Buying for beginners, looks might not be everything, but...

[Picton]

I'm not a beginner anymore, and I've now bought close to a dozen basses (I know that's not a lot here, lol).

Looks still do matter. If I don't like how a bass looks first and foremost, I'm not even going to think about trying to buy it.

My secret? Headstock looks matter. I'm stunned at how much importance I place in a good-looking headstock.

 

[HueyFreeman]

Why? What's the profile like? I'm interested in Reverends but mainly because I think they look cool. Never played one. A guitarist friend swears by them (and is an endorsee).

Let me preface my assessment by stating that I really like my Mercalli. It's light, well balanced, and sounds excellent. But..

Reverend's 34" bass necks are rather chunky and flat. Getting used to fret spacing on a bass can be exhausting for a newbie and these necks will require some extra stretching to reach low strings. Not ideal for someone's first learner bass. Especially for those with smaller fingers.
Secondly, as cool as they look, their body shape is not ergonomic to play while sitting down and can be rather uncomfortable. Again, not ideal for someone's beginner learner bass.

All this is said in the context of a beginner buying a Reverend for their first bass to learn on. Bassists with more experience may be able to get through these issues, but for someone just learning, there may be some physical limitations that suck the fun out of learning something new.

 

[KellyC]

If, along with the usual package of hex key wrenches, cheapo strap and cord, inappropriate pick and maybe a gig bag, manufacturers also included matching pants with new basses . . . if would revolutionize the industry.

I think you might be on to something there.

 

[HP Hovercraft]

Let me preface my assessment by stating that I really like my Mercalli. It's light, well balanced, and sounds excellent. But..

Reverend's 34" bass necks are rather chunky and flat. Getting used to fret spacing on a bass can be exhausting for a newbie and these necks will require some extra stretching to reach low strings. Not ideal for someone's first learner bass. Especially for those with smaller fingers.
Secondly, as cool as they look, their body shape is not ergonomic to play while sitting down and can be rather uncomfortable. Again, not ideal for someone's beginner learner bass.

All this is said in the context of a beginner buying a Reverend for their first bass to learn on. Bassists with more experience may be able to get through these issues, but for someone just learning, there may be some physical limitations that suck the fun out of learning something new.

Thank you for the detailed reply!

 

[bigdaddybass12]

I think I've found my long lost brother.

Hey brother! Hope you are having a good weekend! Play that inexpensive bass! No one will walk up on stage and look at the name on the headstock! Or ask if it is USA made. A lot of basses the most expensive part of the bass is the name on the headstock!

 

[TheReceder]

Hey brother! Hope you are having a good weekend! Play that inexpensive bass! No one will walk up on stage and look at the name on the headstock! Or ask if it is USA made. A lot of basses the most expensive part of the bass is the name on the headstock!

My favorite is $70 Peavey foundation... played like a dream after a truss rod adjustment and using some goo gone to get rid of the stickers. Played it in front of a crowd of over 20,000 Drove my band nuts.

 

[DWBass]

I'm very much into aesthetics. If I don't like the way a bass looks, nothing will make me buy it. Looks first, then weight for me. Playability next and finally price. I always have a budget so I won't even check out a bass outside of my budget.

Always looks first though!

 

[bigdaddybass12]

I'm very much into aesthetics. If I don't like the way a bass looks, nothing will make me buy it. Looks first, then weight for me. Playability next and finally price. I always have a budget so I won't even check out a bass outside of my budget.
Always looks first though!

I am the same way! Looks 1st, then price, then sound. I ain't playing an ugly bass.

 

[JRA]

per the de-evolution of the discussion (personal prefs): looking good only works for me if i can bond with the 'feel' of the thing overall. if it feels good to play, the good looks are icing on the cake --- if it feels good to play and it's ugly, then that's as charming as it gets!

I think the most important thing is to buy something you can really bond with.

i agree, but it's difficult to bond with instruments that aren't nearby to play and test --- lots of folks (maybe especially "beginners") are buying online and getting one specimen (i do it), and then many are resigned to rationalizing their purchase when bonding isn't automatic ('romantic' view!).

playability, tone and build quality are important, but do you base your purchase on looks? (I'm guessing most beginners do.)

yeah, without a doubt. i think most beginners are probably going for something that looks good to them, or that it looks good enough, and it sounds good to them.

these days, i think a lot of beginners feel their first instrument, literally, when they take a chance with an online purchase: looks 1st (the way it's presented pictorially, online), and specs 2nd (which beginners know less about).

and what true beginner knows anything about feel? seems like most beginners on TB just want to know why their ax feels so bad, or sounds bad! hint: you got it because of the way it looks!

 

[Tugg]

'92 Fender MIM Jazz off of E-bay was my first fairly decent bass. Some of the early '90's necks on the MIMs are pretty sweet, I was very fortunate. If you think you may like learning how to solder, to change out v/t pots and pups and do set-ups the Fender MIMs are not only fun to to play they are also fun and easy to work with. I'll be keeping both of my MIM basses and I'll be keeping both of my Lakland Skylines too!
cheers!

 

[John Stephen]

Let me preface my assessment by stating that I really like my Mercalli. It's light, well balanced, and sounds excellent. But..

Reverend's 34" bass necks are rather chunky and flat. Getting used to fret spacing on a bass can be exhausting for a newbie and these necks will require some extra stretching to reach low strings. Not ideal for someone's first learner bass. Especially for those with smaller fingers.
Secondly, as cool as they look, their body shape is not ergonomic to play while sitting down and can be rather uncomfortable. Again, not ideal for someone's beginner learner bass.

All this is said in the context of a beginner buying a Reverend for their first bass to learn on. Bassists with more experience may be able to get through these issues, but for someone just learning, there may be some physical limitations that suck the fun out of learning something new.

I know I'm a couple of months late on this, but I saw this thread just now, and I second the motion. I'm an experienced bass player, I have a Reverend Raymond (34" scale with Reverend's typical short lower horn) and I don't play it sitting down any more. When I play standing up, with the bass on a strap, it is just about the most perfectly balanced 34" scale bass I've ever owned. But sitting down I find it nearly impossible to play because it keeps sliding off my leg. I use other basses when I sit down, and the older I get, the more I sit down for gigs. The Reverend also happens to be the best-sounding bass I've ever had. If only I could play it sitting down.