aesthetics vs sound

Don't worry about it too much.
I won't even pick up a bass unless I like the way it looks.
Too many basses I like to even think about ones I don't.

 

If your instrument doesn't have an aesthetic that appeals to you, you probably won't play it, regardless of how it sounds. It's part of the creative process.
Luckily there are tons of choices in this day and age.

 

Both are very important. I wouldn't use something that only checked one of those two boxes.

 

You mean like trying to make a Precision sound like a Jazz? Nah, IMO there are enough good sounding and good looking basses out there.

 

I kind of care, but only kind of. I love the look of a Thunderbird but they don't really work for my needs... I don't care for the look of most Ibanezes but I love playing them. Nothing looks cooler than sounding great onstage and playing like a boss.

 

hi STROMERO

Yes and no! I modded some ugly Squiers, so they sounded like ugly Fenders

I never did the rattle can job + stickers thing. I never had a Fodera.

And doing it on a cheaper bass ain' t no fun!

Aesthetics is fashion! It changes all the time!

Beauty is timeless! (when you have a good taste )

I play what I like and that means: You better don' t tell me that my bass is ugly!

I will never play an ugly bass!


may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

I’m with other responses. If I’m going to drop money on a bass, it’s got to cover many factors including playability, sound & looks.

 

No ugly basses here.

 

They're both important, but there are so many bass manufacturers out there, you can pretty much find a bass with the sound, and looks you're after.

 

aesthetics vs sound

I like to have both

 

Same here : It's got to be the whole package right off the rack. Other than shielding the control cavity, I never modify any of the basses I own, either.

 

I care a lot less about the sound of a bass than I do about the looks and the feel. I won’t play a bass if I don’t like the look, and I won’t buy it if I don’t like how it plays. As long as there’s a pickup cavity at the bridge position big enough for me to throw in a cheap humbucker, I can make it sound like I want. That’s what I’ve done with all my basses. Thunderbird? Neck pickup moved to bridge spot, ditched the bridge pickup. Jaguar? Welp it came with essentially full Stingray electronics, so I left the humbucker at the bridge and stripped the preamp, running it passive. Stingray? I’ll probably do the same soon enough.

 

Fenders (and other conventional looking basses) bore me to hell.

 

Speaking about aesthetics, Fenders (and other conventional looking basses) bore me to hell. For me, the wackier, the better.

Speaking about the sound, well, being the plug and play guy I am, I can make any bass in working condition sound good.

 

A bass can look good or bad, but it can only sound good.

 

I’d prefer whatever I’m playing to also
look nice. But appearance is about fifth or sixth down on the list in order of importance when I’m choosing a bass.

 

When I was a kid getting started, I wanted a Fender.

I remember seeing guys playing them in my dad’s studio. The logo, the headstock, the shape....the sound. I got hooked young. But it’s more than just aesthetics, there is a psychological part to the puzzle as well. A Fender works, and I knew it would work no matter what was tossed at it. So, all I had to worry about was myself, not my bass.

Nowadays, I buy to cover soundscapes. Hollow bodies, short scales, ‘51 P Basses, Jazz Basses, P Basses, U-Basses, and eventually an upright. I determine what tool I need for a sound (or want) then I choose aesthetically from there....within reason.

 

The look is more important. Who really cares about the bass sound except for bass players?

 

Depends.

Playing out? If you want to be taken seriously, looks matter as at least as much sound. It's show business. People listen with their eyes as much as their ears. I don't make the rules.

Studio work or noodling at home? I don't care what the instrument looks like if it plays and sounds right.