Signature/Artist series basses for semi-famous musicians: why?

[bassgod76]

Originally Posted by drTSTingray

The Bass Centre used to be a shop in London, but is now an on line store - they do strings (Elites) used by Mark King, plus Bass Collection I think - quite a pedigree going back over the years.

Now if you really want to blow your mind, Andy Baxter Bass (who deals in vintage basses) had Norman's ACTUAL Fender Jazz for sale - listed as sold though.

http://www.andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=165

Is that WB music store and the drum and bass centre still open on Denmark St. in London?

[drTSTingray]

Originally Posted by bassgod76

Is that WB music store and the drum and bass centre still open on Denmark St. in London?

Denmark St is still wall to wall music shops but the Bass Cellar closed a while back - I think there's a new bass shop there now. Prices tend to reflect the tourist aspect of Denmark Street but there's generally some nice instruments in stock.

[bassgod76]

Originally Posted by drTSTingray

Denmark St is still wall to wall music shops but the Bass Cellar closed a while back - I think there's a new bass shop there now. Prices tend to reflect the tourist aspect of Denmark Street but there's generally some nice instruments in stock.

I remember the bass and drum centre had that crazy basement entrance and that staff was less than polite.

I remember my British band buddies paid through the nose for MIA instruments.

Looking back on it, I could've used my military APO address and sold guitars for a song while bein stationed there.

[AuntieBeeb]

Oddly enough, I saw the Nate Mendel P-bass in the window of a guitar shop a couple of weekends ago. It looked like a lovely Precision, and I presumed that some of the hardware was upgraded beyond standard Fender stock (a look at the website confirms this), but I still don't know if that really made it different enough to justify the price tag!

Admittedly, you never know until you try one. And admittedly, I didn't. I certainly wouldn't rule out buying one, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find one. If I were to actively go after a signature bass, I think I'd be looking for one with some little alteration that would make it unique, and for that little alteration to make it noticeably different from, say, just buying a good Fender Precision.

The Hoppus bass is sort of halfway there, in fact - the hybridisation of the Precision and Jazz parts is quite cleverly done, especially as it's not obvious the first time you clap eyes on one! Does it improve the bass enough to justify the price tag? Opinion seems to be divided. (Never tried one myself but would be keen to out of curiosity!)

[drTSTingray]

Originally Posted by AuntieBeeb

The Hoppus bass is sort of halfway there, in fact - the hybridisation of the Precision and Jazz parts is quite cleverly done, especially as it's not obvious the first time you clap eyes on one! Does it improve the bass enough to justify the price tag? Opinion seems to be divided. (Never tried one myself but would be keen to out of curiosity!)

I agree with you - a friend has one and I can confirm it plays very nicely and sounds excellent - he runs a jam session and it's the resident bass sometimes!

[khutch]

Originally Posted by Kmonk

Many artists are paid for the use of their name. My point is that Fender could make the bass and sell it for less money if they were not paying a fee to use an artist's name on it.

That may be true although there is a dispute over whether the artists receive any significant payment, but if the artist gets paid, Fender makes a little extra money, and I get a break on the price anyway because Fender's buying power lets them still sell the bass cheaper than I could assemble one everyone wins.

So, I have the solution for all of you who can't stand having a signature on your bass. Just do what it seems every Squier owner on TB does, just sand off the offending decal....

Ken

[grayta]

Originally Posted by khutch

So, I have the solution for all of you who can't stand having a signature on your bass. Just do what it seems every Squier owner on TB does, just sand off the offending decal....

Ken

Ha! That's what my drummer said I should do. Nah, too much fun when someone says, "dang, that sounds good, you get another (fill in expensive make)?" and I get to show them the headstock. LOL

[mattbass6945]

Originally Posted by grayta

Ha! That's what my drummer said I should do. Nah, too much fun when someone says, "dang, that sounds good, you get another (fill in expensive make)?" and I get to show them the headstock. LOL

this! i had squier anxiety for a while myself. now it's funny to me when people tell me,"man, you've got a good sound." i'm like, and with a $300 bass, too!

i will not be so vain as to sand off the offensive decal! however, i won't judge others who do, i was once there myself!

[etechstan]

I bought my Tremonti PRS because I had Les Paul GAS and it fit the bill, nothing to do with the player. Never was a big fan of Creed of Alter Bridge.

[George Mann]

Originally Posted by zachoff

Mendel is the bass player in arguably the most prolific rock band of the last 20 years.

Rush is the most prolific (as usual). The Foo Fighters are just another mindless, talentless noise band!

[mattbass6945]

Originally Posted by George Mann

Rush is the most prolific (as usual). The Foo Fighters are just another mindless, talentless noise band!

uhhh.....ok, george.

[superbassman2000]

Originally Posted by unclejane

So not everybody just slaps a name on a meat&potatoes bass, some companies actually do the Full Johnson on making an artist specific instrument...

But even to make a bass to artist specs, and then selling that bass with that artist's name on it is still marketing. Even if flea designed his modulus sig bass himself to whatever specs he wanted, it would still sell more as the flea sig bass compared the the funk unlimited. Names=sales whether the bass is stock or completely different from stock

[sneha1965]

Actually, if I was in the market for a new bass I would be looking at both the Tony Franklin bass and the Mendel. I like the Franklin bass for the build quality and the fact that it's a PJ with a pickup selector. I like the Mendel bass because it's essentially a Road Worn with a narrow rosewood neck for $100 less than the Road Worn with SD pickups and the badass bridge. I love the neck of the Road Worn and wish that there were more offerings with that neck treatment.

[AnthonyBrown]

When they make a signature bass, I am inclined to learn about the artist. That, in turn increases my knowledge of artists I don' t know about. I hate not knowing stuff!!!

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by sneha1965

Actually, if I was in the market for a new bass I would be looking at both the Tony Franklin bass and the Mendel. I like the Franklin bass for the build quality and the fact that it's a PJ with a pickup selector. I like the Mendel bass because it's essentially a Road Worn with a narrow rosewood neck for $100 less than the Road Worn with SD pickups and the badass bridge. I love the neck of the Road Worn and wish that there were more offerings with that neck treatment.

I got to play a Tony Franklin when I was in NYC last year - they had one at the Sam Ash. It's only problem was the usual neck dive that you have with any P bass, but except for that it was a really nice, well made instrument. If a gun were to my head to buy a Fender Precision, the TF is the only way I'd go. I don't think you can get an unlined board from Fender any other way except going custom shop (I may be wrong about that, but I couldn't find an off-the-shelf unlined FL Fender anywhere on fender.com?).

As for the name decals, I actually like having the artist's name on it, my Bunnies have BB's signature on the headstock and I'm rather proud of it being on there. It's sort of like an art piece with the artist's signature on it so you know where it actually came from.

The Tony Franklin has TF's signature on the neck plate, IIRC. Finally, the price is actually within reach of mortal man, sort of. I see them on ebay for about $1700 new, and less than that used.

Fortunately, my Bunny 6 can cop a Precision tone almost perfectly using its neck humbucker, so I've not ever developed GAS for a TF. But it's a pretty nice bass.

LS

[bassgod76]

Originally Posted by AnthonyBrown

When they make a signature bass, I am inclined to learn about the artist. That, in turn increases my knowledge of artists I don' t know about. I hate not knowing stuff!!!

I agree with this. I like that Mikey Way Squier. I had no idea who he was, so I looked him up since I dug the look of his sig bass.

Knowledge is power. Unfortunately, he the bassist of that band, My Chemical Romance. Oh well. It's nice to know.

[lidel]

i don't care if the bass i like is a signature model. it could be a signature model of mickey mouse, etc. the bass has a good sound and my feelings are good? it's mine!

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by Troph

Ha. What I find dopey are marketing jerks who think I want my instrument associated with someone in the first place.

And the point is, the artist association is reason enough for me not to "love" the bass, which means I won't be buying it.

But hey, thanks for letting us know it's a silly discussion. Glad you stopped by just to tell us that.

Typically they don't think you want any particular based... they gear the signature models towards people who do. They do it because they feel it works. Not with you, with the intended buyers.

And signature instruments aren't limited to monster players by any means. They simply need to be tied to someone they think the intended market likes enough to spend their money on what that artist uses.

It's a big market and most folks know everything is not geared towards them. It's that simple.

[VincentGrim]

It's generational. I'd bet money on it that Mark Hoppus and Pete Wentz are ten times more "famous" amongst people in my age group than jaco and Marcus Miller are.

There is, of course, the occasional 17-21 year old who is all about getting his Jaco on, but on average I'm sure I could start a conversation with the other bands and fans about mark Hoppus at every gig we play, while drawing blank expressions if I tried to mention Marcus Miller.

At the same time, I'm sure it'd be a different story if I went to a high-end recording studio, or spoke to epic session players. Idk, I guess I'm just saying that there are many different forms of fame.

Edit: Oh, and James Johnston and his band are quite relevant among rockers in Europe. The sig model was originally only to be released there, but we have it here mostly because of the outcry for it once we all saw pictures of it and it's hawtness.

[smcd]

It's not a matter of fame. It's a matter of being a virtuoso. One used to have to stand out among musicians to have a signature model. Are Mark Hoppus/Pete Wentz/James Johnston the best you've got? For the sake of your generation, I hope not.