Artist/Signature basses?

[Sparky Mark]

Some BCers say they wouldn't want to own an artist/signature bass. Why is that please?

Edited May 27, 2023 by Sparky Mark

[Gwilym]

In general i wouldn't, because IMO the whole concept is a little cheesy, and just not very cool.

That said, it depends on the execution. E.g. some are just so tailored to the artists spec that they may not be very useful to anyone else unless you're a real fanboi. Off the top of my head and with no experience of either bass i would put the Thundercat and Billy Sheehan sigs in that bucket.

On the other hand, the Gary Wills fretless is a great functional bass and i also really liked the Fender Marcus Miller and Victor Bailey jazz basses.

So, it depends and to each their own etc

[Lozz196]

Doesn`t bother me, my current 2 gigging basses are Fender Justin Meldal-Johnsen Mustangs, I bought them as needed to go smaller/lighter, had tried one briefly and liked it and these get such good write ups I thought they were the way to go. Although JMJ is fairly high profile I`ve not - to my knowledge - got any material with him playing on, I`ve just got the basses as they are incredibly good.

[crazycloud]

54 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

Some BCers say they wouldn't want to own an artist/signature bass. Why that is please?

Because I'm not them, and consequently don't have the same  needs in terms of ergonomics, tone or feel. 

 

I also think that a lot of the reason for their existence is for people who think that if they get a Signature X model, they'll play more like X. You won't; you'll still play like you so you may as well get something that you like and are comfortable with, and find your sound.

Edited May 27, 2023 by crazycloud

[TheGreek]

I'm happy to take anybody's Mark King Alembic, if they don't want it.

[snorkie635]

19 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I'm happy to take anybody's Mark King Alembic, if they don't want it.

Damn! Just dropped it into a charity shop this morning as well.

[Hellzero]

2 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

Damn! Just dropped it into a charity shop this morning as well.

You mean the one I bought for peanuts just before lunch was yours ?

 

You could have put some new strings on it...

[snorkie635]

2 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

You mean the one I bought for peanuts just before lunch was yours ?

 

You could have put some new strings on it...

My bad. 👹

[LeftyJ]

I like when big manufacturers build something out of the ordinary for an artist, rather than just make a version of a bog standard model that just has a different finish or some subtle difference. For example, the Fender Roscoe Beck or the first Stu Hamm Urge (when it was still medium-scale) are really cool and unique twists that are familiarly Fender-shaped enough, but still the RB is not quite a Jazz and the Urge is not quite a Precision 😎. That said, I really like some more conventional models too that were based on the artist's actual favourite, like the JMJ or the Miller Jazz. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by LeftyJ

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I don’t really know a lot about Justin Meldal-Johnsen’s playing, but he certainly specs up a great mustang bass. I’m glad he wasn’t arrogant enough to insist on his signature being on the front of the headstock. I bought my JMJ mustangs due to them being great basses.

[neepheid]

There are always exceptions.  Take the Epiphone Jack Casady Signature for example - the most common way to conveniently and expediently (not to mention cost effectively) obtain a Gibson Les Paul Signature bass.  Do I care that JC's sig is on the headstock?  Not a jot.

Edited May 27, 2023 by neepheid

[Sparky Mark]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Doesn`t bother me, my current 2 gigging basses are Fender Justin Meldal-Johnsen Mustangs, I bought them as needed to go smaller/lighter, had tried one briefly and liked it and these get such good write ups I thought they were the way to go. Although JMJ is fairly high profile I`ve not - to my knowledge - got any material with him playing on, I`ve just got the basses as they are incredibly good.

Likewise and for full disclosure I have two Fender artist models. The first is a Mexico Reggie Hamilton jazz bass that I bought when I was looking for a PJ configuration and had no idea who RH was. It's the best Fender PJ that I've owned or played to date. The actual signature is tiny and practically invisible on the rear of the headstock.

The second is a CS Pino that I bought when I wanted a USA fiesta red P with rosewood board. I would've happliy bought a USA standard model if one was available, but there wasn't. Other than his early work with Paul Young on his fretless Stingray I have no hightened interest in Pino's playing.

If the instrument has the features I am looking for, any endorsement is purely coincidental. I'm kinda sceptical that many players actually believe it'll transform their playing abilities but might just encourage them to practice a lttle more if they are a fan.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Sparky Mark

[40hz]

I've never understood people's problems with signature models. They more often than not, tend to offer something quite different from the norm. I couldn't give a monkeys if it's a Flea Bass or a Geddy Lee/Marcus Miller, Ibanez K5, et al.

 

People in the crowd struggle to identify what a bass is, let alone knowing the name on the headstock (another thing - how many signature models have the name on the headstock? Not many I'd wager).

 

I judge an instrument purely on it's individual merits. A great bass is a great bass and I'm not going to deprive myself of it on the basis there might be a Bass player in the audience, and they might know it's a sig model!

Edited May 27, 2023 by 40hz

[Kiwi]

1 hour ago, crazycloud said:

Because I'm not them, and consequently don't have the same  needs in terms of ergonomics, tone or feel. 

These days the majority of signature guitars (and basses) for PRS, Fender or Gibson are a standard production instrument with maybe a couple of tweaks at best.  The Japanese companies tend to do fully custom signature models but only after an artist has endorsed a mostly standard model for a period of time.  Ernie Ball seem to do a bit of both although sometimes it's hard to tell whether they came up with a guitar and looked for an endorsee or looked for an endorsee and made them a guitar.

I've owned sigs in the past and have even built a couple but I'd prefer to play something that doesn't set expectations of my playing.  For example I'm not going to show up to a Led Zep covers gig wielding a Yamaha JP6 for example.  But a BBNE2 might be perfectly OK.

[tegs07]

29 minutes ago, 40hz said:

I've never understood people's problems with signature models. They more often than not, tend to offer something quite different from the norm. I couldn't give a monkeys if it's a Flea Bass or a Geddy Lee/Marcus Miller, Ibanez K5, et al.

 

People in the crowd struggle to identify what a bass is, let alone knowing the name on the headstock (another thing - how many signature models have the name on the headstock? Not many I'd wager).

 

I judge an instrument purely on it's individual merits. A great bass is a great bass and I'm not going to deprive myself of it on the basis another Bass player in the audience might know it's a sig model!

I agree with this. My favourite bass is a Nate Mendel signature P. I just find the neck really comfortable. The rest of the details that make it a signature model wouldn’t draw me in. I don’t really like the colour, the roadworn chips, the Nate scrawl on the back of the headstock but that neck is perfect  for me and it’s my go to bass.

[fretmeister]

Anyone who has ever owned a Les Paul doesn’t get to complain about them. 

[itu]

I think Victor Bailey did his most impressive work with a Pensa-Suhr.

 

Pino with his fretless MM? Where was that fretless Jaco model when he was active? Geddy Lee and Rick, anyone? Where was Fender when these guys rocketed to stardom?

[snorkie635]

Then you have signature basses like the Buzzard, which although containing no signature at all, firmly point to a specific player (in this case, George Formby) 🤥

 

 

Me, I'm still searching for a Roscoe Beck V in CAR, and have been for years. 

[Waddo Soqable]

Wonder if Fender custom shop do a Paul Simonon heavy relic..? 

[admiralchew]

I’ve had four signature models, and only one of them was specifically bought because of the artist. That bass also has some features that I really enjoy that aren’t available on the standard model. The other signature models I’ve had are all just excellent at what they do, offered the specs I wanted, and had been well-reviewed on the playability and tone fronts. I likely wouldn’t let the artist’s name put me off unless they’d done something awful (in a non-musical context).

[tegs07]

23 minutes ago, admiralchew said:

I likely wouldn’t let the artist’s name put me off unless they’d done something awful (in a non-musical context).

I don’t think the Gibson Garry Glitter or Fender Rolf Harris are going into production anytime soon.

[NancyJohnson]

I still don't 'get' the desire for a Signature bass, despite owning one right now and owning a Geddy Lee Jazz about ten years ago.

 

Ownership is never going to magically turn you into Geddy/Flea/Marcus Miller (etc) although it has to be said, it's quite amusing to show up to a gig and see duplicates of the same bass being used in other bands, right down to similar areas of distressing.

 

It's only a Geddy Lee model because he was fortunate enough to find it in a pawn shop.  (I often wonder who owned it previously.)  Fender wouldn't be remotely interested in putting the owner of the next serial numbered Jazz onto a Signature model.

[Waddo Soqable]

34 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

I don’t think the Gibson Garry Glitter or Fender Rolf Harris are going into production anytime soon.

The Rolf Harris is half a sheet of hardbound from B&Q  ( or a length of upvc  waste pipe) 

[tegs07]

7 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

The Rolf Harris is half a sheet of hardbound from B&Q  ( or a length of upvc  waste pipe) 

There are some who would argue that description applies to all Fenders!

[Piers_Williamson]

1 hour ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Wonder if Fender custom shop do a Paul Simonon heavy relic..? 

Comes with a large pot of bostik