Paul...

[HaMMerHeD]

I dislike solid color paint finishes. I dislike non-matching headstocks. I dislike gold hardware on light-colored natural finishes. Gold, if it is to be used, needs to be on something dark like Walnut. I don't have a problem with distressed (or relic) finishes in general, but I don't like them when it looks like they just attacked the thing with a belt sander.

I also very strongly dislike maple fingerboards under almost all circumstances. That said, I have a very nice curly maple fingerboard that I am using for an upcoming project.


And I haaaaaaaaate burst finishes, especially 3TS.

[Mola Ram]

Originally Posted by LostInSauce

I found it ironic when Mola Ram mentioned a 5'er with white body and block inlays. I'm looking for a used Sterling 5 HH bass right now on the used market. If it doesn't come to fruition at the price I want; I've already been looking into Carvin. New build, White/White, mother of pearl block inlays and will probably cost less than the used EBMM I'm looking at.

Ahhhh yes, I too have been thinking about going this route. I was hoping to just go passive but those SB5000s look awesome (though I think I would try to get the headstock reversed).

I've also been looking at the Yamaha BB425X and the 1025X. The inlays aren't blocks but they are darn close to pulling off the look I like.

[mp40smg]

I like clear (or tinted) finishes. I like to see nice wood.




I like gold hardware, on the right instrument


Personally, I dislike most of the candy (paint) colors.

[HypersoulRocks]

Originally Posted by jaywa

The whole deal where you've got three different things going on (body color, rosewood neck and a third natural color for the headstock) just doesn't do it for me.

I agree with this part so much...I know that its about sound and feel, but when you cant stand looking at a bass, it makes it hard to love it. That's the reason I dont like most Fenders as well.

My preference: oil or wax finish over a nice piece of wood, neck through showing, no overlay on the headstock, and a nice (non-maple) fingerboard that complements the rest of the bass...

[snyderz]

Out of the 35 basses I've owned, none has been sunburst. Why, I don't know.

[Konigstiger22]

Sunburst - I hate it!
Love Matching headstocks.
Blocks and bindings yes please.
Natural woods are pretty cool.
Painted are pretty cool too.
I'm not that picky just really don't like sunburst.

[StuartV]

Yup. Super picky here.

1) Brown wood. I don't like it. I don't want any brown wood for my fingerboard or bass body. And most especially no brown board on a black bass. To me, that's like wearing black pants and brown shoes.

2) Natural finishes. Don't really care for them. I like a nice translucent finish over pretty wood. But, it needs some color to it. Preferably trans-red or cherry burst.

3) 3TSB and Tobacco Burst. Don't care for those colors, either.

4) Tortoise pickguards. Don't like them, either. I think I have a general anti-brown(ish) theme going on.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Mola Ram

Ohhhh yeah, I'm a pretty picky bastard right now and I refuse to settle on something that doesn't fit a few parameters. I've been looking for a 5 stringer with:

1. White/vintage white/trans white finish on the body.

2. Pearl block inlays on ebony or rosewood.

I've gotten close twice. Lakland released a few special edition 55-60s last year and one had this amazing trans white finish but no blocks...every single one of the OTHER special editions had the blocks but not THAT one. It made me cry.
The other was Cort's 75GB. The 4 string model is available in another gorgeous white blonde that is, OF COURSE, not available in the US in the 5 string model.

Too bad about the fretboard wood. This one's at Bass San Diego.

[the yeti]

not really a fan of sunburst, especially tobacco. also not a fan of dark natural, or of gold hardware. i like solid colors. surprisingly i also like relics, but i can't see going out of my way to buy one.

[ejaggers]

+3 on gold H/W although I'd jump on a White Falcon if I had the $$$. And someone posted a sunburst P or J w/ gold H/W somewhere on TB that
was down right beautiful. I can't remember where I saw it.

I passed up a vista musicmaster for $175 because it was black, although I do have a black Axcelerator, but I tricked it out a bit.
I'm Gas'N for a another short scale (solid body this time), so I hate myself for passing on the MM.

Not extremely fond of natural, and have passed up on T-40's.

[the yeti]

also if it's got a non-maple finger board i want it to be dark. really dark.

[Mola Ram]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Too bad about the fretboard wood. This one's at Bass San Diego.

It's always something! UGH!

That things also a Sadowsky...so even if it was perfect my wallet would give me the "What you talkin' bout, Willis?" face.