WHy do bassists love "natural" finishes so much?

Meh, I like all finishes.

Actually I lie, I HATE sunburst/tobacco burst.

 

Because natural looks so good

 

I must admit, I prefer either black, white or a custom metallic paint job to natural ... on most basses. I agree with you that natural, unstained wood can look a little, well, 'boring' .

That said, when I went shopping for a StingRay recently, I opted for a natural ash finish, partly because I liked the grain in it (good to know that it's a tidy two-piece body and not a mis-matched laminate ) and secondly because I think that it's a pretty iconic look for the StingRay. So, in this case, it's more about association than pure aesthetic criteria ...

(Look away ... ugly bass warning ) ....

 

Generally you get a better piece of wood when you buy a natural finish bass. Paints and some stains can hide flaws in the wood.

 

Natural is my second favourite SR finish. Just pipped by Powder Blue w/ Tort p/g

 

natural finishes are soooo late 70s...

 

natural finish = better tone for metal.

I dig both. However, you don't want to cover up a really premium choice of lumber with a coat of paint.

 

Thats the appeal.

 

+1 to every bit of this. Well, except the toilet comparo. I don't think they're THAT bad.

 

I'm with A
My preferences are in the following

Black (Its just plain safe and neutral to everything)
White or some kind of natural
Darker Red / Cherry

Something about seeing the grain can be very pleasing.

 

And here I thought I was the only one.

 

It saves me a ton of money on paint!

 

Corollary: Sometimes the wood isn't just better, it's AWESOME (scroll up one post). Then, a natural finish is the natural choice.

Personally, I like pretty much any finish but black (my Sapphire Black Bongo is the exception).

 

I'm quite the opposite. I love natural finishes, also bursts. I also like solid colours. Classic colours on classic instruments. I don't really like modern looking finishes. Not too sure why. Especially if it makes the instrument look less like a slab of wood and more like a spaceship. So really I like everything except modern looking paint jobs, or tacky ones like flames, with particular fondness for plain ol' natural

 

Oooo. Maple, natural and black. My all-time fave colour scheme. You sir, have a very pretty axe right there.

I find that what I actually like changes with the bass model. As in, though the Maple/black/natural look is my fave, I think it'd look stupid on a bongo.

My fave Music Man-specific shade is that sadly discontinued Blue Dawn. I'm not even into Music Man, but that Blue Dawn makes me weak in the knees.
Of the new Fender American Standards, it's gotta be candy cola and maple (which mine is), because they don't offer a natural one.

But generally, I'm into stuff like amber or straight up natural. Finishes that remind you that your bass is made of a big, beautiful slab of wood.

 

It depends on the bass, I'd say. I normally prefer stealth basses and obviously black is my 1st colour choice, but on the other hand my Ws are natural finish.

I like to see the grain of the wood on a bass. I've asked myself why too and my explanation would be that since a bass has a more natural voice than a guitar (except for those maniacs that like to have a bigger pedalboard than the guitarist) - since you normally chain it with an amp (and maybe a compressor) and that's pretty much it - it feels natural to have a natural finish. Further more, I feel I can bond better with a bass with natural finish, it's a more personal experience. Without trying to sound too kinky (I hope ) it's like touching someone else's skin as opposed to touching a person dressed in a thick coat...

 

Like others have said, with a natural finish instrument, you usually get a nicer piece of wood. IMO, and others, better wood sounds better! I personally love transparent finishes because you get color and woodgrain!