How much are bass guitars truly worth?

[buldog5151bass]

Hard to put a value on it - what you are buying for one piece for a bass body is a LOT more than a small company is paying for their wood/board-foot, and still a LOT more than someone like Fender is paying. Also depends one the quality you are looking for. I would reject something that many companies would use, since I like finishes where you can see the grain.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

What amazes me is that Fender can spend for materials, workers, factory space, tools, management, on and on, etc. and be able to sell a good quality bass for $279.

I wonder how much profit they make per Squier. They sell a bunch of those things.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

Brand, where it is made, the quality of materials, the quality of the build etc ...

Most instrument below 1000 is made in bulk and they all have something not perfect. But to me this is the problem of a compagny like Fender where at every price point the instrument have the same look, the only difference is in the fit and finish, the MIA may not need shim at the neck joint, or to change the pickup because they are useless.

Take Ibanez for exemple. The same serie at various price point will have fancier wood, better fit and finish, better pickup, better preamp, a preamp more interesting ( like with active/passive with a mid control )

 

[DigitalMan]

People go crazy and pay double the price for a Lexus or BMW, mainly to get the "status" they think comes with it.

Meanwhile, smart people drive a car that is functional and costs WAY less. I thought my '05 Sonata was a little old, but my bosse's boss drives a car at least 5 years older than mine, and in worse shape. Smart guy.

The utility of my car is the same as any BMW/Lexus. Same goes for basses, you can get a perfectly good bass for $400-500 now. My Jackson Concert bass has everything I need for around $400, and I can play ANY gig I need to with it.

Im not sure what status comes with a Lexus or BMW other than "might be going to the grocery store".

 

[MegaSwing]

People go crazy and pay double the price for a Lexus or BMW, mainly to get the "status" they think comes with it.

Meanwhile, smart people drive a car that is functional and costs WAY less. I thought my '05 Sonata was a little old, but my bosse's boss drives a car at least 5 years older than mine, and in worse shape. Smart guy.

The utility of my car is the same as any BMW/Lexus. Same goes for basses, you can get a perfectly good bass for $400-500 now. My Jackson Concert bass has everything I need for around $400, and I can play ANY gig I need to with it.

I don't care a shiggity what car you drive or what brand of instrument you play. It doesn't stop you from being a boob.

This is what I told a car salesman a few weeks ago who tried to low-ball me and my wife in a trade we were trying to make with our '08 Acura MDX to get a '14 Mercedes GLK350: 'There's no money in the bank better than a car that is completely paid for.'

We didn't make the trade, and that salesman can rot waiting for an idiot who thinks having a particular car makes you look better and smarter.

Our vehicle is pretty damned nice, by any standard.

 

[Feral Feline]

Mehhhh...Even inexpensive basses are wayyyy overpriced.

Just go to your local Lumberland and pick up whatever off cuts are cheapest – some green pine 2x4 for the neck and maybe a scrapped masonite countertop that's not too warped for the body (scoop up all the bent nails they've got, you'll need them for frets – less 'course yer makin' a fretless);
then swing by the Plumbershack for some outdoor-fawcet knobs for your tuners;
next stop Farmer's Depot – bailing wire is cheap there and who really needs wound strings anyway...

 

[growlypants]

I think that's like asking, "What's a car truly worth?" Well...it all depends, doesn't it? The cost of the materials, the QUALITY of those materials, in the case of the actual wood - what KIND of wood... I mean, if you just want something that plays low notes, well then, you're all set! If, on the other hand, you want something that can truly sing when asked to do it, that'll cost you a bit more.

 

[ZenG]

There's also "marketing".

There is nothing stopping them (they...you know who) from building legendary basses that aren't expensive. Same goes in other walks of life...especially fishing equipment.

But they mostly don't. Because there are "levels" of price points to contend with.

They could also build a fantastically user-friendly-for-owner-maintenance car....I've sat down many a time and thought of how they could do it and why they don't.
Once in a long while they come close...but not often.

Simple reason is:- it's not about you or I want..it's about what they want...which is money.

There's mostly no reason to innovate when money is involved ...except to make your product slightly more attractive than the other guy's.

As I said:- in fishing equipment it's largely the same old sh*t they've been making for 50 years or more ..only slightly nicer.

I can think of all sorts of things that I'd like in that regard (fishing) that they're never going to make. Mostly they just package and re-polish same-old same-old for the better part.

I think they're motto is :- if it ain't broke and we can still make money...then don't fix it or change it.

 

[XontheP]

Playing the devil's advocate here...
I can envision a point where a mass produced instrument could exceed a custom in terms of tolerances, consistency, build quality, and so forth. Squier and Sire are already demonstrating that the gap is closing.

 

[castlev]

Sure a few planks of wood can be worth 50 bucks and hardware 100, and turned into a $1000 guitar, but you need to consider that the costs of the guitar cover expenses of the manufacturer. Iphones arent worth 600 bucks but you pay for r&d and staff.
There is also many other factors, like the markets at play. Japanese guitars have skyrocketed in price because the yen has increased in value.
Then keep in mind some instruments are hard to find.
Then there is you... how bad do u want it?

 

[Iridescentone]

$4000

^ This.

 

[Eric_71]

Paging @lbridenstine, @Lonnybass, and the many others I am forgetting: outside of the woodworking equipment and head knowledge you have, how much do the materials for a 'good' bass cost you? Perhaps not hyper-exotic woods, but stuff you would want to use in one of your basses.

I realize there is still supply-chain markup from pickup manufacturers, etc., but I'm pretty curious about the actual cost of the BOM for a higher-end bass (which I think was the original question). Please forgive me if you don't know me: I am simply an admirer of the work that you both have posted on here and value your opinions.

 

[sundaybender]

People go crazy and pay double the price for a Lexus or BMW, mainly to get the "status" they think comes with it.

Meanwhile, smart people drive a car that is functional and costs WAY less. I thought my '05 Sonata was a little old, but my bosse's boss drives a car at least 5 years older than mine, and in worse shape. Smart guy.

Please, enlighten us. What else do the smart people do?

Ever notice how this name-calling argument is only ever made one direction? People with the "cheap thing" often like to point out how much smarter they are than the dumb people with the "expensive thing."

I've never seen this go the other way around. Maybe all those dumb people with the the "expensive thing" have better things to do with their time than name-call the people with the "cheap thing."

Play your bass. Drive your car. Don't assume you know what life experience others get from doing the same.

 

[pedroims]

many people could assembly an excellent bass with top notch components for less than $1,500 usd.

Warmoth body/neck, 600
pickups $200
hipshot hardaware 250
pleked $ 300
strings $20
profesional setup $100
pots, wire etc $30

Retail value will be zero though.

 

[RickyWoo]

I'm not talking about how much people believe they're worth, I mean if you take into account the wood, cutting the wood, the routing, paint job, electronics, and everything else that goes into making the bass, how much is it truly worth?

I just don't understand why some basses are listed as $1000 more than other basses that seem very similar

Mass production, limited production, where they're produced and the respective wages, hand made quality, cnc quality, made by a child quality (literally), lumber used, hardware used, high employee overhead, low employee overhead, ego, modesty, demand greater than supply, supply greater than demand, marketing, word of mouth, bass forums, magazines, history, new cutting edge techology, direct sales, big box sales, mom and pop shop sales, great records, your favorite bassist owns one, your favorite bass player doesn't like them anymore, a great player picked a one off nobody has ever heard of, poor quality control, excellent quality control, will burn it if it isn't perfect quality control ..... Does that help at all? Because there's probably more.

In reality, it's cheaper for some to build 10 basses and it's cheaper for some to build 1. All depends how they're set up and, more importantly, what you're willing to shell out. It all makes sense if you take the billion reasons in to account. Take your pick.

 

[fhm555]

Mass produced means less experienced labor, but in spite of the lack of knowledge by machine operators about the products they produce, they know their machine, which is far more important if you want to keep production at a high level of both quality and quantity. Mass production has yet to reach the level of an individual, experienced working luthier, but the kicker is it's plenty good enough to get the job done so anyone who wants a decent instrument can have one for three to six hundred brand new. I built highly complex parts to very exacting specifications, and often had only a cursory knowledge of what the part was for, or it's purpose in the assembly, but I could make my mills, lathes, and plasma cutters do anything so our scrap rate was always stupid low, and some seriously nice, complex pieces were produced in a quantity exceeding the requirement for a price that was very profitable. Our goal was zero hand fit for our customers. Not difficult to do if you have the right machines and know how to exploit them.

When I was cutting grass for what I wanted, I lusted after Fender basses, but they were not just out of my grasp financially, they were so far out even a used one was out of the question, and in my neighborhood at least, Fenders were more rare than hen's teeth. I lived on used Peavey basses and they ranged from good as new to good and used up. Even beat to heck a Peavey would still work or could be made to do so for a little bit of nothing most times, not so with Fenders. Once I got able to afford the occasional Fender I quickly learned I may wind up needing serious work. I've had a few really nice pawnshop finds but they were all P basses which are not my cup-o-tea.

Today a kid can work a few weeks cutting grass and be on their way to becoming the next JPJ, or Gene Simmons with a brand new bass that will be perfectly adequate for the budding rocker to discover if bass really is for them after all. If you buy used you can get much more for the same money.

The only real difference in most basses these days is the level of finish/quality of the various parts. Poly instead of multi coats of buffed lacquer for instance. More durable, costs loads less and more eco friendly, but most importantly does not cause a log jam in production or require a larger investment in production to handle the required volume. It costs producers less so it costs us less. May not be traditional, but in the end who cares.

I love old basses, as long as they belong to someone else. By old I'm talking about ready for major work to be playable, big repairs or restoration. I flip basses but only MIM J basses. Not with profit in mind, but just to have something fun to do. I make a little on one lose a little on the next one, but at the end of the day I make enough to keep me out of trouble with wifey.

All that said, I can afford much more than I spend on basses, but I can't fully exploit a good MIM J so why should I spend more? It simply becomes vanity for me to want anything more expensive than your typical second hand MIM J. If I ever get good enough to do everything my little MIM is able to do, I might want to try to get a few nanoseconds faster by modding my bass rather than more practice on my (non existent) technique, but until then, what's the point other than being able to stick out your boobs and tell the world about your extra special bass.

 

[JonKim]

To some $5000 is not a lot of money. May be only a weeks of wages for some. And others maybe just a day or a few hours. Some of the younger high school and college folks may not even make that in a year.
Do I think my house is worth $750k? But to my wife it was well worth it for the school district in one of the most expensive places area to live in. My neighbors are paying over$4000/mo for rent!! Not even mortgage. But to some it's worth it.

 

[castlev]

Please, enlighten us. What else do the smart people do?

Ever notice how this name-calling argument is only ever made one direction? People with the "cheap thing" often like to point out how much smarter they are than the dumb people with the "expensive thing."

I've never seen this go the other way around. Maybe all those dumb people with the the "expensive thing" have better things to do with their time than name-call the people with the "cheap thing."

Play your bass. Drive your car. Don't assume you know what life experience others get from doing the same.

Know why i like my benz? When i hold the wheel the car goes straight, i dont have to keep tilting it side to side like american cars. Also, when i close the door, you can feel the cabin pressure and hear a thunk, not caschhhhhhhhinkinkdkeebehejdjd like american cars. I also like that the transmission is super smooth, 6 speed, smoother than the 6 speed trans that my honda crv had.
I also like the awesome anti wheel spin, superior abs, and light clutch, things i never had on a MIJ or american car.
Bottom line, the germans are serious and take real pride in their work. Im not german either. My warwick german bass is superior to any bass ive ever played. I still own basses from esp, gibson, and peavey, and for good reason, they are built well. But the germans pride in their manufacturing are second to none.

 

[lbridenstine]

Paging @lbridenstine, @Lonnybass, and the many others I am forgetting: outside of the woodworking equipment and head knowledge you have, how much do the materials for a 'good' bass cost you? Perhaps not hyper-exotic woods, but stuff you would want to use in one of your basses.

I realize there is still supply-chain markup from pickup manufacturers, etc., but I'm pretty curious about the actual cost of the BOM for a higher-end bass (which I think was the original question). Please forgive me if you don't know me: I am simply an admirer of the work that you both have posted on here and value your opinions.

The last bass I made was around $1500 in materials/hardware/electronics to make what the guy wanted. That doesn't include labor or tools.

 

[Eric_71]

The last bass I made was around $1500 in materials/hardware/electronics to make what the guy wanted. That doesn't include labor or tools.

Gracias. Does most of that come from the wood? My guess would be around $600 for wood, $500 for electronics, and the balance for other hardware (e.g. bridge), finishing materials (stain, finish, etc.), and miscellany.