• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Top Three Most Recognizable Basses by the General Public

Link Removed

Link Removed

fodera_mon4_for_web.jpg
 
I think the general public has seen these enough times over the years to recognize them by body shape:

Hofner 500/1
Fender (Jazz and Precision)
(and maybe) Rickenbacker 4001/3

By recognize I mean the shapes and general look. Most wouldn't be able to name any of them or may not even know they're basses but they'd know they've seen them in pictures, on tv or cd/album covers, etc and may know that certain players use them, Sir Paul's Hofner being perhaps the best example. Beyond that I'd be surprised if your average non-musician could name any of them.
 
I disagree with all of them. I don't think the general public knows, or cares, what type of bass someone is playing. They wouldn't know a Fender Jazz from a Mustang (car) fender. They may know McCartney and his music, but they don't know he played a Hofner or a Ric. That kind of stuff is important to us bass players, not the general music enthusiast.

+1

They'd call it a 'Beatle Bass' if they even knew what it was, which is probably about 50/50.
 
I disagree with all of them. I don't think the general public knows, or cares, what type of bass someone is playing. They wouldn't know a Fender Jazz from a Mustang (car) fender. They may know McCartney and his music, but they don't know he played a Hofner or a Ric. That kind of stuff is important to us bass players, not the general music enthusiast.
Right on Dean T!
That's why i have a mustang (car) and a Fender bass - to show the civilians the difference!
it is important to us bass players...TB wouldn't be much fun if WE didn't care who played what 'n how...
(Sid Vicious - white P-bass gotta come in at #3!)
 
+1 to Sir Paul.

The public wouldn't see it and say, "Oh, that's a Hofner" but they would associate it with the Beatles.

I honestly don't think most of the general public (music fans included) would know the difference between a PBass and a Stingray much less know that Chris Squire played a Ric! Heck, I've been playing for upwards of 20 years and I wouldn't know Chris Squire if I saw him, much less his Ric.

Now metal heads would probably see a Ric and say "That's like Lemmy's" or a PBass and recognize it as Steve Harris's but that's probably about it.

And forget about them knowing the difference between a Jazz and P bass. IIRC, before I played, all I knew was Fender (from the headstock) and had been playing for a few months before I knew that there was such a thing as a J and a P bass.

BTW, who is Phil Volk and why would anyone recognize his bass?
 
Not baggin on anyone...but...

all posts (that I read) are spoken by bass players about bass players.

First, the general public can maybe name 3 bass players and those are generally in their favorite bands. And then it is generally, So and So's (insert color/description here) bass....

And to the general public, the only bass name the recognize is Fender something or other.

I got schooled on this over a weekend last summer talking with some friends while heading to a Rush concert....