The Longevity of a Modern Bass

[agent77]

I paid a visit to my local luthier today. While I was waiting for him to attend to me I overheard him talking to another customer. It went pretty much like this:

"Even Gibsons and American Fenders are using cheap metal. I have to loosen the strings before I adjust the saddle so they (set screws) don't strip. Trussrods are all $***, they didn't break like this 20 years ago. Anyway these companies can save a buck, they're gonna do it."

So how true is this? Are the days of buying an instrument that will last a lifetime over? I have no problem spending +$1,000 on a bass if it will last for 40 years, but I'm starting to think I should just buy a cheap bass every few years and save myself the heartache of a broken instrument.

[Bongolation]

For the most part, it's nonsense.

Furthermore, I'd bet big money these "experts" have no -- ZERO -- notion of how to set trussrods or adjust bridges. Their statements reflect this.

[Templar]

I don't think I'd let that "luthier" touch any of my stuff.

[mcm]

A luthier starving for attention sounds like

[DrSpunkwater]

About the only bad thing my tech has to say about Gibsons and Fenders is that the frets are terrible. He doesn't mind though because they give him lots of business.