What signature model is actually worth it?

[BassAgent]

Another mention for the Sadowsky MetroLine Will Lee RW4.

And one that hasn't been mentioned is the Fender Custom Shop Pino Palladino Signature Precision Bass.

Check out my post directly above yours

 

[marchone]

That Pino P is the best bass i heard and payed.

I need to get my hands on one. I only played a 1.75" Telecaster neck for decades but now prefer a Jazz nut size neck. Or the even smaller Sadowsky Will Lee at 1.45".

If I picked up a bass and really liked it and had the cash at the time I’d buy it. Artists signature or not. I’ve never had the desire to buy a bass because it was a signature model. However…… I do have two Les Pauls. So maybe I did.
If you like it then it’s worth it to you.

Some endorsing artists get the deets worked out very well. They happen in different ways. Pino Palladino found a 1959 Precision he really liked. Geddy Lee too. Fender duplicated them from their own archives aka "the parts shelf". Duff McKagan and others modified them themselves. Will Lee worked with Roger Sadowsky for several years before releasing his signature model(s) to the public.

 

[friskinator]

I've never played one, but $5500 seems like a lot of money for what is basically a Fender Custom Shop precision. That being said, I've always wanted to try one to see if it is, in fact, worth it.

There’s a Pino owners’ club here that swears it’s the best P they’ve ever played. So it definitely seems worth it to some.

 

[marchone]

Check out my post directly above yours

I cross posted. That's a pretty good list.

 

[Boneless]

Mine, if you help me convince a brand to make me one.

 

[biobass]

My Roscoe Beck V has become my main player for getting on towards 20 years now, due to its versatility, even supplanting my Beloved ‘65 Jazz on the gig. Yes, it is heavy, and the neck is wide, but the tonal options available far surpass these small issues. The bridge, however, in my opinion is needlessly over-complicated. Still, I won’t be parting with it.

 

[lbbc]

I had a Carvin Timothy B Schmidt 4 string for a while. Great bass....only a volume knob. I loved it but foolishly sold it. I would buy another if I could find one!!

 

[dalkowski]

I can't speak from personal experience but more than once have I read TBers opin

I be interested in an Epiphone Woody Allen.

DM me for my personal perspective!

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

I bought the Ibanez Ichika Nito signature headless guitar not because I’m a fan, but because it has a really unique feature set at a good price. Basically a headless 5lb hard tail strat, for under a grand.

 

[coyote1]

I just learned the Dave Grohl signature guitar is going for upward toward $25k. That seems insane for what is likely a standard 335 style guitar with little diamonds instead of F-holes. 335s are expensive enough, but now this?

Got me thinking about other signature guitars and basses and wondering if any of them are special or unique enough to warrant a premium, or are they just valuable to a fan because the fans like the player. Of course, fans want to buy what their idols play, thats understandable, but are any of these guitar or bass signatures good enough that a non-fan would want the unique specs?

Edit: if you know of one, list it and add why it's special. Thanks!

The original Blackmore signature Stratocaster was worthwhile. It was not priced in the (ahem) stratosphere, and you got the stacked humbuckers and the rosewood fingerboard which was scalloped. A truly unique feature at that time. Virtually every other ‘signature’ guitar out there is just the same guitar as the non-signature, but with slightly different pickups or fancy inlays or ‘relicing’ or something.

It baffles me to see Strats being sold new for $4K. But if it makes someone happy to brag about having bought something like that, good for them.

 

[DrBnz]

Tony Franklin - Fretted or fretless is a very nice PJ. Love the 3 way toggle. Very aggressive sounding. Especially on the rear (all J pup) setting
Geddy Lee (CIJ) - is a high quality instrument for the money. Very unique sound to it. Very thin neck
Geddy Lee (USA) - definitely in my top 3. Amazing (rather thick) neck. Sounds great (yet doesn't sound anything like my CIJ). I shopped around till I found one at 9.05 lbs. Yeah, I gotta have the Roto 66 strings on it too. But I don't see any flaws in this one at all?!

 

[tpaul]

I had a couple Nate Mendel precision basses, not because of the endorsement but because of the neck. I sold both because they were too heavy. I finally found a lightweight one and it's a keeper. A little pricey for a MIM bass but worth it.

I did make a couple mods, though.

 

[nonohmic]

Anyone got $6k to find out if this is worth it?

Fender Custom Shop Dusty Hill Signature Precision Bass, Black 8lbs 5.9oz | Reverb

 

[beatdatthang]

Signature models I have owned or played and would endorse:
-Spector Doug Wimbish
-Spector Ian Hill (the older model, never tried the anniversary)
-Peavey Rudy Sarzo Signature (the original, never tried the Cirrus)
-Fender Geddy Lee Jazz (both CIJ and MIA - although I preferred the CIJ)
-Dingwall NG (I’d really like to try a Sklar one day)
-Lakland Skyline Geezer Butler
-Lakland Skyline DJ 4
-Schecter Michael Anthony

That’s about it. I have tried other sig models but never thought much of them above and beyond the normal product line (most signature P basses fall into this category).

 

[ELG60]

I bought a CIJ Geddy Lee here on TB late last year, and after some modifications, it's currently the one with which I play out exclusively:

I like Rush well enough, in moderation, and think that Geddy is one of the finest players of all time, in his genre. The bass is all one can expect from a Japanese Fender of that vintage. In other words, even stock, it punches way over it's pay grade, as all my CIJ/MIJ's do, but add in the John East preamp, Wilde humbuckers, and aesthetic improvements, and I'm good to go.

Ū2 on the other hand, is one of my least favorite bands. I actually have an active dislike of them . . . their vocalist and guitarist, in particular, the former for his pretentious political posing, and the latter for that annoying jangly guitar sound.

Adam Clayton, well . . . He's a bass player, I suppose, but he ain't no Chuck Rainey, JPJ, Joe Osborn, or even John Deacon. That being said, the pair of his signature basses which I have, are well worth what I paid for them:

I like them enough to have had a custom purple strap made for them:

Edit: I forgot, I have a Sadowsky Will Lee sig, which is a master built instrument. I bought it used here some years back and it's probably the most heavily optioned Sadowsky I've ever seen. It's nice, super light, and the VTC sounds good, but for what it would cost to reproduce today, it's just about Alembic money, and I honestly can't justify it. Looks pretty, though:

 

[Diminishedfilth]

The Japanese-built Fender Geddy Lee I had was definitely worth the $700-ish I paid for it, brand new (think the retail on it nearly doubled weeks later). That neck played like a go-cart!
I also liked the MiM Mark Hoppus sig that I paid $400 for, used. I still can't name a single Blink 182 song, but I loved the color and design. Sold it for $300 about 8 years ago, and recently looked at used asking prices and was flummoxed! As I said, I liked it, but to me, it was not a nearly $2000 bass.

 

[Bassman822]

Gibson Leland Sklar bass

 

[Slevage]

I owned a Cort/Elrick 5 string for a while. It was a Josh somebody model. Very nice for the $$. I eventually bought a couple of US made Elricks.

 

[Bruce Pete]

Gibson Leland Sklar bass

Wow, is this it? That looks amazing! Never seen this before.

 

[bassliner50]

I own a Matt Freeman Squier P Bass. Amazing bass for the money, which isn't much considering the cost in the world of basses these days. Discontinued model hard to find.

Mine: