Do most pros use boring color basses?

[TBird1958]

Most bassists I see are playing Fender instruments that are white, black, or sunburst. I hardly ever see red, LPB, or some pastel color. Has me wondering if it is on purpose?

• Flashy colors attract attention which is not what the bass is supposed to do.
• Those safe colors work in all situations.
• Those colors are "expected" and pros deliver what is expected.
• Those common colors are easier to replace should you need to do something quick.

Or, of course, my conclusion may be incorrect due to insufficient sample size!

I don't believe any of this. Not trying to be argumentative, but none of this applies for me, carry on.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Black is the best sounding bass

Maybe so, but what does it weigh?
Sorry..

 

[Jefenator]

Perhaps the visual aesthetic of a bass should be like the parts you're playing on it. In most cases: interesting – but no too interesting!

 

[Deleted member 394181]

For some reason, I'm thinking of Bootsy

 

[darwin-bass]

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.

I was thinking the same. Tools vs toys. For me they are as much toy as tool and I want my toys to be shapes & colors that excite me.


Stage lighting - I find my LPB bass looks better off stage than on. Same with my BMM body P bass. Under typical warm stage lighting, that burgundy color shifts to a strange shade. My sunburst body looks equally (good / meh - you choose) under pretty much all stage lighting.

 

[tpaul]

And yet another possible explanation is that there are many more black, white, and sunburst (and natural) basses produced than exotic color basses. So everyone is more likely to have opportunities to buy these basic finishes. Also, the exceptional production basses (not too heavy, comfortable neck, sounds great, low action) are statistically more like likely to be black, white, sunburst or natural... because that's the majority of what's produced. If you're looking for an exceptionally good bass, you're more likely to find one with one of the standard finishes than not.

It's a chicken/egg problem, right? More people buy these basses, therefore more of them are produced, therefore more people buy them...

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Some of it is straight up perception.
Show up at a pro country gig with a neon pink, bright orange or yellow bass.
They just might say something about your choice.
Some colors are more "safe" than others, and pros gotta make a living.
Disco band? Funkadelic ?.. sky's the limit!

 

[jd56hawk]

Plenty of bassists play flashy basses, whether it's color or shape.
(Just a few.)

 

[Jugghaid]

I think some people forget that playing music is supposed to also be fun.

 

[chris_b]

They're tools not toys to me.

Most of my basses have been Sunburst with tort. That wasn't a conscious decision. Just how it worked out.

 

[FretRiff]

Is it about the bass matching the clothes or vice-versa?

View attachment 7219752

Sometimes it's about marketing, salesmanship, branding, showmanship.

 

[nickpc]

Sometimes it's about marketing, salesmanship, branding, showmanship. View attachment 7221074

Please tell me how he frets the strings he's playing with that pick!

 

[brianrost]

Nowadays Fender is pretty stingy about color options. On most instruments, burst white and black is all they offer on a regular basis. They may offer one or two other colors, then a few years later they rotate in new colors. They even vary from model to model, what they offer for a Player might be different than an AM Pro, etc.

 

[JIO]

 

[nickpc]

Back to the OP's point here, let's look at the bassist's on the 3 biggest tours of the 2020's:

Taylor Swift's Eras: Amos Heller on a burst

Coldplay's Music of the Spheres: Guy Berryman with a burst (also pictures of him with black, white, natural and a nice soft blue)

Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: Bob Birch on a sparkly yellow 5-string 'Ray - but it's the YELLOW BRICK ROAD TOUR for goodness sakes!

 

[DWA2469]

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.

If you play well enough you can show up with anything and they will not care!

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Some of it is straight up perception.
Show up at a pro country gig with a neon pink, bright orange or yellow bass.
They just might say something about your choice.
Some colors are more "safe" than others, and pros gotta make a living.
Disco band? Funkadelic ?.. sky's the limit!

Yep, straight up perception.

Years ago, got a call in the middle of the week, a sort of friend bassist had an accident and needed to back out of his Sat gig. Could I fill in? Said yes I could help him out. Similar variety classic rock/country band. We met the next night to run through a couple things and meet. I had one bass, my avatar one. They were all standing there gaping at me with black guitars and black drums. They asked if I would put gaffers tape over the bass. As I was trying to help my friend out but they were "militant" about asking, saying things like "can you cover that ugly thing up?" I said no at that point and wished them well.

The BL met me at my car and apologized asking if I'd reconsider. We did the gig and it went well but our paths never crossed again.

 

[SteveLo42]

"Boring" is subjective.

 

[embellisher]

Please tell me how he frets the strings he's playing with that pick!

It's ZZ Top, dude, they're all about shtick and funny stuff.

 

[Jugghaid]

Some of it is straight up perception.
Show up at a pro country gig with a neon pink, bright orange or yellow bass.
They just might say something about your choice.
Some colors are more "safe" than others, and pros gotta make a living.
Disco band? Funkadelic ?.. sky's the limit!

My disco bass