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Expensive basses - any point?

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#164
Steve Zapp said:
My Jazz bass cost me 2800 and retail it goes for 3500. Its handbuilt by Fender Masters handwound pickups its craft is so fine, I could go on but this bass is the best bass I've held and played.
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The saying around here (and this is the wrong thread- so you need to post up elseware), but without pics, it doesn't exsist!;)

Boutique is relative really.
I know guys who think Music Man basses are the cats azz (I'm one of them really- love those things) and their GAS ends there.
And there are others who look at them and think "one step up from a starter bass".

I remember at one point when I was one of maybe three guys who had a Trace Elliott head here in Detroit (one dealer for them at the time, and I bought their second one they got in).

It was a thing to marvel at gigs.

Now.........."Trace?!?!??? You need to trade that hunk of junk for a blah blah blah...."

Relative.
 
#165
habla said:
I have never paid more than $600 for a bass, or any piece of musical equipment, but i like to eat and pay rent, what can I say Im weird like that. I dont personally see the point in expensive basses and to be quite honest I am more than happy with what i get out of my t-40's ($75 and $160 if price tags are what your into) and i dont plan on getting anything else bass wise, besides everyone knows boutique basses are tools of the Bourgeoisie.
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habla, you're in Detroit.
So am I.
Where are you playing next/with whom etc......

Let some of local guys know.
We like to support each other.
 
#168
Simon Langley said:
I don't think this is an invalid quetion. Sound may be subjective to the player but feel, build quality and playability are IMO much better in a more expensive bass. My Alembic plays and feels much better than my Squier but I own both because they give me different tone options.
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I think it's a very good question. The way I have always bought basses is also on a budget, BUT what I do is pick the basses I like the feel of, play them unplugged, then play them plugged in and THEN look at the price tag.

I have been sooooooooooo wrong on guessing the prices of instruments, i.e. picking up a £4500 bass and thinking it sounded rubbish unplugged, and then playing a Tobias Pro 4, thinking it must be a couple of grand, and it was just under £400. (incidentally, I still own that bass).

It is a good question, just because something is expensive doesn't make it good, and just because something is cheap doesn't make it rubbish - but I would stay well away from Stagg, Vintage, OLP, and of course Encore, but equally I can't see the fuss behind Gibsons. (imo)
 
#170
NickyBass said:
It's kind of funny....You don't hear violinists, violists, cellists, pianists, saxophonists, trumpeters, clarinetists, flautists, oboeists, buglers, french horn players, basoonists mallet percussionists, etc talk down to people who play 'expensive' violins, violas, cellos, saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, flutes, oboes, bugles, french horns, basoons, vibes, etc.

Is this like a 'rock and roll' thing?
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I respectfully disagree. I have friends who are professional classical musicians and I have never witnessed such vicious in-fighting about whose Italian made violin is the most 'resonant', etc.
 
#173
Just for the record, I still have a Peavey TL-6 I bought in 1993 from a music store in Toledo, OH. Basically a great instrument. I paid $1100.00 for it. That was at a time when a Fodera 6 was $3500.00 to $4000.00. It had some shortcomings, and still does. But a lot of it was fixed when I put a set of Fodera/Duncan single coil PU's in it along with one of my preamps. The neck is a strange shape and the instrument isn't balanced terribly well, but all in all it sounds pretty ridiculous and plays well enough for music.

When the shortcomings of a cheaper instrument start to inhibit what you're trying to do musically, you need to either fix them or look up to the next class of instrument. A classical pianist might say they're happy playing a Steinway or a Mason&Hamlin or MAYBE even a Yamaha piano. But no self-respecting classical pianist is going tell you that they'd rather play a Young-Chang given a choice. The Young-Chang is probably a very respectable piano for the money...but the Steinway, M&H are unarguably in another class altogether. Same is true of, for example, a Fodera vs. a Schecter. For $500.00 a Schecter would be one of the first recommendations I'd make to a young player. But if that player progresses to a certain point, the shortcomings of the Schecter may (and probably will IMO) become apparent. Replacing it with an Ibanez or a Dean or a Cort or even a lot of the Fenders out there would be a lateral move.

Bottom line is, if you're not in a place where your playing/musical vision is demanding a better instrument, don't worry about how expensive your bass is.
 
#175
icantaffordawal said:
cheap basses - any point?
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Yes, as others mentioned to get people started!!!!!

thepontif said:
Just for the record, I still have a Peavey TL-6 I bought in 1993 from a music store in Toledo, OH. Basically a great instrument. I paid $1100.00 for it. That was at a time when a Fodera 6 was $3500.00 to $4000.00. It had some shortcomings, and still does. But a lot of it was fixed when I put a set of Fodera/Duncan single coil PU's in it along with one of my preamps. The neck is a strange shape and the instrument isn't balanced terribly well, but all in all it sounds pretty ridiculous and plays well enough for music.

When the shortcomings of a cheaper instrument start to inhibit what you're trying to do musically, you need to either fix them or look up to the next class of instrument. A classical pianist might say they're happy playing a Steinway or a Mason&Hamlin or MAYBE even a Yamaha piano. But no self-respecting classical pianist is going tell you that they'd rather play a Young-Chang given a choice. The Young-Chang is probably a very respectable piano for the money...but the Steinway, M&H are unarguably in another class altogether. Same is true of, for example, a Fodera vs. a Schecter. For $500.00 a Schecter would be one of the first recommendations I'd make to a young player. But if that player progresses to a certain point, the shortcomings of the Schecter may (and probably will IMO) become apparent. Replacing it with an Ibanez or a Dean or a Cort or even a lot of the Fenders out there would be a lateral move.

Bottom line is, if you're not in a place where your playing/musical vision is demanding a better instrument, don't worry about how expensive your bass is.
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Interesting that you still play Peavey and Fodera. Although, I've felt that Peavey stumbled (perhaps accidentally) on making the Cirrus probably one of the best playing stock basses out there. The sound is....well, they have their own sound that you might like or not, but they're built fairly well compared to the top shelf basses. Going from my Conklin to my Peavey, I don't notice a drop in quality. I more less go with other companies for basses since Peavey's custom shop can't really do a whole lot of stuff outside of the Carvin-like option list.
 
#176
thepontif said:
For $500.00 a Schecter would be one of the first recommendations I'd make to a young player. But if that player progresses to a certain point, the shortcomings of the Schecter may (and probably will IMO) become apparent. Replacing it with an Ibanez or a Dean or a Cort or even a lot of the Fenders out there would be a lateral move.

Bottom line is, if you're not in a place where your playing/musical vision is demanding a better instrument, don't worry about how expensive your bass is.
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I can see this argument with straight-up beginners, but as long as I've been playing, my opinion is that a good player can overcome the shortcomings of a budget instrument whereas a high-end instrument won't help a person overcome deficiencies in playing.

A good player can make most anything sound good. A $4000 bass isn't going to make someone a better player, and a great player doesn't need to spend thousands to "overcome" anything.
 
#177
Muddslide said:
A $4000 bass isn't going to make someone a better player, and a great player doesn't need to spend thousands to "overcome" anything.
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This should already be established (Should be common knowledge), this far into the thread, it's been echoed on every page so far.:)

This has gone past the realm of "bad player/good player",
it's back to "what it's worth to you". For example, some people are happy with lunch meat, some may like choice meats, others may like prime meats. Sure every body loves prime meats, but how many actually constantly gravitate to it?
 
#178
Muddslide said:
I can see this argument with straight-up beginners, but as long as I've been playing, my opinion is that a good player can overcome the shortcomings of a budget instrument whereas a high-end instrument won't help a person overcome deficiencies in playing.

A good player can make most anything sound good. A $4000 bass isn't going to make someone a better player, and a great player doesn't need to spend thousands to "overcome" anything.
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I strongly disagree with the statement "a good player can overcome the shortcomings of a budget instrument". A good player can make the most out of the budget instrument (or any level instrument in reality), but no instrument shortcoming can be rectified by the player (limitations imposed by the laws of physics need miracles to happen and they don't happen every day); whereas, I strongly agree with a high-end instrument won't help a person overcome deficiencies in playing (even though a high end instrument will allow better playing by the better ergonomics and playability). The instrument has limitations and they cannot be rectified by the player. The fewer the limitations, the free-er the player is to project his vision (both technique-wise as well as tone-wise). That's where some of the expensive basses allow better freedom of expression, compared with some cheaper basses. Not all expensive basses allow better expression compared with their cheaper brothers (keeping the player's ability constant).

Not every instrument is meant for everyone. ;)

PS No offense to you or anybody here, Muddslide. It's just that the tone starts from the fingers and hands but is hugely influenced by the bass' limitations
 
#179
theres always the brand name factor....a fender MIA jazz costs what it does because of the name, at least in my opinion. you can get a bass as good as that for alot less. its all subjective, but i think a large part of it is that if the bass costs alot, and is highly regarded, you will tell yourself it sounds AMAZING! ...which is certainly could, but most of the time the differences are very subtle. subtle, but not neccesarily unimportant. if that made any sense to you, you're in a good place right now:D
 
#180
I am in agreement with fullrangebass. A majority of bassists play medium or higher action and well inside of the 12th position. In all honesty, there aren't many basses that aren't capable of this. For the few of us who need it as low as possible, boutique basses are often the best and most consistent choice. Then add a SOLID low B (if applicable) and usually a higher degree of comfort, and you get a bass that allows someone to play much easier with far less discomfort.

As for paying for a name, not always. Find a good luthier who is plenty experienced but his name simply hasn't taken off yet and you'll often get some smoking hot deals compared to the top names.
 
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