Do most pros use boring color basses?

[lordradish]

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'm a woods/coffee table bass guy, I can't think of anything more unappealing than a plain black bass.

 

[Nedmundo]

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.

View attachment 7219733

That is most righteous. Those are tone monsters. I used to have a Belvedere Standard in gold, and I played some of my favorite gigs on that bass, including a show where my band preceded Chris DiPinto's, so he saw me play it on stage. It sounded fantastic. The neck was excellent too, but I didn't like the long reach to first position when standing. My Fenders and G&Ls were more comfortable on stage, so I eventually sold it. Too bad they're out of production.

I like bright colors, and nobody has ever complained about my Chrome Red/maple Fender Jazz.

But there is a nice middle ground between super bright finishes and the typical black, white, and burst: darker metallic colors. I love the Ruby Red Metallic on my G&L M-2500 and the Midnight Blue on my G&L JB. The Ruby Red is probably my favorite.

 

[Watchootognbout]

There are certain genres that are more "visually oriented" than others.
While I'm not a pro,I have always been of the more serious,sedate choice.
Natural woods.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Another possible explanation is that pros tend to be more interested in music than they are in gear

That depends on what the pro is doing. For most pro gigging musicians, image matters, too. For some it’s as important as the music (Kiss, Alice Cooper, metal bands trying to make it…)

 

[Miles_ONeal]

One man's boring is another mans pretty.

And vice versa. Play what you like!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I agree with you on the tobacco burst. They seem to be somewhat rare these days and are like the sunburst’s cool cousin.
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Thunderbirds come in tobacco burst but not sunburst. That’s always bugged me a little.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

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.

We should all have that last problem!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

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

One of the first people I thought of!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Sometimes it's about marketing, salesmanship, branding, showmanship. View attachment 7221076View attachment 7221077View attachment 7221074

it looks like the bottom 12 strings may be a standard 12 note scale, which means he doesn’t nee to fret them.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I'm a woods/coffee table bass guy, I can't think of anything more unappealing than a plain black bass.

I’ve only seen a couple I liked enough to think about owning. Currently own zero.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

First, a true white bass doesn’t “blend in” that much in most environments.

Others have mentioned counter-examples; I’ll add Nikki Monninger with her red Thunderbird.

While most of my playing is unpaid, I do get paid gigs now & then and no one has had a problem with my red or white[1] Thunderbird. My tobacco bursts get played out the least. The purple sparkle just came in this week so hasn’t been an option - that’s about to change.

[1] in your face white, not an off white.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

Thunderbirds come in tobacco burst but not sunburst. That’s always bugged me a little.

Ever notice, people confuse Tobacco Burst with "Red" bursts? Bugs me a little when I'm looking at Basses I can't have on Reverb.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

First, a true white bass doesn’t “blend in” that much in most environments.

Others have mentioned counter-examples; I’ll add Nikki Monninger with her red Thunderbird.

While most of my playing is unpaid, I do get paid gigs now & then and no one has had a problem with my red or white[1] Thunderbird. My tobacco bursts get played out the least. The purple sparkle just came in this week so hasn’t been an option - that’s about to change.

[1] in your face white, not an off white.

View attachment 7223546

T-Birds: neck shapes are really great! Also, maybe the second looking coolest basses out there. I had a Cherry Bird, but wanted a White one, which I couldn't find at the time.

 

[Gaolee]

If by “most” you mean “more than half”, I suspect you could change the word “pros” in the thread title to the word “bassists” and it would still be true.

I am among the other half. I like colors a lot. But I am also not a pro.

 

[Gaolee]

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

Truer words were never spoken.

 

[Gaolee]

T-Birds: neck shapes are really great! Also, maybe the second looking coolest basses out there. I had a Cherry Bird, but wanted a White one, which I couldn't find at the time.

What could be cooler looking than a Thunderbird?

 

[Deleted member 394181]

What could be cooler looking than a Thunderbird?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Ever notice, people confuse Tobacco Burst with "Red" bursts? Bugs me a little when I'm looking at Basses I can't have on Reverb.

Yes, and with sunburst, too!

 

[sgl]

I was inspired by Mikey Shoes from Queens of the Stone Age to get this one:
(I believe his is an American Vintage '64, mine's a refinished Japanese with the 64 pickups)

 

[Gluvhand]

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

Harris's P wasn't LPB but not a "boring" color.