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Does Headstock Appearance Matter To You?

Does Headstock Appearance Matter To You?

  • Yes, always

    Votes: 408 61.9%
  • No, never

    Votes: 54 8.2%
  • If it sounds and plays amazing, I can get over it.

    Votes: 197 29.9%

  • Total voters
    659
I voted "Yes always," but I might be a liar, or an outlier:
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I'll just say "usually". I suppose that I'm a bit shallow when it comes to owning an instrument. If it's not aesthetically pleasing to me, I won't be tempted to buy it. Of course, a good looking instrument which plays poorly, isn't a good ergonomic fit, and/or doesn't sound good is a no-go as well.
 
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I find these results amazing. As I write this, nearly 2 out of 3 bass players consider the appearance of their headstock important. I challenge you two-thirds (you know who you are) to put your bass away at the end of a gig and then ask anyone who heard you to describe your headstock, or even name its color. I guarantee you that even the bassists in your audience won't be able to tell you.

I take your point Bob, but I don't buy an instrument for its potential appeal to others/an audience, but rather for those factors which appeal to me. Besides, as a bass player, I'm essentially invisible, so theoretically, what I play or wear should make no difference. ;)
 
If an amazing bass had an ugly headstock I'd rock it.
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We humans are visual creatures, so of course it matters. But you know what they say about beauty.....
...it's only skin deep! :D

i gotta' go with function over form, but i have
- 4 fenders
- 2 gumbys
- 1 'rounded arrowhead'

if the ax balances and plays = i'm all in! it doesn't matter.

disclosure: i regularly say that looks don't matter ("looks are for kids") but i recently spent some time making a parts piece look good, so i'm guilty of wanting to have some fun with appearances, too....but i'm not looking for art so much as i am just looking for a cheap date. :D
 
Not sure why but I have issues with some painted to match headstocks. It’s a me-thing....more than half the time I think, man this would have looked better with the headstock finished like the back of the neck, not the front of the body.
I agree more often than not. I do have a matching headstock Fender Jazz in CAR with blocks and binding that looks awesome, but more of the exception.

I especially don’t like matching flame maple “tops” on a headstock. Yuck