Has Quilted Maple Top become un-cool ??

[Bassist Jay]

Lots of low end basses also have active electronics too. Does that mean it takes away from all the high end basses with them? To me, of course not. I love the quilted look of the different types of woods. I don't care if ti is a low end, mid range or high end bass. That also would not stop me from buying a high end bass because a lower end model had the same type of wood configuration on it.

 

[SoundSupport]

Every nauseating crapwood guitar, eh?
Even though I now play a Lakland Darryl Jones, which is a solid Lake Placid Blue, I had a Peavey Fury for years. Lovely instrument, versatile, decent tone, looked like it was worth more than it actually cost. The lakie's a pro-grade instrument for sure, but the build quality on the peavey was not shabby at all. I won't hear a bad word said about them. And not everyone can start out by getting a swamp-ash MIA Fender precision - most will start out on cheapass instruments. And guess what?
THAT'S OK!
Some people like the look of quilt top, some don't. That's life. I own both. But there's no need to go running around the internet shouting YOU'RE A GEEK AND I DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF YOURS MUCH!

I think this is one of those threads when this advice is good: "Don't, whatever you do, read the bottom half of the internet."

Anyway,
Cheers,
SoundSupport

 

[BurningSkies]

the cheap ones are never as nice. dont go by pictures.. wood grain is never the same on photo as it is in person.

Yep. Until you hold the instrument, I can be hard to tell that those cheap basses have awful crappy flame or quilt. The real stuff dances with 3D grain and all those basses on the GC wall have that thin trashy faux quilt and flame.

 

[ggunn]

That was my choice for my custom Stambaugh bass, so I think it's still cool to me.

What is the point of the slanted frets? I knew a guy with a Ric guitar that had them, but I could never play the thing.

[EDIT]Never mind, it's fanned frets, isn't it? My friend's Ric guitar just had slanted frets all at the same angle; that didn't make sense to me.

 

[BurningSkies]

Eh, go all the way and slant the pickups too.

 

[xfretlessx]

Wow...some serious gear snobs reared thier heads on this one. Like someone elsesaid...not everyone can afford what YOU consider good, or nice looking. You people must have long arms from patting yourselves on the back and a hard time walking through doors with your enourmous heads and sore necks from looking down your noses. Get over yourselves. Most bass players start out on a cheap bass based solely on the looks. Instead of encouraging tomorrows players you tell them thier stuff is ugly and crappy. Get a life.

Sorry but this burns me because i had some jerk did that to me when i first started and i almost hung it up because i saw that he was good and figured i would never be able to play with my "junk" bass.
/rant

 

[darkstorm]

Nice 3/16 to 1/4 inch quilt and flame maple tops have been available on the midline and up imports by Esp Ltd and Bc rich for over a decade now. Nothing new for qaulity tops on lower price basses. But I do agree with you, the cheapo guitars with their paper thin or photoflame tops are kinda tacky move bny the mfg's. Top should be about a small wanted sound tweak first and looks 2nd imo. Spalted and burl maple tops are starting to make their way into basses gettable for around $360 and up now to.

I do think that matte or satin clear finishes are becoming more common on nat wood finish basses. Which I like.

 

[Rumblefisher]

Wow...some serious gear snobs reared thier heads on this one. Like someone elsesaid...not everyone can afford what YOU consider good, or nice looking. You people must have long arms from patting yourselves on the back and a hard time walking through doors with your enourmous heads and sore necks from looking down your noses. Get over yourselves. Most bass players start out on a cheap bass based solely on the looks. Instead of encouraging tomorrows players you tell them thier stuff is ugly and crappy. Get a life.

Sorry but this burns me because i had some jerk did that to me when i first started and i almost hung it up because i saw that he was good and figured i would never be able to play with my "junk" bass.
/rant

The dude that did that to you was an idiot.

Anyone who discourages others from playing based on quality of gear is an idiot.

It matters once you start getting paid though. If you show up to a 10,000 person venue with an unshielded SX and a Fender Rumble 15, THEN someone has the right to criticize your choice in gear.

Till then, play what you like and what makes the sounds you like. Everyone else can suck a lemon.

 

[xfretlessx]

The dude that did that to you was an idiot.

Anyone who discourages others from playing based on quality of gear is an idiot.

It matters once you start getting paid though. If you show up to a 10,000 person venue with an unshielded SX and a Fender Rumble 15, THEN someone has the right to criticize your choice in gear.

Till then, play what you like and what makes the sounds you like. Everyone else can suck a lemon.

Agreed. You need to have gear appropriate for your gig. But if you play at home for fun, in a garage band, small church, etc. You dontbneed top stuff. We have a guy who plays a $200 mim strat and he is amazing so it sounds awesome.. its the player, not the bass.

 

[nonohmic]

They were never cool man.

Black and tort is cool.

Just like Donny Osmond was never cool but Johnny Cash was. Same thing, no subjectivity allowed.

 

[Rumblefisher]

Agreed. You need to have gear appropriate for your gig. But if you play at home for fun, in a garage band, small church, etc. You dontbneed top stuff. We have a guy who plays a $200 mim strat and he is amazing so it sounds awesome.. its the player, not the bass.

For the most part, yes.

Personally, I now play bedroom bass. I don't have the time to attend practice for gigs. I still like having top notch basses. They aren't necessary. They are fun for me.

The guy, however, with the $200 MIM Fender who plays and practices EVERY DAY will blow my playing out of the water though.

 

[lowphatbass]

Yep. Until you hold the instrument, I can be hard to tell that those cheap basses have awful crappy flame or quilt. The real stuff dances with 3D grain and all those basses on the GC wall have that thin trashy faux quilt and flame.

Exactly!
It's not just a matter of finding a good piece of wood. A really well executed top is an art, the orientation and direction of the grain/figuring really needs to work work with the shape of the body and the position of the bridge and pickups. The quality of the finish and color combination(if applicable)is also really key. A top notch instrument will have "movement" to it and not just look like a neat piece of wood glued onto the top of a bass.

A lot of folks don't like the natural wood look and I think that's perfectly understandable. I like both, but there are certain body shapes that almost that, IMO, always look better as a solid color.

 

[ggunn]

RIP Jimmy

OMG! Did they KILL him???

 

[lowphatbass]

OMG! Did they KILL him???

That's been in my Sig long before any banishing. Different Jimmy...sorry about that..LOL.

 

[bassguitarthund]

I am confused, a little.

In the past, I would see a quilted maple top bass by Alembic or Peavey USA Cirrus, or any other boutique bass and I'd be wowed and almost hypnotized by the wood grain, especially if there was a poly coat to add depth.

In the last few years, the lower end basses have come out with quilted maple tops.

Has this tainted the look ? Do we look at quilted maple tops now and automatically think entry level / sophomore level bass ?

To answer your title......Hell No!!! At least not to many anyways. I still think a quilted maple top is one of the most beautiful finishes there is!!

 

[handofseven]

Owned by another TB'er, but I've always LOVED purple QM: this top is stunning!!
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I'm not usually a fan of the fancy tops (with the exception of a good spalted maple), but that Modulus is ridonkulous!

 

[bassguitarthund]

Yeah, furniture basses are largely over. I'm certainly sick of them.

Seeing a paper-thin B-grade veneer in nauseating trans-blue hiding the crapwood body on every hideous kid guitar over about $150 for the past fifteen years or so couldn't have helped.

They're an integral part of the geek-bass look, though, so I don't expect them to totally go away.

That ridiculous new Fender "Select" line with furniture laminate and instantly-degrading gold pimp hardware could not look more like $299 instruments if they were actually trying to.

Guess I must have poor taste then I happen to like quilted tops and "gold pimp hardware":scowl:

 

[mb94952]

Wow, a lot more opinions than I expected.

I was merely making an observation based on two quilted top boutique basses that were re-listed three times each on ebay. I couldn't understand why they didn't sell the first time, hence I posed the question.

Personally, I LOVE quilted tops, especially the ones that look like moving water ...

Obviously, my question was generic, and somewhat rhetorical. In the end, whatever bass looks cool to you, IS cool.

 

[Dark Barn]

I've never liked fancy wood tops myself, in fact the one bass I ever ordered new was a Lakland 4-94 "standard" since all they had in the store were "deluxe" models. I appreciate pretty wood grains but I've never wanted my instruments to look "pretty". Not criticizing anyone who does like fancy wood, to each their own.

I've always wondered this though; why is there a larger market for fancy wood tops amongst bass players than for guitarists. Is it the conflation of fancy wood with quality (being that some of the early fancy wood bass makers happened to make awesome basses)?

 

[S6I6X]

I don't think that anyone was questioning whether or not quilt maple tops look amazing or not. It's obviously an opinion and some people will love them and some won't. I do agree though that although I always liked them, I never really loved them and seeing so many cheaper looking basses with fake quilted maple as somewhat detracted me from that look. Obviously I buy my basses on a whole lot more then just looks and I would never judge someone based on their gear. I bought two quilted maple basses in the past and I am really over that look. I don't think all of the cheaper basses are the only reason for but I do agree that it's a factor. With that being said I am glad that they are making more lower end basses with more options so you can be satisfied with YOUR bass even if you can only afford something that's cheaper.