Most Elegant Basses in the whole world!

[Eublet]

Well, it's very subjective

I don't think it is though. Elegant has a pretty narrow meaning which finds beauty through tastefulness, simplicity, and a certain grace. Elegance comes from soft lines, graceful curvatures, and the ability to shine without being uncommonly ornate in order to draw attention. It's essentially the opposite of gaudy, which can also be considered beautiful, but the differences are pretty easily defined.

Many of the basses being submitted here are far from elegant to say the least. That doesn't mean they aren't good looking in their own way of course.

 

[pnchad]

Elegant in the design conotation is indeed the simplest means of achieving function with the LEAST amount of complication possible for function.

It is used in industrial design, physics & mathematics to describe the purist, most direct solution without ANY unnecessary frills or orniment....they may be pretty but are superfluous to the goal of the 'tool'.

In architectural design (and instrunents are architecture) elegant describes what is called 'form following function' - if it does not truly contribute to thr function, it is NOT elegant.

 

[Eublet]

Elegant in the design conotation is indeed the simplest means of achieving function with the LEAST amount of complication possible for function.

It is used in industrial design, physics & mathematics to describe the purist, most direct solution without ANY unnecessary frills or orniment....they may be pretty but are superfluous to the goal of the 'tool'.

In architectural design (and instrunents are architecture) elegant describes what is called 'form following function' - if it does not truly contribute to thr function, it is NOT elegant.

Very well said, much better than I could have ever put it! When looking at some of these pictures that people have uploaded here (no offense anyone...they're all great looking to me!), they definitely don't jive with what you have described! "Elegant design" is phrase many would recognize. That's not something that comes to mind when I see a Jerzy Drozd.

 

[malthumb]

Elegant in the design conotation is indeed the simplest means of achieving function with the LEAST amount of complication possible for function.

It is used in industrial design, physics & mathematics to describe the purist, most direct solution without ANY unnecessary frills or orniment....they may be pretty but are superfluous to the goal of the 'tool'.

In architectural design (and instrunents are architecture) elegant describes what is called 'form following function' - if it does not truly contribute to thr function, it is NOT elegant.

This seems to opine that ELEGANT = EFFICIENT DESIGN. If so, Steinberger for the win. [/thread]

 

[JoZac21]

I think this guy is pretty damned elegant:

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[MarthaSamira]

 

[pnchad]

nothing says 'elegant' can't be beautiful as well, in fact it should be

however, adornment for adornment's sake is not 'elegant'

elegant is the solution that pulls both form & function into harmony - a simple Ritter probably does it well but so does a P since it has remained THE benchmark all these decades despite everyone's attempts to improve on it

 

[malthumb]

nothing says 'elegant' can't be beautiful as well, in fact it should be

however, adornment for adornment's sake is not 'elegant'

elegant is the solution that pulls both form & function into harmony - a simple Ritter probably does it well but so does a P since it has remained THE benchmark all these decades despite everyone's attempts to improve on it

Well stated. Making what is common and necessary structure as beautiful as it can be can be elegant. If you use wood, make it beautiful wood.

 

[FC Bass]

Slightly biassed, but I think this is pretty elegant:

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[conqr]

nothing says 'elegant' can't be beautiful as well, in fact it should be

however, adornment for adornment's sake is not 'elegant'

elegant is the solution that pulls both form & function into harmony - a simple Ritter probably does it well but so does a P since it has remained THE benchmark all these decades despite everyone's attempts to improve on it

+1 to the person who said you've stated very well how this thread seems to confuse aesthetics with elegance, although as you say the two are not mutually exclusive.

It's actually a peeve of mine when two instruments (or anything else for that matter) may be equal in actual function but one supposedly exceeds the other in some perception of quality simply because it's (gratuitously) gold plated, jewel encrusted and made of unobtanium wood

 

[lostrings]

My old favorite...

 

[nostatic]

I don't think it is though. Elegant has a pretty narrow meaning which finds beauty through tastefulness, simplicity, and a certain grace. Elegance comes from soft lines, graceful curvatures, and the ability to shine without being uncommonly ornate in order to draw attention. It's essentially the opposite of gaudy, which can also be considered beautiful, but the differences are pretty easily defined.

so like this?

 

[Eublet]

so like this?

Yes! Just like that. Very elegant and simple, and not ornate at all.

 

[Eublet]

I think this guy is pretty damned elegant:

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I think this one is very elegant also!

 

[kcole4001]

so like this?

Exactly like that.


"Elegance is a synonym for beauty that has come to acquire the additional connotations of unusual effectiveness and simplicity. It is frequently used as a standard of tastefulness particularly in the areas of visual design, decoration, the sciences, and the esthetics of mathematics. Elegant things exhibit refined grace and dignified propriety."

 

[Eublet]

Slightly biassed, but I think this is pretty elegant:

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This is a beautiful bass! But the spalted wood takes it out of the "elegant" classification IMHO as it makes the body look kind of busy. I LOVE spalted woods though!

 

[SlingBass4]

ALL gorgeous pieces - so many basses to hear, see, and play......so little time Me? gimme a good sounding/playing plank-o-wood and I'm a happy camper! THIS, however, has to rate near the top for true elegance:

 

[Eublet]

ALL gorgeous pieces - so many basses to hear, see, and play......so little time Me? gimme a good sounding/playing plank-o-wood and I'm a happy camper! THIS, however, has to rate near the top for true elegance:

Not elegant! That fretboard is overly ornate by most any standard, plus there are a bazillion knobs, switches and a DI on the front, multi laminate woods, etc.

 

[the yeti]

nothing says 'elegant' can't be beautiful as well, in fact it should be

however, adornment for adornment's sake is not 'elegant'

elegant is the solution that pulls both form & function into harmony - a simple Ritter probably does it well but so does a P since it has remained THE benchmark all these decades despite everyone's attempts to improve on it

so the steinberger then?

 

[Eublet]

so the steinberger then?

You know, that's a tough one because it is quite simple. The one thing about it though is how unusual it is in shape, which kind of goes against the grain of what people expect a bass to look like. It's as if it's trying to be small intentionally to draw attention to itself, and the size and shape don't necessarily lend itself to easier playing (in any category outside of weight that is). So I don't know. Personally, I don't think it's elegant. Elegance usually has some roots in traditionalism at some point, and that definitely isn't Steinberger.