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Signing basses, yay or nay

sifi76

sifi76

Mar 14, 2007
447
174
New Zealand
#1
Ok, this one is a pet peeve of mine.. but after going through the bay and seeing yet another "crappy p bass copy signed by musician who never played one, so now super rare and worth a billion dollars" nonsense auctions :rollno:, I'm interested in what people think about getting basses, or pickguards signed. Personally I can understand getting an artist to sign the same model of bass they have played, like say getting steve harris to sign a precision, geddy lee to sign a ricky or jack bruce to sign a thumb.. but I have real gripe with getting someone to sign an instrument they have never played.. call it an 'authenticity' issue if you will. Even worse if it's because someone thinks the value will increase on an unrelated bass just from a signature.

So I'm curious, what are your thoughts? yes or no?

Flame on hehe :D
 
#2
I don't begrudge anyone their indulgences when they don't affect me. People like getting things autographed by celebs, musicians, sports stars, authors, whatever. Fine by me, have at it.

Several years ago, I saw a Fender P bass on ebay that was autographed by all the Funk Brothers that were in the 'Shadows movie (except Pete Allen, of course). I thought it was super cool and almost bought it to hang on the wall. Looking back on it, I wish I'd bought it. Would have made a great conversation piece.
 
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#3
If Jack Bruce wanted to sign my pickguard I wouldn't object. That would be for my lasting enjoyment, not for extra ebay bucks. I don't think that most signed instruments are worth any more money.
 
#6
I see what you are saying and your "frustration" but you cannot really expect everyone to go out and purchase a thousand plus dollar Rickenbacker bass for the thought of hopefully be able to bring it to wherever the signing is and get it signed by an artist like Geddy and baby it all the way back home to where you will lock in it a safe until the day comes you sell it...oh and don't forget to get a dated Polaroid of him signing that exact bass to include with it along with a COA. Sure if it was so one-to-one of everything matching up it would be better and worth a lot more, but it's just not feasible by most hence why you get a bunch of Squier Affinity P-basses with artists signatures on them where the artist never played a P bass and if they did it would probably not be a Squier Affinity series P bass to begin with. Most people who get autographs are probably not collectors or musicians themselves, they just want to meet their favorite artists and get a collectible, but yes there are some who do try to turn around and sell it for some most times ridiculous amount. I have gotten stuff signed by some of my favorite artists/bands that ranges from my ticket stub to the T-shirt I was wearing at the time to a paper plate (yep not making that up). However it's for my collection and I don't make it a point to run home and list it on Craigslist or eBay. That's just me and my two cents though.
 
#7
klejst said:
I see what you are saying and your "frustration" but you cannot really expect everyone to go out and purchase a thousand plus dollar Rickenbacker bass for the thought of hopefully be able to bring it to wherever the signing is and get it signed by an artist like Geddy and baby it all the way back home to where you will lock in it a safe until the day comes you sell it...oh and don't forget to get a dated Polaroid of him signing that exact bass to include with it along with a COA. Sure if it was so one-to-one of everything matching up it would be better and worth a lot more, but it's just not feasible by most hence why you get a bunch of Squier Affinity P-basses with artists signatures on them where the artist never played a P bass and if they did it would probably not be a Squier Affinity series P bass to begin with. Most people who get autographs are probably not collectors or musicians themselves, they just want to meet their favorite artists and get a collectible, but yes there are some who do try to turn around and sell it for some most times ridiculous amount. I have gotten stuff signed by some of my favorite artists/bands that ranges from my ticket stub to the T-shirt I was wearing at the time to a paper plate (yep not making that up). However it's for my collection and I don't make it a point to run home and list it on Craigslist or eBay. That's just me and my two cents though.
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haha, yeah this is pretty much what I was after, was just wondering why people do it etc.. call it a morbid curiosity.. I guess for me a photo or a t-shirt is a whole different deal to a bass.. and hey if it's personal and for collecting for yourself then sure why not.. I just don't get the guys that get the sigs just so they can make a few bucks.. kind of takes that memento aspect out of it I guess.. but yeah that's just my opinion.. pretty sure most people are gonna flame me for it lol
 
#9
sifi76 said:
haha, yeah this is pretty much what I was after, was just wondering why people do it etc.. call it a morbid curiosity.. I guess for me a photo or a t-shirt is a whole different deal to a bass.. and hey if it's personal and for collecting for yourself then sure why not.. I just don't get the guys that get the sigs just so they can make a few bucks.. kind of takes that memento aspect out of it I guess.. but yeah that's just my opinion.. pretty sure most people are gonna flame me for it lol
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Ha ha well that's just my opinion just like you have and are by all means entitled to have your's. I honestly don't get it either though but I guess you have to figure "there's a sucker born every minute." I typically look at those people like that of ticket scalpers who try to sell tickets for outrageous prices too, especially big acts and if it sells out. Most times you can generally find them selling them face value out on the curb an hour before the show just so they break even and don't lose any money.
 
#11
I don't care who wants to have a signature on their bass or not. However when it comes to me looking at instruments for sale, a signature reduces the value of what I'd pay for it (the opposite of what the seller probably thinks it does to the value). Hopefully it would be in a discreet place like the control cavity cover. If it's non-removable and on the front of the instrument, I'm not very interested at any price.

Something about a sig on an instrument takes the focus away from it's inherent unique qualities, mojo, etc that allow it to stand on it's own, & places the emphasis on trying to make a popularity impression. That this instrument is suddenly needing to live up to the signed artist's instrument's heritage as well is something that comes to mind. Quirky opinion, I know but that's why sigs on instruments cheapen them for me.

Take a 1968 jazz bass for example. If that had Stu Hamm of Billy Sheehan's sig on the front of the body in permanent sharpie, I wouldn't pay more than half it's market value or probably wouldn't buy it at all. They're talented players & all but not everybody is a fanboy of Stu Hamm or Billy Sheehan. Not everyone wants to be looking at that sig & needing to explain where it came from (not their personal story if they're the 2nd owner), every time they play some jazz gig. I'd be more likely to buy it if it had other mods that lower it's value, like a preamp or swapped pickups.

I'd rather put my own "signature" on a bass by personalizing it myself & have it fit my style.

Now sigs on CD's, tshirts, etc. That's different, something you don't really sell & they're keepsakes.
 
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#15
I agree that expecting an enormous amount for a bass (or guitar or other object) just because someone famous signed it is not reasonable--all the moreso if it has nothing to do with the person.
I can see a slight increase in some cases, and maybe a bit more if the object is associated with it.

I haven't had anybody sign any of my guitars-but I do have some CDs signed by Glenn Kaiser & Roy Montroy of the Glenn Kaiser band, Phil Keaggy and a guy named James Ponak. This was not to re-sell them, but more as a souvenir of sorts of having met them and seen them perform.
I also had some comics signed by the artist many years ago- not to boost the value though.

As for basses or guitars, I could have had Glenn Kaiser sign one of my guitars, but it had no connection to him, so I didn't.

There are only two ways I would have a bass or guitar signed--and one is no longer possible.
If I had been able to see Les Paul before he died, I would have had him sign the pickguard of my Les Paul--for obvious reasons.
Also I think he would have appreciated that I have modded it (it was modded when I got it, and I did some different mods to it-it definitely had lost some collectors' value when I bought it, and I haven't done anything to restore that.)

The only other exception would be if there was a direct connection (For example I saw Phil Keaggy live and he was playing an acoustic for his set, but for a jam after his set he borrowed somebody else's electric guitar--that guitar player had Phil sign his guitar. I don't expect anything like that to happen to me, but if it did--I might be tempted to make an exception.)

If you want someone to sign your bas or guitar or whatever--go ahed--just don't do it to re-sell it it at a ridiculous price.
 
#18
I've had three basses that were signed by 4 of my favorite bassists:

  1. Stanley Clarke signed the Alembic I bought for him. Since it is an instrument he actually played, and since I have no intent of ever selling it, I doubt it counts in this particular discussion. Add to that the fact that it does get played out. Rarely, but it does.
  2. Louis Johnson and George Johnson (i.e. - The Brothers Johnson) signed my other Alembic. Louis used to play Alembic and spent a few moments baptizing mine in funk. Even though they signed it with a Sharpie, it didn't take long for it to wear off. This bass gets played a lot.
  3. I had a Hanewinckel 6 string for a while. Went to see Fourplay at an outdoor jazz festival and got Nathan East and Gerald Veasley to sign it. Nathan East played it for a couple minutes and was really diggin' it. Harvey Mason started giving him $#!t about it since it wasn't a Yamaha and threatened to tell on him (it was hilarious). Told Nathan he should make me buy one of his basses if I wanted it signed. All in fun. The interaction with those guys was more valuable to me than the signature. Sold the bass a few years later to a guy who immediately cleared the signatures off.
Iridescentone said:
I don't begrudge anyone their indulgences when they don't affect me. People like getting things autographed by celebs, musicians, sports stars, authors, whatever. Fine by me, have at it.

....
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Very level headed approach.

buldog5151bass said:
Only if you don't intend to play or sell it.....
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I agree with part of this. I never intended to sell any of the basses I have had signed. But I have NEVER hesitated to play them. One of them is still my main bass, though the signatures have long since faded away. I did sell one, but I sometimes wish I never had. Not because of the signatures. Because it was an awesome bass. One too many strings for my taste / ability, though.

JimmyM said:
This sure is a lot of thought going into something that doesn't affect you. Don't like it? Don't buy it.
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And we have a WINNER!!!
 
#19
Iridescentone said:
I don't begrudge anyone their indulgences when they don't affect me. People like getting things autographed by celebs, musicians, sports stars, authors, whatever. Fine by me, have at it.
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Nicely said. There are many so topics here on TB that this applies to: Relics, extended-range basses, etc etc. It doesn't make sense to get upset about what other people play.
 

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