Higher end production bass vs 'entry' level custom.

[ComeHomeShane]

Kudos if you've read this far...

2k can get you an awesome bass. IMHO, for electric basses once you pass the 2k range, you enter the land of diminishing returns. You start getting into boutique options that don't necessarily enhance the build quality. I play almost exclusively G&L basses, all custom, all preferable to play over its Fender counterpart. My last build was a G&L Jazz Bass with every upgrade available; that bass came out to $1600. I've A/B'd this bass against some boutique options that were over twice it's cost, but couldn't really find any significant differences to justify spending 2-3 times more. For my money, G&L hits the sweet spot with great build quality, great play quality, and great tone.

other things...
- 99% of people in the audience won't be able to tell the difference between a $400 dollar Squire and a $4000 Laklan.
- The bass does not make the player. I've heard joe shmoes put crowds to sleep on a $3000 bass and $3000 rig... I've also seen pros rock cheap set-ups and huge gigs and the crowd is none the wiser... I have a friend in Dallas who rocks the cover band scene. He plays every gig with a $350 SUB Music Man into a Fender Rumble. He's waaaay better than that bass, but doesn't need to spend 4k to prove it.
- What ever super sexy tone you can dream up... the sound guy is going to ruin with sub bass frequencies and/or poor mixes.

If you record a lot and want a very specific sound/feel, sure, go for it. If you have the cash and just really really want that 4k Lakland, sure, go for it. For my money, the sweet spot is in that $1500-2k range at G&L where you can get yourself something unique to you without spending Fender prices...

 

[Brad Johnson]

I've purchased so many killer boutique basses USED that fit well within your budget that I've lost rack. The trick is to know what you want and be able to recognize it when you experience it. I've seen people miss out on phenomenal instruments over dead strings or a setup they don't care for. Or indecision.

 

[JRA]

hennessybass , you gave great advice! i agree that the OP (anyone!) would be better served by some 'research' and experience (play them all!) while taking time to make a decision that might cost him 2k!

i have a different perspective on the process of making those decisions. i think most of us can speak to the consequences of our own decisions!



edit: clarity

 

[nonohmic]

I have been down this path with guitars. I would tell you two that things that I found to be true. 1) Even with decades of experience, you really don't know what you are getting into with non standard woods and features and how they work together when you are custom selecting different options. The opportunity to be gravely disappointed is high. Certain combinations are common for a reason 2) At those price points, with modern building techniques you are really paying for that last 5% which will still be highly variable because we are still talking about a piece of wood. I would look at high end production and take advantage of the opportunity to play several examples. They will all be great, but they will all be different and you can find the one that speaks best to you and your ears and know what you are getting.

hennessybass , you gave great advice! i agree that the OP (anyone!) would be better served by some 'research' and experience (play them all!) while taking time to make a decision that might cost him 2k!

i have a different perspective on the process of making those decisions. i think most of us can speak to the consequences!

This is good stuff. Again, time and patience seem to be a common theme!

 

[baxter_x]

The player makes the sound and the groove. However, a nice tool is always better. for the player. I'm a Sadowsky user, that are among the most expensive basses on the market. Is it worth it? IMO, yes, totally.
But money doesn't make the player. Some own a 10k$ cars some own a 100k$. Does this mean they are better drivers? Abviously not

 

[JRA]

All due respect, it sounds like you're the one falling for "the search/quest for 'the bass' that is 'meant' for one player", not the OP. You just said as much. And if you just don't care about resale at all, you're probably under the mistaken impression that there is such a thing and/or you currently already own it. I can confidently say that's not a good practice from a purely objective standpoint and not just a matter of opinion. The fact is, it often takes years and many many hours and gigs to finally reject a bass you initially thought was great, or to settle on another one as a "most suitable" instrument; I don't know of any manufacturer that would let you try out a bass for that long without buying it first. And it can take just as long to discover a bass you don't initially like for some reason later turns out to be a "most suitable" bass. I've seen it happen and more than once. But you have to buy that bass first too. So, again, a much better approach is to assume that at some point, even your ideal bass may begin to become not so ideal and may have to find a new home. And that may not be a mistake on your part - as we age, our bodies change and our lives change. That's just how it is and that's just how our lives go as bass players. Again don't ask me why I know all this in such detail. finally, I'm not saying there's no such thing as a life-long keeper and that finding that lifelong keeper is rarer than winning the lottery. Far from it and it's worthwhile to pursue it. But realistically, you may buy and sell a bunch of other basses over a period of time to find it...All of that taken together is why resale can be important, and in fact near the top of the list of considerations. Not always, but often....L

i don't care about resale and i think others should also not care about resale....unless they are guessing at the time of purchase/commitment. that's my POV. your assumptions about me, the way i must be thinking, whether i have 'the one', whether i'm "falling" for a search/quest, whether i care about this or that, yada yada, is speculative but mostly inaccurate.

we disagree, i've already pointed that out. i've already told you how great your POV is/was. but still, we disagree. i think you and your POV are wonderful for the OP's 'getting some opinions' process. i'm glad that he has the benefit of different points of view --- and i'm sure you and i can agree on that!


to anyone reading: please take the poll! comments aren't needed.
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/2020-current-musician-status-poll-pick-two.1455784/

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

All,

I am finally getting to the position where I am ready to put a serious (for me) amount of money into a bass. My budget is ~ $2k. This is an interesting space because it puts you at the high end of production basses, but also the lower end of custom basses. I have a number of options on my list, which I won't go into.

But my question is - what are peoples experiences in this price point? Does this price point in production basses 'punch above it's weight'? Or is getting your own custom specs worth it, even if the overall options on the bass aren't as extensive?

Thanks!

Squier affinity (any color) - $225
Warmoth neck - $250
Pickups - $100 - $250
Pots - $15
Knobs - $5 - $30
Bridge - $40 - $120
Tuners - $80
Pickguard - $25 - $45

Total = high $935 + time
Low $740 + time

Math spells it out for you bro.

You could also save a lot by keeping the bridge, tuners, and pickguard.

You could also save a lot by buying a diy kit for 130, and doing the same.
Or, get a body cut out of whatever wood you want for 120 on Ebay, and do the same thing.

 

[klokker]

Both my USA G&L's that I ordered were made for me, I didn't buy "off the rack". But they weren't really "custom", I just added a few things that cost extra. I wanted a quarter sawn neck, and a painted headstock, a cool finish, but other than that I just ordered everything else basic.

I really like the basses and will never sell them. But looking back on it, I should have ordered more extras. A thousand dollars over 10 years really doesn't matter and I would have enjoyed them every time I picked up the bass.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

All,

I am finally getting to the position where I am ready to put a serious (for me) amount of money into a bass. My budget is ~ $2k. This is an interesting space because it puts you at the high end of production basses, but also the lower end of custom basses. I have a number of options on my list, which I won't go into.

But my question is - what are peoples experiences in this price point? Does this price point in production basses 'punch above it's weight'? Or is getting your own custom specs worth it, even if the overall options on the bass aren't as extensive?

Thanks!

Oh yeah, you can also go on to Sandberg and build one for about 1500. You get to choose and see all the options in front of you too.

 

[luciens]

i don't care about resale and i think others should also not care about resale....unless they are guessing at the time of purchase/commitment. that's my POV. to

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, then. But I have to say that that's just not an informed or experienced position to take on resale value on buying any bass under virtually any circumstances, really. Much less a bass that costs as much as $2000 for an intermediate or intermediate/advanced player.

There's always at least some guesswork, tho admittedly small, in the purchase of any instrument. Even players as certain of their needs as Anthony Jackson is have had multiple basses throughout their careers. It's just a non-starter to think that no consideration of resale value at all will have as good or better outcome as taking it seriously...

L

 

[vindibona1]

There are multiple pages of replies and I read only the first few. Hopefully I'll say some unique things not covered previously.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, while it takes more patience to find what's right, USED INSTRUMENTS will almost always give you the most bang for your buck. At the $2000 price range you can easily find used basses that would have cost in excess of $3000 new. Why be the sucker that eats the initial depreciation? These instruments are built to last 100 years+ if cared for. Many instruments are purchased and sit in closets, often almost unplayed until the owners decide it's time to give them up.

Every bass (or musical instrument) is unique unto itself, no matter how meticulous the build or cost of the instrument. I'll post a video about choosing a $100,000+ Steinway piano and how no two are alike. So regardless of the model you choose, there will be differences in feel and sound from unit to unit. It all depends on how sensitive you are. And if you're not that sensitive, do you need to spend $2000 on a bass to be totally satisfied with an instrument???

IMO brand/model is a starting place. When it was time to "upgrade" from my Squier SE Stratocaster, I cannot tell you how many MIA Strats I played before finding one I found "worthy"... and it was mostly because of price and a once-in-a-lifetime deal (on a used one).

And that's all I have to say about that (or not :0 ).

 

[getBAK]

My opinions echo others that have already been stated here, but here I go anyways.
I've owned both Custom and Off the Shelf (OTS) instruments at many price-points. Here is the general rule I would apply
Stay with an OTS instrument unless there is something specific you want that can't be had otherwise. For example, when I had my custom Carvin built, there were able to do an electronics package that no-one else could touch at the time (Standard pickups with a piezo pickup in each string saddle, very groundbreaking for 2006). The bass was great, but if something had gone wrong with those electronics, I would have had a hell of a time getting them repaired. I also took a bath on it when I sold it 10 years later.

Custom basses are kind of like custom cars, building what you want, inherently means you are building what lots of other people don't.
Odd stuff that comes up with Custom basses

• Ancillary stuff like cases can be hard to fit. A custom body, even if it looks like a P-Bass won't always have the same contours.
• Expect to take a beating on resale. That said, I always advise that instruments are crappy investments and never buy something because you plan to sell it later.
• A lot of the time you will find custom builders experimenting on their instruments - so strange things can appear. The set of tuners that were sitting around etc...
• If touring and something breaks, you are probably stuck without an instrument for a few days. A lot of people bring back-up instruments on the road. In a perfect world, that is a clone of what you already have.

All of that said, there's a damned good chance my next "high-end" 5-String bass will be custom-built by Keith Holland.

 

[gorneyg]

...and there's always the Talkbass Classifieds...

 

[vindibona1]

...I've owned both Custom and Off the Shelf (OTS) instruments at many price-points.

• Expect to take a beating on resale. That said, I always advise that instruments are crappy investments and never buy something because you plan to sell it later.

I think in many cases you are correct in terms of the "investment' aspect of instruments. But that requires some qualifications. I have to disagree to some degree, but depends on one's approach.

I agree that one should rarely if ever buy an instrument planning to sell it later. And while not an "investment" I approach many of my instrument purchases as a "CURRENCY HEDGE". A musical instrument is a non-liquid asset and good instruments will never have zero value. A lot depends on what you buy, how you buy it, how long you keep it and what you pay for it.

As I mentioned earlier, always if possible, buy USED. Just that alone reduces the chances of a loss should you sell it at any time. And if you buy the right instrument at the right price, you might make some money. I had a fairly extensive trumpet collection, all of where were used. I played them regularly, but when it was time to reduce my herd because I wasn't playing as extensively, the PROFIT from the sale of my used trumpets paid for nearly all of my guitar collection! By buying wisely, currency devaluation from inflation aside, I got free trumpet and guitars! I have since sold some of those guitars for a modest profit as well. It all depends.

Now, this is a strange time in history and it will be difficult to predict the short term future because we just don't know a lot right now. We'll have some products that will increase in price because of demand and shortages and other products that will decrease in price because of a surplus that a 2 month lockdown will cause, with sellers just wanting to move product. But once the dust settles, typically cheaper dollars that have been the strategy to cover government debt will cause inflation. How much and when? Nobody can say. But in the big picture, a used instrument might be considered asset diversification. It will never have the volatility that paper assets have. So again, while not necessarily an investment, musical instruments can be used as a hedge against the volatility, especially long term.

 

[bbh]

A used high end production. You’ll get more bang for your buck and it’s probably less likely to have problems. Then down the road, if you sell it, there’s nothing to loose.

 

[Groove Doctor]

You will sound like YOU no matter what instrument you play. (It took me 17 basses to work that out).

 

[brushfirewolf]

Yeah word, maybe I need to make better use of return policies (while not taking advantage of course).

In case you are interested in abusing (or not abusing) return policies, Guitar Center just upped theirs to 180 days.

 

[wishforbass]

All,

I am finally getting to the position where I am ready to put a serious (for me) amount of money into a bass. My budget is ~ $2k. This is an interesting space because it puts you at the high end of production basses, but also the lower end of custom basses. I have a number of options on my list, which I won't go into.

But my question is - what are peoples experiences in this price point? Does this price point in production basses 'punch above it's weight'? Or is getting your own custom specs worth it, even if the overall options on the bass aren't as extensive?

Thanks!

Beccause the place I live a lot of options like g&l and dingwall never available.
But now let's do the comparison ,ok I tried few custom shop and some high end production.
First thing that got my attention was how different feelings they are .the high end production was kind of a very good bass .ibanez sr 5005 was crazily build quality +MTD was very good on it's own way and musicians weren't my type nor fenders jazz bass wasn't my favorite to weight but still they had good quality .
Costume shops had character in them .very depending on the builder and artist .cooler design and very better attention on installation and final QC.
Each has its own special sound .costume basses have more character but more not known sound .
Some bass builder of costume shops.
At end in my opinion buy the thing you like most.
I have Ibanez premium when a lot of people count them dull and dead with no character, in my ear they sound so good which I picked them over american fender .

 

[fhm555]

I can’t fully exploit my MIM J basses or my Highway One (1?) basses so there’s never been any reason for me to look at much else. I was ready to drop $699.00 for a Reverend Dub King and cool reverend White case for it when the tariff war started and the bass alone jumped to $1100 almost overnight, so that is one bass i may never get to own.
That said, why not drop a grand on a really nice used bass then spend a little to get the neck edges rolled and the frets plek’d, then play it a while and decide if you want more than it has to offer, maybe swap electronics.
If you are still figuring out what you like/want in a bass, it’s too soon to be looking for a forever bass so get something nice and make it even nicer, then work out on it. Your bass will guide you to what you want, but only if you play it enough.
Take the long view and when the time is right your dream bass will find you.

 

[nonohmic]

In case you are interested in abusing (or not abusing) return policies, Guitar Center just upped theirs to 180 days.

That's ridiculous.