# Any bass players? Look at this... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328 "2002-08-24T02:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/1 "2002-08-24T02:33:19Z")
[Selsam Hellrazor Tarantula](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=899822034) I found this via [www.whowouldbuythat.com](http://www.whowouldbuythat.com). I can’t see a serious player strapping this beast on. Maybe some 80’s hair metal band, perhaps. Still, you have to admire the fact that it’s handmade. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/2 "2002-08-24T03:19:36Z")
But…but… It’s not a Rickenbacker. So you’re right. Why would anyone buy it? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/3 "2002-08-24T05:31:23Z")
Damn straight, my '78 rick 4001 would send that silly spider scurrying to the highest corner of the garage. talk about resonance. But, I am slightly intreagued…I picture myself in tight spandex, with an articulated spider bass limb resting ever so gently on my nether region, as my band mates stare in disbeleif at how quickly I can strike the low ‘E’. ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/4 "2002-08-24T05:54:51Z")
It’s cool, but how does it sound? It looks pretty awesome, but I think I’ll wait until I can afford to be a collector. And while I respect Rickenbacker, I’m a Fender Jazz Bass man, myself. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/5 "2002-08-24T06:05:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HoldenCaulfield \* > \*\*And while I respect Rickenbacker, I’m a Fender Jazz Bass man, myself. \*\* Please add El Capitan Acoustic 5-string to that sentence…than you have my collection 😃 It’s apples and oranges, if I want my listeners to feel their ribcage shake with rich overtones, I grab my rick. If I want to punch them in the chest with a nice rich thud, I grab my Fender. I’m not allowed to plug in the amp when wife and kid are home, hence the acoustic ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/6 "2002-08-24T07:42:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*It’s apples and oranges, if I want my listeners to feel their ribcage shake with rich overtones, I grab my rick. If I want to punch them in the chest with a nice rich thud, I grab my Fender. I’m not allowed to plug in the amp when wife and kid are home, hence the acoustic \*\* Oh, well don’t think that I wouldn’t have a Rickenbacker if I had the money for more basses. 🙂 As of right now, I’m playing in a loud and fast hard rock band; the Fender was definitely the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/7 "2002-08-24T09:52:00Z")
That instrument looks like a Transformer. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/8 "2002-08-24T11:43:25Z")
I’ve seen some pretty outlandish bass guitars in my life (check out some old photos of the Red Elvises to see Igor’s Monster), but this thing is ridiculous. I want to get into playing bass again, but this thing really makes me want to avoid the guitar. Now, if it were a stand up… ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/9 "2002-08-24T23:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > That instrument looks like a Transformer. For $3,600 it better transform into the lover of your dreams after the show and perform immoral sex acts on you for the rest of the night. Damn, that’s an expensive instrument! ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/10 "2002-08-25T01:43:32Z")
Yeah, that’s hideous, and hideously expensive too. I guess I’m old and out of it, but I like what some call “furniture” basses–you know, wood-grain showing on the top. But worst of all, this Tarantula thing has _frets_. I don’t like speed bumps. In case you haven’t seen this page, here are a few more unusual basses: [http://www.bunnybass.com/amusing/amusingindex.shtml](http://www.bunnybass.com/amusing/amusingindex.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/11 "2002-08-25T14:03:29Z")
Mr. Simmons. Paging Mr. Gene Simmons… ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/12 "2002-08-28T04:57:35Z")
I would never play that. That has to be one of the most moronic looking basses I have ever seen. I’ll stick to my midnight wine 5 String Fender Jazz Bass. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/13 "2002-08-28T14:32:27Z")
3600 bucks is **NOT** expensive for a handmade instrument. I have been looking for an upgrade to my current classical guitar but to get anything that would be a definate improvement I would have to pay around $7000. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/14 "2002-08-28T14:56:04Z")
I thought for sure this was gonna be about [this](http://www.theonion.com/onion2916/bassist2916.html), even though it’s real old. ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/15 "2002-08-28T15:33:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dorkusmalorkusmafia \* > **3600 bucks is NOT expensive for a handmade instrument.** For a handmade instrument that I can take seriously, I would agree. For a handmade classical guitar, not at all outrageous. For a bass guitar that looks like a spider, with a neck that can’t be adjusted without removing it first, it’s at least 1000 times what I would pay for it. Even at $3.60, I’d have to think about it. No disrespect to Mr. Entwhistle, of course. [sub]If it were fretless I’d probably give $3.60 for it. Well, I’d still have to think about it.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/16 "2002-08-28T15:34:29Z")
Ugh, If I ever saw anyone playing that thing I would die laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/17 "2002-08-29T06:59:16Z")
It’s obvious - John Entwistle. Spider, get it? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/18 "2002-08-29T11:46:32Z")
That is ugly. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/19 "2002-08-29T14:40:41Z")
MrO, I can agree with you that I wouldn’t pay for that instrument at all but the price really isn’t that high for a luthier made instrument (assuming it is luthier made rather than artist made). ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328/20 "2002-08-29T15:02:51Z")
$3,500 is pretty cheap for a instrument, just not _that_ instrument! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-bass-players-look-at-this/125328.md?page=2)