A Question of Aesthetics

[ardgedee]

As usual I stand corrected.

good sentiment though

The whole article's pretty interesting. They found an interview with Laurie Anderson where she said she's really fond of the quote!

 

[inchoate]

link?

if i'm gonna be wrong, as i often am, i should at least learn something from the experience.

 

[C Stone]

In this thread, I hope to discuss things on a strictly visual level. It's not about what feels good to play or what things sound like. Strictly eye candy, dig?

The thing that made me start thinking about this is the giant tuners on my new bass. They're full size fender-style clovers, and I think they look ridiculous... Like clown shoes on tiny feet.

I went looking for fender-style headstocks with mini clovers and couldn't find any, which got me wondering about how it would look and why we don't see this often. On square(ish) headstocks, like the Gibson LP Jr for example, they're readily found but not so much on other shapes. What's up with that?

The next item on my list is chrome knurled knobs. Honestly, I think they're terribly ugly and they stick out in a weird way. Black ones are much nicer on my eyes and usually match the pickups and pickguard (if there is one) much better.

Finally, a white nut on an otherwise all black bass as well as its opposite. Both just bug me. It breaks the flow of the colour scheme. I suppose some ppl want it for that very reason but it's not for me.

So. Thoughts? Opinions? What are your aesthetic bugaboos, and why?

I'm with ya, I have a new set of Fender elite bass tuners "F" tuners that upon arival noticed they will look rediculously small on a headstock (at least the reverse side) and I also replaced a white nut with black one on an ebonol neck. I'll get around to using the elite tuners at some point but they do look terrible (IMO).

Would like a G&L at some point but not with that gawd awful "bottle opener" looking eye remover headstock, also can't do gold hardware, another hard pass.

 

[ardgedee]

link?

Thelonius Monk – Quote Investigator

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

In this thread, I hope to discuss things on a strictly visual level. It's not about what feels good to play or what things sound like. Strictly eye candy, dig?

The thing that made me start thinking about this is the giant tuners on my new bass. They're full size fender-style clovers, and I think they look ridiculous... Like clown shoes on tiny feet.

I don't know if those tuners bother me (unless it becomes difficult to turn a tuner without impacting another one). Unless that's the case, I'm not all that concerned with the tuners.

I went looking for fender-style headstocks with mini clovers and couldn't find any, which got me wondering about how it would look and why we don't see this often. On square(ish) headstocks, like the Gibson LP Jr for example, they're readily found but not so much on other shapes. What's up with that?

Since you mentioned: "Gibson LP Jr.", I don't feel bad, telling a tale about a couple of six strings ...

Back in Nov., I got my hands on a JEM Jr.; one of the white ones. They come in other colors, a God-awful pink and as atrocious a dive into yellow (complete with pink pickups). Those are the usual colors: white, yellow, and pink.

Before the guitar world went crazy (try getting a black Strat which doesn't have Eric Clapton's or Robert Cray's name on it)I was a huge believer that guitars (and basses) should come in two varieties; black with a white pickguard (preferable) and white with a black pickguard.

Because of the market being what it is, that's changed.

BUT ... I was cruising around on the Sweetwater website, a week or so ago and surprise! A Black JEM Jr. with a white pickguard (and white trussrod cover).

I bought it (I'm first on the list for the Oct. release) and I bought a black pickguard and trussrod cover for the White JEM Jr.

I do like a bit of opposite "colors" except ...

Finally, a white nut on an otherwise all black bass as well as its opposite. Both just bug me. It breaks the flow of the colour scheme. I suppose some ppl want it for that very reason but it's not for me.

It depends (to me) upon whether or not the headstock is painted or natural. The darkness of the fingerboard also comes into play for me. Painted headstock? Match it. Natural headstock with a dark fingerboard? Black! So, I'm kinda with you.

The next item on my list is chrome knurled knobs. Honestly, I think they're terribly ugly and they stick out in a weird way. Black ones are much nicer on my eyes and usually match the pickups and pickguard (if there is one) much better.

Never, never EVER will I leave those on a guitar I own. I hate 'em with the heat of 1,000 super novas.

So. Thoughts? Opinions? What are your aesthetic bugaboos, and why?

I have a disclaimer: Since the "death" of the black-'N'-white color schemes, I have broadened my horizons on color, but the pinks, lime greens, day-glo yellows, etc, are still a No-Go for me.

 

[Sam Evans]

My hang-up: I can't stand fretboard / fingerboard inlays. Side dots are fine, but nothing on the 'board itself.

 

[Herrick]

I don't really like the looks of clover tuners but they've been on those basses for so long that they look right to me.

 

[C Stone]

I have a disclaimer: Since the "death" of the black-'N'-white color schemes, I have broadened my horizons on color, but the pinks, lime greens, day-glo yellows, etc, are still a No-Go for me.

Death of the "black-N-white" color scheme?....,whaaa? say it ain't so.

 

[Diminishedfilth]

I couldn't picture my Jazz or Precision with Y-shaped tuning machines. Would be like seeing my Dad in skinny jeans.
OTOH, my Warwick with clover machines would look like Gumby with sever cauliflower ear.
Either way, the first time I saw a bass with Y- shaped tuners, I immediately thought of this dude from Star Wars…

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

Death of the "black-N-white" color scheme?....,whaaa? say it ain't so.
View attachment 4644641

Two questions:

1) How old is that Peavey?

2) Is that a Firefly?

 

[Snert]

But I'll be your bedroom isn't/wasn't packed full of basses.

No, I only had 1 or 2 back then. And it isn't now either even though I have many more.

Back in Nov., I got my hands on a JEM Jr.; one of the white ones. They come in other colors, a God-awful pink

I think it's awesome and can even deal with the PG as it highlights the pink PUs.
JEMJRSP | PIA/JEM/UV | ELECTRIC GUITARS | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I think it's awesome and can even deal with the PG as it highlights the pink PUs.
JEMJRSP | PIA/JEM/UV | ELECTRIC GUITARS | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

I guess that's why there's eight horses in each race.

 

[C Stone]

Two questions:

1) How old is that Peavey?

2) Is that a Firefly?

Ha ha, no firefly's in my neck-o-tha woods. Both Peavey Fury's white body is a '92' black is '95'.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

So ... 27 and 30 years ago ...

 

[Nuage420]

I used to hate clovers...

 

[C Stone]

So ... 27 and 30 years ago ...

Yes that is how old they are...

 

[Riff Ranger]

I have used the aforementioned kinda-goofy-but-otherwise-awesome Ibanez ATK as my main instrument since that line first came out in the mid-'90s; and I have either sold or am presently trying to sell all of what I would consider my best-looking instruments. So you can see where my priorities truly lie; but I have given, and continue to give, entirely too much thought to the aesthetics of electric basses. My current opinions on these matters, in no particular order:

Clover keys look old; fine for vintage or vintage-style instruments, weird and clunky on anything else.

Plastic knobs look cheap and awful on everything; plastic generally doesn't do it for me.

Glad I'm not the only one who twitches at a white nut on an instrument with no other white parts. Same for the white pickguard with no other white parts, or even the standard black pickup cover on an otherwise white and chrome (or gold) bass.

White or cream pickup covers generally really do not do it for me, but they can work with a matching body and/or pickguard.

Non-structural pickguards don't do it for me. White or white-ish pickguards generally don't do it for me, unless they match the body (and maybe the pickup cover). Anything pearl, pearloid, or pearl-ish usually doesn't do it for me. Somehow I do not feel strongly about tortoiseshell—same for cilantro ¯\_(ツ)_/¯—but bad tort is bad.

Yet somehow candy apple red body + white or white-ish pickguard + rosewood board + unpainted headstock totally works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Maple neck, dark board: paint the headstock to match the body. Maple neck, maple board: do not paint the headstock. Not even Phil Lynott could make a black body/black guard/rosewood board/unpainted headstock look like someone in Fullerton hadn't forgotten something.

First fret inlays seem silly to me.

I love maple, but maple boards without inlays don't do it for me. Maple boards with anything other than dark or abalone(ish) inlays don't do it for me.

Lots of dark blue with lots of black does not work (true outside of instruments as well). I own no dark blue clothes.

I prefer tuning machines relatively evenly distributed on both sides of the headstock to inline or inline +1.

Headless generally doesn't do it for me.

All hardware colors can look good, but different hardware colors do not go together on the same instrument.

I like pointy, but not overwrought.

I do not care for animal prints, but I like flowers and plants; I often like sparkle or flake or crackle or bursts, and I love paisley. I'm over skulls and skeletons.

Literally none of my basses completely work with my sense of aesthetics. A couple of my guitars do. All of them are black ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Riff Ranger]

I have no idea how or why half my reply ended up struck through. I would edit it if I had any idea how. EDIT: fixed! I didn't mean to do that. In penance, please enjoy the sheet metal screws I painfully installed in place of my ATKs' purely decorative pickguards:

View attachment 4644662

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

Go to "edit". Right before where it starts, you should see "(S)", but with square brackets. Every time you see that, remove it (and the brackets).

Do the same thing with the "(/S)" (but with square brackets.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Wow, the site is really angry with me tonight: