Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

signature basses


BaggyMan

Recommended Posts

No idea how to highlight someone's name but i'd go with Hiram's basses being classed as signature basses as they are named by the manufacturer after someone famous. The John Deacon lookalike might be cutting it a bit fine but i'd be happy with that being called a signature or maybe a tribute bass would be a better description on that one. 

Dave :D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

You type an @ and then type the username directly after it without leaving a space. The Basschat Engine should do the rest for you 😀. Yeah, The Deacy is pushing it a bit, but it’s such a nice bass I bought I would add it in. Should be a tribute rather than a signature. Now there’s an idea for another thread 😂

Have to say i like the Limelight Deacon bass. I'd consider buying one of those too with the J neck it would def suit me better.

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This Signature Bass was supposed to be the one. The one Bass that I'd always wanted to own - and never thought I could. These were the Basses other player's played. And there it was.. in The Bass Centre, Wapping.. one day.. and I couldn't not have it.

But.. this Bass just doesn't sound 'great'. It should be the one I use nearly all the time.. but it's not. It's tough to love. And that's it.

8a0374a269d571a66276871b2ef0ecaf.jpg

 

Edited by SimonEdward
replace link to pic - with image
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being a big Stanley Clarke fan I bought into the signature thing with an Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature Short scale bass and I have to say it's been a fantastic bass purchase. Never regretted it for a moment. It does take a while to get used to the way the low pass filters work and how to get repeatable tones but I've cracked it now and it's more instinctive than standard bass eq controls for me.

 

Edited by jazzyvee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just remembered my Vintage Tony Butler Sig Precision, amazing bass, incredibly good quality and as near in feel and sound to my US Standards as I can get - and for a fraction of the price. It’s ideal as a cheap backup to take to gigs but safe in the knowledge that the backup actually delivers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/10/2019 at 20:47, silverfoxnik said:

As a general rule, I'm not in the slightest bit interested in owning a bass that's endorsed in any way, or is a signature model...my brain just doesn't work like that. 

However, I just loved the look of the Fender Roscoe Beck 5 String bass when I first saw one around 2006 - which was a good few years after they were introduced.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that, at the time, I had no idea who Roscoe Beck was! So in a way, the bass led me to the musician, not the other way around... 

As it happened, I found the research about him really interesting and learning about the design philosophy he had for the bass made it even more intriguing. 

So, when I finally got one in 2007, I absolutely loved it and since then, I've had 5 of them.. and happily, I still love the look, playability, sound and ergonomics of them. 

The only reason I've had so many of them over the years is because the dreaded Basschat fuelled GAS demons got the better of me and I stupidly sold them, only to then regret being such an idiot! 😁

Funny thing is, I don't particularly like the look of the 4 string model so have never wanted to own one?? 

Having said all of that, there are lots of signature model basses out there that I like the look of - the Nate Mendel being one for example - but none so far (other than the RBV) that have  motivated enough to go out and get one. 

I’ve had both and the 4 is a completely different animal to the 5

I love the 5 but did not like the 4

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Nate Mendel P, but the signature aspect was irrelevant - I don't even like the Foo Fighters. I've always steered clear of P basses on account of neck girth. The modern Mexican ones seem to play OK, but feel plastic coated to me. I was interested in the slightly narrower neck and nitro finish. I love it. After years of re-EQing a Stingray in the studio, the P just sits exactly right and despite being passive is actually higher output than the Musicman. It pushes the valve front of my amp very nicely and through a Rat, it just roars. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not so long ago but well after the fact I actually realised that both my regularly played basses are signatures! A Sandberg Umbo, and a Squier Matt Freeman precision. I chose the Umbo because it was by far the best jazz bass I found on my day of jazz bass shopping, and just assumed the Umbo was the model name. I rate Matt Freeman but don't ape him in anyway, and got the bass because I wanted a precision bass with not too chunky a neck, had heard that these were particularly good bang for their buck, and one popped up locally for 200 quid.

My feeling was that I wouldn't seek out a bass because it was the signature of a particular player, but I have just realised that I would definitely want to try a Mike Kerr signature, which I am assuming will one day be a short scale Jaguar with a hum/mudbucker or two. I think it would be awesome, and I am quite surprised Fender haven't released one yet - I'm sure it would sell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 28/10/2019 at 12:09, BaggyMan said:

So, who out there bought into the signature bass market?

and how did it work out.

 

My stories

1. Billy Sheehan

Guitar 1.  A Yamaha ltd pacifica, budget friendly "single out with a guitar hum bucker at the neck" version.  Needed a fret job to prevent blood loss, in the end. Swapped out the bucker for a real Dimarzio,  good sounding bass. also added a d-tuner that never got used. Looked the part though.

Guitar 2.  A proper £1000+ Mk1 Billy Sheehan Pacifica.  Huge in every way, sound neck.  Beast of a bass. 

Conclusion:  The proper one sounded great ...as long as you wanted 'that Billy' sound. seems like a dumb thing to expect it to be all things to all men...but its was brilliant at its job but nothing outside (cue: howls of Pacifica owner rage comments..)

2. Geddy Lee

Bought in early to this and got a CIJ Jazz.  What a bass..loved it.clanky and very Geddy like. Terrible machine heads...

Conclusion: More like a Jazz than a 'Geddy only' bass.  Great neck (marmite comment I know some people dont like thin necks). 

A mate of mine owned a twin neck Wal for a spell (he collected Wal's..) apparently the number 2 of 2 originally designed for Jonas Hellborg, midi, fretless huge.  In the end a novelty coffee table sized bass.

So who else...Macca hofner,  the fella from the foo's p bass, more exotic one off's .  Interested how people have get on trying to swim in the same pool as their hero's...Was it worth it? 

 

 

I own a Dean USA Jeff Berlin Signature Patchwork 

20E87AB7-C811-41E0-BE77-9B6E236911CB.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 31/10/2019 at 14:07, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Mike Lull 'Bryan Beller' M5 - After faffing about for many years buying then selling every single 5 string I ever bought, I had finally decided that 5's definitely were not for me - then an 80's band asked me to join them. Being completely unable to say no to a gig, I gave little thought to the fact that I would almost certainly be required to play a 5 string in this band. I then set about making a short list of all the things I didn't like about the 5 string basses I had previously owned and tried to home in on something that avoided everything on that list and I ended up with this. It's plus points are it's light, it's well balanced, it has a thunderous B string, a great pre-amp and it came in a great colour. I can't think of anything negative to say about it really. I just wish this had been the first 5 string I had bought and I could have avoided all that nonsense with the others. Live and learn.

 

I had a friend (a confirmed 4 string player) try out my Mike Lull PJ5. Their comment when playing it was, "I wish I'd played this one first".

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Fender Flea Jazz that I bought stupidly cheap with a view to turn it around and make a profit. The set up was the worse I'd ever seen on a bass but 2 hours later it played like a dream. Best sounding pickups ever so decided to keep it and is now gigged regularly. It's relegated my 1990 Jap Jazz to the rack.

Not a mad Flea fan although always enjoyed a bit of RHCP but a great sounding Jazz.  I'd really recommend one if a Fender Jazz is your thing. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some signature basses are a whole new bass and some are just a colour scheme. So far I they haven't tempted me, although I really liked the Fender Roscoe Beck and Marcus Miller 5 string basses that I played. Sadly they were both way too heavy for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I have 5 basses, I love them all, but I would let go any of them for a given price except 2 of them, that I would take with me to the grave, and they both happen to be signature basses! 

They are both the best sounding and playing basses I've ever owned, a 2003 Modulus Flea (also currently upgraded with a new Modulus Lane Poor pickup too), and a 2012 Fodera Yin Yang Deluxe II (my main bass)

Both are now running Elixir Nickel strings and they play and sound wonderful with them, for a very long time! 

ea3LUYr.jpg

 

TApDRi2.jpg

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...