Are Expensive Basses Necessary?

[lfmn16]

And how will you ever know your best if you can't commit to a decent enough instrument to bring out your best.

I think the whole "dollar store" mentality (wow, look at all this affordable crap) has really damaged new players from becoming better players. ... I walk into a Guitar Centre and I'm hard pressed to find one decent instrument that's worth taking home. And if I do, it is usually used and has had many upgrades. ... Ask any serious player what he plays and you'll get the truth, "You get what you pay for."

I agree. You find out what makes you play best by trying out a lot of basses without regard to cost. Maybe you can't afford your 'best' bass right now.

When I was trained, back when dirt was new, you bought the best instrument you could afford. I'm so sick of hearing how Victor could make a Squier sound great. Yeah, well first, you and me aren't Victor, and second, he plays a Fodera.

 

[And I]

A good bassist is going to sound like a good bassist playing on any working bass. I think it's a worthwhile investment to get an instrument that is easy to play and has all the features you need. If that bass for you costs 500 and for someone else it's 5000, then so be it. If you're happy with what you're playing, you don't need anything but the occasional set of new strings. If you have the money to spare, then anything that improves your bass playing life is worth it.

 

[dan1952]

I buy my clothes at rummage sales or the Christian Center. I drive a Honda Odyssey with 212,000 miles on it. I paid $400.00 for my Jerry Jones longhorn bass, and $400.00 for my Fender Precision/Jazz Frankenbass. No reason to spend a bundle. On anything. I am not compelled to impress anyone. Period.

 

[monkeyfinger]

Whenever this question comes up, and it does frequently, I interpret this as: "Will an expensive bass matter to me?" There are two answers to that:

1. I have no idea. Only you can judge that.
2. If you have to ask, it probably doesn't because you don't have the talent/ear/experience to tell you what makes this bass better or worse than yours.

 

[nostatic]

"Things" usually don't bring lasting happiness. "Experiences" usually have more longevity. I enjoy the experience of giggling my stupid-expensive bass. IF I didn't have a comfortable income, I'd enjoy the experience of gigging a not-expensive bass. Since I have a choice, I make a choice that is driven by sound, playability, aesthetics, heritage, etc. What I play really shouldn't influence anyone else one way or another.

There are a couple of predictable outcomes on these threads. One is the pride by a few in owning an inexpensive instrument and taking shots as people who own expensive instruments but aren't great players. Really, what difference does that make? The talent/hard work of others doesn't impact my playing other than to serve as inspiration (or a bad example depending on the player ). I appreciate what I can learn from pretty much all players, and I appreciate instruments at all price levels. Inexpensive instruments that are playable are great - the more people we have making music on instruments, the better. And some may aspire to own instruments that are aesthetically pleasing and/or playable art. That is fine too - it can all work as long as minds are open.

 

[sm49341]

Looks like you have 100 answers but Ill chime in anyway. I have an american standard Pbass. I also have an Ibanez Sr300 i got used in 2010 for $150. I gigged 4 solid years with the Ibanez. I had a pot fail. I had pickups come loose, no biggie. I recorded withthat bass and it sounded great.
Ihave had the pbass 3 years. Rock solid. Consistent sound. I dont think the average person can tell any difference. Ive had many compliments on the pbass looks. Thats about it.
Heres a real twist. I had a gibson grabber i purchased in '88 for 250. Good bass i guess. At some point, maybe thanksvto greenday the value shot to $ 1500. It was still the same bass. Gnome sayin?
Subnote. I sold the gibby. It was average. I dont miss it. Over rated.

 

[RyanKW]

I've been suggesting that the mods do something about this. It's time for it to stop.

12 pages of content and counting on this week's installment. I'm sure they'll get right on putting a stop to it.

 

[jd56hawk]

I'm asking this because I wanted to know if there are any reasons to spend more than what I already have on a bass. (Currently own a Yamaha TRBX 505, was around £550 at the time). What I wanted to get out of it was a modern bass sound which is used widely throughout most types of music (I always see bassists using a Fender P or a J bass on stage), I need a bass which can be gig or even studio worthy. I don't really have the equipment at the moment to push my bass to the limits so I'm not sure whether it's good enough but I'm currently saving for some better gear (I am well aware that things like the quality in amps, are equally or even more important than the instrument itself.) Is there any reason to buy a more expensive bass or am I perfectly fine with what I already have. I am generally looking for a bass which can provide a very professional, solid sound which can be used in genres such as indie rock. This could include anyone from 'The Smiths' to 'King Krule'.

So ultimately, the question is. Am I missing out, and do I need to spend more to get a better or a specific bass in order to fulfil the sounds I'm going after? Or am I perfectly fine with the bass I currently have, provided I have the suitable amps and other gear.

TL;DR : I want to know whether I need to spend more for an instrument provided I already have a very good quality amplifier. Bass I currently own is a Yamaha TRBX505, am I missing out or should I be able to gig or even go to a studio with the bass. I am mainly looking for a sound which would sound good in a professionally recorded song as well as be a very good gigging bass.

(I've been playing for over two years now, but I still have little knowledge on what type of basses or qualities, or even if I need to upgrade my bass. Hence why I am asking here)

Of course, it's not necessary...not even close.
A good amp is the way to go.
If you like your bass now, imagine how good it'd sound through one of these!

After only owning a small practice amp, I bought this Ibanez Promethean.
150 watts and small enough to pick up with a finger. My Dean Hillsboro sounded twice as good when I plugged it into this.

Then, when I saw this on sale for $599 at Guitar Center, there was no way I was going to pass it up.
I still can't believe how good this thing sounds!

Haven't tried this one yet, but I'm dying to.

Plenty of other amps out there waiting for you, too.

 

[Jeff Sarsippius]

Yup: a good rig, technique, knowing your band (s) sounds....means A LOT. I had GAS for basses, but not amps or effects, because they mean so much.

 

[Acoop]

I agree.
When I was trained, back when dirt was new, you bought the best instrument you could afford. I'm so sick of hearing how Victor could make a Squier sound great. Yeah, well first, you and me aren't Victor, and second, he plays a Fodera.

Jaco said it best, "The sound is in your hands." ... If you're lucky. ... I can make any bass sound like me but, the better the bass, the easier it is. ... I planted dirt when I was young and look, it grew into a planet.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

Is a thread on this topic every week necessary?

I've been suggesting that the mods do something about this. It's time for it to stop.

This type of thread...again?

Welcome to the Internet. People ask questions, other people answer the question, and discussion takes place. That's kinda how it works.

If you don't like the thread, there are thousands of others to go read instead.

A mature and worthwhile discussion is taking place here (that doesn't always happen) and I enjoy seeing things from other peoples' perspectives. It seems counter-productive to beg mods to stifle discussion.

 

[monkeyfinger]

Welcome to the Internet. People ask questions, other people answer the question, and discussion takes place. That's kinda how it works.

If you don't like the thread, there are thousands of others to go read instead.

A mature and worthwhile discussion is taking place here (that doesn't always happen) and I enjoy seeing things from other peoples' perspectives. It seems counter-productive to beg mods to stifle discussion.

Ah, you've been here for less than a year, posted a dozen times, mostly to this discussion, and you are telling us how to run the joint already? Come back in another couple of years and tell us how you feel about this question after you've seen it in various forms a couple of hundred times.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

Ah, you've been here for less than a year, posted a dozen times, mostly to this discussion, and you are telling us how to run the joint already? Come back in another couple of years and tell us how you feel about this question after you've seen it in various forms a couple of hundred times.

I'm not telling anyone how to run anything. I'm just giving my opinion on the matter. You're welcome to not agree.

This is how forums work for any hobby or subject matter. Certain questions come up more often than others. A minuscule number of questions asked here on a daily basis are truly unique.

Also, 1340 > 12 but then again I'm no Alfred Einstein.

 

[Finnigan's wake]

"If you had to choose between a good bass (source of sound) with a bad amp (reproduction of sound) or vice versa, put your investment into a good bass. A good bass can still sound good through a bad amp but a bad bass will just sound worse through a good amp."

Jeez this sounds like the mother of all *********.
My cheap basses sounded really bad until i purchased a decent amp and when i tried a REALLY GOOD amp they sounded AMAZINGLY.

 

[Finnigan's wake]

And sometimes i ask to myself: low price always means bad tone? And how a high price affect the tone?
In years of experimentation i discovered that a good neck, a stiff bridge, a well crafted nut and a high quality electronic are more than enough to achieve a good tone. And nothing beats a good amplifier.

 

[rmayer]

Total D.I.N.K. >>> Dual Income, No Kids.

I'm single income, three kids... quick, hide the expensive basses!

As are a few of my bass playing friends. You have my admiration.

 

[rmayer]

nope

Back in the early 60s. My first bass. Have you priced a German-made Hofner lately? I think it might fall into the expensive bass list. Ha!

 

[andruca]

For me the "sweet spot" seems to be somewhere in the 1000-15000€ range if I choose wisely. It's the range around which the bass I get for the money is the most. Over that differences start getting negligible for me, most 2000€+ basses seem a total waste of money for me. Maybe I'm a utopist who expects a 2500€ bass to be twice as good as a 1250€ bass, then invariably get disapointed. I know I have this sorta' binary way of thinking sometimes. But hey, if I pay double and don't get double, what am I spending the difference on? Snobbery? Hype? Oversized marketing depts? No thanks.

 

[FingerDub]

I buy my clothes at rummage sales or the Christian Center. I drive a Honda Odyssey with 212,000 miles on it. I paid $400.00 for my Jerry Jones longhorn bass, and $400.00 for my Fender Precision/Jazz Frankenbass. No reason to spend a bundle. On anything. I am not compelled to impress anyone. Period.

OK, but this posts smells like you are poor, and can't afford anything else. More power to you though brother.

 

[andruca]

Back in the early 60s. My first bass. Have you priced a German-made Hofner lately? I think it might fall into the expensive bass list. Ha!

Sad but true. Still feels tremendously cheap the moment you hold and play one :-(