I don't like blocks without binding, looks cheap to me. Bound dot necks on jazz basses look great though.
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Neck binding: yeah or nay?
- Thread starter Mustang Surly
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Blocks and binding (body and/or neck) are hot.
I'm not inclined to pay more for them, but if the option arrises I'd love to own more instruments with binding. I love the body and neck binding on my AGB 140.
I'm not inclined to pay more for them, but if the option arrises I'd love to own more instruments with binding. I love the body and neck binding on my AGB 140.
I'm very much a minimalist, so I gotta vote no to binding. Same goes for blocks, dots, and any other "clutter".
Interestingly, I have the same approach to my playing style - anchor the groove, support the melody, and take center stage as needed. Otherwise, keep it simple.
...Just my $0.02 worth (and probably overpriced at that!).
Interestingly, I have the same approach to my playing style - anchor the groove, support the melody, and take center stage as needed. Otherwise, keep it simple.
...Just my $0.02 worth (and probably overpriced at that!).
I prefer a minimalist and natural finish bass myself. So the less on the neck the better AFAIC. No binding, minimal finish, and no block inlays for me. Small dots on the fingerboard or side are ok though. And even though I play fretless, I never succumbed to the snob arguments about neck lines or position markers on a fretless. If they're there, that's fine by me. And if the neck is completely bare (like my fretless neck is) that's fine too. I have nothing to prove when it comes to things like that.
Side dots are the bane of the bass world. Personally, IMO...They should be banned, in order to force people to know
the geography of the fretboard. They're a crutch... Training wheels of the bass world.
No binding in my world... No dots, no lines, and occasionally, no frets too!
But, I'm still contemplating this after seeing Edgar Meyer recently...
re: Edgar Meyer - +1! Any man who can enter a bluegrass fiddling competition with an upright bass - and win - is a force to be reckoned with!
never was a big fan until I put block sticker inlays on a jazz bass and could not figure out why (besides the fact they were stickers) it looked weird, no binding!. I love the way a jazz bass looks with blocks and binding, also Rics looks super cool with it as well.
Binding with blocks I like. HATE HATE HATE HATE binding with dots.
Hell yeah to that! best block + binding combo out there.
Dammit. You beat me to that type of joke.
Hell yeah to that! best block + binding combo out there.
Dammit. You beat me to that type of joke.
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This is perfect. If you ask me this is as good looking as a jazz bass gets, there aren't many better looking basses full stop. Hope I get to own one of these some day.
I like the look but wonder if it weakens the neck.
Seems like most of the early Fenders with blocks and binding are more often prone to the dreaded ski jump neck.
Has this ben corrected on new basses and if so, is it only those with graphite reinforcing rods?
Seems like most of the early Fenders with blocks and binding are more often prone to the dreaded ski jump neck.
Has this ben corrected on new basses and if so, is it only those with graphite reinforcing rods?
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
+1 I don't think I would like a Thumb or a Ray with a bound or blocked neck?
i like binding on some basses, but when it comes time in the years forward to replace the frets, the binding will be a complication.
I absolutely LOVE blocks/shaped inlays and marching binding, particularly pearloid/ivory and wood (black blocks and binding are cool but not my style aesthetically). Gotta have both though, blocks without binding or binding with dots looks really weird to me. I do think that blocks and binding look best on Fender-style instruments but have seen a couple of coffee-table basses that pull it off nicely.
It kills me that some builders won't do one or the other!
It kills me that some builders won't do one or the other!
- Jun 30, 2010
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I hope you also reject using any kind of grammar correction using a word processor or even writing a post on TalkBassSide dots are the bane of the bass world. Personally, IMO...
the geography of the fretboard. They're a crutch... Training wheels of the bass world.
No binding in my world... No dots, no lines, and occasionally, no frets too!
But, I'm still contemplating this after seeing Edgar Meyer recently...
Neck binding is not a big deal to me one way or the other - it can look cool, if the body is also bound, and block markers are used instead of dots - but I discovered one caveat the hard way: if you get a bound neck plekked, and the binding is covering up the fret tangs, then plekking will chip out little pieces of binding at the fret.
