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Favourite Bass Guitar Designs


PatrickJ

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This thread is quite interesting in what it tells me about P and J basses. 

Take them away and with a few obvious exceptions (Rics, T birds, semi acoustics ) most everything else looks hideous. *

Not all, but most. So perhaps it becomes increasingly obvious why those ubiquitous fender shapes remain the start point for so many manufacturers. 

The Aria Proll SB for me is the exception to the rule. 

 

*personal opinion expressed as fact, not actually a provable proposition. 

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1 minute ago, stewblack said:

This thread is quite interesting in what it tells me about P and J basses. 

Take them away and with a few obvious exceptions (Rics, T birds, semi acoustics ) most everything else looks hideous. *

Not all, but most. So perhaps it becomes increasingly obvious why those ubiquitous fender shapes remain the start point for so many manufacturers. 

The Aria Proll SB for me is the exception to the rule. 

 

*personal opinion expressed as fact, not actually a provable proposition. 

I was thinking of posting something much the same! The P or J outline, it can not be argued was bang on to begin with.  Leg scoop, chest cutaway, upper horn for strap button anchoring etc, etc..

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Just now, Dood said:

I was thinking of posting something much the same! The P or J outline, it can not be argued was bang on to begin with.  Leg scoop, chest cutaway, upper horn for strap button anchoring etc, etc..

It's all subjective of course, and who knows I may see a coffee table bass tomorrow that makes me swoon. I'm not just opinionated I'm fickle too. 

Feet of clay! 

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8 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Actually just remembered, Peavey have produced  a couple of gasworthy beasts, not least 

 

Screenshot_20200218_232218.jpg

But it is pretty much just a p bass! 😂

A lovely one at that.

I know what you mean though and sort of agree with you. Although I wonder if other manufacturers stick to the j/p designs just because they're the norm and what everyone is used to. If the Musicman Bongo was one of the first bass guitars, would there be loads of Bongo clones about?

*Shudders at the thought!

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6 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

 

If the Musicman Bongo was one of the first bass guitars, would there be loads of Bongo clones about?

I had one for about 5 years. Sound wise, I’ve never found another bass like it - I wish I still had one solely for that.

At the time though I was recording a lot - ended up seated with it a lot and I got it in my head that the bottom horn was an uncomfortable design flaw...(I know there are some would say that was the least of its aesthetic problems).

ultimately it was sold in haste. Now I’d love that set of sounds back. Think I only got something pathetic like £700 for it...

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32 minutes ago, stewblack said:

It's all subjective of course, and who knows I may see a coffee table bass tomorrow that makes me swoon. I'm not just opinionated I'm fickle too. 

Feet of clay! 

I recall watching a luthier design new and exciting body shapes once. They had all the tools for doing the artwork and everything. What was interesting is that rather than starting from a blank canvass, it was more a case of slicing off or adjusting angles of templates they already had... and I wonder what the templates were? Hmm!

With that in mind, you can lay the outline of many basses directly on top of said basses and much of the important angles tend to line up. I.e, the leg scoop, the chest cutaway and the length of the upper horn. Small details like a shallow lower horn can mean a bass won’t stay perched on the leg, or if the upper horn is too short, the bass will neck dive when strapped on.

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2 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

I had one for about 5 years. Sound wise, I’ve never found another bass like it - I wish I still had one solely for that.

At the time though I was recording a lot - ended up seated with it a lot and I got it in my head that the bottom horn was an uncomfortable design flaw...(I know there are some would say that was the least of its aesthetic problems).

ultimately it was sold in haste. Now I’d love that set of sounds back. Think I only got something pathetic like £700 for it...

To be fair, I've never played one so they could well be a great bass. I just couldn't see myself ever giving one a shot though

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Some great replies on this: for me the Gibson Thunderbird, Ric 4001, and Alembic S1 / S2 are iconic and stunningly beautiful.

Here's one not mentioned so far I've always liked with its minimalist body outline and funky F-hole.  A beach to play finger style though, with that skinny neck and narrow string spacing,

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

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