tegs07

One of the advantages of a classic style is that it never really goes out of fashion and can be used with anything by anyone. If you only have one bass something like one of BC Rich more adventurous designs may not be the best choice unless you’re only ever going to play metal. A subtle (boring) P bass design whether Yamaha, Fender, Sire, G&L or whatever could be used in pretty much any band.

Sure so as as like a classic P I may as well buy one. It’s the timeless simplicity of the design that I like. Edit: As well as the sound. Particularly with flats.

Thanks that’s really useful info. Functionality and sound definitely trump looks for me.

My son was recently given one of these and it’s great fun to play. Futurama (Hagstrom)

I like the Nu-Sonic a lot. I’ve always loathed the Mustang but for some bizarre reason suddenly really want one.

With the P and J shape being so ubiquitous I just think they are what pop into my head when people say bass. Like if you say hatchback car I would think VW Golf and Estate probably a Volvo. Neither offensive or exciting just nicely car shaped! When it comes to the sound of a P or J, well othat’s a different matter. If I was looking for a P bass sound I may as well get a P bass. Edit: The exception to this for me is the Jazz. The looks neither excite nor bore me. It’s a classic shape that is pleasing on the eye, but I have had a couple and find the shape a bit annoying in use. Tempted to sell the one I have now and get a Sandberg J.

Marathon - Rush

On the bench with that one. Beautifully made. Kind of nautical…

I think everyone born before 1985 had that bass!

Explains your dislike of Fender! You are Mr Magoo.

Does anyone know what make this is? I think He-Man wants it back.

Creature Fear - Bon Iver

Fender have tried several times to do different basses from the performer to the dimension but people basically want P an J basses. Some of the 80’s HM basses were pretty good but I guess Ibanez dominated that market. Speaking of which I could learn to love most things posted here so far but never the BC Rich stuff and just about anything with a pointy headstock!

And if The Munsters were ever to form a band:

The Parker Fly was a sight for sore eyes:

Mountain song - Janes Addiction

Right place wrong time - Dr John

I would describe that as a bass of two halves. One half is harmonious the other just odd. Though saying that I like each half on it’s own merit … hmmm maybe one that you could grow to love.

Kramer: Beauty or the beast? Gibson are also marmite for me. Thunderbird is iconic and I love it, but you can keep the EB-0, Grabber and Explorer. The Les Paul guitar is gorgeous. I’m never sure about the bass.

Does this count?

Town called malice / The Jam

It’s not really Fender the multi-National money machine that I am referring to but Leo Fender the somewhat useless businessman but engineering genius. The shapes of the instruments can be seen as “bland” or iconic. The designs were certainly eye catching and futuristic at the time. Whether they are now is open to debate. What they were though was easy to mass produce and affordable. What is more remarkable is the development of pickup technology and positioning. Then there are all the innovations in bridge design. So yep alongside Les Paul and Mr Marshal Leo Fender is right up there for me in the legends of music history. Edit: Ugly bass added for your viewing pleasure: Edit 2: Personally I think with the innovations in technology it’s almost impossible to make a bad guitar these days. You could take pretty much any £500 instrument being produced in Indonesia and stick Fender/Lakland/G&L/Sterling or Yahamaha or whatever on the headstock, set it up nicely and people would say it’s great or average based on their personal predisposition and prejudices.

The “ugly” bases are pretty tricky to route and would not have been easy to mass produce in the 1950’s and 60’s. Those basic early shapes and pickups gave birth to rock and roll which is where music got really interesting for me.

I was simply responding to a post saying all Fenders were ugly. The aesthetics are definitely personal but kind of irrelevant to me. I mentioned Henry Ford as he took something complex and unaffordable and made it simple to mass produce and allowed mass ownership which is what Leo Fender did for guitars and basses.

It’s like saying if Henry Ford hadn’t been around there would be no impact on the history of automotive engineering. Like or loathe them there is no denying that the sound of the P, J, Ray etc are almost ubiquitous.