Its been awhile, but used to put a few band stickers on instruments. Groups like samhain, moterhead, megadeath, slayer, U2, death, etc who had kew looking stickers would get used for that. I wouldnt cover the bass or guitar with them. Just a few, 3-5 on open areas of the body. Some of the pics in thread are nice looking stickers on basses.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Stickers?
- Thread starter OOZMAN
- Start date
I like the idea of getting a bass (probably a Squier or something equally low in value) and covering it with bumper stickers until the original body is no longer visible. It just has a punk sort of appeal, which is odd for somebody who is about as un-punk as you can get. I don't like small stickers, though.
I think it totally depends on the application of the stickers in relation to the body. Fenders usually look sweet with good stickers, but I can't imagine it looking to cool on my Spector. Flea's "punk bass" would be what I consider the best possible use of stickers on a bass. I think he wrote some stuff on it in marker too:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/blindpeoplemusic/flea_1024.jpg
I covered my first bass (a lovely piece of $100 garbage) with stickers of bands I loved. It's kinda cool because it's like a visual time capsule of what I was listening to when I was 14 lol.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/blindpeoplemusic/flea_1024.jpg
I covered my first bass (a lovely piece of $100 garbage) with stickers of bands I loved. It's kinda cool because it's like a visual time capsule of what I was listening to when I was 14 lol.
If you are a lame bass player, your stickers look lame. If you are cool bass player, your stickers look cool.
To me, i put stickers on the back that resemble special moments with the bass.
To me, i put stickers on the back that resemble special moments with the bass.
Don't you know that stickers make you sound cooler?
They also add 20 horsepower per sticker to any car.
only if it's a Vtec stickerThey also add 20 horsepower per sticker to any car.
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
I wouldn't go so far as to criticize the look of another man's bass if it's making him happy, but I'd never put one on mine. I picked up this old Michael Kelly Firefly on Craigslist a while back, just cause it was cheap and I felt like trying out an acoustic.
Dude who sold it to me had two big ass round stickers of his favorite reggae band on it. Peeled those babies off on the way home.
I don't like what it did to the finish. Not at all. I'm hoping that over time, it all blends together. Or that it won't matter to a buyer...
Dude who sold it to me had two big ass round stickers of his favorite reggae band on it. Peeled those babies off on the way home.
I don't like what it did to the finish. Not at all. I'm hoping that over time, it all blends together. Or that it won't matter to a buyer...
stickers are good when they match the style of music that your playing if you play lots of styles there not a good idea
It's your bass, do what you want. that said, I had stickers on my bass once, the looked at it and hated them. These days, I still like to collect stickers of bands we play with, but I put them on my case instead.
I vote stickers are lame too! And when the kids plaster their instruments with cheap looking paper stickers they ARE lame.
But just when you try to make a rule the exception comes along. Just to set some ground rules, I think we all agreed that the thread on basses with vinyl wrap was cool! So lets just agree that we won't call a vinyl wrap a "sticker" even though that's sort of what it is.
And then just when I was feeling smug I see The photo by I've_got_a_mohawk of the SG with the stylized skull. The other one ain't bad either. Cool.
But then I figured it out. They aren't really "stickers" meaning peices of paper with printed matter on them but are actually excised designs. THAT is what makes it cooler. I mean if that was a PAINTED skull design would that be cool? You bet! So an excised design is just a slightly different technology for the same appearance.
Now this brings up something that needs some more thought. Did you ever see one of those vinyl sign machines? It's like a robotic cutter that uses a knife to excise any design (typically letters for signs but I think it actually can do anything you can program) out of a vinyl sheet that comes in a vast array of colors and designs and has sticky on the back.
So yes they are technically "stickers" but dig. It would be trivial to have the device cut out "polka dots" like the famous polka dot guitar or "target circles" like the equally famous target guitar or that skull design or ANYTHING else your fevered brain can come up with. And it will look like a paint job even close up!
Now I sort of prefer natural wood grain so stickers of any kind are rather lame for that, but on painted istruments excised vinyl designs seem to have some REAL potential!
But I still say paper stickers on an instrument are lame. Hey, can you see the 1st chair violinist at the symphony playing a Stradivarious with stickers all over it from his previous bands? Nuff said.
Would never cover up a natural finished instrument. I have a pile of your regular printed stickers on my first bass. I'll never take them off, but I don't play that anymore either. It's kept for sentimental values.
The stickers on that are one of the reasons I don't like putting them on other basses, other than the look, they do tend to wear pretty easily and looking crapper. So, the odd vinyl cut and rub sticker here and there is what I'll stick to now
If it is, it's close enough for me
The stickers on that are one of the reasons I don't like putting them on other basses, other than the look, they do tend to wear pretty easily and looking crapper. So, the odd vinyl cut and rub sticker here and there is what I'll stick to now
Come on, that sticker is off-centered.
If it is, it's close enough for me
I personally wouldn't but if other people want to and it makes them happy totally go for it, I don't get why people think its lame... there are plenty of basses out there that I think are lame but I totally respect if they like it its all good, it should be the same with this scenario. If I were playing punk I may, and only if I was playing a Pbass that is a solid color and white pickguard.
I've found that as the years have gone by and the basses I own have increased in cost, quality, and nicely figured tops (only 1 of my 8 have a painted finish) I have little need to cover them up with any type of adornment. A beautiful bookmatched 5A Flame Maple or Zebrawood top easily beat a sticker or vinyl any day IMO.
...although if I were in a situation where I needed to have a lower-end "stage" bass, I could see myself rockin' a '50s Pinup Girl.
...although if I were in a situation where I needed to have a lower-end "stage" bass, I could see myself rockin' a '50s Pinup Girl.
