It seems Martin will give just about anybody a signature guitar. Do you think they really want to honor these guitarists? Or is just about the cash? At least with fender you have to pass a little mustard to get a signature. Tell me your thoughts.

I can't speak for Martin, but I know Fender does some questionable Signature series basses. There's the Pete Wentz (Fallout Boy) Precision, which is basically a P bass with Duncan pickups and a red & black "Bat Heart" graphic, and there's a Mark Hoppus (Blink 182) bass, but at least it's a hybrid: Jazz body, P neck and only one P pickup. They also have the Marcus Miller bass, which I think is very ugly.

The latest rumor I've heard is that they will produce a Bob Babbitt (Motown's Funk Brothers) signature P bass. But the only thing I can see that makes it a "Signature" is that it will have a foam mute contraption that can be disengaged. A hunk of foam rubber is about $1,500 less than a Signature bass.

In my opinion, Fender should go the route that OLP did with the Tony Levin Signature -- they worked with Tony on the design and made it truly affordable -- less than $300. I can't see the need to spend extra cash just to have a bass that looks like someone else's when a lot of the sound of a bass is achieved by what strings you use and how you set your amplifier.

I will admit that I bought a Rickenbacker 4001 bass way back when because that's what Chris Squire used, but in that case, the sound of the Rick was very unique and his sound -- aa lot of it from using Rotosound strings -- was at the time unachieveable using any other bass. And when Rickenbacker offered the CS SIgnature bass at a premium price in 1999, I passed.

What really bugs me, though, is the willingness of people to spend an extra $1,000 to have a "roadworn" finish. Nothing like paying for "character."

I hear you there. I have a buddy in Colorado that bought a cheap strat body and just threw it loose in their bands cargo trailer to let it slide and bang around. After about a year he set it up and it looks great... if you like them to look like that... I do think it is silly to pay for "character." Make your own character, thats what the greats did.

That is nuts. I can understand it though. By day I work for a clothing company/retailer and it's amazing what people will pay for distressed denim and faded t shirts.

Ah, Chris! Don't give away your secret identity!