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Why do we all have the same looking basses?

#121
Why do we all have the same looking basses?

I'm not sure that statement works for me ...

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#126
friendlybass said:
Cause it works. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
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Some shapes and designs work good from a visual and ergonomic point of view and so sticking close to that design can avoid problems like neck dive etc. Also a lot of bass players and bands for that matter want a "traditional" look. I've read on line many times of people turning up for auditions or joining a band and have been asked to bring a fender or P bass.
 
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#131
Being a subscriber to both bass and bass guitar forums I find the responses to "what hind of instruments we play" queries to be quite different!
Yes both have have some answers that are driven by what the latest Guitar or Bass hero is playing, however, guitarist threads seem to get into more specifications; i.e., scale length, nut width, body-fretboard-neck material, active or passive pick-ups, weight, thickness, neck thru body vs bolt on etc. Bass threads seem more mired into 4 or 5 string, shape and color(s). It would appear that what a bass looks like is more important than what it feels like...at least to the majority. Is this because a bass guitar is a more basic instrument than a guitar?
Please correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not attempting to be a troll...this is a serious question.
 
#133
We are drawn to the classics - because they ARE designed very well. Just like with cars, furniture and so on.
It's nice to see new great designs but it is not because the instrument's design dictates the musical content.
I mean...speaking of the old mighty P bass. We can all agree that Steve Harris and Scott Thunes are two very different players, right?
 
#134
At some level a bass (or any guitar) is a "functional" design, it has a body, neck, strings and a head. The neck is mostly based on the length of the human arm. The body is for resting your arm and hand. The only piece that is semi optional is the head, but even that typically has the tuners to tension your string.

There are about a million variations, but at the end of a day, haven't ever seen anything that had no body. or no neck.

(as an aside, I really don't dig the Fender headstock at all, I particularly don't like the aesthetic of the rounded volute, looks too old fashioned to me. Guess that is why I went Musicman.)
 
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#135
Yep...I agree that every guitar or bass is a "functional" design. However not all human bodies share the same dimensions. Therefore each instrument design will be more functional to one person than to another. As an example...lets take fender guitars.... there have been a number of different body and neck shapes produced over the years. The most popular are the Strat and the Tele. Yes they have different head shapes...but that does not effect playability. The important difference in bodies (one is flat, the other contoured) does effect playability. The difference in the outline shape not so much. Other than the head shape, the necks also have different profiles. While the head shape does not affect playability, profile does. Some Strat players have put Tele necks on their Strats...not for the difference in head shape, but for the difference in profile. Another big difference is pick ups. The older Tele's have twangy early Leo design sound. The Strats have triple PU switching that make them sound totally different from a Tele. The Strat came with a Trem Bar...the Tele without. Although you can get a Strat without the trem bar that is strung just like a Tele. Of course today Fender's are available in all kinds of neck profile and pick up combination one prefers. Most Fender modern Fender players have a distinct idea of what they want in a guitar...other than a Tele or Strat shape. Shape is secondary. And by the way I only own one Fender in my guitar and bass arsenal. But there are lots of differences to be considered other than Strat or Tele and P or J.

And I haven't even mentioned color!
 
#136
Zeus_Mutation said:
Hello!



So, am I destined to stick with the sound I love and just deal with looking like every other Fender P or have I missed something?
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I see it differently. Unless the bass is an exact duplicate, I see everyone of them as different. 20 P's?, I see 20 different basses. I'm a stickler for detail though. If it has different screws then it is different. I guess I can see how someone would just see one bass looking like another if it has the same shape but, I just can't generalize that way. I think every bass is individual and so, I have my Jazzes and Pees with me as I go from gig to gig without thinking about it. I play them because they are perfect in every way(for me).
 
#137
Hot Rats said:
I see it differently. Unless the bass is an exact duplicate, I see everyone of them as different. 20 P's?, I see 20 different basses. I'm a stickler for detail though. If it has different screws then it is different. I guess I can see how someone would just see one bass looking like another if it has the same shape but, I just can't generalize that way. I think every bass is individual and so, I have my Jazzes and Pees with me as I go from gig to gig without thinking about it. I play them because they are perfect in every way(for me).
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So here's the question. How many of those differences make a difference? Of course, the answer to this question will change from person to person—each person cares about different parts of the bass. You, however, seem to love your basses like you love twins—they look very similar, but you know all of those little differences enough to tell them apart.

The OP is talking more about the differences in design that make a visual impact from a distance, the differences between cousins, friends, or strangers. The difference between a 4003 and a P-Bass is huge. The difference between a Thunderbird and a Stingray is huge. But even still, a person who doesn't care much about bass would be like, "A bass is a bass is a bass."

Personally, I would want a bass that is different enough to be useful despite all of the commitments involved. I mean, I get really committed to instruments. Between maintenance, modifications, and play time… each instrument demands a lot of attention. But…that's just me. ;)
 

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