I suppose I've had three sig basses over the years but have always found the concept a bit daft, until about a fortnight ago ๐.
I wouldn't necessarily buy a bass because of the link to a certain player, but strangely it would put me off buying one if I didn't like the player/band. I'll happily buy a sig just because I like the bass though, above clause dependent.
My first real bass, after a plywood SG, was a Yamaha Attitude Special. The bloke in Mansons told me it was based on the proper Attitudes that Billy Sheehan uses, Billy who? I'd never heard of Billy Sheehan but the bass was the coolest thing I'd ever seen and came home with me.
Second, many years later is a Epiphone Jack Casady. They'd always been on my radar as a bass to try but I was just never 100% sold on the looks, then they brought out the faded Pelham Blue with a stained wood back. Oh my!
Then the one that changed my view on sigs. The Yamaha BBPH (Peter Hook).
Even when they came out in very limited numbers I was still telling myself not to be so stupid. Then one came up at a decent price s/h and I couldn't help myself, being a huge Joy Division/New Order fan. Sure I could've just picked up a BB1200s but I actually wanted what Hooky uses now, and I'm so glad I did, they are wonderful basses. I've since bought an EHX Bass Clone (better than a Clone Theory IMO) and have spent many a happy hour just being Hooky.
Yes it's sad, and no I don't care! ๐
All three of these are, in my view, different enough from a standard or close variant to warrant being viewed as being a totally different bass.