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What is...

What I like:
- Natural, original shapes that right. Think Peavey Cirrus. Originality also gets big points (like Ritters). I mean, I like the "tried and true" Ps and Js but there is something to be said for having something original.
- Black Blocks and Maple boards; Ebony and off-center pearl dot boards
- Tasteful and original headstock (MTD/Tobias, Peavey, Skjold, Spector, Schecter, etc).
- Inlays that are not over the top
- Hardware that matches. Red and Black look good. I hate bright red and gold or bright red and green (for pickguards).
- Electronics/Pickups that don't need to be replaced right away.
- Lined up pole pieces.
- Knobs/Pots that are in a sensible layout and are easy to follow/understand.

What I don't like:
- Unoriginal or off-putting headstocks. Yes, we know what a Fender headstock looks like. Let's move on. Modified Fender headstocks (Sadowsky, Valenti, et.al) look good; it's the cheaper brands that are guilty of doing this (barring SX).
- Ugly logo. If you are trying to make a modern bass, at least make the logo match the bass. A good example of a good logo is MTD.
- Pole pieces that don't match with the strings. While it might be somewhat acceptable for some cheaper basses, it's not for more expensive ones.
- Unergonomic shapes: I've seen some nice flying Vs but I'd never own one.
- Schaller strap locks: Yes, they work, but the screws keep coming out of the bass.
- Bad customer service: Obviously the bass is inanimate but I'd like to have a knowledgeable person to talk to from whatever company the bass is built by.
 
im aware some people will disagree with me but i hate the look of burled/flamed maple tops. i think they look really tacky. plus it makes me think that the veneer is hiding a bad piece of wood, i can't ever like that look, which is one reason i prefer the look of a fender over boutique style basses. same with birdseye maple on neck or fretboards, i dont like em. just the look, im sure they sound fine.

for the headstocks, i really prefer the vintage logos over the newer ones, they just turn my crank. i also like the look of vintage tuner and how they protrude from the edge of the headstock further then newer ones. the little tuners look dinky.

as for pickguards i think that the only colours that should be legal are tortoise, black and white. anything pearl instantly makes a guitar look cheap, to me that is.

and when pole pieces dont line up, it drives me nuts. i bought a gotoh bridge for a jazz bass, and the strings didnt line up to the poles, i returned and bought a badass so i could match them up myself.

i have to be aesthetically pleased with the instrument or else i won't by it.
 
My taste in instruments is similar to my taste in women- I don't really pick out one specific part that immediately makes it yes/no, it's the instrument as a whole. And what's on the inside is what really matters to me. (tone for basses, personality for women)
 
im aware some people will disagree with me but i hate the look of burled/flamed maple tops. i think they look really tacky. plus it makes me think that the veneer is hiding a bad piece of wood, i can't ever like that look, which is one reason i prefer the look of a fender over boutique style basses. same with birdseye maple on neck or fretboards, i dont like em. just the look, im sure they sound fine.

for the headstocks, i really prefer the vintage logos over the newer ones, they just turn my crank. i also like the look of vintage tuner and how they protrude from the edge of the headstock further then newer ones. the little tuners look dinky.

as for pickguards i think that the only colours that should be legal are tortoise, black and white. anything pearl instantly makes a guitar look cheap, to me that is.

and when pole pieces dont line up, it drives me nuts. i bought a gotoh bridge for a jazz bass, and the strings didnt line up to the poles, i returned and bought a badass so i could match them up myself.

i have to be aesthetically pleased with the instrument or else i won't by it.

I don't usually like Burls either, except for Buckeye Burl, which is awesome! Camphor Burl is usually really unappealing to me.

I love flamed and quilted tops though, ESPECIALLY Quilted Ash tops. Absolutely beautiful.

FWIW, it shouldn't just be a veneer covering the wood, it's a much thicker (1/8", 1/4", 3/8", whatever) laminate over the body.

As far as the pickguards.
I like white pearl, and occasionally black and grey pearls, but anytime I see green or red or what have you, it looks incredibly cheap and stupid. (Though I did have a dark blue pearl pickguard on my first Strat at one point. The body was black.)
I can't believe it when I see people doing green pearl on sunburst or something, it looks so bad that I have to LOL.

The same goes for cheap looking Tort pickguards. I'm not usually much of a fan of Tort shell pickguards, but if you are going to have one, it better be a nice looking one.
 

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