Signature model of a signature model

[arthurhenry]

Supposing a player became successful, famous and influential and their bass of choice happened to be the signature model of another artist. Would the instrument manufacturer then release a signature model of the signature model?

[fretmeister]

Like a Zak Wylde Les  Paul?

 

yup. 

[Dad3353]

5 minutes ago, arthurhenry said:

...Would the instrument manufacturer then release a signature model of the signature model?

This kind of thought can lead to some strange places. It's now common for children to bear the surnames of both their father and mother (a double-barrelled name...). If such a child, when grown up, then marries another with such a name, do their children bear four-barrelled names..? And if their children then grow up and marry... etc.
I'd not pursue the issue too far, if I were you; that way, madness lies. 

[nash]

6 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Like a Zak Wylde Les  Paul?

 

yup. 

I’d say a Les Paul is more of a model base and not a signature (anymore) because of the amount of variations.

my example is Gibson Trini Lopez and Dave Grohl’s DG335

[arthurhenry]

15 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

This kind of thought can lead to some strange places. It's now common for children to bear the surnames of both their father and mother (a double-barrelled name...). If such a child, when grown up, then marries another with such a name, do their children bear four-barrelled names..? And if their children then grow up and marry... etc.
I'd not pursue the issue too far, if I were you; that way, madness lies. 

Exactly what I have wondered many times!

[arthurhenry]

24 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Like a Zak Wylde Les  Paul?

 

yup. 

There are a lot of Fender signature basses which are essentially stock Fender models.

[AndyTravis]

The Jack Casady is based upon the Gibson Les Paul ‘signature’ 🤔

Edited June 22, 2018 by AndyTravis

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, AndyTravis said:

The Jack Casady is based upon the Gibson Les Paul ‘signature’ 🤔

So when I become famous playing a Jack Casady bass, and get a 'signature' bass of it, Jack will doubtless hear of it and adopt my signature bass (well, he would, wouldn't he..!  ). He might then be offered his newer signature bass, based on his version of my version of his version of the Les Paul bass. I may well be tempted to use such a bass, and have a 'signature' offered, and the whole thing keeps going... 

[AndyTravis]

A two pickup Pelham blue Casady will be my signature bass 😉

[NJE]

Not quite the same as a signature instrument, but Christian Olde Wolbers and Byron Stroud who both played bass for Feat Factory, both used to play custom modded versions of the Roscoe Beck Signature bass. Apparently they/fender had to ask for permission to use the design and change it. He agreed and thought it was cool metal guys liked the bass.

[SpondonBassed]

I want an orange Fender bass with Donald Trump's crazy signature on it.  How many letters are there in "Donald Trump"?  I'm sure that siggy contains about twenty!

Sorry for trolling but signature basses don't do it for me.  I mean, it's like you plan to never make a name for yourself or something if you buy into someone else's mojo.  Just my feeling on it though.  Some of them are lovely to look at and might well have mods to make it worth considering.

[kodiakblair]

If the companies know they can make money from a signature bass of another signature bass then you can bet your backside they'll release one.

[Dad3353]

2 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

...I mean, it's like you plan to never make a name for yourself or something if you buy into someone else's mojo...

I can see your point, up to a point, but, to me, a JC Epiphone bass is not buying into his mojo, it's simply a wonderful bass (on my bucket list...). It's not the signature that makes it great. If there was an unsigned version, it would be just as good. There's no equivalent, though, with that particular specification (hollow body, low-z pick-up, long scale...). The only real JC connection would be, for me, that without his having played one, I'd maybe never have heard of 'em.

[stingrayPete1977]

Quite often I find myself coming at it from the other way, I see a bass with a squiggle on it that I've never heard of them have to Google the name to find out who they are. 

[LukeFRC]

4 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Sorry for trolling but signature basses don't do it for me.  I mean, it's like you plan to never make a name for yourself or something if you buy into someone else's mojo.  Just my feeling on it though.  Some of them are lovely to look at and might well have mods to make it worth considering.

I agree up to a point - when you've got a bass that's just in specific colour with a signature on the end of the headstock I don't get that... but when there is a custom bass where someone has customised it to the point of it being quite different to anything else then that's cool with me. 
The Fender Roscoe Beck being a good example - I'ld love one of them. 

[LeftyJ]

Jackson did signature models of their Rhoads, which was a signature model for Randy Rhoads originally. There's a Christian Andreu Rhoads, the Oli Herbert Rhoads, and there were once the Kevin Bond Rhoads and Matt Tuck Rhoads. 

 

Basswise, Lakland once made an Adam Clayton edition of their Darryl Jones model in natural ash with a maple fingerboard with black blocks and bindings. 

Edited June 23, 2018 by LeftyJ

[dudewheresmybass]

At the end of the day, if the instrument you are using 'fits' you, that's all that matters. 

I have a Steve Harris sig p bass. Despite the hieroglyphs on the rear of the headstock, it's quite simply one of the best p basses I have ever played. 

It's a fair point to say that if I wasn't a fan of 'arry, I possibly wouldn't have tried it, but that's how marketing works 😉

 

[clivem]

40 minutes ago, dudewheresmybass said:

I have a Steve Harris sig p bass. Despite the hieroglyphs on the rear of the headstock, it's quite simply one of the best p basses I have ever played.

And if you ever get tired of playin' it, it doubles as a boat anchor! LOL

EDIT: And if you haven't got a boat to anchor, instead want to play baseball,  but can't find a bat..... Well, just remove the neck from your Harris sig et voila.... A baseball bat!

Edited June 23, 2018 by clivem

[spongebob]

^^^^this. 

I've got a US Geddy Lee....wanted one for ages, finally got one at a sensible (ish) price. 

Works for me over a standard US jazz because of the pickups, neck, and bridge. Helps I'm a GL fan, but the bass offers me exactly what I need for my current 2 bands. 

[Thunderbird]

I have a Jackson Dave ellefson bass that has been my number one bass for years I'm not interested in signature basses but the Jackson ticks all the boxes for me just wish it was slightly lighter not that it's that heavy 

[TrevorR]

Rather that than what Martin Guitars did a few years ago. Did a signature guitar for someone who might have been famous in the popular music world but wasn’t actually known as a guitar player or performer of any sort (he did some keys and arrangements for an obscure band you’ve probably never heard of)...

Step forward the Martin Guitars George Martin signature acoustic gutiar...

Edited June 26, 2018 by TrevorR

[ead]

I've sort of got one.  It's a Limelight version of Geddy's '72 Jazz but based on the Fender Custom Shop bass from a few years back that "sold" (or maybe went on sale) for around $4,000 or so.

[SpondonBassed]

12 hours ago, TrevorR said:

(he did some keys and arrangements for an obscure band you’ve probably never heard of)

Quo?

[Dad3353]

  

[EliasMooseblaster]

3 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

Quo?

Ha! Not so much "the fifth Beatle" as "the fourth chord"...