How Important is Appearance to You?

[heath_the_great]

i think around the $1500us mark, theyre about $3400aus down here, thats not the matching headstock ones thogh, ive never seen one in the flesh and not sure wether they cost extra or not

 

[nowhereian]

to go back to the shoe analogy, fenders are like converse allstar chuck taylors. you can get them in any color and they give a nice casual yet bold look.

Not to mention that after years of wearing only chucks they become the most comfortable shoes around.

When I pick out a bass, I'd say I go for 50% playability, 30%comfort, 10% sound, 10% looks. If it doesn't have a nice, playable neck, forget it. If parts of it get in the way of my playing or it's too heavy, but it has great playability, I'll think about it. You can always change your sound with different pickups, electronics, etc.

Different gigs call for different looks. you wouldn't usually bring a dirty, beat up, trashed looking bass to a fancy/dressed up place would you? Well, you might. But when I played my HS prom I happened to have a brand new Fender jazz that was seeing its first gig. At the time, I also had an old MM that was pretty beat up and used in my ska band because looks didn't matter.

 

[not_jason]

(hello jason)

yay for crossover message board posting!

P.S.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[volumefiend]

With all the basses out there, there's no reason that you can't find one that sounds fabulous that also looks great to you. As with some of the other guys, looks and playability are probably the things I look for most, because I really believe most of your tone comes from your amp and your fingers. Pickups and preamps can be easily exchanged for ones that sound good to your ears.

yusssss.

 

[seanm]

My current main bass is a '62 reissue MIJ P bass with foto-flame. I don't like flamed maple basses, and the foto-flame is tacky up close (IMHO: some people consider them very collectable). But the bass plays better than any other P bass I have tried and isn't strange looking so I bought it. I did replace the white pickguard with a black one.

Used P basses are few and far between in Ottawa. (Although both Retrotown and Songbird have late '70s P basses for sale!) While I would not buy a neon-green bass no matter how well it plays, all I require from looks is that it be conservative.

 

[Figjam]

Back on topic;

I would buy a bass that looked less-than-cool if it sounded awesome but only to a certain extent. Looks have something to do with why i get interested in a bass.

 

[Zirc]

I'd use the best sounding bass in the studio, then take the gorgeous bass and play that one live.

However, I don't think factories make beautiful-looking horrible sounding basses. Most every bass is made to match the looks to the tone. For example the picture up at the top is a metal bass, sounds metal, looks metal, etc.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Looks are part of the factor, eventualy you wil be seen playing the thing so you better like it.

 

[McHack]

Look IS important...

ALL aspects are important... I won't forsake one for the other, & vice versa. Why should we have to choose? We don't!

 

[lamarjones]

If you played a bass that played easier and sounded better than anything you've ever played before, but you couldn't stand the looks of it, would you buy it? furthermore, would you compromise on playability or tone if an instrument was extremely gorgeous?

There are 3 major things about a bass to me, feel sound and looks. If all three don't work for you, you are buying the wrong bass.

Go ahead an try it, many of us found out 15 basses later.

 

[lsu921]

There are 3 major things about a bass to me, feel sound and looks. If all three don't work for you, you are buying the wrong bass.

Go ahead an try it, many of us found out 15 basses later.

+1

 

[heath_the_great]

only took me 6 basses kubicki ahoy

 

[niomosy]

I suppose it depends on the price. If it looks like crap but the price is low, I might go for it. If not, I'd probably just pass on it and wait to find something I really like.