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...Not sure anyone can help

C

CliffBurton1

Dec 13, 2008
35
0
Ohio
#1
I love looking at basses and am sorta looking at a second one for myself. The problem is, I find myself ALWAYS looking at appearance first, and the sound/feel coming after. Anyone have a similar problem. Anything I can do to stop myself?

Any help is appreciated,
Mike :bassist:
 
#2
I got this baby partly because of how it looks but you also got to play it and make sure you like the sound, but looks are important to because you have to stare at it every day in your room(or if its in the case) untill you keep it or get rid of it.
IMG_1530.jpg
 
#3
CliffBurton1 said:
I love looking at basses and am sorta looking at a second one for myself. The problem is, I find myself ALWAYS looking at appearance first, and the sound/feel coming after. Anyone have a similar problem. Anything I can do to stop myself?

Any help is appreciated,
Mike :bassist:
Click to expand...

Self discipline. If you keep practicing it it becomes natural.
 
#5
That's why when shopping for a new bass, I tell a sales rep what I'm looking for in a bass, and have them pull them down for me.

It normally works out pretty well, but the appearance does affect whether I'll buy it or not. :scowl: (I mean, look at what I have on layaway-)

My_Dean_Razor_Front_View.jpg
(This isn't my particular bass, but mine looks the same.)
 
#6
mrtn400 said:
That's why when shopping for a new bass, I tell a sales rep what I'm looking for in a bass, and have them pull them down for me.

It normally works out pretty well, but the appearance does affect whether I'll buy it or not.
Click to expand...

Yeah.... I'll just look at, example, like a corvette, and be like "wow.... that's ugly" and probably never pick it up. I'm like 15, so that's not exactly an affordable one, but still... haha
 
#7
CliffBurton1 said:
Yeah.... I'll just look at, example, like a corvette, and be like "wow.... that's ugly" and probably never pick it up. I'm like 15, so that's not exactly an affordable one, but still... haha
Click to expand...

Yeah, I normally end up going with something SUPER flashy or VERY boring.

I was trying to decide between that Dean Razor NT4 and a sunburst Mexican P Bass. :p
 
#8
mrtn400 said:
Yeah, I normally end up going with something SUPER flashy or VERY boring.

I was trying to decide between that Dean Razor NT4 and a sunburst Mexican P Bass. :p
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've got a Schecter Damien 4. Bought it in like june.... I bought it myself, and i only had like $200, so it wasn't in my price range. Then i played it, cause i saw it had EMG's, and it was easily the best feeling bass i'd like ever picked up. So i payed for like half, and love it. haha ;)
 
#16
CliffBurton1 said:
I love looking at basses and am sorta looking at a second one for myself. The problem is, I find myself ALWAYS looking at appearance first, and the sound/feel coming after. Anyone have a similar problem. Anything I can do to stop myself?

Any help is appreciated,
Mike :bassist:
Click to expand...

Mike, the simple answer is that if you know this about yourself, then you can control the tendency. Looks are great, but sound and playability should come before looks...at least in my opinion. That being said, I prefer hot looking basses that sound and play great. I really want a USA Peavey Cirrus 5 string in Walnut or Bubinga... I cannot afford a new one though.

Mark Koelsch
 
#17
CliffBurton1 said:
The problem is, I find myself ALWAYS looking at appearance first, and the sound/feel coming after. Anyone have a similar problem. Anything I can do to stop myself?
Don't fight it dude. You're the one who is going to have to look at the bass every day, and be seen playing it. As long as sound and feel enter into the equasion and are carefully considered at some point before you buy you will be fine.

I have the same problem. I recognize conitively that Peavey Cirrus, Warwick, High end Ibanez and Washburn, and many others are great sounding and excellent playing instruments. However, I don't like the way they look at all and refuse to purchase one. Despte this I've managed to acqure a fair number of instruments that fit my asthetic, ergonomic and tonal preferences.

There are so many good sounding and playing instruments out there that there is no reason -asside from the most extreme budgetary constraints- to play a bass that doesn't appeal to you visually.

If you have the chance, you should play all the instruments that you can get your hands on just to hear how different instruments sound, but if you keep looking, you will find an instrument that speaks to you on all levels.

Perhaps you could tell us what you like visually in an instruments, and we could point you toward similar looking instruments with different sounds that you may not have previously considered

EDIT: I see now that you have told us a bit about what you like. If you really like the old early 90's Charvel and Jackson (pointy) look you will have no problems finding quality instruments at bargain prices. I said this elsewhere on TB today, but There's oodles of instruments selling for half what they should because of odd shaped headstocks.

Also, if your tastes run from that to Ibanez Soundgears and BC Rich's, it sounds like there are plenty of instruments that will fit you.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
#18
A bass has to be both visualy appealing to me (or at least not unapealing) , as well as play and sound great.

It's easier to tweak sound and playability than it is to fix ugly(we all have a differnent perception of what ugly is) in most cases.

There are some fantastic basses I see her on TB all the time. Some that really appeal to me, but I can't get past what I see as an ugly headstock.

I've found something as simple as swithching out a set of knobs that I find unapealing can make a difference about how I feel overall about a particular bass.

YES, it has to play and sound great as well, but I just can't wrap my brain around stuff that I don't like looking at.
 
#19
The singer in my band is guilty of this...listening with his eyes. He bought himself an acoustic guitar (a Taylor 514ce) that is all wrong for him stylistically. Its a fingerpicker's guitar, and does light strumming pretty well too. But, when he plays guitar it looks like hes trying to saw it in half. It sputters and spits trying to try and keep up with him, but its just not built for that kind of playing. Thing is, he doesn't know it isn't the right guitar for him and he is happy. He still loves that guitar as if it were his firstborn son.

Ignorance truly is bliss sometimes. If looks matter more to you and you are willing to work with a sub-par sound by changing pickups, preamps, etc., who is anyone to tell you that you are wrong for it? You are still young and you may find that it fixes itself after a few years. But, IMO, there is nothing wrong with wanting a bass that looks "right" to you.
 
#20
I won't even consider buying a bass if it doesn't look good.

I'll pick up an ugly bass and play it and heck, it might sound good. But it just so happens that there are basses that appeal to me in every respect: these are the ones I go for.
 

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