Do bass players with signature models actually play the same bass you or I can buy ?

[Les]

cos' I tried a Mikey Way signature Squier and I thought it was great, but, does he use the model that I tried at PMT or do Fender make him one with 1000 year old exotic wood and unobtanium bits and put a Squier badge on it as part of the deal ?

The only thing that stopped me buying it was the sparkly silver finish.

[LiamPodmore]

Some do some don't. I expect Mikey Way uses a Fender CS version of his signature bass, which is actually not a bad bass. I think most people with lower end signatures (Price not quality) tend to use more expensive versions, except a few like Eric Bass (Shinedown, Dean Signature) who will literally just use an off the shelf model.

Liam

[Roland Rock]

The Ibanez Gary Willis sig comes in a £600 version and a £3000 version. I'll assume GW plays the expensive one. Having a more affordable version makes good business sense. I don't see that there is any kind of deception going on here either.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Roland Rock

[AttitudeCastle]

Billy Sheehan makes a point of using the same models as come from the factory, his are occasionally alted slightly, like he has some basses with gloss on the necks or brass nuts but these are all done after they've come off the assembly line and are otherwise identical.

Most players don't though, shame really

Edit:

As stated above though there are some signatures with an expensive and cheaper version, like the Gary Willis and teh Gerald Veasley, John Pattituci and the like

Edited July 28, 2013 by AttitudeCastle

[Lowender]

When Marcus Miller was having work done on his bass, he tried a Marcus Miller Model but quickly abandoned it for a standard J. Chris Squire admits his model doesn't sound like his bass. Geddy uses his own basses -- Fender just copied a 70's J and put his name on it. So...

[Roland Rock]

Remembering back to the Nate Mendel Sig thread:

NM's original bass - Early 70s P
Basses he uses daily - Fender Custom Shop Ps
Signature bass - MIM P

[neepheid]

Jack Casady uses his signature bass as supplied by Epiphone, although I think he sometimes gets them in colours that aren't available to us mere mortals (I'm sure I've seen a picture of him playing a white one for instance).

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1375052891' post='2156276']
Remembering back to the Nate Mendel Sig thread:

NM's original bass - Early 70s P
Basses he uses daily - Fender Custom Shop Ps
Signature bass - MIM P
[/quote]

Duff McKagan is the same I believe, his are Fender CS, the sig range MIM.

I think it`s a bit of a shame really when this happens. I`d like to think that if an artist puts out a signature model, they should be willing to use it. That said, Slash has 3 signature guitars, the same as he uses, the regular priced Gibson, and an Epiphone, so at least he offers people an option depending on budget.

[chris_b]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Buying a signature instrument is a great way of sounding like you, but at extra cost.[/font][/size]

[risingson]

Fender are bad for squeezing money out of everyone's own musical preferences when it comes to signature instruments.

What I think is even more insane at the moment is that Fodera seem to have put together a signature series for all of their main listed endorsees... I'm no Fodera fan but if I was spending close to £8000-10,000 on an instrument it would be the most insanely customised instrument set to my own preferences, not someone else's idea of what constitutes a good instrument.

[sblueplanet]

I bet Sting wouldn't touch his signature '51 P bass. In fact, if you try to take the pickguard off there is wire-routing holes underneath so you can't emulate how he plays his without guard.
Especially hate the cheesy Sting logo at the 12th fret.

[marcus bell]

Mark king plays an off the shelf status Kingbass paramatrix, and the jaydee was a standard supernatural series 1

However the alembic he used wasn't like the signature at all! He played a fully loaded series 2

[Lowender]

To the point -- I think using a signature instrument is as lame as being a member of a celebrities fan club or having Star Wars bedding.

As for Fodera -- they're the most well made crappy sounding basses you'll ever play.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1375064636' post='2156315']
To the point -- I think using a signature instrument is as lame as being a member of a celebrities fan club or having Star Wars bedding.
[/quote]
That's particularly true of the Gibson Les Paul, of course.

[uncle psychosis]

I actually blame the musicians instead of Fender for a lot of this. If the Chris Squire bass doesn't sound like his, then why did he let them put his name on it?

Too many players go for the lazy option and clearly don't really care about the spec of their signature models. Contrast with Johnny Marr, whose signature guitar features all sorts of non standard things that he specifically requested.

[iconic]

...at the other end of the price range but I don't think that Tony Butler plays a Vintage Tony Butler P bass live, shame I'd love him to be player of a good budget bass, be good kudos.

[iconic]

[b]M.D Phillips sig' model..."although it doesn't play as fluently as I'd prefer, it took me hours of blood sweat and tears to hone this example into....."[/b]

[b][/b]

[steve-bbb]

almost on topic

[url="http://youtu.be/Ej0vcp5t0EM"]http://youtu.be/Ej0vcp5t0EM[/url]

[Les]

Interesting, there's a few "this is the bass I play" situations and a few "this looks like the bass I play".

I'm in the "it's a bit lame" camp on the whole signature thing but each to their own. Was more impressed by the Mikey Way model than the normal Squier Mustangs I tried, but that colour ?? wish they did it in black. I think it's the humbucker I liked, but I actually thought the neck felt better as well.

I kinda thought he probably wouldn't use a sub £250 bass but was willing to be pleasantly surprised.

[KevB]

Not quite on topic but at the end of the day the actual bass is just one component in a player's sound. I've absolutely no doubt that Chris Squire would sound more like himself playing my bass through his rig than I would playing his actual bass throug mine let alone a signature model.

[throwoff]

As I understand there are quite a few artists who do play the stock for sale Artist models, Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World) and Tom Delonge (Blink 182) spring to mind, Jim does play his Mexican built Tele with no additions (other than his tech setting it up how he likes it) and Tom has always played his exact artist models, he played his Mexi Fender sig when with Fender and now plays Gibsons from the production line.

Biffy Clyro are another, although they do have some very nice vintage Fender gear they do actually play their Squier models (not Custom with a Squier Decal, the actual stock Squier instruments) for a few numbers when they gig.

Saying that some don't I remember a few years back Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 did the whole 'smash my bass for the last song' every night of the tour, the whole set he was playing a selection of his USA made custom finish Fenders, for the last track his tech comes out and hands him a Squier P bass, that is what he smashed..!

Edited July 29, 2013 by throwoff

[stingrayPete1977]

The only signatures on my basses belong to the people that made them

[Gust0o]

You see a lot of instances where the artist model is totally different from the signature edition. In many cases, it's to be expected - particularly if you have a signature edition at a price point significantly below the spec the artist requires.

The thing that irks me, or amuses me in equally measure, are the videos - "I needed bass which could totally match my needs... could take the punishment... could nail my tone, [i]and this is it.[/i]" Only it isn't. Not even close. Now I know they're paying for it, guys, but come on

[Dr M]

The thing is, different companies treat signature models in different ways. Fender (and by extension Squier) signature models always seem to be a standard model with a minor quirk and someone's name on the headstock, simply to ship units to fans of that player.

On the other hand, PRS (for example) signature models tend to actually be something they haven't made before. When the Tremonti sig was released, it was their first foray into single-cuts. Similarly, the new PRS basses are signature models, but they're not a signature version of a standard model.

If your Fender signature model is simply Fender's best attempt to copy your go-to instrument, I doubt you'll feel much incentive to actually play the sig over the real thing.

On the other hand, if your signature model is an instrument designed from the ground up to your specification, you probably will want to get your hands on a few of them.

[EBS_freak]

I believe the BBNE2 is exactly what Nathan East plays... except he seems to be sporting a 6 string version of it nowadays... which certainly doesn't appear to be for sale...