Is elegance a thing when it comes to basses?

[JRA]

What defines elegance in a bass guitar, and should it even exist?.....In this modern era of rat-rod/road-worn basses - does elegance still have a place?

i'm glad they exist! i love seeing "elegant" axes (per your examples and @OldShark's example) --- they're fascinating IMO. who can't "ooh and ahh" over these things?! let's face it: they're special, if for no other reason = because they're elegant! and many have special features and attributes other than (or contributing to) their "elegance."

my favorite example of "elegance"


but, as a full-time working musician i didn't need elegance, even though that 'quality' has always been an attraction. based on how i see the EB, functionally, and how i've used them, i'd have to go with this POV:

Basses have always been tools....elegance notes about instruments is kinda like expressing the beauty and classiness of hammers....

none of my axes are "elegant." some are "cool," some are "fun," some are probably "funny," and the only thing 'elegant' about them is the way they feel when i'm playing them...but that counts more to me than the "elegant" qualities of the very stunning examples....

per the OP: i'd vote, "elegance is a great option." i like that there are such examples of elegance. i'm attracted to elegant EBs, but i don't need that quality to do my part. i'd still use one of my PJs to get the job done because they're more reliably familiar tools for me, and that has its own type of "elegance" in my world!

 

[scuzzy]

Stradi Symphony.

When it comes to elegance, a Marleaux Diva comes to my mind (but I don't think I'll ever play one...) :

View attachment 5421171

I came here only to mention both of these basses. They are, in my opinion, the epitome of elegance.

 

[Nolan Tremblay]

Elegance typically includes an element of simplicity - the design doesn’t have elements that don’t need to be there. I’m sure others will disagree, but my aesthetic says anything with a piece of plastic screwed to its face to cover up routed holes isn’t elegant.

The simplicity part would also disqualify most “hippie sandwich” basses - multi layer wood structures are not simple and refined - they’re showing off a bit too much. Doesn’t mean they’re not cool in their own way , just not elegant.

I would agree with this. I would say that there would be some minimalist aspect to an elegant looking bass.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hello good folks of the TB:

What defines elegance in a bass guitar, and should it even exist? In this modern era of rat-rod/road-worn basses - does elegance still have a place?

So here are a few basses that I would consider to be elegant. Of course, one person's jewel is always another person's yawn - it has been that way forever, and I don't see it changing.

No discussion of elegant would be complete without including the craftsmanship of my friend Jens Ritter. It doesn't need to be fancy coffee table wood to make an impression. The right fingerboard wood brings it all together:

View attachment 5420652

No doubt about the fact that Keith Roscoe does amazing and elegant work. Keith has built two custom basses for me and I will forever be a fan of his work. Not my bass:

View attachment 5420659

Well, what can you say about Rob Allen? Rob built me a custom "mouse" in 2004 and I can't even begin to express how elegant his basses are. Not my bass:

View attachment 5420660

In my opinion Andrew Drake has made some pretty incredible, and yes elegant instruments. This is Wilma:

View attachment 5420662

This is just a tiny sampling. So let's hear it - is elegance a thing or is it a thing of the past? Post your thoughts here.

I’ve never been a fan of the Rat Rod craze. While I can appreciate the artistry of those basses you posted, I’m not a major consumer of art. I am a major consumer of tools. Other than looking for them in a toolbox, I don’t spend a lot of time looking at them.

 

[BassHappy]

Ive been a working bassist most of my life (Im now a RN and play part time for fun)....so, my point of view is different: Basses have always been tools, not art, to me. Therefore, when making elegance notes about instruments is kinda like expressing the beauty and classiness of hammers....I'm sure that Im probably in the minority on TB about this

Not sure if you are in the minority or not, but I suspect that a lot of folks feel this way. It's fine, diversity in your opinion of wants and needs is what makes the world go around.

Just a reminder on the dictionary definition of elegant:

Don't ever apoligise for stating your opinion and voicing your "truth". Your truth is your truth, and it's unique to you and is generally a very considered opinion based on your experiences.

Yes, elegance is most definitely in the eye of the beholder. As previously stated, one person's jewel is another person's yawn.

 

[CryingBass]

 

[socknroll1]

The J bass is still the most elegant bass that's ever designed.

I love the curves of a Jazz Bass. Seeing a nice Jazz Bass, it's like seeing the curves of a beautiful woman. Not kidding!

 

[Gervais Cote]

This to me is elegant :



Would I bring it to my blues bar that smells french fries all over the place ? Nope !
Would I like to get one to show off in my basement ? Maybe………..

This is ugly…………..….my beat up p bass made out of junk parts that burps and screams A LOT…………..and brings me much more pleasure than any other basses :

 

[BASSDROID]

For me elegance is defined by a high level of craftsmanship and a careful, insightful approach to design functionality. That leaves the door wide open for a whole bunch of variation.

I'd put A 1959 Eames chair or a 1928 Dusenberg Model J along side either a 1957 Fender Precision or a Carl Thompson with no qualms whatsoever.

And yes, there is such a thing as being overbuilt and over designed.

TLDR: Elegance is a thing. The exact definition varies.

 

[RGerhart]

Lots of varying opinions, here, for sure.

To me, elegance is simplicity, functionality, and beauty all in one. For me, it's a tie between my Skjold Zia 6 and Fodera Emperor 5 Standard.

 

[g-dude]

Hello good folks of the TB:

What defines elegance in a bass guitar, and should it even exist? In this modern era of rat-rod/road-worn basses - does elegance still have a place?

So here are a few basses that I would consider to be elegant. Of course, one person's jewel is always another person's yawn - it has been that way forever, and I don't see it changing.

No discussion of elegant would be complete without including the craftsmanship of my friend Jens Ritter. It doesn't need to be fancy coffee table wood to make an impression. The right fingerboard wood brings it all together:

View attachment 5420652

No doubt about the fact that Keith Roscoe does amazing and elegant work. Keith has built two custom basses for me and I will forever be a fan of his work. Not my bass:

View attachment 5420659

Well, what can you say about Rob Allen? Rob built me a custom "mouse" in 2004 and I can't even begin to express how elegant his basses are. Not my bass:

View attachment 5420660

In my opinion Andrew Drake has made some pretty incredible, and yes elegant instruments. This is Wilma:

View attachment 5420662

This is just a tiny sampling. So let's hear it - is elegance a thing or is it a thing of the past? Post your thoughts here.

CTRL+F for Alembic not found....hmmm.


[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The J bass is still the most elegant bass that's ever designed.

Have to disagree there. Alembic, and everyone since who followed the "hippie sandwich" formula to make coffee table basses out elegances the J-Bass - and I say that as someone who thinks the J-Bass is Fender's best bass.

 

[fhm555]

Hello good folks of the TB:

What defines elegance in a bass guitar, and should it even exist? In this modern era of rat-rod/road-worn basses - does elegance still have a place?...

After I’d been building fishing rods for a while, I decided I needed to start building split bamboo fly rods. There was way more people wanting them than builders building them so it seemed like a good move and I delved in to what it was going to take to become a split bamboo fly rod builder. Right off I learned it would require a very large cash investment to tool up, but demand was high and prices were as well, and I could afford the equipment. I also joined a split bamboo builders group and started reading. It didn’t take long to learn prospective buyers were more concerned with period correctness than innovation and performance improvement, which kind of tracked as the use of composite rod blanks pretty much is the logical improvement most interested in better performance would want. The more I read the more apparent it became that split bamboo fly rod building was more a vehicle for demonstrating ones joinery skills than it was about performance, even period correct performance. The most in demand builders were doing incredibly beautiful and (dare I say it) elegant things in the form of blanks made from 12 strips instead of the traditional 6, incorporating butt swells into the splits, and other near endless variations on displays of master level woodworking. This was somewhat confusing as my initial impression was tradition was the major motivator for buyers, but it turned out it was the extraordinary joinery they truly lusted after. Actually using the rod to fish with was secondary to the elevated and elegant display of a master builders work of functional art.
As one who sees fishing rods and basses as tools, I’m truly at a loss as to why so many people have such desires, but I’m also aware this is a place where we can have what we want if we can afford it. I also realized that while I disliked decorative thread work on composite rods because it degrades performance, the average user will not be able to tell the difference one way or the other, so I offer decorative thread work because I can add a substantial up charge for it. I’m happy, my customers are happy, and I realize much more for just a little extra effort.
I’m also told quite often my work is functional art.

 

[BassHappy]

A few more basses I would consider elegant:

To me, it's not really about any specific design elements, it is all about how the instrument design works together as a whole.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

none of my axes are "elegant." some are "cool," some are "fun," some are probably "funny," and the only thing 'elegant' about them is the way they feel when i'm playing them...but that counts more to me than the "elegant" qualities of the very stunning examples....

This +1.

 

[J Wilson]

I've owned and played elegant basses, and while I loved them, after a while it felt like wearing a bespoke English suit or evening wear every day, just very formal instruments.

It reminded me that actually I admire elegantly simple.

 

[JimmyM]

Nothing wrong with elegance, but it’s nothing I seek out.

 

[Jazzdogg]

To me, elegance is all about understatement, simplicity, and avoidance of the unessential. It is also about skilful execution, the perfect blend of soft contours into hard lines, and incorporating individual elements seamlessly.

Rob Allen basses are but one example.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I think mine are elegant, but refined.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

When it comes to elegance, a Marleaux Diva comes to my mind (but I don't think I'll ever play one...) :

View attachment 5421171

I hope you get the opportunity to! It's a truly wonderful instrument! Here's mine:

BBB

 

[jd56hawk]

Very good thread.
Really no need to argue about what is elegant and what isn't...sure, it's a matter of opinion for the most part, but there has always been certain established examples of beauty that most would agree upon.
A butterfly is beautiful, a cockroach isn't.
A peacock is beautiful, an ostrich isn’t.
A horse is beautiful, a warthog isn't.
As for playability, construction and tone, yeah, sure, they're very important, but for every bassist out there who says "Looks aren't important" there are countless people who won't even try out a bass unless they like the way it looks.
So, when it comes to elegance, I've seen some very nice examples here so far.
Hey, I have quite a few basses, posted one that I think is elegant, but I didn't post several others because I don't they fit the description.
For example...