Do most pros use boring color basses?

[Chrisk-K]

I hardly ever see red, LPB,

Pino’s main P bass is red (siesta red) and Steve Harris became a legend playing a LPB P bass.

 

[Iristone]

John Entwistle's long-running Frankenstein P bass seems to be red, as well as His later Fenderbird and Explorer-bird.

 

[pepj]

First off, you'd hope sound was the main criteria. You can fix playability to a point.

Aesthetics and co ordination might be a huge deal to some bands overall visual concepts.

 

[logdrum]

I had red bass when I was a pro and shellaced *reddish brown( upright, My current gigging electric bass now is stained as well and I still p-lay a red bass

 

[Camarillo]

Black is the best sounding bass

For metal too.

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

It's getting a little late in the day for this kind of gig, but if I could work the gentleman's club circuit, I'd want one of these. DiPinto Belvedere. Move to Atlanta, get me a condo on the Buford Highway, Play 3 nights a week at the Clermont Lounge. The more I think about it, the more I want to do it.
PS: One person's boring is another person's playing it safe, for a reason. Usually money.

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I ran into Charles Barkley at the Claremont one night. Love this bass.

 

[Flaked Beans]

Yeah I am totally invisible with my vintage sunburst 2 band stingray!

 

[darkwasthenight]

If you're doing a lot of different gigs then you need something that can cover all of them and a boring black P or J is going to look perfectly fine onstage with everything from a jazz gig to a metal band. You're also going to be able to rent something similar at any backline provider without worrying about getting your custom 7-and-a-1/2-string-active-single-burl-whiskey-barrel-top-headless-fretless flown around with you.

Buying something nicer comes when you're secure enough in your gig to feel it's financially viable. Don't underestimate how many 'pros' on the originals circuit are living hand to mouth and just playing whatever rental/endorsement gear (let's face it, it's a Fender) they managed to scrounge on this album cycle either.

 

[EvilJ]

Black is the best sounding bass

Black is the best bass for metal...

 

[2112]

Most "pros" I've rubbed shoulders with over the years have seen their basses as tools and didn't seem to really worry too much about color/finish.

 

[bassdude51]

The "first" color is the best color. (J P Jones) V

 

[dune]

Black is not only slimming, but goes with everything.

 

[2saddleslab]

I'm always disappointed when I can't distinguish the bass because it blends in to the point of being lost visually. My preference is a bass that stands out while the player doesn't. This is best achieved by a lighter color bass, or dark color w/ binding, and a player dressed in black or dark colors.

 

[Zazie Moondust]

Both my fretted basses are flashy colors, sparkly lime green and traffic come orange. I love the colors, my friends love the colors, it fits the vibe I want. It hasn't stopped people want me to play bass for them. And musical ensemble that insists on boring colors probably makes boring music I want no part in.

My fretless is a natural finish, but it's got gold hardware and white gold tapes so it's still flashy in its own way.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Not just paint, but shape. Much better if they/we all were playing something like these.

 

[Bent77]

I think there’s a big difference between flashy and color but casual

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I never really thought about it but there's probably many factors to the "boring" colors being dominant.

First, as has been said they were the standard issue colors for a long time and people looking for "vintage" gear are most likely going to find those as the most common colors.

2nd, alot of the bands are made up of "touring" musicians. Their job is to back up the "name" at the mic or front of the stage. Those colors keep the eyes up front.

Just some guesses. I like my bright colors and only set out to get that after I saw the original "Crash" guitar that Clapton played on the Concert for George. My son had asked about airbrushing my bass for his senior art project and we were struggling with ideas. My son took some ideas from that and did his thing. No more black or brown-burst for me. But we should all play what we like.

 

[DWA2469]

Well, sunburst and to a lesser extent black and white were the standard available Fender colours for decades. Anything else you had to order and pay extra for. And of course they were the 800 pound gorilla of the bass world for literally decades. Probably still are.

I was going to suggest a lot of them play vintage basses and the colors were limited!

 

[Bob_Ross]

Flashy colors attract attention which is not what the bass is supposed to do.

I suspect it mostly has a lot to do with the Don't Attract Attention thing. If the bass player is not the star, they are expected to blend into the background. Adam Clayton or Gene Simmons or [insert name of nearly any famous rock bassist] can show up with a flaming hot flourescent pink paisley Explorer-shaped monstrosity and fans will go gaga over it...but when Neil Stubenhaus has to appear onstage behind Celine Dion at the Academy Awards telecast, you can bet he's going to play something modest, subdued, and anonymous. 'Cuz he needs to disappear, visually.

 

[ga_edwards]

Timeless, classic style, like a pair of brown brogues, or a well cut suit, or 501 jeans.

Avoid trends, buy once and it’ll last a lifetime.