Single Cuts! Here to stay?

[rodacademy]

Looking at a lot of single cuts just now and some seem ugly and some look great IMHO!
Do you think these basses are here too stay or like some 80's basses shapes, they will become a "at the time" bass if you know what I mean!

[Dingus]

[quote name='rodacademy' timestamp='1380382945' post='2224574']
Looking at a lot of single cuts just now and some seem ugly and some look great IMHO!
Do you think these basses are here too stay or like some 80's basses shapes, they will become a "at the time" bass if you know what I mean!
[/quote]

Difficult to say what will happen in future , but what is certain is that when the single cut was first conceived ( as far as I know, at least ) by Fodera , it was to perform a specific structural function on a specific design of bass by using the body to brace the upper part of the neck Predictably, though, other builders have jumped on the bandwagon and make singlecuts just for the sake of it to have a fashionable body shape in their range with no real consideration for whether it actually offers any real advantage on their own designs.

[Lowender]

It's just seems dumb and dumb ideas tend not to last. I guess if you're obsessed with balance and structure and never play beyond the 12th fret it may have appeal, but there's also the dorkiness factor to consider.

[timmo]

Unfortuinately, the name escapes me, but someone at the bass bash had a custom made bass, that was more like a single half cut bass. I liked the look of it, and it had a nice weight to it.

As luck would have it, the owner is pictured playing the bass in Sylvia`s blog, titled hall 11

Edited September 28, 2013 by timmo

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1380389918' post='2224693']
if you....never play beyond the 12th fret it may have appeal
[/quote]

I can't see this; do you have an unusual fretting hand position like hooking your thumb over the top of the neck or something? I can see how it could impede two hand tapping, but that sh*t's only for insane people anyway*




[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1380389918' post='2224693']
there's also the dorkiness factor to consider.
[/quote]

True :-D





*No offence intended*









*to insane people

Edited September 28, 2013 by Roland Rock

[BigRedX]

Single cut basses are nothing new.

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/4016479564_a9d2c0ca35_o_zps4ceb0208.jpg[/IMG]

This Les Paul Triumph Bass dates from 1971 and was a development of the [url=http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/LesPaulBass.php]Les Paul Bass[/url] which first appeared in 1969!

[Bilbo]

Here to stay. They might be Marmite but Marmite is still around

[Maude]

I don't really like the look of single cut basses and then realised that my Yamaha Bex4, which I think is beautiful, is a single cut.

Of course I always knew it was but because it's 'Les Paul' shaped (like the Gibby above)it doesn't look unusual, as I think the Fodera style do, and never struck me as being a 'single cut' so to speak, if you know what I mean .

Trends come and go but everything will always have it's place .

Edited September 28, 2013 by Maude

[steve-soar]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1380392546' post='2224741']
Single cut basses are nothing new.



This Les Paul Triumph Bass dates from 1971 and was a development of the [url="http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/LesPaulBass.php"]Les Paul Bass[/url] which first appeared in 1969!
[/quote]
Single cut as in the same way as a guitar body has a single cut. This is clearly an after thought on Gibson's part, to produce a bass that appeals to Les Paul fans. Modern single cut basses tend to have the upper bout join at the octave position, for neck rigidity.

Most of them are ugly.

[Dood]

I love how this question comes round each year (or more often) - i think it's safe to say that since those ole Gibsons of yesteryear up to today, they're here to stay!

[Dood]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1380390618' post='2224705']
I can see how it could impede two hand tapping,
[/quote]

It really doesn't

[TheGreek]

Before I had one I wasn't a big fan...I got one, now I can see why people are...not adding much to the debate though...

[Fat Rich]

I think they're definitely here to stay, but I don't think they'll ever become mainstream. More traditional designs seem to appeal more to most players and probably always will.

[chris_b]

Some single cut basses look very nice and some double cut basses look terrible.

Why should SC basses stay or go? They just are, so buy one if you like them, don't if you don't and appreciate diversity.

[fleabag]

Amen

May as well be debating who likes the colour blue and who likes the colour red. Its personal - there's no real answer accept
whatever tickles yer buns

[Maude]

I prefer blue

[BigRedX]

[url=http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/hofner/basses/bas12.html]And here's an even older single cut bass from 1957[/url]

[StephenYork]

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1380390547' post='2224704']
Unfortuinately, the name escapes me, but someone at the bass bash had a custom made bass, that was more like a single half cut bass. I liked the look of it, and it had a nice weight to it.

As luck would have it, the owner is pictured playing the bass in Sylvia`s blog, titled hall 11
[/quote]

Hi Timmo,

That happens to be me and my bass, it is an Alpher Instruments Custom, Chrisdabass on here makes these. I wasn't convinced about single cuts till I saw this one.

[risingson]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1380455036' post='2225424']
[url="http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/hofner/basses/bas12.html"]And here's an even older single cut bass from 1957[/url]
[/quote]

But that's just an adaptation of an existing guitar design adopted as a bass design, without wishing to put words in the OP's mouth I think he's referring to more modern designs by Fodera, Sei, Nordstrand and many other brands that use singlecut designs more like this one?

[url="http://www.nordstrandguitars.com/assets/images/gallery/JayLewis/amboyna2.jpg"]amboyna2.jpg[/url]

I'm not a fan of the looks personally and am fairly ignorant to the reasons why a bass might be designed like this but I don't see a problem with diversity in bass design, everyone likes different things in my experience.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1380389918' post='2224693']
It's just seems dumb and dumb ideas tend not to last. I guess if you're obsessed with balance and structure and never play beyond the 12th fret it may have appeal, but there's also the dorkiness factor to consider.
[/quote]

The only reason I can see a singlecut limiting playing above the 12th fret is if you have some interesting and naff left hand technique going on. Realistically it shouldn't be a problem!

Edited September 29, 2013 by risingson

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[chris_b]

A solid electric instrument can be any shape, EUB's, electric violins etc, so, for instance, why should a Precision shape be any better than a single cut shape for electric bass?

IMO single cut basses look much better than cricket bat, pointy, Wish or black basses, but rule number 1 is there are no rules.

It's all good, for someone.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1380464137' post='2225619']
But that's just an adaptation of an existing guitar design adopted as a bass design, without wishing to put words in the OP's mouth I think he's referring to more modern designs by Fodera, Sei, Nordstrand and many other brands that use singlecut designs more like this one?

[url="http://www.nordstrandguitars.com/assets/images/gallery/JayLewis/amboyna2.jpg"]amboyna2.jpg[/url]
[/quote]

But surely a lot of double cut (for want of a better description) basses are just scaled up versions of guitar designs too.

I mean a P and J-basses are essentially big Stratocasters.

[chris_b]

+1

....but Precisions pre date Strats by a few years. [/ocd]

[neepheid]

I don't see why people are getting so pissy about the definition and trying to claim the name for a subset when the term "singlecut" means simply that it has only one cutaway. If you don't like that then go invent a new word for the particular subset you mean instead of trying to push out those which quite logically and correctly fit the term. It's like saying only certain shades of blue are allowed to be called "blue" now. Pish.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin