• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Gary Grainger PRS Sig?

#41
Brad Johnson said:
It would seem the strong opinions are a combination of past PRS bass experience and the price tag.

Not that I'm questioning their pricing structure, it's just that the bass more than tripled in projected price with no major changes. Like I said, if a company can make that fly, cool... but don't expect many people not to see it as an issue.

edit: didn't know yours was for sale. never mind.
:cool:
Click to expand...
Hi Brad,

The price is high for an electric bass, no doubt, but how could you believe the PRS Grainger has no major changes from the old PRS production bass? The only commonality between the Grainger and other PRS basses is the shape of the headstock. Everything else, from the body shape to the electronics is 100% newly developed.

As far as strong opinions go, I love it when people are passionate about their position. I really do. But wouldn't you agree that opinions are more useful to other musicians when those providing an opinion have actual experience with the instrument being discussed? And by actual experience, I mean the Grainger bass, NOT the production PRS basses.
 
#42
Hansomatic said:
Hi Brad,

The price is madness, no doubt, but how could you believe the grainger has no major changes from the old PRS production bass? The only commonality between the Grainger and other PRS basses is the shape of the headstock. Everything else, from the body shape to the electronics is 100% newly developed.

As far as strong opinions go, I love it when people are passionate about their position. I really do. But wouldn't you agree that opinions are more useful to other musicians when those providing an opinion have actual experience with the instrument being discussed - and by that, I mean the Grainger bass, NOT the production PRS basses.

Surely this logic is easy to accept.
Click to expand...

You misunderstood. I meant the price increased on the Grainger with no changes to the Grainger from when it wasn't $11k. Not talking about any other PRS models.

I have played the Grainger basses... they are nice.
 
#46
you know, taking a look at the flame of the neck on Hanso's Grainger... I can absolutely see why PRS would put it @ 11K, all of the woods on that bass are amazing. I'm personally not so sure about the grooved ramp but I've never played so who knows, maybe that'd be my favourite feature.

In all seriousness though, Fodera gets away with some pretty high pricing so why not PRS with this stunning bass.

some lucky son of a gun is gonna have many moons of bass funness with it! :bassist::bassist:
 
#47
Psychicpet said:
you know, taking a look at the flame of the neck on Hanso's Grainger... I can absolutely see why PRS would put it @ 11K, all of the woods on that bass are amazing. I'm personally not so sure about the grooved ramp but I've never played so who knows, maybe that'd be my favourite feature.

In all seriousness though, Fodera gets away with some pretty high pricing so why not PRS with this stunning bass.

some lucky son of a gun is gonna have many moons of bass funness with it! :bassist::bassist:
Click to expand...

I don't think workmanship is the issue. PRS has a fine guitar reputation and their old basses had a following too. It's just that outfits like Fodera and Alembic can point to a body of work that players of their basses have achieved, both live and recorded, that PRS cannot show.

Fodera, Ken Smith, Alembic, Sadowsky, Ritter, etc. aren't expensive just because they are well made, they have developed a major following among players that PRS cannot show prior to Gary Grainger except for Robbie Shakespeare.
 
#48
Dr. Cheese said:
I don't think workmanship is the issue. PRS has a fine guitar reputation and their old basses had a following too. It's just that outfits like Fodera and Alembic can point to a body of work that players of their basses have achieved, both live and recorded, that PRS cannot show.

Fodera, Ken Smith, Alembic, Sadowsky, Ritter, etc. aren't expensive just because they are well made, they have developed a major following among players that PRS cannot show prior to Gary Grainger except for Robbie Shakespeare.
Click to expand...

point taken, but you can still buy an American P-Bass for $800.00 .... and many thousands of players have used them on many million selling songs, so I don't think the whole "number of famous players using product"="validation of the price tag"
 
#49
Psychicpet said:
point taken, but you can still buy an American P-Bass for $800.00 .... and many thousands of players have used them on many million selling songs, so I don't think the whole "number of famous players using product"="validation of the price tag"
Click to expand...

That's not a fair comparison. New Fenders can be found within fifty miles of almost every single town east of the Great Plains, and west of the Great Plains, they can probably be found within a hundred miles of any town. I can easily name six or seven dealers within twenty-fives miles of my house without much effort. All the boutiques brands I mentioned are much, much harder to come by.
 
#50
The 'price' discussion' seems to be based around value (bang for your buck). IMHO, that's a fruitless discussion. What one guy can pay (or is willing to pay) for a bass vs. any other guy is an argument that will never be settled.

I bought it - though I didn't pay $11,700. Other have bought them. You wouldn't? Ok, fine.

What I find most interesting is that electric basses are considered expensive when they exceed 2-large - where professional upright players mortgage their and spend entire careers trying to pay for a "good one."

It's all relative.
 
#53
Hansomatic said:
The 'price' discussion' seems to be based around value (bang for your buck). IMHO, that's a fruitless discussion. What one guy can pay (or is willing to pay) for a bass vs. any other guy is an argument that will never be settled.

I bought it - though I didn't pay $11,700. Other have bought them. You wouldn't? Ok, fine.

What I find most interesting is that electric basses are considered expensive when they exceed 2-large - where professional upright players mortgage their and spend entire careers trying to pay for a "good one."

It's all relative.
Click to expand...

PRS can charge whatever they want. I just stated that it might be hard to sell a bass for that $11,000+ without much of a reputation among bassists.

I know orchestral instruments are far more expensive than bass guitars, but I don't really see the connection. Bass guitars tend to be pretty new, even when they are used. 150 years from now, I guess '62 Jazzes and Vinny made Foderas will cost what Stradivari cost now.
 
#55
Dr. Cheese said:
outfits like Fodera and Alembic can point to a body of work that players of their basses have achieved, both live and recorded, that PRS cannot show.

Fodera, Ken Smith, Alembic, Sadowsky, Ritter, etc. aren't expensive just because they are well made, they have developed a major following among players that PRS cannot show prior to Gary Grainger except for Robbie Shakespeare.
Click to expand...

Dr. Cheese said:
That's not a fair comparison. New Fenders can be found within fifty miles of almost every single town east of the Great Plains, and west of the Great Plains, they can probably be found within a hundred miles of any town. I can easily name six or seven dealers within twenty-fives miles of my house without much effort. All the boutiques brands I mentioned are much, much harder to come by.
Click to expand...

the post I replied to was you giving a comparison about boutique brands that have large followings because of recorded and live work by top players, justifying the high price tags....

P-Basses new and old have been and are used on many "hits" daily live and in studio. availability has no bearing. Sadowsky Metros are very available and if Roger can charge what he's charging for those then again, PRS is quite alright to think the Grainger is worth what it is.
 
#56
Psychicpet said:
the post I replied to was you giving a comparison about boutique brands that have large followings because of recorded and live work by top players, justifying the high price tags....

P-Basses new and old have been and are used on many "hits" daily live and in studio. availability has no bearing. Sadowsky Metros are very available and if Roger can charge what he's charging for those then again, PRS is quite alright to think the Grainger is worth what it is.
Click to expand...

Did you read my post #53? I said PRS can charge whatever they want (of course.) What I said was that getting bassists to pay that much for a brand with a small reputation will likely be a problem.
 
#58
Psychicpet said:
...availability has no bearing. Sadowsky Metros are very available and if Roger can charge what he's charging for those then again, PRS is quite alright to think the Grainger is worth what it is.
Click to expand...

Availablity is key. Supply and demand is the first lesson in ECON 101. Comparing the supply of P-basses to Sadowskys just doesn't make sense. In a big city like Atlanta or Chicago, one would do well to find five new Sadowskys on the shelves of bass dealers at any one time. One can find five five P-basses in darn near any podunk store in America.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back