Boutique Basses 10k and up?

[darrenmt]

Simple, people like nice things. People like exclusivity if they can afford it. Combine that and usually something pricey turns up.

It could be anything.. a bass, car, bicycle, painting, fishing gear, watches, audiophile gear, etc. Anything that encompasses passion, craftsmanship/ engineering, exclusivity, rarity, possible investment value, etc.

It's in our nature to strive for and be reminded of our success. We choose to own it if we have the monetary means and enough desire.

 

[joelns]

*sigh* posts like these really show envy and nothing else. The bottom line really is to buy what you can afford and enjoy playing. It really doesn't affect anyone else if I choose to play a $38k bass. Granted, that's not in my budget right now. But the future isn't written yet. You have control of your destiny. Do with it what you will, but don't complain if some folks have more money than you do.

 

[Baird6869]

Many of us own instruments that are far better than we are, and we know it.

True dat.

My Fodera likely dies a little inside every time I touch it.

 

[neal davis]

Good luck finding a professional quality upright bass anywhere near this price range.
Even the most expensive electric bass (barring that Ritter gold and mammoth-tusk monstrosity) will only just scratch the bottom of the average range of quality uprights.

You know it, my touring upright that I had made so I don't get my A+ bass messed up and so I can fly without the hassles was well over 10k with the flight case. I love buying electric basses for their relative cheapness compared to quality uprights.

 

[Humbled]

*sigh* posts like these really show envy and nothing else...

That's how I see it as well. Envy is a base human instinct and one of our eternal failings. Envy is why collectivism spawns a fresh crop of enthusiasts with every generation, despite a long and catastrophic history of end-points invariably falling somewhere between impoverished subjugation and mass murder. It never goes away. It's why "covet" made the top ten, though no one really talks about that one anymore.

 

[Doley50]

It seems I may have lead this thread in a completely different direction then I was looking for, mostly because of my poor choice of words, especially the "justify" part, and perhaps this should have been posted in the Luthiers section, so if I can back step a little here, First, most of my understanding of acoustic instruments comes from the acoustic guitar world, and what I want to know is how or does, the woods used for making a boutique electric bass compare to the more standard body woods tone wise. How this wood is carved, how or does this effect the tone. Just to compare 3 basses the fender jazz , Carl Thomson and the Fedora all have very different " Horns" more mass on the bass side of the instrument. My guess is the bass response acoustically will be different , but does that transfer to the output of the Amp?
I realize there is the carving of the body and tons of other factors. The easiest way would be for me to find a music store that has a few of the basses in them and then play them and see,but that is not possible and probably a good thing I do not want to start dreaming of 10K bass.
Some if not most of you have been in the back of a Guitar Center in the 2 part room were they sell their acoustic guitars, the first part you could grab a guitar for $200 but it may not sound that good the intonation could be off and the hardware may be kind of cheep, however if you go into the the Special Room, were the Martins and Gibsons are those guitars sound much better ( in general ) for about 2K, now if you go to a store that carries " boutique"acoustic guitars some of those guitars sound and play much better then a new Martin HD28, but could set you back 4K and up, here is the thing I can tell you why, with degree of knowledge.
I understand that a lot of your points are valid, but I also believe that these builders and players are in general educated in the acoustics of electric basses and know how they want their bass to feel.
Me personally, I will always keep an eye open and play other basses that come my way, but my 1994 MIA Fender Jazz has been my main bass since 1994!

 

[esa372]

You're missing the fact that some people appreciate the craftsmanship and aesthetic that some builders bring to the table. It has nothing to do with bragging rights, but rather enjoying all aspects of what an instrument can offer. For example, this neck joint is sublime

Yes... yes, it is.

 

[spade2you]

I've been able to get wonderful handmade flat top acoustics, archtop acoustics, basses, and electric guitars in the $3-6k mark depending on the type and options. I'd be more than willing to drop coin on a $10k bass if I weren't such a gear whore. Two $5k or three $3k guitars/basses tends to win with me.

 

[pnchad]

to the OP's original question - I think the real cutoff point is exactly $3k or maybe a little more

I have several basses (EB/DB/EUB) worth 4 figures but my favs these days were had used $2800 - 3200 - they're great basses

my Fodera and Sad sit in their cases - who knew

 

[JimmyM]

Oh gee, who could have predicted this would turn out to be a douchefest?

 

[subbasshz]

id rather have a 2 grand bass and spend the rest on amps but that's me.

 

[vmabus]

Regarding bragging rights, when asked how much my Foderas cost, the answer is always "it was expensive". Nobody but my wife knows what I paid for my basses.

You tell your wife what you paid!?!?!?!

 

[spade2you]

Oh gee, who could have predicted this would turn out to be a douchefest?

There aren't many subjects on too many forums where this doesn't happen. Jeez, people are unhappy. You'd think a bass, guitar, or bike forum would be happy because they're doing those things. Nope. The home-brew forum, well that place is mellower.

 

[Baird6869]

You tell your wife what you paid!?!?!?!

Absolutely. However, She is always completely confused with my buying and selling of gear "A" to fund gear "B" then paying for a bass with a few payments staggered over the year it takes to build, etc.

So I guess she "kinda knows" what I paid.

 

[Baird6869]

There aren't many subjects on too many forums where this doesn't happen. Jeez, people are unhappy. You'd think a bass, guitar, or bike forum would be happy because they're doing those things. Nope. The home-brew forum, well that place is mellower.

I think it is pretty tame actually.

Nobody has posted that "Fodera sucks and Squiers are better" or my favorite... one word posts that have nothing to do with the OP. Good often used examples are "Carvin" or "Hartke".

 

[Lee Moses]

Maybe I shouldn't comment, because I have never paid close to $10k for an instrument. But I do have an Alembic, and I have never played a <$1k instrument that comes close to it. I suppose there is quite a bit more attention to detail in the build, superior wood and electronics, and much more expert craftsmen involved in the building of an Alembic/Fodera/etc. than in mass-produced instruments--but all I care about is that the final product plays better in my hands and sounds better to my ears.

 

[mark beem]

I am curious what is the justification on spending this much money on an electric bass?

1. I want it.
2. I can afford it.

That's all the justification I need.

 

[triviani]

There are $10.000 basses because there's people willing to pay that price.

This question is a first-world "problem", of course.


Personally, I would not pay that much for a bass, just as I would never buy a Ferrari, even if I had that kind of money.

 

[Schlyder]

I don't have to justify my purchase of anything, to anybody.

 

[Red Four]

A lot of honest answers here. To address one aspect of what the OP may have been thinking, no one on earth buys a $10,000+ bass because they need it. They buy it because they can, and because they want it.

That's okay; no harm in that, and it supports some makers creating things with really great craftsmanship. Fodera, Alembic, Wal, the craftsmanship is just marvelous to look at. The only downside, to me, is what seems like a widening gap in average affordability. You have to spend around $1300 new to get even a mass-produced U.S.-made bass. Add in a few more advanced features, a bit more handmade stuff, and you're suddenly in $3,000-plus land. Sometimes it feels like the middle class is dying in the guitar world, just as they say it is in the real world.

That's one reason my comfort zone is well-engineered but reasonable options. My Subaru Forester and my EBMM Sterling are much better values, to me, than their much-higher-cost counterparts. My '80 Yamaha BB800 is more of a cool vintage piece to me than the comparable Fender that costs 4 times as much, and my '75 Fender P is cooler to me than one made a few years earlier that costs twice as much. Those kinds of choices suit me. There's a little thrill in being able to buy something, but I honestly don't think I'd be any happier with a $10K bass than I am now. It reminds me of that recent study that found that happiness peaks at making around $70K per year. Even I had trouble believing that when I read it, but it makes sense. So much of our societal system grills into us the notion that unlimited more is better, but it isn't so.

So you guys with the highest-dollar high-end basses, I am happy for you. Those basses are awesome. I envy that level of freedom of choice. But I expect we're equally happy with our basses. I once owned an Alembic, briefly, and while it was marvelous, it never made me 1/10 as happy as I was when I first pulled my '80 Yamaha BB800 out of the gig bag it was shipped in. It's one of the least expensive basses I own, and it was love at first sight - priceless.