In the USA, 70% between 18-30 are living at home at various times. Living at home is extremely common these days. Economic reality frustrates many in that age group. I think a $1700 Music Man seems out of reach to a lot af young players right now.
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EBMM Music Man Basses...why so much $?
- Thread starter Mike Sorr
- Start date
In the USA, 70% between 18-30 are living at home at various times. Living at home is extremely common these days. Economic reality frustrates many in that age group. I think a $1700 Music Man seems out of reach to a lot af young players right now.
Yep, I'm 21 and I always wanted a stingray since I was 19 but thankfully my mom (bless her heart) sacrificed alot to help me buy a "knock off" version (SBMM Ray '34) and even that was pretty expensive for being a beginner bass, essentially. Before that I played (and still own) a Peavey T40 bass. I really liked it actually, tone was solid and I liked the humbucker pickup selector options, but it was simply too heavy to play at live gigs, and I really wanted a bass with more of a pop to it but also with a grindy tone, and the 'Ray 34 does just fine in that department.
Yep, they are not cheap at all but if you want one then you'd have to pay for it! as simple as that 
here is my 2 band '00 EBMM stingray:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
here is my 2 band '00 EBMM stingray:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
This. The amount of people who think USA basses are overpriced seem to forget the reason companies like Samick can offer a solid product for such a dirt cheap price, they use borderline slave labour. I mean I guess it could be worse, they could use child labour like Apple and they still get all kinds of love and support.
Problem is that living at home gives those who do it a warped sense of reality. They have no idea why things cost so much. "$25 for a STEAK!! My mom makes them for me for free!!"
I paid about $1800 for a sting ray 3band in 2005, it was the best purchase I ever made. Rock solid bass, great tone, great neck, built like a tank. A bit heavy but definitely worth every penny. Saying all that I think I would buy a Sandberg California VM if I was in that kind of market again.
Yea... and getting married and having kids had the same effect on my perspective lol.... $25 for a steak hehe.... not any more in my life
I guess it's cyclical
Every single time I read a thread like this I'm reminded of my two slacker friends, "Jay and Silent Bob".
All you have to do is watch the scene where they try to get on the bus to get to Hollywood and you'll have your answer!!
All you have to do is watch the scene where they try to get on the bus to get to Hollywood and you'll have your answer!!
Yes I'm 22 and I don't care what you think
Never implied that you have to care what I think, so... want a cookie or something?
Yeah, agree with this--the SBMM Ray34/35 line does a really nice job of delivering the Stingray experience at a lower cost.
Granted, this is precisely because they are put together overseas, which raises questions about exploiting labor, as others have mentioned. I would like to pick up the real deal, but I got my Ray34 second-hand but in new condition for $350. Can't beat that.
They sell them for 2500.00 EUR (USD 3,328.50) and even more in Europe!!! Never had even a smallest idea of buying a Music Man for that price!
Check the prices here: http://www.station-music.de/
The Sabre is USD 3,800.00!!! Sounds foderaish? :/
Check the prices here: http://www.station-music.de/
The Sabre is USD 3,800.00!!! Sounds foderaish? :/
They're tone tanks...but they weigh as much as a Sherman, too.That's why I haven't caved on one.
Sorry to DP everyone.
I totally agree though. I'm only 5'8/~150lbs, so the weight of my stingray definitely catches up to me if I play it long enough..
A lot of times in the past I've heard of crazy varying weights between two MM basses though, and even with a few other big companies it's the same story. One guy is talking about how his "_____ bass(Stingray?, Bongo?, Precision?, jazz?) weighs 11-12lbs.". Then there is always some other guy "Oh yeah?? well, my _____ bass only weighs 7.5-8lbs!"
I guess that might have been a little more than what was called for..
D) But I guess what I'm trying to say is that, as long as you keep searching, you are bound to find that one light diamond MM in the heavy "rough" that is just the right weight for you.
Assuming a normal inflation rate of 3% a year (which is what is common to assume) on a $750 instrument purchased in 1990 would be equivilent to around $1480... Seems pretty simple to me.
Any guess what a 1965 Ford Mustang cost when it was new? Around $2500. You gotta keep perspective that today's dollar is not the same as it was 20 years ago.
Any guess what a 1965 Ford Mustang cost when it was new? Around $2500. You gotta keep perspective that today's dollar is not the same as it was 20 years ago.
Sorry to DP everyone.
I totally agree though. I'm only 5'8/~150lbs, so the weight of my stingray definitely catches up to me if I play it long enough..
A lot of times in the past I've heard of crazy varying weights between two MM basses though, and even with a few other big companies it's the same story. One guy is talking about how his "_____ bass(Stingray?, Bongo?, Precision?, jazz?) weighs 11-12lbs.". Then there is always some other guy "Oh yeah?? well, my _____ bass only weighs 7.5-8lbs!"
I guess that might have been a little more than what was called for..
I played one for 3 hours at a gig last sat night, my back still aches.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
Maybe if they had an import line.
Doesn't their NYC start at $3000 USD in the USA? I can only imagine what they cost to import.
I'd like to chime in with some informed opinion. I am a business/economics journalist, and I cover San Luis Obispo, the town in California where all the American-made EBMM instruments are built.
California is generally a fairly expensive place to do business as a manufacturer. However, plenty of companies simply deal with -- Fender's factory is here, so is Taylor Guitars -- because they want to live here. However, the cost of living in California varies quite a bit. The coast is expensive and the inland and desert areas are less o.
The real estate is getting more and more expensive in San Luis Obispo, which is a very pretty town near the coast. At the same time, Sterling Ball has been pretty committed to trying to pay his employees a living wage. Several years ago, they removed all the string manufacturing to the Inland Empire area for precisely this reason. They could not make the strings in SLO, pay their employees a decent wage and sell the strings at a competitive price point while still making a sustainable profit margin.
If you think about it, EBMM resisted the urge to put its name on imported instruments for a very long time -- longer, in fact, than any of the other big American makers. They finally gave in. There's simply no way they can pay their employees well and sell basses at entry level price points and still make a profit of any sort. Remember, just to stay in business you have to make enough profit to re-invest in upgrading your facilities, tools, etc.
So here's what you should really think about. When you pay $1,400 for an instrument from Fender, you are paying for many more layers of executives, marketing, debt service hangover from private equity, etc than you are for a EBMM instrument. The financially sophisticated among you can check out FMIC's aborted attempt to go public if you don't believe me.
EBMM on the other hand, is still (to my knowledge) family owned and controlled by the Ball family. I'm sure they make pretty good money, but to my knowledge they haven't done anything silly like saddle the company with huge and expensive debts so they could take a fat payday (yes, I'm talking about FMIC's private equity raiders, in case you were curious). So more of your money goes to the people who made the instrument.
For the record, I have no connection to the company, nor do I even have one of their basses (though I have in the past, and they're nice). But they are still an employer here, and I've been able to talk a bit with Sterling Ball about the business climate.
California is generally a fairly expensive place to do business as a manufacturer. However, plenty of companies simply deal with -- Fender's factory is here, so is Taylor Guitars -- because they want to live here. However, the cost of living in California varies quite a bit. The coast is expensive and the inland and desert areas are less o.
The real estate is getting more and more expensive in San Luis Obispo, which is a very pretty town near the coast. At the same time, Sterling Ball has been pretty committed to trying to pay his employees a living wage. Several years ago, they removed all the string manufacturing to the Inland Empire area for precisely this reason. They could not make the strings in SLO, pay their employees a decent wage and sell the strings at a competitive price point while still making a sustainable profit margin.
If you think about it, EBMM resisted the urge to put its name on imported instruments for a very long time -- longer, in fact, than any of the other big American makers. They finally gave in. There's simply no way they can pay their employees well and sell basses at entry level price points and still make a profit of any sort. Remember, just to stay in business you have to make enough profit to re-invest in upgrading your facilities, tools, etc.
So here's what you should really think about. When you pay $1,400 for an instrument from Fender, you are paying for many more layers of executives, marketing, debt service hangover from private equity, etc than you are for a EBMM instrument. The financially sophisticated among you can check out FMIC's aborted attempt to go public if you don't believe me.
EBMM on the other hand, is still (to my knowledge) family owned and controlled by the Ball family. I'm sure they make pretty good money, but to my knowledge they haven't done anything silly like saddle the company with huge and expensive debts so they could take a fat payday (yes, I'm talking about FMIC's private equity raiders, in case you were curious). So more of your money goes to the people who made the instrument.
For the record, I have no connection to the company, nor do I even have one of their basses (though I have in the past, and they're nice). But they are still an employer here, and I've been able to talk a bit with Sterling Ball about the business climate.
