No doubt. For me "healthy dose of reality" means I have a family of four, I'm getting ready to buy my first house (I'll be 40 in a week and I've never lived in one place for more than three years at any point in my life), I'm trying to sock retirement money away as well as accounts for my kids, etc.
Same here. I wouldn't be able to guesstimate the amount of $$$ I spent on gear between 1978-1998. Of course, I was able back then to score 60s Fender Ps and Js for under a grand with ease. And even trying to get fancier as you say, with active basses, 5, 6, 8 strings, etc.
The one thing of worth I learned, though, is that I don't really care for "fancy." For me, I'll take a good passive 4-banger. That's all I need (though I would like to have a passive fretless 4 string.)
This isn't to knock people who have the cash and inclination to buy high-end boutique/custom basses. It's just not my interest or desire.
Yup. And, as many others have said and I will echo, inexpensive, budget instruments are light years ahead what the vast majority of them were a few decades ago.
Sure, I'd like to own a nice MIA Fender again. I wouldn't kick one out of bed or anything. But you know what? I've owned a boatload of Fenders made between 1964 and 1996 and while some of them were incredible, I don't even need to go that far anymore. I honestly cannot see or hear $500-$1000 difference between my cheapies and big brand name sticks, aside from minor mods like better nuts and bridges and possibly wiring (all cheap upgrades.)
Another aspect of this, beyond buyer's remorse and the fact I can't justify (with my finances) spending hundreds and hundreds to a grand or more on a bass (as much as I love bass) is that it's a relief to me in a way that I don't have basses lying around that are so costly and hard to replace if damaged or whatever, especially when, objectively, I get just as much use and utility out of much less expensive stuff.
IMO.
