Cheap vs Expensive basses...

[zachoff]

I will always love my '78 Yamaha BB800. Got it probably 15 years ago now for $360. For a more modern take, I got my USA G&L SB-1 a couple years ago for $580 on a Musician's Friend scratch & dent clearance. It's my #1 right now. That bass rules too.

 

[Meghans Dad]

If the frets cut your fingers open, its a cheap bass.
If the output jack gets loose after a dozen hours play, its a cheap bass.
If the neck won't stay straight after a decent set up, its a cheap bass.
Nothing to do with what you paid for it.

 

[Marc DLarosa]

If the frets cut your fingers open, its a cheap bass.
If the output jack gets loose after a dozen hours play, its a cheap bass.
If the neck won't stay straight after a decent set up, its a cheap bass.
Nothing to do with what you paid for it.

Agreed. But... read the initial post. Not about cheap, nor expensive. Sorry if the title was misleading...

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

View attachment 3350254 It's a 1963 "Boulder" ODE. A Style 3, Model 3 lefty. Made in Boulder, Colorado before the company was bought out by Baldwin. The family got the company back (much like Gretsch did), but, they couldn't get the name. They still make banjos, under the OME name. They are... expensive... Mine has the original case; well, what's left of it, anyway. Boulder ODE cases were made by the company, and can sometimes be worth more to collectors, than the banjo that's in it...

Oh wow, a long neck left-handed too! I'm familiar with those, but here in Virginia, I've only seen a couple of the Baldwin Ode/Ome banjos, and never a left-handed one. Most are resonator banjos, as you'd expect. When I saw your left-hand Epic I wondered how the ham-sandwich you ever learned to play banjo righty! Thanks!

We'll have to PM TalkBanjo sometime. Just to pique your interest, here was a 1926 Gibson TB-2 conversion project where we made a 'pony' 5-string using the original tenor neck. It's only a 10-1/2" pot, so everything scaled down makes the player look huge. (that's the original case in the last picture there too... it still fit after the conversion)


Just to bring it back to the thread (a little) the player here (actually used to be on TalkBass) gave up bass for banjo, sold his MIM Fender Jazz for whatever they bring secondhand, and put the money into a 1934 Gibson banjo. He never told me exactly what he paid for it, but his was a lower end model and a tenor conversion, so I'll guess less than $10k. And he got it from a family friend, so probably a better than usual deal. Original 5-string Mastertones typically fetch upwards of $50k, depending upon originality.

Granted, that's crossing over from nice/custom/boutique built, into vintage player's instruments, but he absolutely plays it. Bought it specifically to play, for that sound. These things are relative.

 

[Rib 13]

Get an Ibanez catalog...look up Soundgears.....look at ALL the models.......that will give you a rough layman's generality of the typical marketing gradient that constitutes inexpensive to expensive

 

[el murdoque]

I'd say that, given the fact that 'normal' US Fenders and Gibsons retail around 1,5-2k
This is where the 'premium' thing starts. For me, there is:
'too cheap' which will be below 300 retail price.
'cheap' which will be 300-600

Lo Mid 601-900
Hi Mid 901-1200

I've bought and played basses that retail around a thousand and I've never had anything to sneer upon.

 

[Meghans Dad]

Agreed. But... read the initial post. Not about cheap, nor expensive. Sorry if the title was misleading...

My point is that "cheap" has little to with price for the same reason that "expensive" can't be determined only by dollar amount. Expensive is relative. To someone barely getting by on minimum wage, a $500 bass in expensive. To someone making 6 digits and is used to $10,000 boutique, a $2,000 Fender P bass is inexpensive.