What signature model bass would you say transcends the artist?

[tauzero]

10 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

Depends what it is - I could understand your point of view with regards to the myriad FSO signature basses out there.  But if you can't afford to truffle out an original 1970s Gibson Les Paul Signature bass, then the JC Sig is your only hope for such a bass, and it kinda doesn't matter if you like Jack Casady or want to sound like him or not.  I certainly didn't buy mine for the name or association, but to give JC his due, he was actively involved in its creation so I think it's fair enough if he wants his name on the headstock, coupled with the fact that he actually uses the bass as his main instrument.

 

But Gibson didn't need Jack Casady's signature to have Epiphone produce a replica of the Gibson semi.

[tauzero]

43 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

How many posthumous Dimebag guitars were there after his death?

 

Probably more than the number of posthumous Dimebag guitars before his death.

[tauzero]

46 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

The only Entwistle signature is the Status Graphite Buzzard or Alembic Spyder and the latter wasn't ever offered as a signature during his lifetime. Even afterward, they modified it and did a limited run and it still wasn't officially a signature bass.

 

And the Warwick Buzzard, up to 1995.

[Geek99]

As with @neepheid my Scottish twin from another mother, I really don’t see the point. If that one individual bass hanging right there on the wall is a great, acoustic, resonant fabulous thing then pay the asking  price but if not just move on and try the squier vintage modified or sire v7 because they’re probably equally good with at least one zero less on the asking price 

[Wolverinebass]

8 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

And the Warwick Buzzard, up to 1995.

I don't count the Warwick or Modulus buzzards in the same way as the Status version is definitive in many, many ways. For several reasons. Firstly, virtually nobody has ever played a Modulus Buzzard as there were so few made.

 

Secondly, the Warwick version is crap. Anyone who has played both the Status and Warwick versions will tell you the Status version is superior in every way you can imagine a bass is or can be better.

 

The Warwick is insanely heavy, has a neck dive you almost wouldn't believe until you try it, the circuit and pickups are poor and the neck profile is a  horrible baseball bat. The Status is the opposite of all those things. As it's all graphite, it's very light, it doesn't neck dive despite having a larger headstock, has a more precision neck profile and some of the best circuitry ever. It's basically what John wanted. A bass with almost unlimited amounts of cut.

 

 

[Japhet]

19 hours ago, chris_b said:

I don't understand the need behind signature basses. I've never been a big enough fan of anyone that I would buy the bass they played! I would still sound like me, so why would I be trying to achieve?

 

A bit like buying a football shirt with a player's name on it. I see blokes wearing them and snigger to myself 'blimey, Lionel Messi's let himself go, and I didn't expect to see him in Aldi'.

[prowla]

I hear good things about the Fender Jazz Geddy Lee model, but if I got one I'd have to replace the pickguard, 'cos I don't want to be Geddy.

I'd also consider an Alembic Stanley Clarke, because I have a couple of old albums with them on the cover.

I might consider a Rickenbacker Chris Squire model, but he said they sound nothing like his one and they are way overpriced (they're not actually his bass, folks).

Similarly I'd have one of the Rickenbacker Lemmy models, though I'm not a Lemmy fan but I just like the styling; however they're way overpriced too.

[police squad]

+1 for the JMJ Mustang.

No real idea about JMJ himself but the bass is awesome

[KellyS]

My Fender Adam Clayton Jazz bass is one I love and use regularly. His name on the back of the headstock had no bearing on the purchase but with a couple of modifications (stacked knobs, d-tuner, pick guard) I’ve got a 60s Jazz bass with a very comfy neck shape. 

[martthebass]

Status Chris Wolstenholme S2.  A very versatile bass, definitely not a one-trick pony.  Bought mine as it ticked the boxes, mostly, and was available quickly just before Rob closed the production on carbon fibre basses.  I'm not a big Muse fan and to be honest with the level of effects CW uses he could use any old bass and get the same sound......opinions may differ.

[Woodinblack]

23 hours ago, chris_b said:

I don't understand the need behind signature basses. I've never been a big enough fan of anyone that I would buy the bass they played! I would still sound like me, so why would I be trying to achieve?

 

A non zero amount of people will buy it because of that, obviously the majority doesn't care, but when you are trying to hawk a different coloured fender jazz, you need some reason for people to buy it.

 

Some companies do signature basses that are unlike any other one available (and not just the colour) and those can be interesting

[kwmlondon]

3 hours ago, Japhet said:

 

A bit like buying a football shirt with a player's name on it. I see blokes wearing them and snigger to myself 'blimey, Lionel Messi's let himself go, and I didn't expect to see him in Aldi'.

But the Les Paul is a signature guitar. Every bass made by Sire has Marcus Miller on the headstock - if you wanted a Les Paul or a Sire bass would you really be that put off by the fact it's got an artist's name on the headstock? Or do you think those are maybe different to a signature model where it's a pretty standard, off-the-shelf instrument e.g. a Roger Water Fender Precision or Guy Pratt Betsy bass?

 

Don't you think with a lot of signature instruments you don't have to advertise the fact? Sometimes it's a canny purchase - The Bass Centre Betsy bass is supposed to be an absolute belter of a j-bass...

[asingardenof]

3 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

A bass with almost unlimited amounts of cut.

 

Presumably only almost unlimited because eventually the volume will be 0?

[asingardenof]

14 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

A non zero amount of people will buy it because of that, obviously the majority doesn't care, but when you are trying to hawk a different coloured fender jazz, you need some reason for people to buy it.

Indeed, Fender for one has so many minor variations on a limited number of themes that anything they can do to make one model stand out above the crowd is worth a try.

[JPJ]

I’ll chuck in my two’penneth with a vote for the Fender Tony Franklin fretless P bass for no other reason than it’s a fantastic fretless P bass, so much so that mine has become my no1 go to bass. 

[kwmlondon]

36 minutes ago, JPJ said:

I’ll chuck in my two’penneth with a vote for the Fender Tony Franklin fretless P bass for no other reason than it’s a fantastic fretless P bass, so much so that mine has become my no1 go to bass. 

I've never had a signature model before, is it obvious? Is there a signature somewhere?

 

I mean, if I liked the bass it'd have to have the name of someone I really despised on it for me to turn it down, and then I'd probably still buy the bass but find a way of getting the signature off!

Edited March 12 by kwmlondon

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

I've never had a signature model before, is it obvious? Is there a signature somewhere?

 

I mean, if I liked the bass it'd have to have the name of someone I really despised on it for me to turn it down, and then I'd probably still buy the bass but find a way of getting the signature off!

 

Sometimes it's on the back of the headstock, and sometimes it's front, loud and proud...

 

[Noisyjon]

There's also the Fender Mark Hoppus second gen signature bass with the slightly forward reverse P pickup - Didn't that win a P bass blind test at a bass bash @Lozz196? 

[Lozz196]

46 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

I've never had a signature model before, is it obvious? Is there a signature somewhere?

 

I mean, if I liked the bass it'd have to have the name of someone I really despised on it for me to turn it down, and then I'd probably still buy the bass but find a way of getting the signature off!

I get that, before my short-scale days I`d have quite liked the Sting Precision but, well it`s got Stings name on it. He`s a fantastic musician but, well just but.......

[Lozz196]

1 minute ago, Noisyjon said:

There's also the Fender Mark Hoppus second gen signature bass with the slightly forward reverse P pickup - Didn't that win a P bass blind test at a bass bash @Lozz196? 

It did Jon, and not by a nose but by a country mile, a runaway winner.

[police squad]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

I get that, before my short-scale days I`d have quite liked the Sting Precision but, well it`s got Stings name on it. He`s a fantastic musician but, well just but.......

I had one of those too actually. It was bl00dy nice. Massive neck and it really purred. It was ash bodied (strange as Sting's 57 is alder) and had a really smooth sound.

I wish I'd kept it

[admiralchew]

Another vote for the Dingwall NG transcending the artist. It’s certainly found a niche but I don’t think being Nolly Getgood’s bass is its defining feature.

 

I quite like signature basses though. I think I’m right in saying I have four and the NG3 is the only one where the artist didn’t play a real role (compared with Geddy Lee and Jaco jazzes and a Tim Commerford StingRay).

[tauzero]

8 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

I don't count the Warwick or Modulus buzzards in the same way as the Status version is definitive in many, many ways. For several reasons. Firstly, virtually nobody has ever played a Modulus Buzzard as there were so few made.

 

Secondly, the Warwick version is crap. Anyone who has played both the Status and Warwick versions will tell you the Status version is superior in every way you can imagine a bass is or can be better.

 

The Warwick is insanely heavy, has a neck dive you almost wouldn't believe until you try it, the circuit and pickups are poor and the neck profile is a  horrible baseball bat. The Status is the opposite of all those things. As it's all graphite, it's very light, it doesn't neck dive despite having a larger headstock, has a more precision neck profile and some of the best circuitry ever. It's basically what John wanted. A bass with almost unlimited amounts of cut.

 

It was, however, a genuine Entwistle signature bass, so it has to be counted as a genuine Entwistle signature bass. Not the later paddle-headed ones (of which I had a 5-string), which didn't  have neck dive but was heavy and had a big neck profile (still one that I found playable but not brilliant). I've never played the earlier Entwistle signature Warwick but as it's from the mid-90s I'd expect it to have a slimmer neck profile, like my '87 Thumb. Maybe one day I'll get to play one and find out.

[Wolverinebass]

Just now, tauzero said:

 

It was, however, a genuine Entwistle signature bass, so it has to be counted as a genuine Entwistle signature bass. Not the later paddle-headed ones (of which I had a 5-string), which didn't  have neck dive but was heavy and had a big neck profile (still one that I found playable but not brilliant). I've never played the earlier Entwistle signature Warwick but as it's from the mid-90s I'd expect it to have a slimmer neck profile, like my '87 Thumb. Maybe one day I'll get to play one and find out.

What I meant was I'm not entirely sure Modulus sold any commercially. I should have been clearer there.

 

You're in for a disappointment if you think the 80s Warwick Buzzards have a slimmer neck profile. They don't. By default they all have the baseball bat wide neck. Even the post death cash grab ones. However, if you want to play the Status, you're welcome to pop round to mine if you're ever in London or Kent.

[JPJ]

6 hours ago, kwmlondon said:

I've never had a signature model before, is it obvious? Is there a signature somewhere?

 

I mean, if I liked the bass it'd have to have the name of someone I really despised on it for me to turn it down, and then I'd probably still buy the bass but find a way of getting the signature off!

The Tony Franklin has his signature engraved into the neck plate, but it wouldn’t be a massive job to change for a standard F neck plate if it bothered you.