Boutique Basses 10k and up?

[HolmeBass]

To the revised question, I think that has been answered correctly in that there is no consensus on how body wood, neck, or fingerboard wood affect tone on a solid body bass guitar. In fact, there are basically two diametrically opposed camps- no effect, or an affect, from minimal to large.

As for the body shape and carving affecting tone, without body resonance playing an important part of the tone generation, like with acoustic instruments, I don't think it matters at all. The primary design criteria for body carving are ergonomics and aesthetics, with ergonomics being very important. Many high end solid body instruments are a serious joy to play, both on the lap and on the strap, and this is no accident. Perhaps instruments with sealed chambered bodies have some more sonic considerations placed into the body carving?

As for the value of high-end solid body instruments, it is correct that it is a personal preference. I play a Warwick Streamer Stage I, a neck-through made in Germany, and it a high end production instrument. I think it originally retailed for $2600; I bought it used. I also have my old 77 Jazz bass. The Warwick is plenty of bass for all my gigs, and if I have an oldies or blues gig the Fender works perfectly. I don't need any more or better basses. But when I play my friend's Fodera or Ritter or Alembic basses, it is immediately obvious how superior these instruments are. The electronics are better, the response, even acoustic, of the notes across the strings and along the necks is obviously better, the sound of those instruments is more cohesive and better organized. Especially the Ritter, and it looks amazing. Too me, it is blatantly obvious how much better a $10k bass is compared to a $2500 bass. Not that I can't cover my weekend warrior gigs with my $2500 Warwick and/or career girl Fender Jazz - I can and my basses are a joy to play as well - but I can see why the higher end is "worth it" even if I am not going to buy one myself.

Just so you know where I am coming from, I suppose I am the classic weekend warrior. I work a full time job in software development, and have averaged 50 gigs a year for the last 12 years with numerous bands, both cover and original music.

 

[Iridescentone]

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

"Justification"? God save us from the day we have to "justify" how we spend our hard earned money. (not that I will EVER be able to afford a 10K bass)

That would be like not being able to buy a Big Gulp soft drink, or an electronic cigarette. Oh wait....

 

[darrenmt]

If you've got the extra cash or have the payment planned out over a period of time and the mrs is ok with it, it's justified.

 

[malthumb]

Yours is the million dollar question. Who knows? Not me, but I'll have a stab. ....

I just had to weigh in here.... A million dollar question? Really? I've been asking questions for decades. Have even gotten paid rather handsomely because of the quality of questions that I have asked, but never, NEVER, would I consider chunking up a million bucks for a single question. I know that I can get at least 30 questions for one tenth of that. And at the end of the day, what do you get for the extra dollars spent? Diamond encrusted question mark? All caps, bold, and underline? Still doesn't improve the quality of the answer and the audience can't tell the difference.

<drops the mic>

 

[joebar]

I noodled on a friend's fodera once-it was at least 10G.
my first impression of it was how large it was and how big everything felt. It wasn't for me.

 

[Baird6869]

I noodled on a friend's fodera once-it was at least 10G.
my first impression of it was how large it was and how big everything felt. It wasn't for me.

Some Foderas are definitely ginormous. The singlecuts specifically.

I owned a Fodera Emperor (Jazz shape kinda) and it was a little big. My mahogany Monarch is smaller and super ergonomic/ playable for me personally. Just over 9lbs also.

Also, walnut is an example of a heavy wood that makes any bass heavy. A walnut Monarch even with chambering MIGHT just be under 10lbs. A non chambered walnut singlecut with Duncan dual coils? No thanks as my back just couldn't take it.

The weight conversation is an important one that every good luthier will have with their customers.

 

[allenhumble]

I just had to weigh in here.... A million dollar question? Really? I've been asking questions for decades. Have even gotten paid rather handsomely because of the quality of questions that I have asked, but never, NEVER, would I consider chunking up a million bucks for a single question. I know that I can get at least 30 questions for one tenth of that. And at the end of the day, what do you get for the extra dollars spent? Diamond encrusted question mark? All caps, bold, and underline? Still doesn't improve the quality of the answer and the audience can't tell the difference.

<drops the mic>

If I'm not mistake milllion dollar questions must be hand written in calligraphy. 10% of million goes to the calligrapher. Thus netting only 900k making million dollar question a crap shoot any ways. Thats not even taking taxes into account.

 

[Sav'nBass]

I'd pay $10k for a vintage bass perhaps, just like I'd pay $100k for a vintage muscle car or something. But only if it fit my budget!!

See for me I don't know if I would pay that much for a vintage bass.. unless it had history.. Even if I could. I have seen some hand made 5 figure basses that I thought were ugly as all get out.. I think at this point in my life the most I would pay for a bass is around 5k.. I could see saving my pennies and dropping half that though easily..

 

[bass12]

I have several basses that, after taxes, cost around $5000 each. They're all great instruments. Lately I've been playing my $2000 Fender quite a bit. From a playability and sonic standpoint I love that bass just as much as I do the more expensive basses. Is it as well constructed? There are gaps on either side of the neck pocket that are considerably bigger than anything I would expect to see on a $5000 bass. Besides that , however, I have no complaints. That said, a big part of the reason I am prepared to pay what it costs for a Sadowsky or MTD (for example) is that 1) I enjoy supporting small, artisan-based companies; 2) I enjoy beholding the obvious care that went into the building of the instrument as well as the visual aesthetic of the basses themselves; 3) I enjoy knowing that I can receive great customer service from the people who actually built my basses; 4) I enjoy the "exclusivity" factor and the feeling that not every second bassist plays the same basses I play.

 

[josiah goldfish]

Is a bass worth $10K?

In my opinion, the answer's pretty simple.

Forget individual value for a minute (what it's worth to different people), I'm going to answer the question with some different questions:

Is an original Rembrandt worth $1,000,000's?
Is a Gibbons' original carving worth $100,000's?
Is an Amati violin worth $100,000's?

These things sell for so much money because:

1) People want to buy them, and no one else makes an equivalent.
2) These things took a lot of effort to make
3) These things were made by masters of their crafts, masters who have spent years honing their skills and so demand respect. People buy talent!

Modern boutique basses are made by highly skilled individuals, take a long time to make and are in high demand. Whether or not you like these particular basses is purely personal, but there's no denying the skill of those who've made them (in most cases).

 

[BassHappy]

Is a bass worth $10K?

In my opinion, the answer's pretty simple.

Forget individual value for a minute (what it's worth to different people), I'm going to answer the question with some different questions:

Is an original Rembrandt worth $1,000,000's?
Is a Gibbons' original carving worth $100,000's?
Is an Amati violin worth $100,000's?

These things sell for so much money because:

1) People want to buy them, and no one else makes an equivalent.
2) These things took a lot of effort to make
3) These things were made by masters of their crafts, masters who have spent years honing their skills and so demand respect. People buy talent!

Modern boutique basses are made by highly skilled individuals, take a long time to make and are in high demand. Whether or not you like these particular basses is purely personal, but there's no denying the skill of those who've made them (in most cases).

I think to your point....

The most expensive bass guitar

This is the ‘Flora Aurum’ by German luthier, Jens Ritter. He is already quite well known for creating high end, boutique instruments for – well, how shall I put it? – stinking rich bass players. His instruments normally sell for between £3,000 and £10,000, but this one completely takes the biscuit having been valued at $250,000!

How come it gets to be the most expensive bass guitar in the world? The face of the bass bears a floral pattern fingerboard developed using 24 carat gold, and every single inlay-leaf comes decked with a black diamond (set in platinum). Its bridge, tuner buttons and the knobs come layered with gold. Two of its knobs positioned at the apex flaunt two flawless brillant-cut diamonds. To top it all, the nut is finished using 10,000 year-old mammoth ivory. (Cunning use of ivory without endangering a species there!)

Asked why he wanted to create the instrument, Jens Ritter says:

“I wanted to do something special for my tenth anniversary, and I had a customer who wanted me to build the most expensive bass of all time. It’s not just an instrument; it’s a statement, a symbol of the development of the bass guitar. Twenty years ago bass was always in the background—the second choice to play after guitar. But in an interesting development, more and more people are in front playing bass guitar, and bass players are becoming more self-confident. Similarly, more development is happening in bass design than with guitar.”


BassHappy
www.innertainment.net

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

I can understand some instruments costing what they do, like the handmade Smith's. I'd feel out of place playing something that nice all the time though. I wouldn't want to drive around in a Rolls Royce all the time, either.

 

[narud]

Some Foderas are definitely ginormous. The singlecuts specifically.

I owned a Fodera Emperor (Jazz shape kinda) and it was a little big. My mahogany Monarch is smaller and super ergonomic/ playable for me personally. Just over 9lbs also.

Also, walnut is an example of a heavy wood that makes any bass heavy. A walnut Monarch even with chambering MIGHT just be under 10lbs. A non chambered walnut singlecut with Duncan dual coils? No thanks as my back just couldn't take it.

The weight conversation is an important one that every good luthier will have with their customers.

one thing i always dug about foderas i played when i was buying them or playing the basses at the la bass exchange was they were consistently in the 10 pound range or so. this was a decade ago though. ive never played one that was in the lower 9 pound range. the only spec i didnt think the weight really worked well with was a fretless i played. too much attack and heft and it didnt sing enough. otherwise im a big fan of the duncan duals with the heft of the heavier bodies.

 

[triviani]

^^^ That's the ugliest bass I have ever seen in my life. I would not pay more than $50 for it.

 

[Lee Moses]

^^^ That's the ugliest bass I have ever seen in my life. I would not pay more than $50 for it.

Then you're probably not very good with choosing investments.

 

[Sav'nBass]

I think to your point....

The most expensive bass guitar

This is the ‘Flora Aurum’ by German luthier, Jens Ritter. He is already quite well known for creating high end, boutique instruments for – well, how shall I put it? – stinking rich bass players. His instruments normally sell for between £3,000 and £10,000, but this one completely takes the biscuit having been valued at $250,000!

How come it gets to be the most expensive bass guitar in the world? The face of the bass bears a floral pattern fingerboard developed using 24 carat gold, and every single inlay-leaf comes decked with a black diamond (set in platinum). Its bridge, tuner buttons and the knobs come layered with gold. Two of its knobs positioned at the apex flaunt two flawless brillant-cut diamonds. To top it all, the nut is finished using 10,000 year-old mammoth ivory. (Cunning use of ivory without endangering a species there!)

Asked why he wanted to create the instrument, Jens Ritter says:

“I wanted to do something special for my tenth anniversary, and I had a customer who wanted me to build the most expensive bass of all time. It’s not just an instrument; it’s a statement, a symbol of the development of the bass guitar. Twenty years ago bass was always in the background—the second choice to play after guitar. But in an interesting development, more and more people are in front playing bass guitar, and bass players are becoming more self-confident. Similarly, more development is happening in bass design than with guitar.”

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net

Yerah and seeing all that .. I can see why A)The bass is worth 250K and B)I will never own it.. or probably even see it..

^^^ That's the ugliest bass I have ever seen in my life. I would not pay more than $50 for it.

I have seen a lot of very pricey basses that look ugly as all get out to me.. One thing I like about the MTDs and Laklands and even some Foderas and Padulas etc that I have seen .. is that the form is classically functional.. Form without function in an instrument to me is a waste..

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

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

For the buyer, the only justification required is that they like it and can afford it. It is simple as that.

As for the luthier/manufacturer: why do they cost so much? It can be one or many of the following:

• Higher quality woods
• Higher quality hardware
• Higher quality pickups and electronics
• One or a very few people working on the instrument
• More time spent making the instrument
• Customization of each instrument
• Time spent interacting with the customer before and after the order (customer service)
• Providing a decent wage for the maker and small staff
• Operating costs
• Etc…

 

[Vintage P]

Just remember...parts are not that expensive. A pu that cost the manufacturer $20 might be too expensive to put in a million basses, but for a company that makes 200 basses a year it makes sense becuase of the prices they charge.

So when you get right down to it, how much can a custom made instrument cost to make? $400? $500? TOPS. The rest is rent and workmanship and much of that workmanship is cosmetic.

So when people see these small companies as little purist mom and pop operations, they're not really seeing the reality. They're a specialty store-- no different than Tiffany's or Bergdorf Goodman -- selling pretty much the same T shirts you can get at TJ Max's.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

As was mentioned earlier, most of the cost is likely the extra labour that goes into each instrument.

 

[Vintage P]

As was mentioned earlier, most of the cost is likely the extra labour that goes into each instrument.

Exactly. But how much more labor goes into a boutique than an assembly line? Some things are simply more effecient on an assembly line but a small company can't afford one. So, if a Fender requires 20 minutes iof manual labor to fine tune everything, how long does a boutique take to fine tune everything? 2 hours ? 4 hours? Any way you slice it. You're paying top dollar.