Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Why Are Body Shapes Such a Personal Thing?
- Thread starter BassHappy
- Start date
- Apr 6, 2013
- 425
- 466
- 57
- Disclosures
- Agent for Scandinavian countries: Stick Enterprises Inc.
I thought it was a discussion about the latest Paper issue for a second 
A long as its ergonomically good, I'm into all kind of body shapes.
The only exception I can think of is my Steinberger L-2, meaning that I have to alter my normal playing technique: I normally use my right hand thumb to mute the strings by floating over them and use my forearm to anchor on the body, but on the Steiny I have to use the wrist of my right hand to anchor on the side of the mini-body. It works, but it's not as comfortable as a normal body.
The sound makes up for it though!
A long as its ergonomically good, I'm into all kind of body shapes.
The only exception I can think of is my Steinberger L-2, meaning that I have to alter my normal playing technique: I normally use my right hand thumb to mute the strings by floating over them and use my forearm to anchor on the body, but on the Steiny I have to use the wrist of my right hand to anchor on the side of the mini-body. It works, but it's not as comfortable as a normal body.
The sound makes up for it though!
For example, as the original poster - I had the wonderful opportunity to have dinner with Jens Ritter this summer in New York City. Jens is an incredible artist and luthier in every way and the fit and finish of his instruments is second to none.
We spent a lot of time talking and discussing his instruments and I finally as tactfully as possible - confided to him that I am VERY attracted to his guitar bodies but I just don't find the shape of his bass bodies appealing to me:
He then confided to me that he works directly with a physical therapist in Germany to insure that all of his body designs are perfectly balanced and that they hang on the player in perfect playing position. He considers that to be one of the most important features of his bass designs. I think that is very impressive and it opened my mind a little - he has fretted a medium scale fretless he has in the shop so when I visit him I can play one of his standard bass bodies in my scale. This is the bass he has fretted:
But here is his guitar body shape which I am in LOVE with:
I can't help it - in my mind's eye I keep seeing the guitar body with a a killer medium scale bass neck on it.
Story to be continued...
By the way, I just got an email from him and here are two new ones:
Dear friends,
a whilde back I was talking with a friend about the times we went skateboarding together.I remembered the shoes I was wearing at that time: Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.This gave me the inspiration for an instrument I just finished a few hours ago.You can see this guitar this weekend at the Holy Grail Guitar Show in Berlin, Germany.
We have also just finished another one-of-a-kind Bass called "The Wurstmarkt"
See both instruments at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Bass Gear Magazine wrote a review of the "X-men" R8 Concept.
Check it out![Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
All the best!
Jens
Feel free to post some photos of let's say non-Fender body shapes that you love or those that you just can't stand.... I think we all have the idea on the standard Fender Jazz and P Bass body shapes, but any other body shapes that stick out in your mind as being killer or that you hate, let's see them!
We spent a lot of time talking and discussing his instruments and I finally as tactfully as possible - confided to him that I am VERY attracted to his guitar bodies but I just don't find the shape of his bass bodies appealing to me:
He then confided to me that he works directly with a physical therapist in Germany to insure that all of his body designs are perfectly balanced and that they hang on the player in perfect playing position. He considers that to be one of the most important features of his bass designs. I think that is very impressive and it opened my mind a little - he has fretted a medium scale fretless he has in the shop so when I visit him I can play one of his standard bass bodies in my scale. This is the bass he has fretted:
But here is his guitar body shape which I am in LOVE with:
I can't help it - in my mind's eye I keep seeing the guitar body with a a killer medium scale bass neck on it.
Story to be continued...
By the way, I just got an email from him and here are two new ones:
Dear friends,
a whilde back I was talking with a friend about the times we went skateboarding together.I remembered the shoes I was wearing at that time: Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.This gave me the inspiration for an instrument I just finished a few hours ago.You can see this guitar this weekend at the Holy Grail Guitar Show in Berlin, Germany.
We have also just finished another one-of-a-kind Bass called "The Wurstmarkt"
See both instruments at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Bass Gear Magazine wrote a review of the "X-men" R8 Concept.
Check it out![Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
All the best!
Jens
Feel free to post some photos of let's say non-Fender body shapes that you love or those that you just can't stand.... I think we all have the idea on the standard Fender Jazz and P Bass body shapes, but any other body shapes that stick out in your mind as being killer or that you hate, let's see them!
Last edited:
I don't really care about body shape unless the body has a hard edge that digs into my forearm. Then that's a case of body contour and not necessarily shape.
Good thing you don't play banjo. Not many choices there.
Yup, Mongo, I would probably need to move to something more like this - by the one and only Bruce Johnson:
I am probably the only person on this forum that does not like the way a Ric looks. I am not meaning to talk bad about them, as they are great sounding basses, but I don't really care for the way they look. I would not turn one down if the price was right, but I could just as easily live without one.
In most bass body styles, I like the Fender rounded look, with one exception over the years, the Gibson EB0/SG Std. basses with the twin pointed horns at it's top.
There's only a few bass bodies that bother me...Bongo is #1, where did that one come from.
There was a lot of strangeness during the hair metal 80s..."the more pointy edges the better" doesn't work for me, especially since the shapes were chosen for looks rather than ergonomics or tone.
Steinbergers freak people out, I love 'em, have owned three and still have one.
There was a lot of strangeness during the hair metal 80s..."the more pointy edges the better" doesn't work for me, especially since the shapes were chosen for looks rather than ergonomics or tone.
Steinbergers freak people out, I love 'em, have owned three and still have one.
I love Ritters, love Bongos and Big Als, but don't particularly like P basses. Yeah, there really is no accounting for taste 
My Dad used to say if everyone liked the same thing my Mom would have been married long before he met her, and the same goes for me and my wife, so vive la difference!
My Dad used to say if everyone liked the same thing my Mom would have been married long before he met her, and the same goes for me and my wife, so vive la difference!
As others have mentioned, it's really a combination of aesthetics and feel. I tried to love my Jazz basses but they felt clunky and strange. My Spector feels perfect with all those curves and smaller body size. It has a more unique and sexy look but again, that's in my eyes. Life is too short to play something that's not pleasing to the eye. There's many choices out there so it's okay to be picky I think.
I never liked the SG body style. I played guitar as a youngster and could never understand why anyone would play an SG when they could have a Les Paul. Of course none of the Gibson guitars felt as comfortable as my Strat, so there you go.
There are certainly some (usually high end) bass body shapes which don't appeal to me, and I can't even always explain why. (Except Fodera - that huge solid upper horn just looks wrong. - personal taste, please don't take offense.)
However, it seems remarkable to me that the majority of basses in existence today, and also sold today are all minor variations on the P bass. Even the Jazz bass is an obvious derivative of the P. Imagine what our roads would look like today if 90% of people drove cars 60 years old in design and looks. Pretty weird. You have to give old Leo credit for coming up with THE standard shape right off the bat.
However, it seems remarkable to me that the majority of basses in existence today, and also sold today are all minor variations on the P bass. Even the Jazz bass is an obvious derivative of the P. Imagine what our roads would look like today if 90% of people drove cars 60 years old in design and looks. Pretty weird. You have to give old Leo credit for coming up with THE standard shape right off the bat.
When you find that ugly bass that sounds so good you start to look at it different, that's a beautiful thing.
Me and my carvin lb50 have been going through this process
Me and my carvin lb50 have been going through this process
I can see your comfort in a Strat. I'm that way with a Jazz. It took me a long time to acknowledge my old favorite EB0/SG Std. design wasn't my most comfortable bass to play. Old habits die hard ya' know. My Fender Pawn Shop Mustang is like a short scale Jazz neck, comfortable to play, and the Humbucking pup on it, gives me the old EB0/SG Std. sound I still like to use.
Last edited:
Oh I didn't know yours was ugly. My red one is striking and was the best looking bass at any gig, almost classical Greek in simplicity and uniformity of finish--the red against the dark mahogany fretboard, gold hardware...turn it around and it's a solid bass shape piece of the red universe where all red comes from. Like a red hole in reality.
It has perfect balance, "fits my midsection", (I am medium height so this bass fits me) enough mass for a fundamental frequency that will shake walls and I always wondered why they stopped making them. This bass has a Voice and that makes it a great musical instrument,
Basically a mahogany double cutaway Les Paul set neck with 2 stereo humbuckers, with a low taper Rickenbacker shaped neck, Gibson headstock. The early 80s Carvin bass. the guitar was the same except I don't know what the neck is copied from...
I'm not a huge fan of the body shape is all, love the colors, black with gold hardware, just not a fan of the body
I feel that most BC Rich shapes simply work way better on guitar than bass. As far as metal guitar shapes go, the Mockingbird guitar is fairly comfy.
