If you got chops you only need a smooth function non problem bass. The rest is just for grins
Course all I wannado is rock and boogie. YMMV
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Are higher priced basses really worth it?
- Thread starter oldprussians
- Start date
If you got chops you only need a smooth function non problem bass. The rest is just for grins
Course all I wannado is rock and boogie. YMMV
Well, I guess I must be the 1 in 1000, as that describes my SX Ursa 1 to a T. I think maybe your stats are a little off.
And I am also quite satisfied owning a Fender. And a couple of Squiers to boot, all excellent basses, thank you very much.
only bass players notice other bass players
in your band everyone is watching the melody makers...
that being said I wouldnt be playing bass again, if I didnt try / buy a really nice Spector
everything on it just felt right, played great, sounded amazing
I play my MIA P-Bass mostly these days
try out some different instruments, and then buy the same one Craigslist
in your band everyone is watching the melody makers...
that being said I wouldnt be playing bass again, if I didnt try / buy a really nice Spector
everything on it just felt right, played great, sounded amazing
I play my MIA P-Bass mostly these days
try out some different instruments, and then buy the same one Craigslist
From my experience you can get an amazing tone and feel from an inexpensive bass. Really the biggest reason to get an expensive bass is to get the "best of the best" when you finally know what bass config gets your rocks off. The "expensive" bass only gets you the last 20% of the way there IMO. The other 80 % is the bassist being ill informed as to what they actually want and how to get it. It took me YEARS to understand how to get what I wanted and how to get it...
I'm not sure that all high end basses offer equal value for money. I have played many over the years,(mainly in music shops, not the ideal test environment I admit) some seem to have value for the price asked some not. I was very lucky at 18, a sesion guy I knew persuaded me to have a bass made by JD, the same model played by Mark king at the time, I had to use the bus for three years to pay for it. 25 years later, I still havent found a bass I enjoy, more regardless of price. I still gig it every week. For me that was value for money, But thats me. You have to play a few and find out what blows ya skirt up.
Good instruments are a luxury, nothing more. But hey, that is justification enough 
What was the band called?
What was the band called?
For me, the best possible instrument is a necessary requirement. It's what you have to pay to get the best possible instrument that is the real difference.
It all starts with the neck, for me. I take it to a luthier and have him set it up, usually installing a bone nut and leveling and polishing frets. I know I'll hear it from somebody, but the truth is, I went into the city to try some high-price boutique basses and I liked the neck that I'm using now better than them - after it came back from the luthier's of course.
But having the neck of my bass guitar just so, tuned to the max - for me, my hands, my style, is an absolute. So if you're willing to take the time, and sort of be a general contractor for your bass, then the answer is definitely "NO".
But if you don't have the time or inclination, then you may have to pay more money than the next guy to get the best possible quality.
Of course, I'm just talking about playability. If you think a bubinga fretboard will enhance your tone, be prepared to pay more, of course. But I'm a passive, 4-string, maple-neck P-bass kind of guy. I guess I'm just lucky.
It all starts with the neck, for me. I take it to a luthier and have him set it up, usually installing a bone nut and leveling and polishing frets. I know I'll hear it from somebody, but the truth is, I went into the city to try some high-price boutique basses and I liked the neck that I'm using now better than them - after it came back from the luthier's of course.
But having the neck of my bass guitar just so, tuned to the max - for me, my hands, my style, is an absolute. So if you're willing to take the time, and sort of be a general contractor for your bass, then the answer is definitely "NO".
But if you don't have the time or inclination, then you may have to pay more money than the next guy to get the best possible quality.
Of course, I'm just talking about playability. If you think a bubinga fretboard will enhance your tone, be prepared to pay more, of course. But I'm a passive, 4-string, maple-neck P-bass kind of guy. I guess I'm just lucky.
I would love to win the lotto and blow it all on basses, have one for every day of the year, expensive too, but in the end, I'm sure no one in the audience. and probably in the band, would notice one "lick" of difference. Sad, but true. I guess expensive basses are for bassists...
My usual .02,
I've found that I need a good bass to do what I want, but the ones I've gravitated towards cost a maximum of about $1300. As other guys have noted, there's still definitely a ROI once you keep going up in price, but I've found it to start levelling off at about $1300-1500 (that's admittedly with no clear definition of "levelling off", mind you).
So my personal ceiling is around $1500. After that I don't play or sound any better and it's basically wasted money.
Furthermore, you'll find the ceiling of a lot of others guys to actually be lower too, even tho they think they need to spend more to sound and play well. That's how you get the phenomenon of some players spending 5 large and more on boutiques but not sounding any better on it than they would on a bass 1/5 the cost - these guys are a dime a dozen, you'll even find them here on TB.
Finally, some other players do need a particular feature or quality level to justify an "expensive" instrument. These guys tend to be the exception rather than the rule and are already at an almost exclusively high level in terms of musicianship and ability - you'll find these guys on TB too.
So to me it's a personal maximum dictated by my needs, skill and musicianship. Anyone who's heard me play knows my $1300 cap is wise and maybe even a bit extravagant at that
. LS
FWIW I play Sadowsky basses not because of what others think, but because they make me happy, and when I'm happy I play better.
That said, no one should apologize for any instrument that he likes, regardless of price range. If a low-budget import makes you happy and gets the job done, then there's no reason to consider other options.
Last but not least: no one should ever spend more than he can afford on any instrument. I've played Squiers and SXes that were plenty good enough for me to get the job done, and if that's all I could afford I would be happy with them.
There is also that, when I turned 35 I realized I had only ever had cheap basses. Even if they were once expensive basses that I picked up at a garage sale or pawn shop. I decided I am too frickin old to be playing on the same cheap gear that snot nosed kids get for christmas, then discard when the next Gears of War comes out.
Since then I ditched my Korean Tobias and picked up a few EBMM basses. Currently trying to decide between a parts bass from Subway Guitars or a Fender Jazz.
Or maybe an EBMM roasted neck.
Since then I ditched my Korean Tobias and picked up a few EBMM basses. Currently trying to decide between a parts bass from Subway Guitars or a Fender Jazz.
Or maybe an EBMM roasted neck.
Nobody needs anything besides food, shelter and water.
If you want an expensive bass, buy one. If you are happy with an inexpensive bass, that's fine too. There is no single answer to this question.
This thread could have ended right here, with post #2.
I would like to think that more expensive equals better quality but I dont believe this is always the case in reality .
When I bought my last bass I wanted a USA Fender Jazz in sunburst, had been aching for one for ages, so armed with the best part of a thousand pounds I took a trip to Nevada Music near Portsmouth, a great shop with a large amount of basses in stock .
I played a good selection of basses before narrowing it down to a choice of three;
Fender Jazz USA
Ibanez SR505
Ibanez BTB770PB
I liked all three but chose the BTB because IMO it suited me the best to play, had the best build quality and finish, the most beautiful wood and style, I love the burl poplar top, the nice bridge, the brilliant active EQ, the slim neck, the 24 frets, great sounding pick ups with incredible tone variation, everything about it appealled to me but the most amazing thing was the price-£630, two thirds the price of the Jazz, I am not saying it IS better than the Jazz but it is fantastic value and has better features and a more modern design .
All my opinion for what its worth but I still want a USA sunburst Jazz though, maybe for my 50th in two years time
When I bought my last bass I wanted a USA Fender Jazz in sunburst, had been aching for one for ages, so armed with the best part of a thousand pounds I took a trip to Nevada Music near Portsmouth, a great shop with a large amount of basses in stock .
I played a good selection of basses before narrowing it down to a choice of three;
Fender Jazz USA
Ibanez SR505
Ibanez BTB770PB
I liked all three but chose the BTB because IMO it suited me the best to play, had the best build quality and finish, the most beautiful wood and style, I love the burl poplar top, the nice bridge, the brilliant active EQ, the slim neck, the 24 frets, great sounding pick ups with incredible tone variation, everything about it appealled to me but the most amazing thing was the price-£630, two thirds the price of the Jazz, I am not saying it IS better than the Jazz but it is fantastic value and has better features and a more modern design .
All my opinion for what its worth but I still want a USA sunburst Jazz though, maybe for my 50th in two years time
Now come on. Everybody knows that the more you spend, the better bass you'll get, and the better bass you get, the better player you'll be.
Or not.
My Alembic has a double truss rod, adjustable nut, potentiometers to balance the pickup output after setting the height, etc...
I love my Fenders and other cheap basses. But when it comes down to it, the Alembic absolutely blows them out of the water in sound, playability, overall versatility.
PS. I am not criticizing anyone's opinions and I don't want to come off sounding like a snob... Really, I drive a '97 Saturn with 200K on it, but I would never trade my Alembic for anything with tires.
I love my Fenders and other cheap basses. But when it comes down to it, the Alembic absolutely blows them out of the water in sound, playability, overall versatility.
PS. I am not criticizing anyone's opinions and I don't want to come off sounding like a snob... Really, I drive a '97 Saturn with 200K on it, but I would never trade my Alembic for anything with tires.
In general, the quality of the tuners, bridge, pick ups, and shielding is better as you pay up. The wood quality and finish may improve as well. But that said, the question is can you feel and/or hear the difference - and if so, is the extra money worth it to you to get that feel and sound?
More money can buy a better bass - but only if its better for you.
More money can buy a better bass - but only if its better for you.
Generally I agree but now that the far east is producing high quality goods at good prices and the US and others are having to cut costs to compete I am not 100% sure that higher cost always equals higher quality, how much of the price of a new US guitar is made up of wages and mark up which are probably higher than the eastern factories, I dont necessarily think a £1000 US guitar is better than a £700 MIJ one, obviously a £2000 bass is far better than a £1000 one but the gap is closing, how much money are people paying for the Fender or Gibson name alone, I have had many guitars of various make and some of the far east stuff is superb quality, I am talking about the main brands and not specialist gear .
Its an interesting topic and I am just speaking as I find and from my experiences - the world is changing, a good example is the british motorcycle industry where people said MIJ bikes were not as good as their more expensive english built counterparts, now the Japs rule the bike world !!
Its an interesting topic and I am just speaking as I find and from my experiences - the world is changing, a good example is the british motorcycle industry where people said MIJ bikes were not as good as their more expensive english built counterparts, now the Japs rule the bike world !!
Are higher priced basses really worth it?
Yes to some people
No to some other people
Some still do not know
Yes to some people
No to some other people
Some still do not know
