I'd have to agree with this - more or less. There are probably some things that you can't do on some basses - or, at least not very well. Or for very long... Trying to play slap bass on something like a Hofner violin bass, for example, is... let's just say, not very practical. Unless you enjoy trying to find the bridge on a dark stage, when it parts company with the bass. And, there's a very good chance it will, too. Yeah, I know someone's going to post a picture of somebody doing it - but, I'll bet his bridge is firmly pinned/glued down. Good luck trying to intonate the thing if he ever changes brands of strings... And, the real question is; why would you want to, anyway...?
So, Ill agree with "most basses can play most things/styles". But, I'd also agree that looks - and tone - do matter. In some cases, they matter a lot. Trying to get, say, Steve Harris's P-Bass tone with the Heavy Roto flats he uses, from a Ken Smith bass might be possible - might even be fairly easy. But, I'm willing to bet that it isn't easy - at least without more work than it's worth. Same with Lemmy's Rick; or... well, you get the idea. When I play music I like? I prefer to play it on a bass like the one it was recorded - or performed on stage - with. Yes, I could play every Beatles tune I like to play, on my Alembic Epic; and it would certainly sound at least OK. Sounds much better on one of my violin basses - or my 4001 Rick, though...
