What is the shapes of bass?

Answer 1

Bass Guitars can really be in any shape the maker has in mind. Whether it's distributed in stores or from your custom plans, they can be anything. However, there are three areas that show difference the most. The body, neck, and 'head" or, otherwise known as the spot where the tuning pegs are placed.

A common style is the Squire bass line by Fender. Most commonly a P-Bass, or Precision Bass.

The body is a typical shape of a round bottom, inward curves, and two 'horns' on the top, the taller on the left. And a white, black, or silver plate just under the strings and over the smaller horn.

The neck is nothing spectacular, either a dark or light wood with fret lines and a shiny dot showing certain notes. Some other basses necks will have a large rectangle or a right triangle between frets.

The head isn't quite spontaneous either, If you look at it from the side, it almost resembles an alligator with a large round mouth.

The tuning pegs on this model are of the upright or 'double' bass, used in orchestras. If you haven't seen one, it almost resembles something like a head of cauliflower ready to be picked. (odd hu?) However I have seen a much more interesting tuning pegs on an Ibanez, in the shape of slightly molded triangles.

Of coarse, there are much more other styles. Some of the most interesting ones used to be the signature bass of band members. Example; the Mikey Way (of My Chemical Romance) signature mustang bass. It's body is covered in sliver sparkles encased in polyurethane with two black diagonal stripes on the left side. Which is now being sold in international guitar stores.

So all in all, a bass can look however you want it to, as long as its functional, and has the few key elements that make it a bass; Strings (E,A,D,G) tuning pegs, body, neck, fretts, and a head.