Boutique Basses are Better: Get Over It!

[Kevinmach]

I guess I will be the black sheep by saying there *does* seem to be a lot of people on these forums who are always chasing gear.

Been there, done that. So I am not going to hate on anyone for it. I appreciate a fine piece of equipment too, I just don't need to own them all or always looking for the next best thing.

I have the money to buy pretty much whatever I want, yet like someone else in thread here stated, by most expensive bass is factory and retailed for about $600, and I paid half that.

For some guys on here, they truly love what playing these expensive basses or do it for a living, it's a different story. But no doubt, for some, it's just about materialistic ownership- when I catch myself doing that, that's where I draw line.

On last thing- in fairness to all the people who like the high end toys- I don't spend a lot of time in the gear and bass forums, but when I do, I've rarely seen TBers hating on guys who don't have high end stuff themselves. So if they wanna own 10 basses that total $20,000, it's not really any business of mine.

My philosophy in life right now is do the best with what you have, where you are. One day I may decide to purchase and boutique bass, and when I do, hopefully the time spent playing the lower end models will make me appreciate it that much more.

 

[WILL WAHL]

I know I'm wearing this one out, but here's case and point:

btw, not to derail, but I wouldn't call this technique wrong. If you just cruising nice and easy using the same finger is a good way to maintain consistency between notes.

James Jamming on a FENDER! Jaco Jammed on a FENDER! The best bass players of all time! NO BOUTIQUE Basses!

 

[Darkstrike]

lets just love eachother , our community and our craft because at the end of the day when we spend all of our time flaming eachother it leaves less and less time to hone and progress our craft

What did I tell you about making too much sense!

I STILL hate you bro.

But I STILL love you, my brother!

I like playing jazz fusion/Prog stuff on the side

I have an Ibanez though


Im waiting to get my custom 9 soon too

Jazz fusion ain't music!

And a 9er, that some kind of guitar?




I kid, you know(I hope) I kid!

 

[WoodyG3]

I think it's amazing that inexpensive, mass produced instruments are often of fairly high quality. But, yeah, a hand crafted bass with carefully selected wood, electronics and hardware is gonna' be better. There's no reason to stick your nose in the air if you own a $5,000 bass, and there's no reason to cut someone down for wanting and owning that bass. After all, it's just a bass!

 

[capnsandwich]

I agree with you Cheese, 100%. Boutiques are better simply because of one thing, detail. A luthier can take his time on the little things while only building a few at a time while in a factory, instruments are so massed produced that many of the little tiny minuscule details may get overlooked. I work in a factory that mass produces the seats that go into your cars and I see the tiny little details that get overlooked since I'm quality control guy. When you have less to build you can take more time to build them but in a mass produced society like today, little things get overlooked all the time until they become big things. That's when you get the recalls.

And like Dr. Cheese said, both serve their purpose in the music industry. I'd hate to take an $8000 bass on tour and watch it get all nicked up.

 

[Limeman]

One area of this topic that seems to be missing is the level of customer service associated with buying a "boutique" bass in comparison to a factory bass. While I have no doubts that factory basses can be and often are wonderful instruments (I've owned many), the customer service associated with them cannot come close to what you can receive from a "boutique" builder. You can develop real relationships with the owner and actual builders and designers of your instrument, and that can make for a highly satisfying experience. In fact, Roger Sadowsky and his team have so blown me away with their incredible level of service that I will NEVER buy another high-end boutique bass from anyone but him.

 

[Darkstrike]

James Jamming on a FENDER! Jaco Jammed on a FENDER! The best bass players of all time! NO BOUTIQUE Basses!

Actually, Jaco had two custom boutique 5ers on order with a luthier, at the time of his death.

 

[Darkstrike]

You can develop real relationships with the owner and actual builders and designers of your instrument, and that can make for a highly satisfying experience. In fact, Roger Sadowsky and his team have so blown me away with their incredible level of service that I will NEVER buy another high-end boutique bass from anyone but him.

This, even though I bought my boutique second hand, I'm treated like family by the guys, amazing really.

 

[spade2you]

Dear Senior Queso, perhaps you need to stick with a given bass for more than a year before you praise or bash something?

 

[Relayer71]

WRONG!! SXs ARE THE BEST BASSES EVARRR!! JESUS MAKES THEM WITH HIS OWN HANDS

Jesus??? Dude, they're not even made in Mexico.

 

[your idol]

this calls for my favorite inspirational joint

 

[Supertanker]

Doc Cheeze?

I'm shocked, shocked, shocked!

You left out two major points:

What is the definition of better?

What is the definition of boutique?

Without those I'm clueless as to what you are referring to.

 

[Darkstrike]

Dear Senior Queso, perhaps you need to stick with a given bass for more than a year before you praise or bash something?

If you can't figure out if you like a bass after a whole year, I pity you.


I understand keeping one to decide if you like it, but a year, seriously, you're gonna spot problems a lot faster than that.

 

[spade2you]

If you can't figure out if you like a bass after a whole year, I pity you.


I understand keeping one to decide if you like it, but a year, seriously, you're gonna spot problems a lot faster than that.

Not quite the context I was after. Perhaps if you stay around a while, you spot trends among users. Quite often, you'll find someone singing praise in an old thread and selling it in the next.

 

[mongo2]

I've owned Laklands, Sukops, Alembic, and MTD, and I've auditioned Sadowskys, Pedullas, Surines, Thompsons, and Smiths.

They really aren't any better than a well setup Mustang, they just look fancier and cost more.

 

[capnsandwich]

I've owned Laklands, Sukops, Alembics, and MTDs, and I've auditioned Sadowskys, Pedullas, Surines, and Smiths.

They really aren't as good as their prices.

That really all depends on what makes a bass better "to you." The most important quality that a bass needs for me to say it's better is feel. I love the feel of Skjold basses, and they are boutique in every way. However, I also love the feel of Lakland necks, even the Skylines and those are made on a machine. My Valenti is another great example of custom greatness. So, it all depends on what you like about a bass that makes it better than another one.

 

[5string5fingers]

Not quite the context I was after. Perhaps if you stay around a while, you spot trends among users. Quite often, you'll find someone singing praise in an old thread and selling it in the next.

All too true

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Dear Senior Queso, perhaps you need to stick with a given bass for more than a year before you praise or bash something?

I've been there and done that several times. Who did I bash? I loved most of the factory basses I have owned and I also loved the most of the boutiques that I have owned too.
Frankly, I can love a $130 bass as much as a $3,000 bass since I can appreciate each one for what it is.

 

[mongo2]

That really all depends on what makes a bass better "to you."

I've been there and they really aren't.

 

[spade2you]

I've been there and they really aren't.

That settles it. Rob Allen, prepare to meet lighter fluid!