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How have your aesthetic preferences changed since you started playing?

#61
That Burgundy Mist is KILLER . I paid $$ to have a bass done in that color back in the 80's
my guitarist and I both did (his Strat) so we "matched"

Jared Lash said:
Ugly? I beg to differ.

02EC017D-B8CF-47F3-B7EF-2D8BDC64A29B_zpsl9ir6psc.jpg


I've always gravitated towards slightly different body shapes but where I used to really be into exotic tops now I favor solid colors with pick guards or bursts.

My other basses:

98E70877-2B52-4EA2-9765-26863B85E9FE_zps07loiuep.jpg


[
IMG_3690_zps9b9e4d8c.jpg
j3_zps62172c6d.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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#62
To me, it really depends on the instrument. Certain finishes and colours look better on some instruments than others.

In general, I am more open to unusual and bold colours than I was when I first started playing. That being said, I have a certain affinity for white and I also like traditional natural and sunburst. Black - it depends; I am not a fan of it showing every little smudge and ding.
 
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#66
pudgychef said:
Use to dislike white or light finished basses....now white is likely my favorite...

in the mid 90s I loved the look of a natural finish bass (usually a J) with black bound and blocked neck...by the early 2000s I started to find it 'overdone' and tired of it...these days it seems ubiquitous and is a complete turn-off for me...

Used to greatly prefer 2 and 2 headstocks - now prefer the MM look....

How have your aesthetic preferences changed?
Click to expand...

never liked white anything....cars, house, instruments, etc. Always prefer matching headstocks..hate unfinished. will never buy one.

burst is cool as always. prefer no pick guard. REALLY hate round pick guards.

no. not much has changed.
 
#68
I'm not a person to care about aesthetics much. I look for practicality and functionality first. I see so many people buying guitars just because they "look cool" and it makes no sense to me. Sometimes I do repaint guitars though if I find the original color was distasteful. I guess when it comes to aesthetics I just don't want something that catches too much attention (i.e. a neon colored bass). That wouldn't stop me from buying a neon colored bass if it sounded and played good though, because I would just repaint it.
 
#69
I started playing in the I started playing as a tween in the mid-'80s. I was all about flashy looking basses: Hamer Scarab, BC Rich, Steinberger, etc.

In the '90s, I got really into 5- and 6-string basses with fancy woods: Warwick, Ken Smith, Modulus, etc.

Since the '00s, I've been moving back towards "traditional" basses: P's and J's mostly.
 
#70
Ron Johnson said:
I'm not a person to care about aesthetics much. I look for practicality and functionality first. I see so many people buying guitars just because they "look cool" and it makes no sense to me. Sometimes I do repaint guitars though if I find the original color was distasteful. I guess when it comes to aesthetics I just don't want something that catches too much attention (i.e. a neon colored bass). That wouldn't stop me from buying a neon colored bass if it sounded and played good though, because I would just repaint it.
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Or is the fact that you will repaint a highly functional instrument due to its appearance (rather than just enjoying its playability whilst ignoring the finish) an indication that aesthetics are actually quite important to you?
 
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#71
I started playing in the '80s, of course I wanted a pointy, reversed headstock bass in metallic purple. Now I favor what I once consider the old man bass, the Fender Jazz bass. Maybe I was right at the time, I'm now an old Man!
 
#72
Actually, now that I remember, it has changed a lot!

My first bass was this:
kS56QGy.jpg


and now, it's this:

snpmjU4.jpg


The first day it caught my eye because of the color, but as time went on I regretted it. It was just TOO LOUD. The electronics were subpar too. So traded it in after a couple weeks and snagged the Schecter when it was on sale for $399! Plays like a bass worth much more
 
#74
Well... I would have to say it hasn't. I've always liked the Mockingbird better than anything. Eagle is second. I do like B.C. Rich's other, pointier offerings, in particular the IronBird... but not as much.
 
#75
Like some of the guys have stated already, starting out I couldn't afford what I liked, which was metal flakes and racing stripes and in lieu of that I was a sticker guy. Ha!
Now I like types, I have a beat up burst pbass, a black jazz, a shiny stingray....and no stickers.
 
#77
pudgychef said:
Or is the fact that you will repaint a highly functional instrument due to its appearance (rather than just enjoying its playability whilst ignoring the finish) an indication that aesthetics are actually quite important to you?
Click to expand...
The look isn't important to me personally, but the attention it grabs is. I have anxiety issues and don't like to be looked at, so I can't be going on stage with a yellow or neon green bass.
 
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#78
Ron Johnson said:
The look isn't important to me personally, but the attention it grabs is. I have anxiety issues and don't like to be looked at, so I can't be going on stage with a yellow or neon green bass.
Click to expand...

Ahh...makes sense...was just curious as to your take...

I think I would only be reluctant to play a Steinie or similar tiny body/headless bass as it would look like a circus ape on a mini bicycle...
 

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