Expensive vs inexpensive basses

[quickfix]

Just curious, what $4000 basses have you played that you didn’t like?

Never said I didn't like them. I liked them just fine, but certainly not enough to buy one.
Store stock and other people's stuff. The brand and model names were of no interest to me at the time.
Although I do remember one being a Fender...only noted because it was a Fender.
They were tagged and/or reported to be 4 grand plus.
They certainly sounded good and played well, at least as well as my Fender Precisions.

However, in my local store, this has recently caught my eye:
Fender Musical Instruments - American Elite Jazz Bass V Ash, Maple Fingerboard, Natural
Just because it's there and available.

 

[Sean Drummond]

At least elitism doesn’t pretend to be virtue like reverse-snobbery does.

Well said. Bravo.

 

[frostyman1962]

I can appreciate the broad spectrum of opinions on this thread. But I'm still holding out for a 35" scale custom 5 string Wyn Bass.
Please carry on the conversation, this is an interesting thread

 

[Daz X]

There's a lot of factors that come into play here when it comes to boutique high instruments vs cheapies, all that glitters is not necessarily gold. It could be emotional factors or set up or weight, feel etc. I would never say a 5k bass is a piece of crap but a player who is banging out blues covers in a bar every weekend, may not feel that a 6 string Anthony Jackson Contrabass is anything he/she has any use for. I used to tour in the 90's with my band full time and I owned a 1968 Fender jazz bass and I loved it, but I never gigged with it, because I was worried about road damage and theft and because of that stress gigs weren't a pleasant experience. I did however tour with a Korean Squier Jass with a warmoth neck that I bought off a guy for 50 bucks and I put EMGs in it and I never ever worried about anyone stealing it, or if it got knocked over, or dropped. It was set up really nice with fast action and sounded punchy as hell for the rock music we were playing, it was light and fun and I never worried about the thing so the schmoozing and boozing afterwards made for an overall more enjoyable gigging experience. So was it better? it didn't sound like crap, it played great,I had made many lasting memories with it and I loved it dearly,but I would never choose it over my 68 and it certainly was not a "better" instrument than my other higher end basses. I have owned some higher end axes that just didn't live up the hype IMO (hello Gibson T Bird) and while they weren't everything I had expected or hoped them to be, they weren't bad instruments. So i'm glad a cheap bass can bring someone joy, I also appreciate a really well made instrument that helps you to get to those places creatively without having to wrestle the instrument into submission, my two cents anyways for what it's worth - peace love and keep on rocking in the bass world

 

[chaak]

As long as an instrument is properly set up (expensive or inexpensive) it all goes down to the player and their way of adjusting to what that instrument offers sonically, technically, ... in their musical expression.

 

[King Kolon]

I bought a Fender Squier P Bass that also has a Jazz pickup. I don't think they call it a PJ though, weirdly.
Anyways, I paid $199 for it. I love this bass! It's not too heavy, the pickups sound great, the neck is rosewood which I prefer, and it stays in tune.

Well, that said, you'Ve got a Winner. My Fender's can stay in the case for aweek at a time and l'll pull them out and Rarely do l have to tune them. Great Instruments.

 

[Zonked]

Because of modern technology we can get an ergonomic, quality, great sounding, and fully professional instruments for reasonable amounts of money these days.

I have both cheaper and expensive amps and basses.

I don't get paid a penny more when I bring my more costly $$$$ bass to a gig,

nor do I suddenly play any better.

And no matter what instrument or amp I bring, as long as the music and instruments sound good the audience is happy.

After a very reasonable price point, I believe a bass is only as good as it's player.

 

[vindibona1]

After a very reasonable price point, I believe a bass is only as good as it's player.

I think price point is largely irrelevant. It's scary what you can find out there for little money if you are patient and know what to look for. I would modify it to say at a very reasonable "quality level" a bass is only as good as it's player.

 

[hushnel]

This thread has inspired me to re-string the washtub. Now this ain’t a cheap beginner washtub, oh no, this here washtub is a high quality galvanized one from the 1940s, and it was only used to wash the babies before going to church on Sunday. Only the finest hard wood pole, aged and stabilized for a life time of hard use, seein’ how it double duties as shovel from time to time, and that’s where it gets it’s mojo from. There’s tone in a working tool.


I thought about having a fancy big city bass made for me, in fact back in May I was talking with a gentleman name of Joey Lauricella, he builds fancysmancy electrified basses up in the big city of Brooklyn NYC. He told me he couldn’t get a washtub as fine as mine, yep, I know that the truth, I asked him if he could send me a bumper sticker from his workshop called Fodera I could put on mine so bass players would take me more seriously. He laughed said maybe he could send me a T-shirt. Dang.


Ain’t nothin’ as fine playin as a home made instrument.

 

[Zonked]

I think price point is largely irrelevant. It's scary what you can find out there for little money if you are patient and know what to look for. I would modify it to say at a very reasonable "quality level" a bass is only as good as it's player.

Yes, Point was that you can get a very good quality bass that will serve you in pro situations for reasonable and affordable prices nowadays.

Great time to be a bass player!

 

[bassbenj]

Do you know what back bow even means?

Obviously people are having problems with definitions here. Sure backbow and relief are opposites but getting either may be by tightening or loosening the truss rod. Depends on many things including if truss rod is double acting.

As for expensive basses being spectacular I also have an Alembic story. I ordered a new Epic 6 string fretless right from the Alembic factory. When it came I was NOT happy with it and when Mica called to give me the happy-happy she got an earful. In point, electronics had a nasty parasitic oscillation at certain settings. Hardware was all gold but screws were all chrome! And there was a large ridge down the back of the neck where clearly wood was not properly cured before being laminated. And as for improperly dried wood eventually the moisture coming out corroded some of the bridge screws and dimensional changes created small cracks in the ebony fingerboard. This what what one expects at this price point, right?

So what happened? Well Alembic sent new electronics which fixed that. Apparently there are no gold screws anywhere at Alembic but I found some from Carvin and a techs junk box. The neck ridge was finally fixed with my belt sander and a refinish by me. and the fingerboard cracks fixed with superglue and the wood finally dried out and cured itself. So I hear you cry, why not just ship that bass back to Alembic with a nasty letter? Simple, the design, feel, tone, and everything else about that bass is just superb. Nothing else is quite like it. I can buy all the low cost basses in the world and NONE are going to look, feel, play, sound, like that alembic. The fact that it didn't live up to all the "Alembic is god" stories going around is irrelevant. That bass gave me exactly what I was looking for in that kind of bass and the high price which included the high hassle of fixes was just part of the price of getting it. That's all.

Tone is where you find it and once you've found it, if you want it, you have to pay what it costs.

 

[JoeWPgh]

The cheap bass crowd has almost convinced me that the only car we need is a Yugo. It starts and stops and turns. What more do you need? But more seriously, a lot depends on the player's skillset. If you are learning where all the notes are, I would never recommend a new USA Fender (or something even more spendy) I would point to a used MIM or Squier. But if you have chops like Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten, I wouldn't consider recommending either of those either. Get what makes sense to you, personally. Just don't ask me to validate whatever it is you do. It's not my concern, and I really don't care.

 

[wesonbass]

My Ibanez SR800 is wonderful ($150 used). My Epiphone viola with upgraded filtertron pups (About $400) and flat wounds is wonderful. My Customized Bassmod (about $1,200) with over-wound pups and 18v preamp is wonderful. All are set up perfectly for my style which is very light. They all have a very different feel and tone. For gigs the Epiphone comes out the most. For home the Bassmod comes off the wall first. With the exception of the extremes, I'm not sure how we can argue about one being better.

Also, that price point comment is dead on with all kinds of equipment. In backpacking I can go from a 4 lb sleeping

For what a bass “is” and actually “does” I can’t see spending more than $800 for one. I mean what are you REALLY getting. Handmade? Better electronics? Please. Oh....oh. Hand made. Again....please. I don’t think a Squier Affinity is gonna cut it either but a CV is closer to the “vintage” Fenders than most $1200 Fenders. Made in America means one thing and one thing only. You pay more. Hope I don’t upset any of you. Oh, I gig regularly with sub $800 instruments and have NEVER had a problem. If you have never gigged I don’t respect your opinion btw.

bag to a 3 lb for $50. I can go from a 3 lb to a 2 lb sleeping bag for $150. To go from a 2 lb to a 1.5 LB bag it's going to run $400+

 

[wesonbass]

Sleeping bags? a LUXERY.. I had to cover up with a pile of dead leaves in my day!

 

[chadds]

The cheap bass crowd has almost convinced me that the only car we need is a Yugo. It starts and stops and turns. What more do you need? But more seriously, a lot depends on the player's skillset. If you are learning where all the notes are, I would never recommend a new USA Fender (or something even more spendy) I would point to a used MIM or Squier. But if you have chops like Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten, I wouldn't consider recommending either of those either. Get what makes sense to you, personally. Just don't ask me to validate whatever it is you do. It's not my concern, and I really don't care.

You know why the Yugo had rear window defrosters? To keep your hands warm when you pushed it.

 

[NeonVomit]

My Marleaux is worth around 5k. I take it out for gigs of course - what's the point of spending that much on a bass if you're not going to use it for the purpose it exists? I've got it insured so if it gets stolen I'd recover the cost and likely just order another identical one. I use it because no other bass I've ever tried has that kind of tonal versatility, it's light, super comfortable and effortless to use. I use it for almost everything.

I'm sure I could do just as well with a bass that costs half as much, but I wanted something unique and I feel I have that.

 

[Shindig73]

I'm going to throw out another analogy, this one from the wonderful game of golf.

You have all these equipment manufacturers promising more distance on your drives, bigger "sweet spots," and the increased ability to "shape your shots." Yet in reality, it's only true professionals that can actually take true advantage of these technological "improvements " . The weekend duffer just *thinks* he's playing better .

Older (not too old) and cheaper equipment can be played well both by the professional and amateur alike . The adage that it's the "archer, not the bow" certainly applies.

Wonder if this analogy might be spot on for this discussion ...

 

[Zonked]

I'm going to throw out another analogy, this one from the wonderful game of golf.

You have all these equipment manufacturers promising more distance on your drives, bigger "sweet spots," and the increased ability to "shape your shots." Yet in reality, it's only true professionals that can actually take true advantage of these technological "improvements " . The weekend duffer just *thinks* he's playing better .

Older (not too old) and cheaper equipment can be played well both by the professional and amateur alike . The adage that it's the "archer, not the bow" certainly applies.

Wonder if this analogy might be spot on for this discussion ...

Well sure. The bass is tool.

A good bass is relatively simple tool or instrument to make especially nowadays.

Just like a bass, a pen is also a tool.

Will a stunning looking and exquisitely crafted pen made with the finest material available costing $10,000 help a writer write "better" stories?

That's why I believe that after a certain practical level of quality that is pretty affordable nowadays,

A bass is only as good as it's player.

 

[logdrum]

For electric bass. I haven't paid over 1500 for a bass. I mainly get used. 2.5K would be my limit. US made Ernie Ball and G&L to me are best band for the buck, sounds good, play good and you won't lose a lot if at all on the resale.

For exotic custom, Japanese Tune would be my choice and Carvin/Kiesel JB and PB are player basses but you need to commit and keep them because they are not good on resale. I chose them over an American Fender as my gigging bass in this centrury,

I like Bartolini pres and pickups and recently Delanos and Noll. My friend has a Fedora Imperial but the Tune that I have hangs with it in terms of tone and playability. They both were fitted with an East preamp. He had Nordstrand and I had Delanos. But the Fodera was definitely more beautiful. I think he paid over 10k. I payed 1K used.

 

[vindibona1]

So perhaps we might take a legitimate "left turn" here and throw in a bit of a different question: Let's say you had a very modest or inexpensive but well built budget bass, but swapped in some Bartolinis or Aguilars and a decent preamp... HOW MUCH WOULD THAT BEND THE CURVE and get us closer to what one might expect in sound compared to Fodera or Sadowsky, Mayones, et al?

Let me even get more specific (simply hypothetical for discussion only)... I have a Yamaha TRBX605FM. It's a $650 5er that can be had for $550 if you beg. Fit and finish is A+ (scary good). Feel is outstanding. Sound out of the box C+. With different strings a solid B. But my Ibanez BTB with stock Barts and Ibanez preamp just has a beefier sound than the Yamaha. So with this Yamaha.... were I to (theoretically) replace the pickups with top-of-the-line pickups be able to hang with the "big boys"? Or is it never going to be better much better than what it is right now no matter if I gut the pups and electronics and rebuild the internals?