What does your signature bass look like?

[Steve Browning]

Quite clearly, Fender are not going to be making the Steve Browning signature bass any time soon. If they are tempted, however, they would need to recreate a pretty distinctive pattern of wear - where the nails of the 3rd and little fingers of my right hand dig grooves into the wood of the body.

 

This can be seen on the basses below, showing the effect after (l to r) 1, 5 and 40 years of playing.

 

Anyone else leaving obvious signs of unique wear on their basses? What scars do your basses carry (from your style of playing)?

[SamIAm]

36 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

What scars do your basses carry (from your style of playing)?

Mine carry emotional scars due to my lack of skill! 🤣

Sam x

[Steve Browning]

4 minutes ago, SamIAm said:

Mine carry emotional scars due to my lack of skill! 🤣

Sam x

Mine are probably traumatised, but I have managed to fool some people all of the time!

[chris_b]

Mine would look pretty similar to yours, burst and tort, except they'd have 5 strings.

 

I don't leave any playing marks on my basses.

Edited October 29, 2024 by chris_b

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

My JMJs have a lacquer finish that came with fake playwear and any I've added isn't really noticable. Most of my other basses have a poly or similar hard finish so only Edward Scissorhands, Freddie Kruger or that character Hugh Jackman plays would be able to add any playwear.

Edited October 29, 2024 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Huge Hands]

Mine all have bumps and chips in the top edge of the headstock, where I keep bumping it into things!  On my Fender style basses, the farthest peg is usually bent in some way too. 

 

It is not through wanton-style rage rampages, I am just really clumsy! 

 

The first time I bent a peg was when I was a teenager - on a bus doorway through the gig-bag on my back...

[OliverBlackman]

4 hours ago, chris_b said:

Mine would look pretty similar to yours, burst and tort, except they'd have 5 strings.

 

I don't leave any playing marks on my basses.

Ditto. My Fender bass is perfect but it was a Ltd edition with Lindy Fralin replacement pups, so could be reproduced as a signature. If I was gigging on a world stage, this would be the bass!

 

[Lozz196]

Although I’ve always played my basses quite hard I’ve always been pretty accurate in my playing so the only part of them that ever suffered any wear were the strings, no wear & tear on the basses themselves.

[bassbiscuits]

Mine have got round wound marks at the body end of the fretboard (from slapping and/or heavy handed finger style) and usually some horizontal long surface scratches across the front from reckless pick playing.

 

 

[miles'tone]

4 hours ago, Huge Hands said:

Mine all have bumps and chips in the top edge of the headstock, where I keep bumping it into things!  On my Fender style basses, the farthest peg is usually bent in some way too. 

 

It is not through wanton-style rage rampages, I am just really clumsy! 

 

The first time I bent a peg was when I was a teenager - on a bus doorway through the gig-bag on my back...

Reminds me of being a youngster running up some stairs to catch a train...my pointy headstock Westone actually cut its way out of the top of my gigbag and slammed into a step, snapping off said pointy bit. I liked it better afterwards to be honest! 😄

@Steve Browning my current bass is fairly new so nothing to report so far (won't be long knowing me).

[AndyTravis]

I’m always debating this.

 

I think a 2 pickup Casady (in itself a signature of a signature…sort of)

 

Possible centre block to reduce feedback when I do fuzz it up…

 

With ripper wiring - but 5 positions to have “just neck pickup”

 

so it’d be a signature of a signature of a signature…

 

Blue Sparkle

Silver Sparkle

Purple Sparkle

 

nobody would buy it and I could have them

all.

[Steve Browning]

6 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I’m always debating this.

 

I think a 2 pickup Casady (in itself a signature of a signature…sort of)

 

Possible centre block to reduce feedback when I do fuzz it up…

 

With ripper wiring - but 5 positions to have “just neck pickup”

 

so it’d be a signature of a signature of a signature…

 

Blue Sparkle

Silver Sparkle

Purple Sparkle

 

nobody would buy it and I could have them

all.

Does your playing style result in any particular pattern of wear? It's this aspect that is the subject of this thread. 

 

I guess it's more likely on nitro finished instruments. 

Edited October 29, 2024 by Steve Browning

[AndyTravis]

3 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Does your playing style result in any particular pattern of wear? It's this aspect that is the subject of this thread. 

 

I guess it's more likely on nitro finished instruments. 

Sorry. Multi tasking didn’t fully read anything…

 

I’ll get my coat 🤦🏻‍♂️

[AndyTravis]

So…in actual answer to the OP.

 

I tend to wear long sleeves on stage and because I used to bite my nails as a sprog - I keep them trimmed, so no Nail marks…

 

Some light forearm wear and thinned finish on the back of the neck - but fairly uniform as I play on most bits of the neck…

 

My longest serving bass was an old Warwick which did have wear under the G string between the neck pickup and fingerboard end as I was a slapaholic between 17-23 and it was my only real bass during a music college course.

 

Wouldn't happen now 😂

 

There’s also the old poke that I don’t keep basses long enough to add wear…but i suspect the current crop will start to show as I’m gigging these a lot more.

 

(apologies for totally misunderstanding the original idea @Steve Browning)

[tauzero]

No marks on the 5-strings I've used since 2007 but the JD Thumb that was my main bass for 20 years before that has a little mark on the body at the top of the neck pickup, I think from my thumbnail as I anchored my hand there.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

8 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

Quite clearly, Fender are not going to be making the Steve Browning signature bass any time soon. If they are tempted, however, they would need to recreate a pretty distinctive pattern of wear - where the nails of the 3rd and little fingers of my right hand dig grooves into the wood of the body.

 

This can be seen on the basses below, showing the effect after (l to r) 1, 5 and 40 years of playing.

 

Anyone else leaving obvious signs of unique wear on their basses? What scars do your basses carry (from your style of playing)?

I can’t even comprehend how that wear occurs. Different playing styles I guess.

[basshead56]

Some ideas I've always fancied for a Sig model:

 

An early 2000's style American Deluxe Jazz 4 string (same as my QMT) but in a cool black burst/swirl (silvery cloud-esque and similar QMT finish) with gold hardware, Ebony fretboard with pearl blocks and white binding, Matching Headstock with gold logo -as per my QMT, noiseless pickups, Sadowsky Preamp and a Hipshot extender on the E

(The necks on my QMT and Victor Bailey 4 are easily the nicest Jazz necks I've ever played) so definitely would have that at least!

 

A 70's Style P Bass in Sherwood green with matching headstock, pearloid pickguard, ebony fretboard with pearl blocks and binding, Bridge from one of the eighties P Bass Elites (Think they were Schaller Fine-Tuning bridges?) , Vintage 60's style pickup with overwind. 

 

Aria SB1000 in Starry Night ala EBMM with all black hardware and hipshot xtender on E

 

A Fender-branded Rascal (not sure if i want the 3 lipstick pup or the Squier Paranormal wide-range 'buckers) in silver sparkle or Mercury silver w matching headstock with a black pickguard, rosewood board, pearl blocks AND a Darkglass AO preamp ala the Darkray -activated via S-1 Switch and toggled with a chickenhead knob on the upper bout

 

 

Oh and I'd probably have LED fretmarkers or some of those luminlay dots (that have appeared on the Am Ultra 2 series Fenders) on all of the above

Edited October 30, 2024 by basshead56

[BigRedX]

Mine hasn't changed since the last time this question was asked.

 

It would be a Gus Bass VI, based on the Gus 30" baritone design but with a Shergold Marathon 6-string bass neck width, Fender Bass VI pickup positions but with custom switching/routing that allows me to send each pickup to one of two outputs or turn it off; plus a piezo bridge MIDI pickup. Colours would be pearl white and shiny chrome.

[Steve Browning]

9 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

So…in actual answer to the OP.

 

I tend to wear long sleeves on stage and because I used to bite my nails as a sprog - I keep them trimmed, so no Nail marks…

 

Some light forearm wear and thinned finish on the back of the neck - but fairly uniform as I play on most bits of the neck…

 

My longest serving bass was an old Warwick which did have wear under the G string between the neck pickup and fingerboard end as I was a slapaholic between 17-23 and it was my only real bass during a music college course.

 

Wouldn't happen now 😂

 

There’s also the old poke that I don’t keep basses long enough to add wear…but i suspect the current crop will start to show as I’m gigging these a lot more.

 

(apologies for totally misunderstanding the original idea @Steve Browning)

No apology needed. 

[Steve Browning]

33 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Mine hasn't changed since the last time this question was asked.

 

It would be a Gus Bass VI, based on the Gus 30" baritone design but with a Shergold Marathon 6-string bass neck width, Fender Bass VI pickup positions but with custom switching/routing that allows me to send each pickup to one of two outputs or turn it off; plus a piezo bridge MIDI pickup. Colours would be pearl white and shiny chrome.

I haven't seen a thread on specific wear patterns. I was asking about any marks your playing leaves on the instrument. 

 

Weirdly, I also bite my nails and generally the two guilty fingers are bent over. The pattern is a bit of a mystery to me, but there it is. 

Edited October 30, 2024 by Steve Browning

[NancyJohnson]

Perhaps I should approach the good people at Aria Pro II to build a 1978 Signature Primary Bass, but god knows how they'd replicate it for the masses.

 

It's got a decent backstory; Friday night Gumtree purchase as part of a job lot (£50!),  Schaller machines, but everything else was missing bits/broken.  It took a few days to straighten the neck (truss rod wasn't under any tension).

 

Put a Delano pickup in, new loom, Hipshot Kickass bridge, Straploks.  Every time it goes out, I ensure it gets a fresh ding.  It's a workhorse.

 

 

 

[AndyTravis]

17 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

Perhaps I should approach the good people at Aria Pro II to build a 1978 Signature Primary Bass, but god knows how they'd replicate it for the masses.

 

It's got a decent backstory; Friday night Gumtree purchase as part of a job lot (£50!),  Schaller machines, but everything else was missing bits/broken.  It took a few days to straighten the neck (truss rod wasn't under any tension).

 

Put a Delano pickup in, new loom, Hipshot Kickass bridge, Straploks.  Every time it goes out, I ensure it gets a fresh ding.  It's a workhorse.

 

 

 

Love that bass every time I see it.

[NancyJohnson]

6 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Love that bass every time I see it.

 

Just for you  💕 

 

[Lozz196]

13 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Although I’ve always played my basses quite hard I’ve always been pretty accurate in my playing so the only part of them that ever suffered any wear were the strings, no wear & tear on the basses themselves.

Further to this, my sig bass would look exactly like the one in my pic, tho I`d have it chambered to help the old back out, and would have a Jazz width neck.

[fretmeister]

Mine doesn't exist and I don't have the funds to have it built.

 

It would be a 32 scale 5 string. 44.5mm nut. 22 frets. 17.5mm bridge spacing. Slim neck like a ray5. Modern pickup placement similar to a Marleaux consat 5 where the bridge pickup is close 2 the bridge and the neck one is really just beyond where a ray pickup would be.

 

Simple 3 band EQ but also with a passive tone as well so it can have old fashioned roll off.

Probably headless with a good clamp system so any strings can be used.

 

Body shape starting point would be the Marleaux Betra headless - but chop a little out of it to make it narrower across the body.

 

Judging by the Marleaux price list I think I'd need £7000-£10,000 to get that built by them.