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.