I've always been curious about this.

[Yellow Bang66]

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What is the advantage to this shape? Why are there so many boutique basses that are shaped like this? Seems massive to me, but there has got to be a reason. At the prices they go for, they have to be great instruments, or there would be no demand, so no criticism implied. Just curious. (Image pulled from Brubaker Guitars)

Yeah, I wonder too. I thought its because of Neck dive. Having that "hump" so far up( close to the 12th fret. I have an old catalog with Wooten on the cover with his Fodera same vibe. I think it looks goofy,AF! looks like a pizza spatula! I guess its kind of a move away from fender shaped objects! I'd prefer offset i'd get a warwick or dingwall if I tired or wanted something different!

 

[J_Bass]

You seem to be the one being defensive about them.

It's understandable, you're new, here.

Every single thread with these kind of titles about SC basses are bashing threads.

Like there needs to be a reason for that shape.

What about the other shapes? What do they do to improve playing?

One of the other shapes shown here, you can't play it seating down, and playing standing up, you need to take a bus to reach the first fret.
But they're super cool, though. So, that's enough.

With SC cut basses it's the same. They're super cool.
Are there added benefits? I think there are, from personal experience. Do I need to prove them in a double blind study? Haha, no.


How do you feel about set necks? Tone wood?

 

[bobyoung53]

Speaking of awesome beautiful singlecuts, how could I forget: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

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That's a nice one too, aren't those a little pricey?

 

[mikewalker]

That's a nice one too, aren't those a little pricey?

I have one on the top of my "things to buy when I win the lottery" list. But really they are not $trato$pheric, I got a quote for one a couple years ago (custom 24-fret 30 inch scale version of the red/blue R8 Concept) and it was something like $8K CAD which I was very close to shelling out at the time. (That was just before I got married, moved across the continent, and landed here with a half a million in mortgages to float...)

 

[Snert]

It's understandable, you're new, here.

I read posts here a lot before I joined.

How do you feel about set necks?

Half-done neck throughs; finish the job right people.

Tone wood?

Meh, overrated traits as a species. Not saying there might not be some differences between individual pieces detectable at the pickup output (and for electric solid bodys, that's all that matters) but saying "all maple sounds like..." is about as nonsensical as "all blondes are...".

Are there added benefits? I think there are, from personal experience. Do I need to prove them in a double blind study? Haha, no.

Agreed, you don't need a study to prove them, but because you (meaning anyone) claims these benefits to be true, also doesn't mean I have to believe them.
Agreed re various shapes and ergonomic differences, but I don't see any benefit in that regard for SCs apart from the strap position difference I mentioned in my first post.

 

[J_Bass]

I read posts here a lot before I joined.

Half-done neck throughs; finish the job right people.

Meh, overrated traits as a species. Not saying there might not be some differences between individual pieces detectable at the pickup output (and for electric solid bodys, that's all that matters) but saying "all maple sounds like..." is about as nonsensical as "all blondes are...".

Agreed, you don't need a study to prove them, but because you (meaning anyone) claims these benefits to be true, also doesn't mean I have to believe them.
Agreed re various shapes and ergonomic differences, but I don't see any benefit in that regard for SCs apart from the strap position difference I mentioned in my first post.

It doesn't need to add any benefit. The other shapes don't, why should this? It's just an excuse to bash these basses.


You're like me, then.

Aside from strings and pickups, I choose everything else based on looks.

 

[Snert]

It doesn't need to add any benefit. The other shapes don't, why should this? It's just an excuse to bash these basses.

But making fun of something is not the same as bashing; I thought my initial 'save the whales' comment got that point across.

You're like me, then.

Aside from strings and pickups, I choose everything else based on looks.

To a large extent, and ergonomics and feel. I could probably pickup up most random basses and play fine in a gig if I needed to, but I do have preferences on some things and if I'm shelling out my hard earned shekels for something, I'd rather it be the one I preferred.

 

[Element Zero]

the quick n simple answer is TONE
of course tone is subjective to the beholder but if a P bass is considered THE tone choice of the ages and as a dedicated P guy I've found something that totally outclasses it for my picky tastes then I win. 'modern' players veer towards clean Jazz Bass sounds while I prefer meatier bigger and bouncier classic rock grit with real bottom, I went thru many fine low end basses only to find the more $pent on famous basses the further away from good tone it all got. I'll guess those questioning me like roundwounds over flats, it's all personal preference and I've spent a lifetime listening / searching for better tone. the search ended last year ...I think.

I bet my Fodera that doesn’t even have a P pickup does a better P bass tone than your beater bass.

 

[Jack Butler]

the quick n simple answer is TONE
of course tone is subjective to the beholder but if a P bass is considered THE tone choice of the ages and as a dedicated P guy I've found something that totally outclasses it for my picky tastes then I win. 'modern' players veer towards clean Jazz Bass sounds while I prefer meatier bigger and bouncier classic rock grit with real bottom, I went thru many fine low end basses only to find the more $pent on famous basses the further away from good tone it all got. I'll guess those questioning me like roundwounds over flats, it's all personal preference and I've spent a lifetime listening / searching for better tone. the search ended last year ...I think.

I mean if you like it, that's great and saves you tons of money. But there are P type basses that cost $2k, and more. So comparing your P to a modern voiced bass and saying yours beats it because you prefer a P tone is a crude and subjective measure at best. That's like saying a Camry beats a Ferrari because I prefer going slow and getting better gas mileage. Plus while tone is a major factor, playability also matters for a lot of folks and that tends to be not as good on a $200 bass vs $2,000, on average. And this is coming from a guy who owns zero boutique/high end basses. I have an ESP Vintage Four P/J and a Roadwon P as my main players and I find those hit the price quality ratio just right for me. Obviously the sweet spot for that varies by individual. But even though my basses have a lot of value for the price, I'm under no illusion either one "beats" a Sadowsky or Fodera, it's just that the increase in quality for me isn't work 4-5x the price I paid for each of mine.

 

[Mastermold]

The other way to look at this is to question why there is an upper cutaway on most basses? The lower cutaway is for accessing the upper registers. With good technique your thumb is on the back of the neck, so why the upper cutaway? It just makes the bass look like something has been amputated.

Upper cutaway was a Fender design so everyone is used to seeing it, and from that reference point a long single cut can look "odd" like the upper horn collapsed onto the neck. Shorter single cut instruments like Les Pauls are and have been more common so it doesn't seem that way. Over time, folks will probably see more basses with the long single cut if it's advantageous from a design standpoint and those perceptions will likely diminish.

 

[Bass V]

I mean if you like it, that's great and saves you tons of money. But there are P type basses that cost $2k, and more. So comparing your P to a modern voiced bass and saying yours beats it because you prefer a P tone is a crude and subjective measure at best. That's like saying a Camry beats a Ferrari because I prefer going slow and getting better gas mileage. Plus while tone is a major factor, playability also matters for a lot of folks and that tends to be not as good on a $200 bass vs $2,000, on average. And this is coming from a guy who owns zero boutique/high end basses. I have an ESP Vintage Four P/J and a Roadwon P as my main players and I find those hit the price quality ratio just right for me. Obviously the sweet spot for that varies by individual. But even though my basses have a lot of value for the price, I'm under no illusion either one "beats" a Sadowsky or Fodera, it's just that the increase in quality for me isn't work 4-5x the price I paid for each of mine.

if we were just comparing Ps then ok, but my great yet never played not-a-Fender P isn't my point, it 's that I found something even better, and that's very hard to do. after decade$ I got lucky and discovered what even beats out my old '65 Fender BASS V with it's built in Motown sound.
now when you say playability please understand I fell for this bass unplugged, it was all feel, I didn't know what it really sounded like til I got home, then it was all over, it kept getting better. I could live on the bridge PU alone, it does a credible P thing by itself. what I dig extra most is the Jazz Bass sounds it produces in a quasi T-Bird voicing, the XR / XT PUs in the Std. IV are a cool mix of P & T that gives a brutal J thing. for me it's the best of all worlds combined since it first and foremost does hard core vintage Felix and Jack better than all I've found so far without going full EB mudbucker.

I bet my Fodera that doesn’t even have a P pickup does a better P bass tone than your beater bass.

that would be the great exception to the rule, but not $2K better I'll wager lol

 

[Watchootognbout]

Yeah, I wonder too. I thought its because of Neck dive. Having that "hump" so far up( close to the 12th fret. I have an old catalog with Wooten on the cover with his Fodera same vibe. I think it looks goofy,AF! looks like a pizza spatula! I guess its kind of a move away from fender shaped objects! I'd prefer offset i'd get a warwick or dingwall if I tired or wanted something different!

It adds extra stiffness for super low action in the upper frets.
Primarily for ERB players who solo and play chords with a light touch.

 

[boombloom]

Behold the Wishbass Lobe. Steve Wishnevsky builds wonderful single cuts and reasonable prices. He has a couple listed on Ebay right now.

 

[GIBrat51]

View attachment 1061235

View attachment 4659705

What is the advantage to this shape? Why are there so many boutique basses that are shaped like this? Seems massive to me, but there has got to be a reason. At the prices they go for, they have to be great instruments, or there would be no demand, so no criticism implied. Just curious. (Image pulled from Brubaker Guitars)

Personally, I think those basses are part of a plot to confuse old farts like me, who think of basses like this Gretsch Broadkaster when somebody mentions "Single Cut Bass"...
Actually, I think - like others - that it's partially an attempt to look cool and different, as well as to maximize fret access to the upper frets. Doesn't hurt that it stiffens the bejeezus out of the neck either - as most of those basses tend to have lots of strings...

 

[jdh3000]

I don't understand that myself... it's not esthetically pleasing to me.

 

[Durham52]

Which headless bass is that?

ACG Salace SC E Type. ACG is Alan Cringean, from Moffat, Scotland.

 

[Pilgrim]

I can't explain the look. It appears to me to have a tumor growing on the E side of the neck. Don't like at all.

 

[31HZ]

I have a singlecut fretless 5 JCR, and one of the things that I like about it is how highly responsive it is to play, and how VERY "solid" it feels. It's also very well balanced and has great ergos.

Are these benefits due to the singlecut design? Certainly at least partly, I would say.

 

[Durham52]

It's true that some 'extended' upper bout basses look a bit ungainly, (But so do many double cutaway basses, at least to my eye. It's called personal taste, so no big deal.) some can look a bit disproportioned, especially the ones with an added extreme treble side cutaway to accommodate access to an extended fretboard. Anthony Jacksons basses are big bulky looking mammoths, but that's because they are built to accommodate his very special requirements. 38 inch scale, wide string spacing on a six string, 28 frets and a heap of other things arrived at by years of trail and error. (Read the article linked by getbass6 in posts 16 and 17, it's worth the ten minutes or so out of any bassists life.)

At the end of the day, they are another option, some may like them and feel they answer a need, other may not, but either way it proves nothing, the basses we play, prove nothing about us other than our personal preference based on what answers our requirements in form, function and sound.

 

[Herrick]

ACG Salace SC E Type. ACG is Alan Cringean, from Moffat, Scotland.

That's cool. I've never seen that bass before.