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Expensive vs inexpensive basses
- Thread starter TKnights
- Start date
Whew, good thing you’re not judging.
Now, this is just my opinion and, and we all know how much opinions matter, but...
A couple weeks ago I was in a very nice (relatively speaking) GC in Salt Lake. I sat down and got to play, one after the other, an $550 (new) ESP LTD B-206SM and a $3000 (used) German Warwick Corvette 6 string.
In that 15 minutes or I got a very good idea of difference in quality and playability between those two guitars, not to mention sound (I piped both of them through an Ampeg combo that was conveniently located right in front of me). It was not even a comparison. The Warwick was leagues ahead of the LTD. Its design also suited my playing style significantly better than the Ibanez BTB I tried as well. For further comparison, I picked up a G&L L2000 that was noticeably more pleasant to play than my $900 Schecters. Playability is only SORT OF subjective. The design, hardware, and construction quality of a high end instrument can make a lot of difference.
But it's valid to say the cost to does not justify the benefits for some people. I'm not a professional musician. I could probably sneak a $2k bass by the wife without danger of divorce proceedings. But any more than that and I'd legitimately wonder if I'm even worth it.
...Sometimes I think the $900 guitars area a stretch.
A couple weeks ago I was in a very nice (relatively speaking) GC in Salt Lake. I sat down and got to play, one after the other, an $550 (new) ESP LTD B-206SM and a $3000 (used) German Warwick Corvette 6 string.
In that 15 minutes or I got a very good idea of difference in quality and playability between those two guitars, not to mention sound (I piped both of them through an Ampeg combo that was conveniently located right in front of me). It was not even a comparison. The Warwick was leagues ahead of the LTD. Its design also suited my playing style significantly better than the Ibanez BTB I tried as well. For further comparison, I picked up a G&L L2000 that was noticeably more pleasant to play than my $900 Schecters. Playability is only SORT OF subjective. The design, hardware, and construction quality of a high end instrument can make a lot of difference.
But it's valid to say the cost to does not justify the benefits for some people. I'm not a professional musician. I could probably sneak a $2k bass by the wife without danger of divorce proceedings. But any more than that and I'd legitimately wonder if I'm even worth it.
...Sometimes I think the $900 guitars area a stretch.
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$3,000.00 for a used Warwick Corvette??? Where do you shop, Neiman Marcus? $1,500.00 would be a “maybe”. That’s a steep mark up, dude.
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Mr.Ace
Bass players rule!
- Sep 8, 2015
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I'm no Warwick aficionado, he could've called it anything when he handed it to me. I swear I heard the guy say "Corvette," but it was actually this exact bass. Which is apparently a Pro Series Streamer, not a Corvette. Please forgive my ignorance of finer bass guitars.
edit: That's the GC in Taylorsville, off the 215 freeway close to the airport, if any you Utah TBers got $3k burning a hole in your pocket.
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For many years all I had to play out with was a cheap 1967 Rickenbacker 4005WB, it saw duty from college dive bars to large festivals. What was I to do, it was all I had?
But with this statement you are, indeed, being judgmental.
I had the same issue with a Steinberger L2. Had just the one bass for over twenty years. You play what you have. But nowadays there’s so much good cheap stuff out there that I can gig a $179 dollar bass and keep my expensive, and more to the point for me these days, utterly irreplaceable Steiny at home.
Im going to go out on a limb here and legitimately reply to the OP.
I totally understand your thoughts and I have friends that share your opinion. But... what I've noticed is that they all have something in common. They tend to play rather slowly..... and chill.... and mosey along the bottom end of each song. Nothing wrong with it at all.... they play well and yes... they get a great tone. One of them steps about some half notes while doing the country thing and another is in whole note heaven while backing some acoustics...... but that is what I've noticed. They tend to never play with any real speed or technique that a cheap bass would impede.
Personally, Im in a number of projects that vary quite a bit. Some instrumental fusion/jazzy stuff, some rock, some acoustic, hip hop and some black metal. I have noticed that you can get some great tone out of a cheap bass these days but I also notice that once im slapping or doing some popping/triplets, tapping.... any of that stuff... or even doing some quicker fills and leads... that the limits of the instrument really start to come out. Every time I play my Lull... I know that any mistakes are 100% on me because I can play to the absolute limit of my abilities on that bass. While on some others... I cant.
I totally understand your thoughts and I have friends that share your opinion. But... what I've noticed is that they all have something in common. They tend to play rather slowly..... and chill.... and mosey along the bottom end of each song. Nothing wrong with it at all.... they play well and yes... they get a great tone. One of them steps about some half notes while doing the country thing and another is in whole note heaven while backing some acoustics...... but that is what I've noticed. They tend to never play with any real speed or technique that a cheap bass would impede.
Personally, Im in a number of projects that vary quite a bit. Some instrumental fusion/jazzy stuff, some rock, some acoustic, hip hop and some black metal. I have noticed that you can get some great tone out of a cheap bass these days but I also notice that once im slapping or doing some popping/triplets, tapping.... any of that stuff... or even doing some quicker fills and leads... that the limits of the instrument really start to come out. Every time I play my Lull... I know that any mistakes are 100% on me because I can play to the absolute limit of my abilities on that bass. While on some others... I cant.
Played my '69 P thru an amp I got for free at my last 4 gigs.
I completely agree AND disagree with the OP.
I completely agree AND disagree with the OP.
I just want to know how you compare chocolate to basses? Or amusement park rides to basses.
Even Ibanez's cheap stuff feels and plays good. If that works for the OP, then it works. It was only after getting my dream US built bass that I realized my low priced Asian builds weren't holding me back... however my American bass is still better in every conceivable way and you will have to pry it out of my cold dead hands if you want me to give it up.
whatever dude. i just took a squier afiinity p bass and an 90’s epiphone accu bass that ive had in a closet colecting dust, both in playing condition, to two different poular music stores. i could not give them away. literally they wouldn’t take them for FREE. they have too many low end instruments in there already and dont need any more boat anchors. but im pretty sure i can turn a 77 pbass back into 1200-1500 pretty easily.
Oy, we's gotta live one here, folks.
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