Just random bass thoughts

[Volpe25]

Am I alone in thinking that basses stylized like a "guitar" just look slightly off and that some designs really do just suit guitars better? For example Gibson SG's and 335's or a Les Paul.

The inverse of course is true for guitars as say a Fender Jazz wouldn't look "right" not as a bass.

Im not saying that anyone that plays a bass like that is wrong, if it works for you dont ever stop, different strokes for different folks and all! But there's just something about basses shaped like "guitars" that rests uneasy on my eye

Am I just being the odd one out again?

 

[hdracer]

What about a Tele bass?
Isn't a Jazz bass about the same as a Strat?

What should a bass look like?
A single cut hippie sandwich?

 

[PoorePlaysBass]

I'm with ya here. There are some shapes that are so iconic for either basses or guitar that, aesthetically, they just don't work with me when seen on the opposite. The ones you mentioned being fine examples. They may play fine, but I just find it odd.

 

[Mossmatic]

I don't think the Gibson EB-3 (SG shape) looks odd... But that's probably because my fist bass as a teenager was an EB-3 copy and I thought it was the coolest looking bass ever... Also, my bass teacher (coincidentally) played a Gibson EB-3. Never thought hollow/semi-hollow 335 shaped basses looked strange either (just not my thing).

However, I think a Les Paul bass looks kinda funny.

 

[wooheehaa]

eb3 look alot better than a sg guitar imo

 

[dkelley]

precision is close to a strat, imho closer than a jazz bass is where a jazz has a wind-swept thing going on (it is way sexier than a precision imho, but still a strat doesn't have that wind swept thing either).

I never liked the looks of tele guitars or basses, although I always loved playing a good tele guitar.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

Biggest fail to me is the Les Paul bass. The Strat and Paul are my fav guitar shapes, I just personally can't appreciate the LP bass shape.

 

[dkelley]

oh and by the way, yes I agree with the overall premise. can you imagine guitars that look like ibanez BTB basses? LoL

 

[Gorn]

I have an sg bass and I think sg guitars look silly. But I'm not a guitar player.
They're so small, with their tiny hardware and skinny little strings.

 

[verycoolname]

I'm with you.

Recently saw a local trio at a CD release party; they play kind of alternative/folk type music (don't really know what to call it...it's country-ish sounding, but I wouldn't call it "country")...anyway, they were really good, played all originals and sounded great.

But, the female lead singer/guitarist was playing a Fender Telecaster...and the bassist was playing a Fender Telecaster bass. Not only the same kind of shape, but they were the same color (that yellow/blonde color) as well. Like I said, they sounded great, but it just looked "off" to me. I feel basses/guitars should be separate entities now...obviously there's going to be some similarities/commonalities, but playing an LP bass while your guitarist plays an LP should be a no-no (IMO).

 

[dalkowski]

precision is close to a strat, imho closer than a jazz bass is where a jazz has a wind-swept thing going on (it is way sexier than a precision imho, but still a strat doesn't have that wind swept thing either).

I never liked the looks of tele guitars or basses, although I always loved playing a good tele guitar.

The Fender Jazz bass was designed to be the low-end cousin of the Jazzmaster, if my facts are right.

The Tele is probably my all-time favorite guitar body design, but in a long-scale bass like the ASAT, it just seems off-balance (neck dive issues aside).

 

[dkelley]

the exception to this rule is ZZ top playing matching deans or matching teles in silver sparkle finish or... well matching anything. Dusty and Billy can do whatever the hell they want damnit.

but the rest of the world can't pull of that sort of thing while being cool.

 

[dkelley]

The Fender Jazz bass was designed to be the low-end cousin of the Jazzmaster, if my facts are right.

yup, jazz bass and jazzmaster type guitars are twins. strats and precisions also. tele and, well, tele. gibson is easier. LP and LP (ugh). SG and almost every other bass they make (even the ripper).

firebird and thunderbird (ok THOSE rock in the looks department).

 

[Volpe25]

What about a Tele bass?
Isn't a Jazz bass about the same as a Strat?

What should a bass look like?
A single cut hippie sandwich?

A jazz and a strat do look alike but the jazz is bit more I dont know, I guess sort of curvier. Also I got a good laugh out of the single cut hippie sandwich thing But Im not saying there's a definitive bass shape, Im just saying basses based on guitar designs look off, not all the time but a lot from what I've seen

 

[zon6c-f]

Violin shaped electric basses always look 'correct' , whereas violin shaped guitars??....just look 'wrong' to me.

No big deal ..just my 2 cents..

 

[Red_Merkin]

I think it works if done right:

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[Volpe25]

yup, jazz bass and jazzmaster type guitars are twins. strats and precisions also. tele and, well, tele. gibson is easier. LP and LP (ugh). SG and almost every other bass they make (even the ripper).

firebird and thunderbird (ok THOSE rock in the looks department).

Yeah the firebird and thunderbird are one of the exceptions to my views

 

[Volpe25]

I think it works if done right:

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Some very good examples Though I think the tele bass just looks off there, its the neck really

 

[Red_Merkin]

Some very good examples Though I think the tele bass just looks off there, its the neck really

Yeah, the neck in that photo came out looking almost like an "SX Nuclear Orange Tint", which is odd because I've played one and they don't look like that at all in person.

 

[RandomBox]

I've seen Telecaster basses that look like telecaster guitars, and some that look more like a P-bass (even though it's called a tele bass).