The look (including color) draws me in, the tone & playability ultimately sell me on it, and finally, the price and usefulness (not to mention available funds) determine whether it gets added to the collection.
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If You ever find an off shade of Mauve P bass, with a Jazz style, offset/curved neck, with Rickenbacker pickups, and a Spector HAZ preamp, in purple, with pink hardware, and orange LaBella flatwounds... by all means... PLEASE... NOTIFY ME!!! I've been saving up.
Looks are very important to electric bass guitar. Unlike say, upright bass or other traditional acoustic instruments which tend to come only in a natural finish (with a few exceptions), bass guitars are designed with different shapes and styles to appeal to both the owners and audience members. You can get solid body basses in all kinds of shapes, so why not get the color you want as long as it's on the menu as well?
After my Aerodyne, I don’t do gloss black anymore. It shows fingerprints and smudges like crazy and I’m tired of wiping it down every time I touch it.
I like white basses mostly. They’re like blank canvases you can do whatever you want with. You can add a different color pickguard and change the look a lot.
I like white basses mostly. They’re like blank canvases you can do whatever you want with. You can add a different color pickguard and change the look a lot.
I’m at the very beginning of my journey learning bass. If you had asked me six months ago if color was important or mattered, I’d have said no, not for stringed instruments, at least within reason.
Then I inherited a choice of low end / middle range basses and maybe some much nicer ones if I take to it well. I tried them both out and found that weight matter and yes, color too. I couldn’t get past how much the natural one offended my eyes. I didn’t want to pick it up.
Then I saw some of the guys here with Spectors in a few finishes that gave me something damned close to erotic feelings.
So yes, it matters!
Then I inherited a choice of low end / middle range basses and maybe some much nicer ones if I take to it well. I tried them both out and found that weight matter and yes, color too. I couldn’t get past how much the natural one offended my eyes. I didn’t want to pick it up.
Then I saw some of the guys here with Spectors in a few finishes that gave me something damned close to erotic feelings.
So yes, it matters!
I have never bought a bass because of the color. But I have purchased a bass despite the color.
Don't think I could ever but a red bass. Just not a fan. Love red in other things, not basses.
Avoid sunburst, as i have 2, but wouldn't be a deal breaker.
Avoid sunburst, as i have 2, but wouldn't be a deal breaker.
My Squier VM P bass is LPB with a white guard. I don't like LPB at all but the git is light and feels and plays beautifully, so for the time being I'll put up with it..maybe one day I'll re-finish it.
What I'm saying is that for me feel and playability trumps color every time.
What I'm saying is that for me feel and playability trumps color every time.
OK...
My last comment was made to give Y'all a chuckle. Too much seriousness on TB, in My humble opinion. But... In 1988, I purchased the MOST AMAZING BASS, EVER, for 250 bucks. It was PINK. I live in L.A. Yes, glam was HUGE. I wasn't into it. But... this bass RULED!!! I gigged it, for about a year, and then... had it painted in the most KILLER Greenburst, EVER!!! To this day, She is My #1.
Funny thing is...
Just a couple of weeks ago, a 1972 Telecaster found Me. I rescued Her from a Kid, with a handful of sandpaper, and a can of Black Krylon. I'm certain that His father is rolling in His grave. But... I have sent her out to be contoured, and painted, in a 2017, Subaru Outback, olive metallic Green. And am having a custom cut, 3 ply, black pearloid pickguard made for Her. I would NEVER change ANYTHING about either of these basses, had they FOUND Me in their ORIGINAL form/color. But... If I'm gonna save a bass' life, and spend some green, they're gonna be GREEN!!! Here's the BEFORE, of the '72. I should have Her back, in about 5 weeks.
By the way... Luckily... I was able to find a '72 pickup...
My last comment was made to give Y'all a chuckle. Too much seriousness on TB, in My humble opinion. But... In 1988, I purchased the MOST AMAZING BASS, EVER, for 250 bucks. It was PINK. I live in L.A. Yes, glam was HUGE. I wasn't into it. But... this bass RULED!!! I gigged it, for about a year, and then... had it painted in the most KILLER Greenburst, EVER!!! To this day, She is My #1.
Just a couple of weeks ago, a 1972 Telecaster found Me. I rescued Her from a Kid, with a handful of sandpaper, and a can of Black Krylon. I'm certain that His father is rolling in His grave. But... I have sent her out to be contoured, and painted, in a 2017, Subaru Outback, olive metallic Green. And am having a custom cut, 3 ply, black pearloid pickguard made for Her. I would NEVER change ANYTHING about either of these basses, had they FOUND Me in their ORIGINAL form/color. But... If I'm gonna save a bass' life, and spend some green, they're gonna be GREEN!!! Here's the BEFORE, of the '72. I should have Her back, in about 5 weeks.
By the way... Luckily... I was able to find a '72 pickup...
I have a few requirements on basses. I had so much bad luck with P and J basses in the 70's and 80's that I stay away from basses that are a) fat and b) pickguards. I love Ibanez basses for that reason (except the Talman) and have played them for years. I like sleek basses with narrow necks and active electronics.
I don't like black basses that much but I own two! That's because Ibanez makes most lefty basses in black. I found an Ibanez P-style bass in black that I'm going to make a project bass. I would like to send it to one of these custom body painting shops to have the bass redone in quilted tobacco sunburst. Then I'm changing out the pickup to a Cream colored cover. The Ibanez brand pickup cops enough of a P tone that I don't feel a need to change it out. In a small way it will then look like an aerodynamic P bass without the pickguard.
Short answer: I love beautiful bursts but don't like sea foam green or salmon or colors like that. I've also had a desire ot one day build a bass in safety yellow with rubberized black trim. Go figure, huh?
I don't like black basses that much but I own two! That's because Ibanez makes most lefty basses in black. I found an Ibanez P-style bass in black that I'm going to make a project bass. I would like to send it to one of these custom body painting shops to have the bass redone in quilted tobacco sunburst. Then I'm changing out the pickup to a Cream colored cover. The Ibanez brand pickup cops enough of a P tone that I don't feel a need to change it out. In a small way it will then look like an aerodynamic P bass without the pickguard.
Short answer: I love beautiful bursts but don't like sea foam green or salmon or colors like that. I've also had a desire ot one day build a bass in safety yellow with rubberized black trim. Go figure, huh?
I don't know anything about Guarnerius waves, but... My Music Man makes the "Gnarliest" soundwaves...
