Number6 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Guild Starfire's that have been given the Alembic treatment are uber cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 "Would I look a knob playing this?" 'What music are you playing?' "We're a Motown covers band" 'Then yes, the 9 string fretless will look a bit stupid' That's how I gauge it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I had a Spector with LED's up the neck. Got told that wasn't cool once in Dry Bar in Manchester, by a cool kid. So cool, his band wasn't gigging that week/month/year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) [quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1454188701' post='2967432'] The coolest bass is a Thunderbird. But they are, for me, the most uncomfortable basses ever made so I don`t play one. [/quote] I have heard that from others. I don't get it at all. I'm 6' tall and I sometimes gig with my 1991 Gibson Thunderbird. I just sling it over my shoulder. It doesn't feel any different than any other bass to me. And I have no clue as to what all this business about something called "neck dive" is. Blue Edited January 31, 2016 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Well, I play with my thumb resting on the pickup, fingerstyle. On the T bird, I rest it on the neck pickup but the problem is there is no body for my hand where it joins my wrist, to rest against and it is uncomfortable for me to play. Nowt to do with neck dive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I'm a bit OCD about headstocks being small and symmetrical (headless for bonus points) and bridges being chunk and non-captive e.g. Cool ... Not cool ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 For me I think that whether a bass is cool (to me) or not is largely aesthetic and visual - and as such is irrational, inconsistent and purely personal. There are many basses I think are cool that I would never play as I find them uncomfortable or for one or another reason they just don't work for me. For example Ricky 4000 series basses. Love them, can't get on with them but till terribly cool. Thunderbirds, cool. Non reverse TBirds deeply uncool. I would probably find it easier to define elements that rule out coolness for me than define a cool formula... So Laklands bridges, modern style single cuts, really over extended upper horns, probably more than five strings and definitely more than 6, multi wood/colour fingerboards, never seen a Warwick I thought looked cool (their aesthetic just doesn't do it for me)... And a random host of others I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 (edited) [quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1454241562' post='2967733'] Not cool ... [/quote] Dammit!!! I just bought one of these yesterday - although in my eyes it is extremely cool. I think that what is cool or not is obviously highly subjective and personal, in broader terms I'd say cool is defined more by a general consensus of the populace than by individual opinion (and I'm guessing this is more what the OP is looking for). I'd say Blue's Thunderbird and Gold Top are both pretty strong contenders for the title. They are both classic designs and therefore elegant and stylish, not so common place as to be innocuous and commonplace but familiar enough that their appeal is effortless. For me though, the Les Paul wins out of the two simply by virtue of being a bit less 'try hard' than the T-Bird. I play a jazz and a precision though (both fivers) so what do I know? Edited January 31, 2016 by Painy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='Painy' timestamp='1454242760' post='2967744'] I play a jazz and a precision though (both fivers) so what do I know? [/quote] It definitely is incredibly subjective and I knew that. On a similar note to yours. One of my basses is "coffee table" material and the other is bright yellow with dodgy frets so incredibly uncool in a lot of peoples books but I love them. I've always found 'traditional' shapes to be quite dull to look at and quite uncomfortable to play for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1454241562' post='2967733'] I'm a bit OCD about headstocks being small and symmetrical (headless for bonus points) and bridges being chunk and non-captive e.g. Cool ... Not cool ... [/quote] Nope, you got it backward...OCD or not, the top one is ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1454251707' post='2967840'] Nope, you got it backward...OCD or not, the top one is ugly. [/quote] Gotta agree here, the headstock on that Brubaker looks like a deformed foot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1454119642' post='2966741'] A cool bass is whatever you think a cool bass is. Blue [/quote]its not complicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1454251707' post='2967840'] Nope, you got it backward...OCD or not, the top one is ugly. [/quote] I find them both pretty ugly if I'm honest but I can't really speak...I really like the Warwick headstocks and people seem to hate them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si600 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1454241562' post='2967733'] Not cool ... [/quote] Tort and sunburst. Told you so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Firm uncool things that are not subject to debate :-) Gold hardware. Loads of control knobs like that Brubaker. Any kind of fancy top, spalted or other dead rotten wood. more than 5 strings and 5s are pushing it. Anything with a 'signature' on it. Headless. Short strap to raise bass up as a chin strap. LEDs. Fretless. Single cuts with the top horn near the 12th fret. Fanned frets. Jazz basses with a chrome plate but no guard, rear route should be law there. Feel free to add to my list. People will take offense to any of those that applies to them but I'm affraid joe public would not class anyone sporting those basses as cool, Ricky on a medium length strap played with a pick is always going to be cooler than a spalted apple tree topped, gold hardwared, multi knobbed single cut worn just below the chin. You can tell me I'm wrong and thats fine but deep down you know its true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I agree with many on your list, but top of the list by a country mile is basses worn high up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Any bass that I play is cool. Especially my headless fretless fancy wood faced Sei Original 5. Fenders are not cool, they are tepid. This is obvious because I won't have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40hz Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 [quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1454262496' post='2967991'] Firm uncool things that are not subject to debate :-) Gold hardware. Loads of control knobs like that Brubaker. Any kind of fancy top, spalted or other dead rotten wood. more than 5 strings and 5s are pushing it. Anything with a 'signature' on it. Headless. Short strap to raise bass up as a chin strap. LEDs. Fretless. Single cuts with the top horn near the 12th fret. Fanned frets. Jazz basses with a chrome plate but no guard, rear route should be law there. Feel free to add to my list. People will take offense to any of those that applies to them but I'm affraid joe public would not class anyone sporting those basses as cool, Ricky on a medium length strap played with a pick is always going to be cooler than a spalted apple tree topped, gold hardwared, multi knobbed single cut worn just below the chin. You can tell me I'm wrong and thats fine but deep down you know its true! [/quote] Absolutely nailed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 In the real world, let's face it, there is no such thing as a "cool" bass. In our heads, maybe, but in the real world? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1454283507' post='2968305'] In the real world, let's face it, there is no such thing as a "cool" bass. In our heads, maybe, but in the real world? [/quote] Indeed... The coolest bass is one with a scale length around 25" and six skinny strings you can play chords on whilst singing about girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 [quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1454262496' post='2967991'] Firm uncool things that are not subject to debate :-) Gold hardware. Loads of control knobs like that Brubaker. Any kind of fancy top, spalted or other dead rotten wood. more than 5 strings and 5s are pushing it. Anything with a 'signature' on it. Headless. Short strap to raise bass up as a chin strap. LEDs. Fretless. Single cuts with the top horn near the 12th fret. Fanned frets. Jazz basses with a chrome plate but no guard, rear route should be law there. Feel free to add to my list. People will take offense to any of those that applies to them but I'm affraid joe public would not class anyone sporting those basses as cool, Ricky on a medium length strap played with a pick is always going to be cooler than a spalted apple tree topped, gold hardwared, multi knobbed single cut worn just below the chin. You can tell me I'm wrong and thats fine but deep down you know its true! [/quote] Millions of Joe Public's made Justin Bieber famous and stinking rich. Joe Public wouldnt know 'cool' if it smashed them around the face with a Rickenbacker on a medium length strap before ramming the pick between their front teeth. Maybe 'cool' is buying a multi-controlled apple tree on a short strap and not being told what to do by the Joe Public consensus?* *Or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colgraff Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 I'm always intrigued by terms such as 'Joe Public' and 'Hoi Polloi', etc. It implies that the speaker is somehow superior to the general population and I tend to think that if one needs to makes such an assertion, then it probably isn't true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4stringslow Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 [quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1454199634' post='2967528'] The player. [/quote] This, and the music being played, is surely the only thing that matters? If you think the playing is great then the bass is likely to be deemed 'cool' by extension but I can't see how a bass itself can be cool. It's like anything fashionable. A mini-skirt might look cool on the right person but somewhat less cool on my granny. Context is everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapiro Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 To me , personally, Cool is entirely an aesthetic thing when describing a bass- I don't think the sound a particular bass makes makes it cool - it is merely an aesthetic quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Bass with Neck LEDs being played by a hot woman in a silver cat suit, while wearing a fez. Nothing else is cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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