if i could find a nicely priced lefty jazz neck with rosewood/pearloid blocks, i'd be all over that. until then, i'll sulk in my corner 
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Block inlays vs. Dots
- Thread starter TLW
- Start date
I like blocks.
Was told that they weakend necks but also never thought that this particular repair guy was very good.
Do blocks make necks weaker?
Was told that they weakend necks but also never thought that this particular repair guy was very good.
Do blocks make necks weaker?
+1, depends on the overall appearance. Block inlays might look like crap with some bodies but look great with others. And then there's the colour of the inlays themselves, whether that matches nicely with the rest of the bass.
Never owned a bass with block inlays, but I intend to one day, and every time I look at a bass with them, this is how I judge.
Blocks are cool, but I've lately been digging a custom I built with no markers except on the edge. Clean look.
block inlay are best IMO because it makes it a LOT easier for your bandmates to see what frets you are grooving on (we're rookies, cut us some slack lol). That, and it just plain looks cool...and who can argue with that, right? lol
I voted block inlays, i think they are really classy looking! especially black blocks on a nice maple neck, oh and a nice dark fretboard like rosewood with cream or white blocks and binding!
delicious!
delicious!
I just got a Warmoth Deluxe 5 neck, Rosewood with pearl blocks and binding
real classy IMHO, when the bass is finished Ill upload some pictures
. Its in line for a nice Honey burst paint job now
. Itll have all black hardware and Barts
. 
i love jazz bass with rosewood fingerboard with white binding and block inlays. it looks sooo sexy!! i just love it at first sight. my jazz bass has it. and i love her sooooo much!! 
- Aug 21, 2003
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If you go classic...Then go classic
BLOCKS
If you go modern then go modern.
NO MARKINGS ON THE FRONT NICE AND CLEAR.
--------------------------
I like Jazzes with the blocks...Nice modern graphite neck monsters clean fretboard.
BLOCKS
If you go modern then go modern.
NO MARKINGS ON THE FRONT NICE AND CLEAR.
--------------------------
I like Jazzes with the blocks...Nice modern graphite neck monsters clean fretboard.
Ric made them Famous, Jackson made them "AFFORDABLE"...lol ( nice CMG BTW )
I have all 3 blocks,dots, and fins...do I have a preference?...not really.
I voted dots, they're less flashy, definitely classy.
If i had to have a neck with blocks it would be a maple board with pearloid white blocks. Subtle.
If i had to have a neck with blocks it would be a maple board with pearloid white blocks. Subtle.
Just out of curiosity- how old are you people that are voting for the blocks?
I don't think blocks or binding add class or "extravagance" to an instrument. As far as the Jazz bass goes, I think it looks tacky and gaudy. Always been that way for me. Then again, I also have a great distaste for 70s instruments. Binding on instruments that previously had none, big gaudy blocks, big wide headstocks, big gaudy name badges and logos, heavy, "focused," generally just ugly and tacky- in my opinion. For 30 years the market bore out that features such as those were less desirable than the "classic" look. As the "classic" instruments have become pretty much out of reach of the average player (by extension, also the younger players), the more obtainable instruments have become the 70s instruments. For whatever reason, there's a (un)healthy interest in these things that were generally the leftovers on store walls. (for those of you too young to remember, or weren't into playing 20 years ago- you could go into a store and see walls full of 50s, 60s and 70s instruments) When I was a kid, I had 70s instruments because that's what I could afford. After that, I was getting "player" grade 50s and 60s instruments. It had nothing to do with the age of the instrument- just what the instrument was. Regardless of how infatuated people are of 70s instruments, regardless of however many people have "one of the good ones," regardless of whatever the prevailing thought process is blocks and binding were added in the late 60s and scream gaudy to me.
Over the summer my wife and I went to one of those 'parade of homes' things- where they had a subdivision with model homes and different design ideas. One of the houses we went to was a floral wall paper place, everything looked completely tacky- like some lounge lizzard hold-up. It looked like a person that had no taste was trying to decorate the place by throwing money at it, and make it look expensive- but it still had no taste. I felt dirty being in the place- across the street there was a nice Arts And Crafts inspired home and it was cool- and as we were walking away I heard these mid 50s ish people saying that the tacky house was their clear favorite...
I don't think blocks or binding add class or "extravagance" to an instrument. As far as the Jazz bass goes, I think it looks tacky and gaudy. Always been that way for me. Then again, I also have a great distaste for 70s instruments. Binding on instruments that previously had none, big gaudy blocks, big wide headstocks, big gaudy name badges and logos, heavy, "focused," generally just ugly and tacky- in my opinion. For 30 years the market bore out that features such as those were less desirable than the "classic" look. As the "classic" instruments have become pretty much out of reach of the average player (by extension, also the younger players), the more obtainable instruments have become the 70s instruments. For whatever reason, there's a (un)healthy interest in these things that were generally the leftovers on store walls. (for those of you too young to remember, or weren't into playing 20 years ago- you could go into a store and see walls full of 50s, 60s and 70s instruments) When I was a kid, I had 70s instruments because that's what I could afford. After that, I was getting "player" grade 50s and 60s instruments. It had nothing to do with the age of the instrument- just what the instrument was. Regardless of how infatuated people are of 70s instruments, regardless of however many people have "one of the good ones," regardless of whatever the prevailing thought process is blocks and binding were added in the late 60s and scream gaudy to me.
Over the summer my wife and I went to one of those 'parade of homes' things- where they had a subdivision with model homes and different design ideas. One of the houses we went to was a floral wall paper place, everything looked completely tacky- like some lounge lizzard hold-up. It looked like a person that had no taste was trying to decorate the place by throwing money at it, and make it look expensive- but it still had no taste. I felt dirty being in the place- across the street there was a nice Arts And Crafts inspired home and it was cool- and as we were walking away I heard these mid 50s ish people saying that the tacky house was their clear favorite...
