Bass buying: Cost vs Skill-driven?

[mpdd]

i don't have the world's best chops y'all, but it is nice to have a g&l custom replacement neck on my 94 LB100, making it the easiest to play bass i've ever encountered (i need all the help i can get)
after years of playing a screwed up gibson grabber with terrible action and strings that felt like coat hanger wire, i honestly can see why folks would play boutique or hi tech basses, just to avoid the intense workout i had to go through playing simple rock stuff

 

[Gaebrial]

There is a difference between a bad bass and a cheap bass. I think the assumption is that all theoretical basses being considered are playable.

I don't think there would be any argument between a squire with a twisted neck and Golden Gate action versus an American standard set up to play like cream with 100% milkfat. (Well... I might argue for the virtues of the former, but I can be a tad ridiculous sometimes.)

 

[bassinflorida]

For me it's more about getting a certain sound that can't be had otherwise. My Ken Smith has a distinct sound, my Warwick Thumb has a distinct sound, etc. In general though, an expensive instrument will expose sloppy technique so it does force you to be a better player.

Very true. Left unsaid is that a sloppy technique will still sound sloppy on a cheap bass.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Bobby Vega has developed an awesome style over the last forty or so years. He loves his vintage Fenders, and he sounds great playing them. There is no reason for him to change. Similarly, there is no reason for Janek Gwizdala to start making solo records on a 1961 Jazz Bass (in that case, his Fodera is cheaper too!)

At this point in my life, the only thing that really catches my attention about any player is the actual playing. If the playing is good, I will probably notice the tone and the bass used. If the playing is bad, I don't care what the bassist is using.

 

[rtslinger]

What does one have to do with the other? Most start out with budget or "bargain" basses when they are young, certainly true if your parents were laying out the cash. If you have no skills as a bass player a boutique instrument is going to make your skills better. If look at it in another point of view he may have been trying to say, I laid out so much cash for this bass I need it to pay for itself some where down the line so I need to woodshed more to justify buying it.

 

[DigitalMan]

Sure they do, man. Sure they do...

What do you do for fun when you aren't bursting bubbles?

 

[tedious1]

I would get a big chuckle playing a punk set with a Fodera... I'd probably ditch all the fills and such and play straight roots all night, for my own amusement and the amusement of the only other player I know who could spot a Fodera and appreciate the irony.

 

[AudioDwebe]

If you spend $1000 on a bass only to make it sound like a kazoo then you should have bought a kazoo instead, not a bass.

Now, what IF every bass sounds like a different kazoo?

Certainly, that's justification enough to own lots, no? For a variety of kazoo sounds?

 

[Jay2U]

Real skills can even make a mediocre instrument sound great. That said, professional players may prefer a high-end instrument for it's reliability, stability, playability and versatility. So they can concentrate on their playing, instead of having to work around imperfections and shortcomings.

One step further is having made a bass to your specs, so one doesn't have to adapt to the bass, as it has been adapted to the player.

 

[allenhumble]

There's some poopy drivers that have really nice cars. That is all.

Does that make them perform less or less safe for the driver?

 

[Phildevoid]

I have never thought like that. Then again, I don't care what people think of my gear. I buy what I like and the only time the instrument plays a part in me improving my skills is if that instrument makes it easier for me to learn or play. An uber expensive instrument is not going to guilt me into improving. It might guilt me into selling it because dumping that kind of money into something that can burn in a fireplace and be rendered useless is not a good investment.

 

[BASSKADET]

I spent $350 on my bass because I didn't know if I would stick with it.

 

[Eminor3rd]

You don't need to justify anything. Buy what you want and can afford. That's it -- live til you die.

 

[ZenG]

No. A Minor 9th or a Suspended 4th etc is the same no matter what bass you pick up and play. You hand me a Squier 4 string I'd play the exact same notes as on a Fodera.

The instrument is the instrument. It does nothing by itself. I apply a matrix of notes in a prescribed fashion and I get a sonic result.

300 dollar bass ...or 3000 dollar bass:- doesn't matter to me initially. My number one thought is the music composition and structure.

The music comes first.

 

[bdplaid]

In this Bobby Vega demo, a bassist in the background discusses how he feels when playing his Fodera vs a Fender bass. He feels a responsibility to be better than he was [as a bassist].

This makes me wonder. Do players base budgets around their own skill? Or do they buy higher-priced instruments as a way of "growing a pair" and perfecting their craft?

Personally, I bought (and sold) a brand new American Standard Precision bass because I felt like ten years was an appropriate time to upgrade to an instrument of significant quality. A milestone gift of sorts.

What are your thoughts and experiences on the matter?

I think bass players think too much. Next we'll be asking, "can I buy a bass if I think it doesn't like me?"
Buy what you like that you can afford.

 

[Bassstud1]

I'm 59 yrs. old. My basses are of good quality, Music man SR5, Ibanez premium, Alembic Epic & a Dave Bunker bass. I make OK money as a mfg. engineer. I enjoy playing music. I don't drive a fancy car, I prefer to have nice basses. I purchased these basses used they might not soar in value before I die but they won't go stale as much as my IRA did in the last 18 months. It's an enjoyment to have these instruments. I don't want to lie on my death bed thinking " Wow I should have purchased a nice bass before I died". Now not all people are in the financial situation to do this, but if music is your love and you can afford a nice bass then go a head and do it. Just don't sell your food stamps for money to do it.

 

[Bass Viking]

With expensive ones, I think quite often you might well be able to, as price does not always equate high quality or at least not that, expected at the price.

I did specify "top quality". Which expensive basses have you played that were mediocre quality?

Sometimes it is also not down to good or bad quality. From quite a few very high quality and priced instruments i have tried, I just didn't get what I would have liked to get.-it's partly a taste thing.

True, if the neck is not comfortable or you don't like the tone it matters not how well made it is.

 

[Bass Viking]

I would get a big chuckle playing a punk set with a Fodera... I'd probably ditch all the fills and such and play straight roots all night, for my own amusement and the amusement of the only other player I know who could spot a Fodera and appreciate the irony.

I have a Warwick Infinity, one of their really pricey basses, and you should see the roasting I got when I uploaded a video on YouTube of a play-along I did to the April Wine tune "Roller"! If you're not familiar with the song, it's your basic Rock shuffle. Some suggested I get a Squier to be commensurate with my skill level!

 

[woodyng2]

He must be terrible. My mistake.

I was thinking because monsterthompson has no taste? (Ducks and runs).

 

[Bass Viking]

You know, one of the most talented Jazz guitarists I had the privilege to gig with used a Squier Strat. No one questioned his playing.

Nor would I. Besides, today's Squiers are quite good!

But, it is true that first impressions matter. A Fender does communicate a more serious first impression. No way around it.

And this is something that needs to be overcome. It's not a valid impression. Plenty of Fender players suck. My first impression would be when the guy is limbering up when he plugs into his amp.