Me too.. I had the chance to get a MTDKZ5 for $150 less than what I paid for mine.. (used of course.. both of 'em) but I didn't get it because I liked the way the one I did get looked better..
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Do you think aesthetics are important?
- Thread starter thesmeee
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Me too.. I had the chance to get a MTDKZ5 for $150 less than what I paid for mine.. (used of course.. both of 'em) but I didn't get it because I liked the way the one I did get looked better..
If bass guitars were all about being practical and not beautiful many of us would be playing steinbergers
I sat in with a band (The Rogues) in Savannah one time at an engineering conference. I was talking to them on a break, and I commented on the lead singer's Steinberger, and he said, "You're a bass player? Get up here." Turns out he hated playing bass. After playing that Steinberger it was easy to see why. I was so afraid that my hand would go shooting off the end of the neck during one of my signature song-ending glissandos.
I've heard that from other bass players, but really it isn't a problem. Slice your finger on the zero fret/string anchor once or twice and your body remembers!
It's gotten so that I never play my Jazz any more. It feels funkily balanced, and has all these parts hanging all over the place that I don't need. Different strokes, eh?
Sound and playability are obviously the most important factors, but I will never buy anything I don't think is stylish. Why should I? There is such a great variety of instruments out there - something for everyone.
Sometimes the price break on ugly colors is sufficiently precipitous to offset their hideousness if you don't intend to be seen in public with them or look at them too much, i.e. my famous "Law of Blue Guitars."
I've gotten as much as 85% off list on new gear just because it was in blue or some other offensive color.
Using bog-standard iconic pro gear is usually the best presentation choice for a mature performer ("too old for guyliner"), with an option on (real or fake) relic mojo.
A couple of years ago, I decided that in all my basses, I didn't have any performing basses that weren't too off or too valuable for gigging, so I bought a matching 3CSB/rosewood set of MIA Fenders, a P and a J, the most iconic bog-standard pro gear there is in the bog-standard colors. The next day, I got Invalid Link Removed, ending my playing-out days forever...so the joke was on me.
Ouch. Sorry about your arm. I agree with you about the Sunburst/rosewood P's & J's. I've always thought of those as THE perfect example of a Fender bass.
You're also right about killer deals on certain colors. In '08, GC was blowing out their Blizzard Pearl basses. I snagged a BP/rosewood Jazz for an obscenely good price. Not my favorite color, but not bad enough to make me retch, either. After changing the pickguard and getting a complimentary strap, it doesn't look too bad. Still probably my least pleasing-to-the-eye bass, but tolerable. And it's right up there tone-wise as one of the best-sounding Jazzes I've ever had.
Nevertheless, had it been finished in a Buddy Guy Polka Dot, I would have passed - good deal or not!
You progress in ability, technique, learning the ways to create new or different sounds with the instrument, as you play more and learn about what it can do. It will sound different in different settings, if you play live. It will always look the same! I think appearance is very important, or you wouldn't see so many different style bodies & headstocks being made!
To me, they're important. If won't be the overall determining factor as to whether or not I buy the instrument, but I think it would be in this order of importance to me:
Tone > Playability > Aesthetics = Price > Misc.
Tone > Playability > Aesthetics = Price > Misc.
Personally, I would venture to say that aesthetics are the most important because I refuse to touch a bass that I find ugly. I don't care what it sounds like.
I thought it was his foot, and wondered how that affected his playing. Anyway, sorry about the arm.
With the wide variety of great basses by various makers available for under $700 theres no reason to not get a great looking bass as well as one that sounds great and plays great. Playability and sound are number one. But no reason to skimp on asthetics either.
What can I say...
...it doesn't hurt. That said, these are the nicest playing basses I've ever owned.
Nice! Yes when I find sexy and awesome I choose that. If not I now choose awesome over sexy.... mostly.... But still get bitten at times by beauty over substance.
What can I say? I'm a man....
I play headless basses and I have never had that problem. I guess it is a muscle memory thing. Then again, I've never played a Steinberger.
Everyone has problems playing a 5 string the first time they pick it. It's natural to take some time to get used to any instrument. What Munji was stating is like saying that P basses aren't his thing because there's no bridge pickup to put a thumb on while playing. This is actually one of reasons why I dislike precisions, however absurd it might seem!
I think looks are less important than sound, playability and comfort.
I recently returned an absolutely gorgeous looking and sounding Stingray Classic 5 because the slab body was very uncomfortable. It was such a pretty bass.
I recently returned an absolutely gorgeous looking and sounding Stingray Classic 5 because the slab body was very uncomfortable. It was such a pretty bass.
I generally don't care in the least, but there are some lines of ugliness I just will not cross no matter what. Like the Carvin SB series with the strange, phallic upper horn. Or many of the coffee-table boutiques, which look more like H.R. Giger paintings than basses.
But behind that line, I literally don't care. As long as it's in good shape, the finish is intact and protecting the wood, doesn't matter.....
LS
But behind that line, I literally don't care. As long as it's in good shape, the finish is intact and protecting the wood, doesn't matter.....
LS
