Little things you like for no reason

[phillybass101]

Not a deal breaker but I love maple boards. They are just prettier. No way you can convince me a rosewood or ebony board or some other exotic thing looking like someone got sick on it is prettier. I also like maple boards with white MOP block inlays.

 

[Munjibunga]

Coming from mixing background, I'm picky about how the pots and knobs feel. CTS pots feels so cheap compared to other studio gears.

I also like strings with silk ends just because they look neat.

I like the old D'Addario Slowounds because they had a different color silk on each string.

 

[gitlvr]

Rosewood or similar unfinished board. No lacquer or other finish on the fretboard.
P bass pickup, or any other hum cancelling design. No single coils. One pickup, one volume, one tone and an output jack. Simple electronics that let me get on with the show. Besides that, all things equal, whichever finish I prefered would trump.

 

[59jazz]

I like the old D'Addario Slowounds because they had a different color silk on each string.[/QUOT Black Diamond flats have 4 different colors too; need to get me some.

 

[WoodyG3]

I'd rather have a natural finish on a bass with nice looking wood, or if colored, something bright or out of the ordinary like red, surf green, orange etc.

 

[Robdrone]

natural or stained wood finishes and birds eye maple necks.

 

[Orangeclawhammr]

In-line tuners.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

I like threaded inserts for the screws on electronics cavity covers, or small powerful neo magnets to hold the covers in place.

Adds nothing to the sound or musicality of the instrument, but it indicates a very nice attention to detail.

 

[Musicman20]

Musicman truss rod wheel.

 

[jim777]

I do have a few

Hipshot "A" style bridges - I LOVE these. I prefer them or something that is a blatant ripoff of these over everything else.

Different fretboard inlays than block or vanilla dots - Can be subtle, like simply smaller dots, or the offset dots like you see on the Carvin BB75, or something else like a cool 12th fret inlay or even just a blank board

Passive tone knob that works when pre is engaged- have it on my East equipped W&T, and love it to death.

Rounded edges and smooth neck heel - just a preference

Natural wood or neon paint - I like the bright pinks, neon yellows, loch Ness Greens, etc. Love the G&L JB colors for example, they should make a 5 string already! lol

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Don't know why but I can't stand solid color basses. Unless of course, they are metal flake or sparkle finished. Then I am opening a line of credit.

 

[pklima]

Oh, and the main thing I like for really NO reason - multiple necks! I guess that's not all that little, though.

 

[LostInSauce]

Headstock:
-Has to be painted; either matching the body color or black. A painted/colored body with an unpainted headstock just gives me the impression that shortcuts were taken.
-No +1 tuning gears (4+1, 3+1)...sorry MM and MTD fans. It's always rubbed me the wrong way. Symmetrical design influences my decision process (maybe I'm just weird). I know the MM's have made the +1 headstock a mainstay. It just never made sense to me...their 5 string is a 4+1 so they do have the ability to put 4 tuners on one side; yet the 4 string is a 3+1.

 

[BOOCAKE4U]

(i think that was a legal concern, see also: the G&L pointy mutant headstock)

 

[cfsporn]

Forgot to mention that I loves me some shell pink. Close second would be surf green. I also love the clay dots in pre CBS Fenders.

There are many other things I like in to have in my basses, but those three things are the only ones that I like that serve no practical purpose.

 

[Debased]

Aesthetic and ergonomic details that seem like minor things when regarded in isolation (as much as that's possible) can definitely have a major accumulative affect on the big picture.

A tilt-back headstock, which provides the strings with a more acute breaking angle over the nut, coupled with a nicely carved volute, which strengthens the area around the trussrod cavity, also give the instrument a classy look and feel; much nicer all around than a quick 'n' cheap scooped headstock/stringtree combo.

A deeply-rounded and contoured body and neck join can make a world of difference in playing comfort, not to mention providing better access to upper register notes in good position.

In the "no reason" category: I gotta have a rear-routed control cavity with a matching wood or nicely finished metal cover plate. I just hate seeing plastic on a quality instrument. An acrylic facade (pickguard)--which exists solely to provide quick drop-in electronic assemblies--has gotta be the ugliest manufacturing shortcut ever invented for a stringed instrument.

 

[blindrabbit]

I really like chrome, or any sort of silvery metal. This ranges from the control plate on a jazz bass to ashtrays to pickups that include things like Lace Alumas or Thunderbird pickups.

Given my love for these things, its either funny or sad that my current #1 bass doesn't have a single piece of silvery metal on it...

 

[PostFusion]

Color, and scale.
May be small thing to consider to some, but I absolutely need a large scale, and always looking for neat colors and finishes. But what always gets me, are black strings. I haven't the slightest idea what I like about them, they just pop out to me.

 

[GBassNorth]

I've always liked top mounted jacks vs side mounts. Just hate groping around the underside of my axe looking for the hole to slip my plug into while trying not to damage the wood.
.... better keep that in context...

 

[MisterMagician]

Headstock:
-Has to be painted; either matching the body color or black. A painted/colored body with an unpainted headstock just gives me the impression that shortcuts were taken.
-No +1 tuning gears (4+1, 3+1)...sorry MM and MTD fans. It's always rubbed me the wrong way. Symmetrical design influences my decision process (maybe I'm just weird). I know the MM's have made the +1 headstock a mainstay. It just never made sense to me...their 5 string is a 4+1 so they do have the ability to put 4 tuners on one side; yet the 4 string is a 3+1.

It is set up that way so there needs to be no string tree on the top string(s).