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How much is too much for you?

HankHillWaluigi

HankHillWaluigi

May 2, 2015
312
465
#1
For the first time in ages, I'm gonna buy a bass completely new. I'm gonna get me one o' them fancy Fender Classic 50's P bass in the black lacquer finish. Finding them used in an unmodified condition is like finding hen's teeth, so I figured might as well go new unless hens do have teeth. I tried the roadworn, and the aesthetics didn't resonate with me (I prefer to have a story for the scars on my basses), so I went for the next best thing (and it comes with a case as well). It's gonna take me a couple of months busting my ass working for it, but that's just gonna make the end result much sweeter.

However, I had a thought on my mind. Why not go for the American Standard? Why not American Vintage? Hell, why not even custom? Well, it boiled down to me simply not wanting to pay that much for a simple bass like a precision. Could I afford it? Yeah, it'd take me a while to work it up but I could. But I don't want to, as I see everything I'd want in a precision bass in that Classic 50's.

Granted, that's just my opinion, and I respect everyone else's on the matter. I have seen some absolutely amazing Custom Shop P basses that were $4,500 that sounded (and probably played) like absolute heaven. But at that point, it's just far too much for me. I've found my holy grail in a $900 P bass, some have found it in a $380 one, and some in a $2,000 one.

So what's your breaking point?
 
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#2
I think $1,500-1,700 is my breaking point. I used to say $1,000, but the American Standard series upsold me to $1,350. Then, the American Deluxe series brought me to $1,700. Anything above that, noooo thanks.

I eventually bought the American Standard Precision bass and have never been happier. For that American Standard jazz tone, I'm just throwing CS60s in my Squier VM Jazz bass. Great instrument! ;)
 
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#5
imo,.. the greatest pbass is made by the Fender Custom Shop. i know it sounds juvenile, but in 40yrs every great pbass i got to play was always a FCS for some reason. the PINO, the DUSTY HILL, the 59 SERIES, the MASTER BUILT's just crush everything, imo.
so i would gladly pay $2250.00 for a used CS pbass before trying to save money. hell,.. i'd jump up and down if i could find a Pino or DH for $3250.00,.. used. those other pbass models leave me wanting more.
 
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#9
HankHillWaluigi said:
For the first time in ages, I'm gonna buy a bass completely new. I'm gonna get me one o' them fancy Fender Classic 50's P bass in the black lacquer finish. Finding them used in an unmodified condition is like finding hen's teeth, so I figured might as well go new unless hens do have teeth. I tried the roadworn, and the aesthetics didn't resonate with me (I prefer to have a story for the scars on my basses), so I went for the next best thing (and it comes with a case as well). It's gonna take me a couple of months busting my ass working for it, but that's just gonna make the end result much sweeter.

However, I had a thought on my mind. Why not go for the American Standard? Why not American Vintage? Hell, why not even custom? Well, it boiled down to me simply not wanting to pay that much for a simple bass like a precision. Could I afford it? Yeah, it'd take me a while to work it up but I could. But I don't want to, as I see everything I'd want in a precision bass in that Classic 50's.

Granted, that's just my opinion, and I respect everyone else's on the matter. I have seen some absolutely amazing Custom Shop P basses that were $4,500 that sounded (and probably played) like absolute heaven. But at that point, it's just far too much for me. I've found my holy grail in a $900 P bass, some have found it in a $380 one, and some in a $2,000 one.

So what's your breaking point?
Click to expand...

Mine has gotten lower as I've owned and sold more basses. I'd probably say about $1800 is the most id pay for a single bass anymore. I've had several more expensive basses in the past, the four German warwicks I had ranged from $2,200-$5,600 new (I never paid full price for them as I was able to get guitar center to come down some on all of them because expensive instruments don't sell fast). But I really think there's so many good options in the $1300-$1800 range that it's pointless to spend more unless you're getting a totally custom instrument. I sold my Warwick thumb NT5 and currently gig with a stringray 5h and don't regret getting rid of the thumb. I may end up selling the stingray this summer and going with the ESP BB-1005 in black Aqua and it's only $1400 and has most of the features I'd want in a custom bass. So I'm not necessarily loyal to any particular brand either.
 
#11
My upper limit has gotten lower too. Used to be $1,800-$2,000, now it's more like $500-$700... Of course, that all depends on how much expendable income I have on hand at the time.

I paid $1,700 new for my Rickenbacker back in 2008 and that bass had a number of issues. Before that, I paid $1,200 for an American Standard Jazz that was just 'meh'... There was nothing terribly 'wrong' with it, it just wasn't very exciting. It had a couple of minor flaws that I felt a $1000+ instrument should not have (like a neck pocket gap that you could fit a credit card in!). Except for the lighter weight and the pickups, it really wasn't much 'better' than the MIM Jazz that I bought new in the '90s for $400 (I sold the MIA first).

When I was shopping for a Thunderbird, I tried the Epiphone Classic IV and Pro IV against the Gibson T-Bird. I could afford to fork over $1,500 for the Gibson (though I would have most likely sought out a good deal on a used one) but the Classic IV just played and sounded so much better (to me) for 1/3 the price, so why should I pay $1,000 more? For the name on the TRC? I'm actually proud of the fact that it's an Epi. I even asked Larry V if he could make me a replacement TRC with the Epiphone logo (he's only set up to cut the Gibson logo... Not many people actually request an Epiphone TRC).

These days, I'm happiest with the guitars and basses that I build from parts or cheep basses that I mod the bejeezis out of. The only 'store-bought' instruments that I get GAS for are ones that I do not yet possess the skills to build myself (neck-through basses, hollow-body guitars, etc.) but I'm getting there!

However, I've heard from maybe one or two people that Sire basses are an excellent choice for the money.... ;)
 
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#15
HankHillWaluigi said:
For the first time in ages, I'm gonna buy a bass completely new. I'm gonna get me one o' them fancy Fender Classic 50's P bass in the black lacquer finish. Finding them used in an unmodified condition is like finding hen's teeth, so I figured might as well go new unless hens do have teeth. I tried the roadworn, and the aesthetics didn't resonate with me (I prefer to have a story for the scars on my basses), so I went for the next best thing (and it comes with a case as well). It's gonna take me a couple of months busting my ass working for it, but that's just gonna make the end result much sweeter.

However, I had a thought on my mind. Why not go for the American Standard? Why not American Vintage? Hell, why not even custom? Well, it boiled down to me simply not wanting to pay that much for a simple bass like a precision. Could I afford it? Yeah, it'd take me a while to work it up but I could. But I don't want to, as I see everything I'd want in a precision bass in that Classic 50's.

Granted, that's just my opinion, and I respect everyone else's on the matter. I have seen some absolutely amazing Custom Shop P basses that were $4,500 that sounded (and probably played) like absolute heaven. But at that point, it's just far too much for me. I've found my holy grail in a $900 P bass, some have found it in a $380 one, and some in a $2,000 one.

So what's your breaking point?
Click to expand...


How much is too much depends... on many things. But I just wanted to chip in that I have one of those Classic 50s Precisions (mine is Fiesta red)... and I love it love it love it. So from that perspective, anything more than what this one costs is too much ;) It is *the* bass that made me enjoy Precisions.
 
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#16
twinjet said:
I think $1,500-1,700 is my breaking point. I used to say $1,000, but the American Standard series upsold me to $1,350. Then, the American Deluxe series brought me to $1,700. Anything above that, noooo thanks.
Click to expand...

Same for me, right now.

I do however think that if my finances increase as I hope and intend, I will one day own a Fodera, a Ritter, or a Dingwall. Hopefully all 3. And with any of those, tops I'd ever go is $6000.
 
#19
pedroims said:
These days $1,500- $1,700 is my limit and I will only paid that amount for a used high end bass, anyway, I have a Classic 50 P in lacquer and it is the best Fender I have owned.
Click to expand...

Yup, I'd say that is the same point that I start to get twitchy as well. I did a bit more than that just once, on a Warwick Streamer that I ended up wholly unimpressed with. I have done so well in finding very loveable basses in the $1000 - $1300 range that I think that's a good place for me. But... after saying all that I could be totally ruined with the right Dingwall if it spoke to me loudly enough. Maybe a Sklar. But I'd then force myself to sell off a coupel of what I already have just to sleep better.
 
#20
nervous said:
Yup, I'd say that is the same point that I start to get twitchy as well. I did a bit more than that just once, on a Warwick Streamer that I ended up wholly unimpressed with. I have done so well in finding very loveable basses in the $1000 - $1300 range that I think that's a good place for me. But... after saying all that I could be totally ruined with the right Dingwall if it spoke to me loudly enough. Maybe a Sklar. But I'd then force myself to sell off a coupel of what I already have just to sleep better.
Click to expand...

One day I spent $3,500 in a beatiful Dingwal Super J, I sold it few weeks later because I was not satisfied with the sound, my DJ5 that costed me less than half that price delivers tone in spades :)
 
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