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How do you feel about signature models?

#101
Some people care. Some people don't care. Some people buy them because they love the artist. Some people buy them because they love the bass.

I'm not a fan of signature basses. I kinda like the idea behind the Mark Hoppus, but owning one to me would mean paying hommage to that guy, and I'm not a fan. Nothing against Mark, I just don't want to be associated with him. For that reason, for me, it stretches across to other signature models.

To be completely honest about all this, I think to not give a crap how an instrument is labeled makes the most sense... but if that were the case Fender sales would probably drop to less than half what they sell now. We all care about something or other when it comes to our image (clothes, hairstyles, instrument choice, shorts/no shorts, etc.). To some people the signature models matter, to others, so what. I've no problem wearing hats or shorts :), and it works for me. A Mark Hoppus though.... I pass. Same for a Geddy or Jaco. Reggie seems like a super cool dude (he posts here from time to time), but I pass on that bass too.

To eeech hiz zone.
 
#103
Depends on it.. If you look at the 4000+ bucks basses from Ibanez, I think it's weird to play them, yes :p However, the Sandberg Terrabass seems like a good bass guitar for it's bucks (about 1400 US dollar). Never played it though, but it seems more acceptable for me than something else...
 
#104
Jeff Scott said:
I can't really say but I think there is a lot more to MM's tone than any single factor, plus no matter what, you will never sound like him, none of us will every really sound like our heroes/influences. In the long run you will always sound like you. :cool:

You are still pretty young so it's perfectly fine to go for that sound in your head/heart. :bassist:

How long have you been playing, so far?
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It'll be five years this March, so around four and a half at the moment. :D
 
#105
If the bass is good, it's good. The name that comes with it doesn't matter. The people who get turned off just by knowing it's a signature model aren't any better than those who buy basses only for the 'signature.'
 
#107
I bought my Reggie Hamilton sig because it offered a spec that is unique in the Fender line. His sig is in silver, on the back of the headstock and is so small that most people would never notice it. I wanted a Fender active/passive p/j with a jazz body for under $1k. The D-Tuner sealed the deal, and the neck profile was just gravy. It's a MIM, but you'd never know. If it wasn't a sig model, I still would have bought it, because it had what I was looking for in a bass. I don't care if some pretentious jerk thinks that I'm a fanboy or poser for playing the bass of my choosing. They can lose sleep over it. Not my problem.
 
#108
I think people who Dismiss Signature models are missing a great opportunity to get a great Bass. Some of them are practically Custom Shop Level Basses. Of course some are more on the Marketing Gimmick level too. I suggest Keeping an open mind and let the Bass do the "Talking". If other MIJ Signature basses are as good as My Steve Harris then I am on the road to collecting them.
 
#109
i would never buy a bass just for the signature on the back of the headstock. some things i like about a signature bass over the standard (squier models come to mind), but that doesn't mean i'm "paying homage" to whom theyre named for. the squier matt freeman p is basically a cv 60s p with a maple neck. i like a maple neck, so i like the bass. i still have no worldly clue who matt freeman is, but im not buying the bass for him, am i?
 
#110
Just remembered one of the greatest "signature" model guitars I ever saw.

Played with a guitarist a couple of years ago who had a white guitar with 4 signatures in black on the front of it. My first thought was how pathetically lame that looked. WHY would anybody ever do something like that. After we played I asked him who the band was. He looked at it, kinda shrugged and said, "I don't know. Think it might be the guys RATT or one of those 80s bands. I just loved the guitar and got a great deal on it." For me, that turned that lame guitar into one of the coolest I'd ever seen. :)
 
#111
If fender would make the frank bello sig. Again I would probably buy 3 of em. It's a pj with a matching headstock, stock with Duncan 1/3 lbs. and fender noiseless and a badass bridge MIJ. And for like right at a grand. Also it says fender bass on the headstock, which I REALLY like.
 
#112
I think I'm 44, and if I have money and I take a fancy to a signature bass, I will buy it.

I'd be especially keen to get a Spector made just like Sting's white Spector. I believe that there are some out there. I also would love a GL Jazz, just for fun, and a CS Rickenbacker. I wasn't interested in stuff like that when I was younger, but I'm kind of turning into a collector as well as a player these days, and I figure if I can afford it I will.
 
#115
I've had two. One was a '65 Noel Redding jazz bass. Loved the look, feel, hated the sound. Happened to be a sig bass, and I do admit, I was hoping it would be what my real '65 was. Not even close. Gone.

Pete Wentz P Bass. Got an outrageously good deal because one tuner was broken. Never heard of Pete Wentz.Put in a stackpot so it could have a tone control, great P bass. Ended up selling/trading the body, the D.D. pickup was great, kept that, still have the neck, super nice maple j, one of the nicest I've played. I'll probably use it on a project one day.

In both cases, it was the bass/deal, not the sig.
 
#116
I have a Geddy Lee and a Jaco fretless(non-relic). I absolutely go for the spec of the bass. How it feels, sounds and handles it's job, which is to get me through studio work and live gigs without causing me to work hard to overcome the instruments flaws. It is a tool and if it does the job well, I love it.

On the other hand I would not buy a bass because of the sig scribed on it somewhere. Actually I'd rather have no signatures anywhere on it but I don't sweat it at all if it pulls it's weight.
 
#119
110s lover said:
In my opinion, the only ones that earn out of them in the brand of instrument, like for instance, a standard Japanese P bass would set you back £500-700, but then fender build one with a badass and put steve Harris's name on it and boom, it sunddenly over a grand...
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The Newer MIJ Basses are mostly over $1,000 now. The Steve Harris has a lot more just the BA2 Bridge going for it. The SD p'up's are Killer The Paint is Custom Shop Quality and beautifully done. The setup was Flawless out of the box on mine. Like I said above it's more like a Custom Shop model Similar to the Road Worn Models. I paid $900 for mine in Museum condition and I feel extremely lucky. :) Oh and Steve's autograph on the back by the Machine Heads is pretty cool too.
 
#120
vth said:
If the bass is good, it's good. The name that comes with it doesn't matter. The people who get turned off just by knowing it's a signature model aren't any better than those who buy basses only for the 'signature.'
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Fantastic point.

For me, if the artist actually had input in the creation of the instrument with enough unique features to warrant essentially a new model, I'm all for it, especially if the artist actually uses that instrument. If, say, five different signature models are pretty much stock P-basses with a palette swap, I find it silly but it doesn't usually bother me beyond "they gave that guy a signature model?"

As others have said, though, if it's a well-made instrument that has the sound you're going for, then it's the right bass for you. An artist's name on it can just add to the story.
 

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