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Bass Guitar Aesthetics – What do you hate?


CamdenRob
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Many of us have pet hates when it comes to the aesthetics of bass guitars (especially other peoples) - So with no good reason whatsoever for any of it, here is my list of things I think look god awful…

Singlecuts
Gold hardware
Fender style instruments without pickguards
Tort pickguards (except on a very very old sunburst jazz… maybe)
Lakland bridges (the oval ones)
PJ Pickup arrangements
LEDs
Headless basses
Feature artwork (skulls, flowers, football badges, Michael Gove’s face etc…)

So… What features make you want to bring up your lunch when someone posts a picture of an offending instrument?












[i]*disclaimer… yes yes I know how a bass sounds is more important than how it looks, as are a whole host of other criteria. I am also aware that what you play is more important that what you own, there is more to life that what bass guitars look like etc. etc…. yadda yadda. but feel free to post this sort of thing if it makes you feel better :) [/i]

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[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Singlecuts[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]More than four strings[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Basses not shaped like Fender, Spector or Hayman/Shergold/Wal[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Weird-shaped headstocks, i.e. not Fender, Spector or Hayman/Shergold/Wal[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Thin and/or narrow necks[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Gold hardware[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Black, green, blue, natural or sparkle/flake finishes[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Basses without pickguards (where a pickguard was originally fitted)[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Tort pickguards (except on sunburst, white, natural or faded fiesta red)[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Pearl pickguards of any type[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Lakland bridges (the oval ones)[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]PJ Pickup arrangements[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]LEDs[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Headless basses[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Feature artwork (skulls, flowers, football badges, Ian Duncan Smith's scrotum, etc…)[/font][/color]

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Body Matching control knobs and pickups
Wooden control knobs
Ramps of any type
Rickenbacker body shapes
The new D Bird and and T bird body
Ditto singlecuts, PJ pickups, headless basses and feature artwork.
LEDs on the front of the neck


I think there was a thread on this about 6 months ago?

Edited by Bobthedog
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[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1457615169' post='3000118']
I think there was a thread on this about 6 months ago?
[/quote]

Yes probably, sorry if there was... anyway I like to keep us all rehashing the same old sh*t, I'm starting another thread on The Beatles being overrated later. :mellow:

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[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1457615352' post='3000123']
I like to keep us all rehashing the same old sh*t, I'm starting another thread on The Beatles being overrated later. :mellow:
[/quote]

And I'll be talking about the merits of flatwound strings as compared with roundwound, whether to use a hard case or a gig bag and posting that video of the cross-dressing Korean bass player, followed by that video of the drummer at the wrong gig. Pip, pip!

However we still don't know which is the best bass for metal, so have a think about that.

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1457615352' post='3000123']
Yes probably, sorry if there was... anyway I like to keep us all rehashing the same old sh*t, I'm starting another thread on The Beatles being overrated later. :mellow:
[/quote]

Good call, what I really dislike are those violin basses that Macca used to play in that overrated band ;)

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I'm always happy to blather on about stuff I don't like as I have a very deep well to draw from.... :)

As far as basses go:

Sunburst finishes
Tort scratchplates
Blocks & binding on necks.
The metal control plate on Jazz basses
Jazz basses generally
Spalted wood tops
Burl wood tops
Single cutaways
That stupid, tacky, cheap looking butterfly logo that Fodera use
Hofner violin basses
PJ pickup arrangements
Oil or wax finishes on neck and/or body
Candy apple red finishes
White finishes

I'm sure there's more...

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Singlecuts
Symmetrical (or close to symmetrical) body shapes (some Alembics, Statii, etc)
Gold hardware
Antigua burst
Useless inlays (initials, crosses, skulls, etc)
Pencil necks
Black block inlays
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Everything Rickenbacker[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Edited to add Buckeye Burl....[/font][/color]

Edited by Bigwan
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I don't have a list of specific things I hate, I think some things, like single cuts & fancy woods, work on some basses better than others.

Having said that I saw this the other day,

http://fodera.com/anthony-jackson-presentation/

Which as far as I'm concerned is very nearly through the far end of the spectrum of ugly & in danger of emerging out the other side.

Edited by Cato
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[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1457616850' post='3000165']
I saw this the other day,

http://fodera.com/anthony-jackson-presentation/

Which as far as I'm concerned is very nearly through the far end of the spectrum of ugly & in danger of emerging out the other side.
[/quote]

Wow! If you regard it as an electric bass guitar, it looks like some kind of marine animal. But if you consider it as an orchestral instrument it makes a lot more sense. Or something.

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[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1457616850' post='3000165']
I don't have a list of specific things I hate, I think some things, like single cuts & fancy woods, work on some basses better than others.

Having said that I saw this the other day,

http://fodera.com/anthony-jackson-presentation/

Which as far as I'm concerned is very nearly through the far end of the spectrum of ugly & in danger of emerging out the other side.
[/quote]

That is what I would refer to as a "Turd on a stick".

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[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1457616850' post='3000165']
I don't have a list of specific things I hate, I think some things, like single cuts & fancy woods, work on some basses better than others.

Having said that I saw this the other day,

[url="http://fodera.com/anthony-jackson-presentation/"]http://fodera.com/an...n-presentation/[/url]

Which as far as I'm concerned is very nearly through the far end of the spectrum of ugly & in danger of emerging out the other side.
[/quote]

You can purchase the updated version for a mere $35,000...

Edited by CamdenRob
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