There's nothing wrong about buying a bass primarily for it's looks. You can always work on tweaking it's tone. That said, I do believe in having a lot of basses that appeal to me for various reasons.
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Looks over tone?
- Thread starter twinjet
- Start date
Talk to Geddy Pal.....There is, however, something wrong with Jazz basses. They ain't right.
Or JPJ for that matter. 
Just get a stingray no sacrifices at all! Amazing looks even better tone and consistant quality control. Every ebmm bass you pickup will be incredible.
Chef
In Memoriam
OK; so; "looks over tone."
No.
In the last 5 years, I've bought several basses, from great manufacturers/builders that spec'd the way I wanted, and looked great.
The lastest being this really nice bound neck/body G&L MJ5. Which was a gigantic fail for me, sonically, despite me being a dyed in the wool active J5 guy. It was soooooooo not my thing.
I'd rahter have a bass that played and sounded the way I want in a color that's not my fave, than an aesthetic I really like that plays and sounds below my needs/expectations.
It's nice when you get both, which is relatively easy as many places have good approval periods now.
No.
In the last 5 years, I've bought several basses, from great manufacturers/builders that spec'd the way I wanted, and looked great.
The lastest being this really nice bound neck/body G&L MJ5. Which was a gigantic fail for me, sonically, despite me being a dyed in the wool active J5 guy. It was soooooooo not my thing.
I'd rahter have a bass that played and sounded the way I want in a color that's not my fave, than an aesthetic I really like that plays and sounds below my needs/expectations.
It's nice when you get both, which is relatively easy as many places have good approval periods now.
Chef
In Memoriam
Blech. No.
Not for me anyway.
I've had 5 or 6 various MM basses and not kept any of them. Totally not my tone palette; though they all seemed well made.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
They had some personal problem of some kind that didn't let them see the truth. So did Jaco. If Jaco had played a P, he would have been really good, y'know.Talk to Geddy Pal.....
The L-2000 does a pretty good J , and it does a good P tone. At this point it's comes down to if it's really worth spending another $1,000+ for maple and blocks...
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Nothing wrong with playing what stiffens your linguini, but remember, when it is strapped on stage, you aren't gonna be looking at it.
I buy for tone, but have limits. If a bass sounds really great, but looks like a total POS, and can't be reasonably cleaned up (pickguard changes, general cleaning or polishing) I won't buy it.
Unless I can get a relly super deal on it, and refinish or rebuild it into something great.
Unless I can get a relly super deal on it, and refinish or rebuild it into something great.
Why must it be one or the other? I recently tried, for the first time, a Fender Dimension H4. This was the first Dimension I had ever seen. I thought that bass looked great, played great and sounded great so, there it was, looks and sound in one package plus, a bass that IMO, isn't that common.
Sure someone else would have, but I would never do that. That's cover band territory!
I'm sure most veteran bass players can do a work-around and get their tone out of most instruments, so it's not all lost when you switch instruments.
When you're turned up to band volume in the mix, the differences between a Jazz and a P isn't monumental out FOH.
....but if you're looking to use a Hello Kitty bass and hoping it sounds like a Hanna Montana, you may be sadly disappointed.
I can honestly say I've never sacrificed tone for looks. I have bought basses I wasn't crazy about looks-wise just because they sounded and played so well. I wouldn't buy something butt ugly or offensive, but other than that I'm pretty open.
Both looks and tone are subjective.
Just like looks and personality of your significant other.
What's that old saying?"There's no accounting for taste?"
I'm attracted by looks first.Sound is highly changeable.
I have never picked up a bass,plucked a few notes and said"MY GOD IN HEAVEN THAT"S AWFUL!!!"
But I have said that in reference to some basses looks.
Just like looks and personality of your significant other.
What's that old saying?"There's no accounting for taste?"
I'm attracted by looks first.Sound is highly changeable.
I have never picked up a bass,plucked a few notes and said"MY GOD IN HEAVEN THAT"S AWFUL!!!"
But I have said that in reference to some basses looks.
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I buy for looks and tone. I used to not, but that was before I had enough money to where I didn't have to buy ugly stuff because it was cheaper 
Go full zoot - put a Jazz neck with inlays on a Precision. Polish up those inlays!
I'm only here to help.
I'm lost, I thought Zoot was a sax player
To complete the derail, I've been moderately amused by the interplay within Electric Mayhem on the new Muppet Show, more than once I've been left howling laughter.
Sounds like you prefer the sound of a p-bass to a j. So I'd keep the P right now... Trust me, tone will annoy you longer than looks. Or at least, let me put it this way, the P-bass looks good, just not as good as the J to you. It's not actually ugly. So it will not really annoy you with it's looks, and you love how it sounds. It's a better deal. Plus that look is a classic, so you'll probably grow to like it.
I'm personally a J and Soapbars guy, but the P is a great instrument, great sound, and looks good.
I had a really sexy Jazz bass, but it didn't exactly provide what I wanted in tone.
Attachments
I've sacrificed tone for looks before. I had a Carvin LB75f for 15 years that sounded great. Mwah for days, versatile, etc. Unfortunately it looked very 90's to me with it's skinny horns, rounded edges, pointed headstock and green burst finish and my tastes have moved toward more vintage lines.
I bought an ESP/LTD 214 Vintage fretless (P-bass clone with P/J's) and sold the carvin. I ended up putting some Geezers in and it sounds and feels great and I'm happy with it, but it's still not quite as nice as the Carvin in tone or build quality. My preference for wider nut spacing was also a big part of the reason for the switch away from the Carvin. However, if I'm honest I have to admit that even if it had a wider nut I still would have sold it since it didn't look like "me" anymore and it wouldn't likely be getting on stage again.
I made a small sacrifice but there's so much variety in the look and sound of instruments today that I don't think there's any reason that one really has to sacrifice one for the other.
I bought an ESP/LTD 214 Vintage fretless (P-bass clone with P/J's) and sold the carvin. I ended up putting some Geezers in and it sounds and feels great and I'm happy with it, but it's still not quite as nice as the Carvin in tone or build quality. My preference for wider nut spacing was also a big part of the reason for the switch away from the Carvin. However, if I'm honest I have to admit that even if it had a wider nut I still would have sold it since it didn't look like "me" anymore and it wouldn't likely be getting on stage again.
I made a small sacrifice but there's so much variety in the look and sound of instruments today that I don't think there's any reason that one really has to sacrifice one for the other.
For me, sunburst P + rosewood + tort is a PERFECT looking bass. Yeah, it's kind of cliché now, but hey, it's classic and I love all things classy 
