Why do all basses seem to look so uninspired and the same (in a bad way)

No

 

Here ya go Hoss:








Mothgirl not included.

 

Does it have to be new? The market these days is highly dominated by fender-style instruments, especially the new offerings. I'd suggest looking for a used bass instead and keep looking until you find something that tickles your fancy.

I'll also state that although there are lots available at your price-point, you're going to see more fender-type ilk at that price. If you expand up to 1000, you'll find many more options.

 

Because boomers love fender?

 

I had an RD Artist for a few years and it sounded good, but was an ergonomic nightmare. The nut felt like it was a mile away, it was incredibly heavy and the neck dive required holding it up while playing. It sounded great so I tolerated it, plus I was in my 20s, but it was not a great player.

 

I can see how that would be hard to haiku.

 

I enjoy the 'uniqueness' of my custom fretless uke bass. Pricey but worth every penny to me.

 

They really do look awesome, which is why I bought it in the first place! That said, I wouldn't say it would be a terrible purchase, just not a fit for me.

What kind of guitars do you like? What kind of music do you play? Are you moving to bass permanently or is this just adding something to your repertoire? I ask, as the answers may help others make relevant suggestions.

A LOT of people on this board, build, assemble or modify their instruments to get their desired vibe, and these days that can be done on a pretty tight budget. This could be an option for you... In this very forum people put up their new basses with the acronym "NBD" in the thread title. Might be worth running through a few dozen threads to have a look at some examples of what's out there.

I'm sure you'll find something to scratch the itch. And perhaps also develop a new obsession in the process.

 

Side note, while we're at it, perhaps ask @blastoff99 if he'd be kind enough to edit your thread title to something potentially less triggering to the TB illuminati. Like perhaps "Help me find my ideal bass".

 

Since you like Thunderbird-esque basses...

Jackson has the Kelly Bird basses that are a riff on Thunderbirds and are within your $400- $600 price range, but I have no experience with Jacksons so I cannot tell you if they're any good.
Kelly Bird | Jackson

I would have recommended a Schecter Ultra Bass or basses in ESP/LTD's Phoenix, Stream, and perhaps GB lines, but they're far beyond the $400- $600 price range. I think Schecter and ESP/LTD made solid basses.
Ultra Bass
Products - Phoenix Series Basses - The ESP Guitar Company
Products - Stream Series Basses - The ESP Guitar Company
Products - GB Series Basses - The ESP Guitar Company

When it comes to body shapes, I tend to prefer something akin to the sleeker Ibanez Soundgear shape rather than the Fender shape (which doesn't do it for me). Go figure, my most "comfortable" bass is my F-series LTD. Regardless, Ibanez's Soundgear line has some solid basses in the $400- $600 range:
SR | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

 

If you like weird non-fenderish, non metal stuff, check out the Eastwood brand for one option.

Also, If a 2k tbird sounded terrible to you, I’d not blame the bass or the amp. An experienced bassist can make just about any bass sound good. The opposite is also true.

 

Since you're closer to them, maybe check out Thomann's offerings - at least to see some examples of basses. They have a Harley Benton T-birdish unit for very cheap: https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_bt_70vs.htm

 

There are a lot of choices that don’t look like a P or J.
And strings make a huge difference to the sound and feel of a bass.