Why are bass amps so ugly?

[mccartneyman]

• Started in 1965 with this, and it's still a favorite for looks and sound.

 

[beans-on-toast]

"Dogface"

We do the best with what we've got.

 

[MojoPenguin]

I hear you Man, but look at that !

I'd play this baby anytime:

 

[thehornedone]

I hear you Man, but look at that !

I'd play this baby anytime:

Form, function, and not from the 70s! Indeed, that amp is a rarity. I definitely wouldn't mind owning one.

 

[XLunacy]

Guitar amps all look fine because they mostly look the same.
They mostly look the same because this is what guitar players expect.

On the other hand, I like this a lot :

 

[GwenOnBass]

Guitar amps all look fine because they mostly look the same.
They mostly look the same because this is what guitar players expect.

On the other hand, I like this a lot

De gustibus non est disputandum.

 

[trebbihm]

All of your guitar examples are tube, and the bass examples are relatively inexpensive solid state. That's kind of unfair.
There are plenty of handsome bass amps out there, you just have to pay the money to get them.

 

[spaz21387]

not all bass rigs are ugly...

 

[thehornedone]

Guitar amps all look fine because they mostly look the same.
They mostly look the same because this is what guitar players expect.

On the other hand, I like this a lot :

I agree. That's a tasteful look for a modern solid state amp. Classic TC design. Programmable settings would be nice to have. If I ever want a light weight class D amp, I'd look into this. My opinion is that all class D bass amps sound roughly the same, the main difference being how the preamp EQ is tuned.

 

[XLunacy]

De gustibus non est disputandum.

Come on now, of course we can argue about taste
You could explain why you find something ugly, I could explain why I find it beautiful, and we'd both learn something, wouldn't we ?

 

[wmhill]

I dunno... I find my Tecamp kinda sexy

 

[someguyfromNC]

Guitar amps all look fine because they mostly look the same.
They mostly look the same because this is what guitar players expect.

On the other hand, I like this a lot :

to me that looks like just another computer interface. if it didnt say bass amp id ask if it was firewire and where do i plug up the mics

 

[tfer]

All the controls that I need, nicely laid out...

 

[99Z3]

If you want it to be pretty.. put some lipstick and a skirt on it..

As a "native" guitarist, every time I go to Guitar Center I have this thought. Why are bass amps so ugly compared to guitar amps? Sure, there are some handsome classic bass amp designs such as some Ampegs, and Acoustics, but the vast majority of bass amps currently on the market just have really ugly, gaudy design to my eyes. Here's what I'm talking about:

Bass Amps:

Guitar Amps:

 

[socialleper]

So after 5 pages have we established that some people just like stuff that looks old, some don't, and that it's completely a matter of personal taste?
In other words, none of it is objectively ugly or attractive, there is just what we imprint on it as being ugly or attractive.

 

[Honch]

I agree that Markbass are fugly. Something looking like it belongs to a racing track (motorbikes) than any music stage. As well as Orange, guitar amps. Fugly.
But OP, aren't you starting to get a severe case of WAF ?

Wife acceptance factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wife Acceptance Factor, Wife Approval Factor, or Wife Appeal Factor[1] (WAF), are design elements that increase the likelihood a wife will approve the purchase of expensive Invalid Link Removed products such as high-fidelity loudspeakers, home theater systems and Invalid Link Removed. Stylish, compact forms and appealing colors are commonly considered WAF.[2] The term is a tongue-in-cheek play on electronics Invalid Link Removed such as "form factor" and "Invalid Link Removed" and derives from the gender stereotype that men are predisposed to appreciate gadgetry and performance criteria whereas women must be wooed by visual and aesthetic factors.[3]

 

[someguyfromNC]

I'm still with the op. After 20 years of playing awesome looking guitar amps and switching to bass. Most of it just looks cheap. Looks more in line with what Radio Shack would sell for home audio.

 

[john_g]

They are designed to make me look better. That, and beer. Lots of beer.

 

[99Z3]

I would show you a pic of some pretty amps and bass guitars.. but someone probably would come in and accuse me of being a "gloater"!

 

[monsterthompson]

So after 5 pages have we established that some people just like stuff that looks old, some don't, and that it's completely a matter of personal taste?
In other words, none of it is objectively ugly or attractive, there is just what we imprint on it as being ugly or attractive.

hyperbolic troll-fest thread on subjective matters is as expected.