Expensive vs inexpensive basses

[Brad Johnson]

The whole gear-snob thing is pretty funny. You can substitute all sorts of things in front of -snob... car-snob, life-snob, house-snob... whatever the utterer is moved to be envious of. Because if it's not envy, why would they give a damn about what someone else spends their money?


"You can keep your stinkin' porterhouse... I'm really digging this Alpo!".

"No, really!".

 

[Brad Johnson]

So much this. I always wanted a Kubicki, but in the name of fiscal responsibility I kept buying cheaper basses, only to sell them before long. These "cheap" basses, however, got incrementally more expensive until I figured out I'd have saved a ton of money if I'd just saved up for the one, high end bass I really wanted in the first place. It was a stupid journey, but a lesson learned.

The crazy thing is how many higher end basses you can find used, for a fraction of their original cost.

 

[buldog5151bass]

The crazy thing is how many higher end basses you can find used, for a fraction of their original cost.

Same thing with cheap basses.

Play what you like.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Same thing with cheap basses.

Play what you like.

People say they can't afford cheap basses?

 

[buldog5151bass]

People say they can't afford cheap basses?

No, you find cheap basses for a lot off new price.

 

[Brad Johnson]

No, you find cheap basses for a lot off new price.

Not the same thing. They were already cheap.

Look at what I quoted. It matters.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Not the same thing. They were already cheap.

Look at what I quoted. It matters.

It's all relative. I can get an Affinity for $95, an MIA Fender for $800, a Lull for $1500, and so on. Either way, you are losing the same percent off original price. If anything, expensive basses tend to hold their value better, and for longer. That's Also partly since they are more likely to last. Most cheap instruments won't last a half century, a century, and longer in good condition.

 

[JohnArnson]

The whole gear-snob thing is pretty funny. You can substitute all sorts of things in front of -snob... car-snob, life-snob, house-snob... whatever the utterer is moved to be envious of. Because if it's not envy, why would they give a damn about what someone else spends their money?


"You can keep your stinkin' porterhouse... I'm really digging this Alpo!".

"No, really!".

Hmm, what you claim there seems very strange to me cause searching my memory I can't seem to recall as much as one single thread with the topic of how good someone's new high end bass is containing any comments whatsoever from people expressing that kind of envy you describe, whereas just about every thread with the topic of someone being really happy with his cheap budget bass quickly gets filled up with comments from people eager to wave their "I am feeling butt-hurt that someone get great enjoyment out of their cheap budget basses when I have to pay 2000$+ for mine just to be able to allow myself to feel the same level of satisfaction" flag.

Seems like we have had the exact opposite experience from reading in this forum, very odd indeed.

Could it be that there are 2 versions of TalkBass, existing in each their own separate internet realm, and mirroring each other as the exact opposite of the other version, and somehow you have just managed to cross to the other realm from where you usually resides?

I guess at least that would explain this.

 

[Rob Martinez]

I have expensive basses and inexpensive. I love them all. I tend to play the cheap ones more. Audience doesn't care. And the sound is just as good. Especially when mixed with other instruments, singers, room sound and audience noise.

Enjoy your bass, no matter the cost!

 

[Brad Johnson]

It's all relative. I can get an Affinity for $95, an MIA Fender for $800, a Lull for $1500, and so on. Either way, you are losing the same percent off original price. If anything, expensive basses tend to hold their value better, and for longer. That's Also partly since they are more likely to last. Most cheap instruments won't last a half century, a century, and longer in good condition.

And farther down the rabbit hole you go.


You seem to be ignoring the context of my original comment. And now you're saying that you can buy basses at reduced prices in several price range and that "Either way, you are losing the same percent off original price".

How? That makes no sense.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Hmm, what you claim there seems very strange to me cause searching my memory I can't seem to recall as much as one single thread with the topic of how good someone's new high end bass is containing any comments whatsoever from people expressing that kind of envy you describe, whereas just about every thread with the topic of someone being really happy with his cheap budget bass quickly gets filled up with comments from people eager to wave their "I am feeling butt-hurt that someone get great enjoyment out of their cheap budget basses when I have to pay 2000$+ for mine just to be able to allow myself to feel the same level of satisfaction" flag.

Seems like we have had the exact opposite experience from reading in this forum, very odd indeed.

Could it be that there are 2 versions of TalkBass, existing in each their own separate internet realm, and mirroring each other as the exact opposite of the other version, and somehow you have just managed to cross to the other realm from where you usually resides?

I guess at least that would explain this.

You're right, we have the opposite reading of this. Your take is that the cheap bass guy is minding his own business and here come the gear snobs. Altruistic as usual. Cool.

What's hilarious about that is the frickin' first post, by a cheap basser, ends with this:

"So you can keep your Foderas , Alembics , etc . I'm happy".

The very first post.


Too funny. You were saying?


Equally funny is the idea that cheap bassers don't dump on people spending more than they would in a boutique. No "My SX can hang with a Sadowsky" posts on TB. LOL

You not seeing it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It does. So much for different worlds.

 

[Maxdusty]

Buy and play the bass that makes you want to play the instrument.
There are inexpensive basses that are gems and worthy instruments which I would even favor over some boutique ones, and there are truly crappy cheap basses that justify their low prices. Playing the law of averages, using inexpensive material and parts , you do run into more of the bad basses under the inexpensive category. That being said, I've tried some expensive basses that were terrific and then there were those that did nothing for me. Everyone's experiences and preferences differ.

I know it's not a bass but one of Prince's favorite guitar was a Hohner Telecaster clone.

 

[JohnArnson]

You're right, we have the opposite reading of this. Your take is that the cheap bass guy is minding his own business and here come the gear snobs. Altruistic as usual. Cool.

What's hilarious about that is the frickin' first post, by a cheap basser, ends with this:

"So you can keep your Foderas , Alembics , etc . I'm happy".

The very first post.


Too funny. You were saying?


Equally funny is the idea that cheap bassers don't dump on people spending more than they would in a boutique. You not seeing it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It does. So much for different worlds.

Uhm, I am not with you, you find that offensive because you have in mind giving up your high end basses for a budget one, and he advised you to keep them, which I don't quite get why would be offensive to you, or because it was supposed to be a secret that you had in mind keeping your high end basses, and now you feel like he exposed that secret, which I don't really think would be a valid reason either to get offended since he didn't exactly call out your name in specific?

Or was it the part about him being happy with his budget bass that offended you, in which case you just proved my point about people being eager to wave their "I am feeling butt-hurt that someone get great enjoyment out of their cheap budget basses when I have to pay 2000$+ for mine just to be able to allow myself to feel the same level of satisfaction" flag in threads like this.

And I don't really think it's funny either, actually more like kind of sad.

You were saying?

 

[Brad Johnson]

Uhm, I am not with you, you feel offensive because you have in mind on giving up your high end basses for a budget one, and he advised you to keep it, which I don't quite get why would be offensive to you, or because it was supposed to be a secret that you had in mind keeping you high end basses, and you feel like he exposed it, which I don't really think would be valid either since he didn't call out your name in specific?

Or was it the part about him being happy with his budget bass that offended you, in which case you just prove my point about people being eager to wave their "I am feeling butt-hurt that someone get great enjoyment out of their cheap budget basses when I have to pay 2000$+ for mine just to be able to allow myself to feel the same level of satisfaction" flag in threads like this.

I don't really think it's funny either, actually more like kind of sad.

You were saying?

Reread what you wrote. Your imagination (along with grammar) is running wild and it's pretty confusing yet entertaining.

The gist seems to be that I have nice gear and I'm angry.

Thanks.

 

[JohnArnson]

Reread what you wrote. Your imagination (along with grammar) is running wild and it's pretty confusing yet entertaining.

The gist seems to be that I have nice gear and I'm angry.

Thanks.

The gist is not that you have nice gear, you are right about the other part though, you do seem to carry a lot of anger towards people who happens to like budget gear, however those two things combined seems to suggests that the reason for your anger is envy on people who don't need to spend as much money as you do to feel satisfied, which paints a picture of a really bitter guy who is incapable of getting any joy out of his nice gear as long as he knows some people are happy with much less.

What you did there is what in psychological terms is called projection.

 

[Maxdusty]

Reread what you wrote. Your imagination (along with grammar) is running wild and it's pretty confusing yet entertaining.

The gist seems to be that I have nice gear and I'm angry.

Thanks.

You know, I read the original post a few times and the way I interpret it, I really don't believe he's criticizing anyone with an expensive bass, he's simply stating that he found an inexpensive bass he can live with and doesn't have to resort to buying a more expensive bass to be satisfied.
"So you can keep your Foderas , Alembics , etc . I'm happy ". I read this as, Foderas and Alembics are his benchmark of high quality and expectations, but he's happy enough with what he has. How does that in any way put down Fodera and Alembic owners? Heck he even mentioned his dissatisfaction with the stock configuration of his inexpensive bass with this statement "After disabling that crappy active PhatII EQ (The pickups are actually passive) it's turning out to be a very good bass."
.

 

[Jeff Scott]

You know, I read the original post a few times and the way I interpret it, I really don't believe he's criticizing anyone with an expensive bass, he's simply stating that he found an inexpensive bass he can live with and doesn't have to resort to buying a more expensive bass to be satisfied.
"So you can keep your Foderas , Alembics , etc . I'm happy ". I read this as, Foderas and Alembics are his benchmark of high quality and expectations, but he's happy enough with what he has. How does that in any way put down Fodera and Alembic owners?
.

It can be interpreted as the OP is flipping the bird at those with high end basses.

 

[Brad Johnson]

It can be interpreted as the OP is flipping the bird at those with high end basses.

Thanks, Jeff. I'm not divining his intent, it could be seen in more ways than some can apparently imagine.

 

[Brad Johnson]

The gist is not that you have nice gear, you are right about the other part though, you do seem to carry a lot of anger towards people who happens to like budget gear, however those two things combined seems to suggests that the reason for your anger is envy on people who don't need to spend as much money as you do to feel satisfied, which paints a picture of a really bitter guy who is incapable of getting any joy out of his nice gear as long as he knows some people are happy with much less.

What you did there is what in psychological terms is called projection.

Please don't talk about psychology or projecting. These flights of fancy you continue to be on don't bode well for you.

Since you have all of this time on your hands, show my specific displays of anger. Should be easy if what you think you see is actually real.

 

[JohnArnson]

It can be interpreted as the OP is flipping the bird at those with high end basses.

If that is your predetermined perspective on it, yes, otherwise there would be no reason to believe OP is putting those brands or people who own them down.

For instance someone could say: "You can keep your fancy houses and cozy family gatherings, I am happy alone as a free man, living the simple life of walking the highways with the open sky as my only upper limit", or something in that line.

All that you would normally take that to imply is that this man is happy living the simple life, and while he has no beef with people preferring otherwise for him that is the only right thing to do.

The only possible reason you could perceive it as a personal offense would be if you in some way felt that he was right and somehow had exposed you, could be like for instance as being a coward because you weren't brave enough to chose a different life, feeling too safe and secure with having what is considered a normal life by most, even if you'd always secretly dreamed of something else.