Do Stickers Make a Bass Trashy?

[RyanJD]

Title pretty much says it all.
I have a beater bass I couldn't sell for $60 so I decided to keep it.
I put a few stickers on it quite a few years ago (I'm 18 now, so you can imagine) and I think I'm gonna put a ton on like you see on some crappy guitars and basses.
The bass is just hanging on my wall now and I like it as a decoration.
I know stickers are usually frowned upon, but I found some good ones so I'm gonna plaster it. Is that trashy? Probably.
Anyone have pictures of basses with stickers? I would like to see them.
Here's the bass I was referring to:

I've since put a few more stickers on and there will be more to come.
And for the record, I have a couple of nice basses that will never see the back side a sticker while I own them.

 

[Bassic Playing]

Flea and his wonderful modulus. So no, it makes it cool, in many instances

 

[EskimoBassist]

I would never even DREAM of putting stickers on one of my basses. But then again, I don't play in any kind of punk band and I'm all about preserving the value in my instrument.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Jeff Ament stickers his basses and it looks ok. I would never put stickers on a nice bass but a $60 beater? Sure, why not?

 

[jplumansoc]

depends? my G&L is cherryburst and my Ibanez is a neckthrough... so i like the look of them alone. But I do have a Yamaha something random crap that is a glossy purple, i put stickers on that just for the lols. I'd show you a pic but my friend is wanting to learn bass so I gave him something to dick around on.

 

[Plays_For_Dog]

IMO, yes. They make a bass look tacky. However, it is acceptable and expected for a cheap beater.

 

[lowfreq33]

Who cares? It's your bass, do what you want with it.

 

[nubs]

NO WAY, i have lots of basses this one by far isnt trashy or cheap for that matter, nor do i feel my stickering it made it that way. it is the only one i have with stickers why, because thats that way i want it. i was smart about the stickers i put on there, they are easily removed. not that i see it happening anytime soon, but i do have that option if i so choose. Music should be expressive and personal and i think so should the instrument i play it on. i have both my arms sleaved with tats.....does that make me trashy and cheap. its personal. no harm in keeping it that way.

 

[SoVeryTired]

Trashy is subjective. If you like it, do it, being aware that others may not. And their opinion doesn't matter, unless you try and sell the bass to them.

 

[tplyons]

Depends on the bass and the sticker. I like to think I'd never sticker a vintage bass, but you never know.

I've had a few basses with stickers that looked great, other times it looked trashy.

Currently, the only thing I have with a sticker is my Strat... there was a nick on the forearm cutout that bothered my arm when I played, so an Indian Larry tribute sticker went over it. Much smoother, and gave the guitar a name (Larry). Get many compliments on it when it does make it outside the house.

 

[dave64o]

Not my thing, but it's your bass. If you want to sticker it then go for it.

 

[Nev375]

Well, if you are heading to your gig at Carnegie hall in a BMW with a bumper sticker on the back that says "Honk if you're horny!" Then I think it's totally appropriate for you.

 

[Arranger]

Not my thing, but I often like seeing stickers on others basses.

I wouldn't put a bumper sticker on a show car, either. Well, maybe a peace sign on a mini bus!

 

[Catbuster]

Not my thing, but as Pete Townshend once said "It's my f-ing guitar, I'll do whatever the f- I want with it."

I abide by that rule, and I don't really care.

 

[dalkowski]

If it's a beater, go nuts. My aesthetic re stickers in general: Either none, just one or a ton.

 

[El Raro]

Massively anti-sticker here. Definitely looks tacky and juvenile to me. I normally associate stickers on an instrument to "I just play this because it makes me look cool". Not generalising but it just happens every person I've seen who plasters their guitar/bass with band or brand stickers just happens to fall under that category.

 

[packhowitzer]

On some beaters, the stickers are all that's holding it together.

 

[FutureTense]

I've started putting some stickers on a cheaper OLP bass I have. I really like the look and will probably be adding more as time goes on.

 

[neurotictim]

I fall into the "works for some basses, not for others" camp.

Made all the stickers myself, just for kicks.

 

[SurferJoe46]

I love stickers on other people's basses. It makes my basses more valuable.