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World's most beautiful basses

#81
I didn't always used to be like that. I own a couple expensive basses. But I don't play them much anymore, and instead I played a $510 used Jazz Bass for the last 4 years, and currently I rotate an SX P and a Jay Turser Beatle bass as my main basses. This may change if I can ever get a P-Lyte at a decent price, but I really can't see myself spending more than $600-700 on an electric bass ever again.
 
#82
JimmyM said:
Singlecuts...blecccchhh!
Fancy exotic woods...blecccchhh!
Wooden pickup covers...blecccchhh!

I honestly don't give a crap what a bass looks like. All I care about is if it's ready to get a workout at gigtime. Give me a bass that looks like it's ready to get down to business, not hang in a museum.
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So, will it upset you if I dedicate my fretless (non-paired) 8 string singlecut with a fancy top and wooden pickup covers to ya in my bass museum? A bass like this should never be played.
 
#83
Carver said:
This one has been killin' me!:eek::eek:

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Thanks... it's unreal in real life. My favorite too.
:bassist:
 
#85
JimmyM said:
Singlecuts...blecccchhh!
Fancy exotic woods...blecccchhh!
Wooden pickup covers...blecccchhh!

I honestly don't give a crap what a bass looks like. All I care about is if it's ready to get a workout at gigtime. Give me a bass that looks like it's ready to get down to business, not hang in a museum.
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No doubt that's what drew you to this thread.
:D

And many actually go to gigs and get down to business quite fine. By people who understand that they're not museum pieces.:smug:
 
#87
JimmyM said:
I didn't always used to be like that. I own a couple expensive basses. But I don't play them much anymore, and instead I played a $510 used Jazz Bass for the last 4 years, and currently I rotate an SX P and a Jay Turser Beatle bass as my main basses. This may change if I can ever get a P-Lyte at a decent price, but I really can't see myself spending more than $600-700 on an electric bass ever again.
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I used to love the fancy stuff too, but my tastes are tending towards more affordable and aethetically simple. For example, I love the look of natural ash, a finish not usually any/much more expensive than a simple painted alder. Quaility made used instruments are where the real value is.
 
#89
Feel my bottom said:
Someone once said " If you want to start an argument, conduct a poll". Well here's mine!

While this web site is dedicated to getting the right 'tone' and everything that goes with it - most of us must admit we did not walk with a blindfold in the music store and picked our main bass strictly on 'tone'. I know the look of my bass was fairly important as well. I ended up picking a Godin BG4 on 'tone' & look as well.

Having said that I will pick what I think is a beautiful bass the made in Canada Dingwall. It's got the fanned fret system and look gorgeous. Reviews also rave about it's tone.

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Sorry, I just removed my comments about ugliest basses as I just read the posting rules re. this topic. My apologies!
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+1 on the Dingwall looks. But it is not the looks that got me hooked; it's the sound, playability and ergonomics
 
#95
Fender32 said:
For looks alone, there's something very appealing to me about these Series II Status basses.

Maybe it's because it was the first bass to ever give me GAS (back in 1985 ;)).

1718c158.jpg


Can't say I like playing them as much as looking at them, though :(.
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Without a doubt, one of the nicest Status basses I have seen! Can't believe you sold yours, I actually found it in the Status register yesterday, owned by some geezer called "Rutger" or something who got it off an "English seller".

nickbear said:
how you finding it?!

i owned a steath 4 for a little while, it was so easy to play but ultimately the tone wasnt for me.. beautiful though and in general status basses are awesome IME
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I am absolutely loving it! I love how I can just plug it and and have a burpy tone with beautiful mids no matter what I do! And the extra strings are really adding a new dimension to my playing! I've been grooving to "Graceland" by Paul Simon all wekk, I want to learn every song!
 
#98
This beast:

bass_1.jpg


Lots more here: Link Removed

What can I say... I like the over-the-top, whether that Gretsch White Falcon, a gold-leaf-covered Ritter, the pointiest Neil Moser creation or an absurd multi-neck. I never wanted to be tasteful, restrained and classy!
 
#100
spade2you said:
You mean I can play them, too? No kiddin'. They probably sound like crap, though. Producers hate that sort of ****.
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The proverb about a poor carpenter immediately comes to mind.
:hiding:

So far I've gotten nothing but love for every instrument I've shown up with. By other musicians, contracters, audience members, etc. IME what producers hate is people who don't know what they're doing... and take forever trying to do it. I've had zero backlash bringing anything I felt like bringing with one memorable exception.

The Zon Legacy Standard fretless 5 (my avatar) was used almost exclusively for over a year. During that time I played with one particular group about a dozen times. Got compliments on everything until one of the keyboard players gave me his updated opinion. It took him about six months to notice the bass was fretless, even though it's unlined:D. At that point he told me he didn't think fretless should be used for the type of music we were doing: 70's R&B and Funk, smooth Jazz, etc. I thanked him for his opinion and reminded him that he didn't even know it was a fretless because I didn't play it like one the vast majority of the time and more important, the guy who hired me and was paying me loved it.
:bassist:

Last week the leader of a busy band I work with walked past me as we were about to break and said "That bass sounds great. All of your basses sound great". I don't play them like I'm afraid of getting a ding, I play them like I would any instrument I own. I have no doubt that affects some folks' playing. I also have no doubt that a large number of bassists don't truly know what they're doing... and it's much easier to blame a bass for a shortcoming. I know people who've been playing 20 years who are clueless when it comes to setting controls and EQ. Clueless when it comes to technique. Clueless about how everything works together.

:bassist:
 

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