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Does how a bass looks matter to you?

#81
Looks matter. Fortunately, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

It's like dating. We make the initial contact visually. You see something you like and move towards it. Next step is communication, physical or verbal. Seriously, how many times have you met someone that attracted your attention only to find the conversation dull? You may go as far as having sex only to discover afterward BIG MISTAKE, but they look really good.

I had a bass that I absolutely adored to look at but eventually sold it because it didn't produce the tone I was after. Simply looking good doesn't always cut it, but we do first taste with our eyes.
 
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#82
Looks are one of the most important things in a bass for me (I'm an absolute sucker for sunburst bodies :P). If the pickups, bridge, tuners etc. aren't up to scratch they can always be changed. Refinishing an instrument would be a bit harder.
 
#85
No.
 

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#88
i like "new" sometimes, but i play and gig, so my instruments show wear/use over time. means nothing (or very little) to me as long as i can depend on them. some of my gigs require 'dress-up' (suits/ties/tuxes, etc.), so i wouldn't take a 'trashy' looking bass to those gigs. but i have a lot of wiggle room, and from a few feet away: all of my players are probably fine. (except to gear snobs. ha!)
 
#90
Some of the ugliest basses imo are the ones that were designed in an attempt to look spectacular - like certain exotic woods, burls, flames, fancy finishes etc... While there are fine looking examples of each, I sometimes see combinations that make me scratch my head. I imagine these were custom orders by people who lack the imagination to envision the final product before it's assembled (or maybe simply lack taste).

On the other hand, I find most production basses look just fine. I agree that sound and playability come first, and usually if those two check out, the bass will most likely also look nice. I'm not picky though...
 
#93
jamro217 said:
I think the bass is a very personal instrument that connects with the player on many levels. The sound, action, feel, weight, weight distribution, intuitiveness of controls, finish, etc. all contribute to the overall experience. The bass that pleases you most will allow and inspire you to play up to your true potential. A bass that you're not comfortable with for any reason will inhibit your ability to perform. So the answer to the question is: Yes, appearance matters. Since moods change from time to time, you may find yourself reaching for an ugly duckling bass. That's fine, too, because in that moment you are attracted to it, which means that it is the bass that pleases you most in that particular segment of time.
Click to expand...

Wow!

Great post!
 
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#94
Assuming an individual is not visually impaired, the first thing any of us notice about an instrument or anything else for that matter, is the way it looks. If we do not like the way something looks, we tend stay away from it. Looks of a bass are important to me but so are the way it feels and sounds.
 
#95
In some respects, the analogies to personal relationships are good ones. We certainly do discriminate first impressions on appearance. But, if the substance - playability and tone - isn't there, then the relationship is fleeting. Or flipping, as it may be. The eye candy part is the initial impression; the deeply satisfying stuff takes time on the road together to sort out.:)
 
#99
I cannot deny, I love me a good lookin' bass...but as others have mentioned, what looks good to me may not look good to others, whether it be the body shape, paint job (or lack thereof), or what have you...

I have noticed my tastes changing over the years too. Once upon a time I couldn't, for the life of me, understand what the appeal was of basses with paint jobs; I wanted to see the grain, so it was natural or, at most, translucent finishes all the way for me. Now I can appreciate a really nice paint job on a bass, but overall I would say that translucent finishes are still the most appealing to me, kind of a "best of both worlds" thing...

There was also a time when I couldn't handle the look of a maple fretboard. Sound/tone/playability of it didn't matter, I would never have considered buying a bass if it had a maple board simply because I didn't like the way they looked...nowadays I prefer the look of a maple board, especially when paired with a darker body: black, blue, etc. My most recent purchase (via TB classifieds) is a Jackson Kelly Bird V David Ellefson signature model, dark blueburst with a maple neck/board and black painted headstock, and I will freely admit I largely bought it based on looks (the neck, the body styling/finish, and even the headstock...) :bassist:drool:cool:

One thing I don't like, although it is just as much (maybe more) a playability issue than looks, is when the back of a bass' neck is painted, because it usually feels sticky...can't handle that, although as I understand it, sandpaper can take care of that pretty well...
 

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