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I think I stop believing in expensive basses!

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#121
Honestly what do you require of a bass?
Playability
Tone
Solid construction
Appearance

If the instrument meets your demands on these points then it is a working, effective tool. It does not cost thousands to create or acquire an instrument that performs on all of these levels.
For actually gigging, I would never use a bass that cost over 1k. It would be like driving a ferrari to a wrestling match.
Congrats if you have disposable income for a one of a kind, hand rubbed, furniture looking whizzbang whatever.
But when I see a Ferrari on the road I don't long to own or drive one and I assume that the person driving it is most likely a tool. Same with boutique basses.
 
#125
UncleMattGuy said:
But when I see a Ferrari on the road I don't long to own or drive one and I assume that the person driving it is most likely a tool. Same with boutique basses.
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I have friends who own and drive Ferrai's and I know and have friends who own boutique basses and they are very down to earth and always are giving back.


Well UncleMattGuy I guess the only concerts you go to are where the bass players aren't playing boutique basses. Because we all know that those none boutique playing bass players could never be a tool.




MikeBass said:
Or by 200 midgets......:ninja:
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Come on Mike. It's little person.


Call a little person the M word and see what happens :)
 
#126
I'm right in the middle on the whole thing.

I believe just about everything Boutique is overpriced.

Some companies like Sadowsky that build their metro boutique line which is basically a better Fender IMHO also offer their NYC line with more options and a bigger price tag.

Is it better than their Metro line, I don't believe so but the options you choose could have an impact on which way you let yourself be swayed on your overall opinion.

Those 2 F basses pictured at the beginning of this thread are nice but just for the sake of the looks appealing to me I would certainly have paid more money for the lighter colored one over the darker. It just speaks to me more.

It’s the same with the adored by many Fender bass, I've owned many MIA and MIM and played many more but not one of them played like my Sadowsky metro MV4.


The Sadowsky was the 1st bass out of the 250 or more I've owned in the last 45 years that played great right out of the box upon delivery. I literally had to do nothing to it to be comfortable and at home with it from minute one. And I’m and anal pain in the butt plus being a Luthier I mess with everything. This bass stayed just as I received it a little over a year ago.

And here’s the funny part. I just sold that beloved bass here several days ago, lol, Why?

I'm back to building my own line of basses again and they're just like the high dollar F basses, Ken Smith, and any other boutique bass out there.

Why you may ask.

Because the basses I'd like to play are just out of my monetary reach for this poor white boy to handle. I can spend $500 - $750 on parts and turn out a $4000 instrument in a couple of months and be proud that I play exactally what I want in a bass!

So here’s how it goes. Even if you suck as a player and you can afford it you get to play a high dollar instrument due to the cash you have in your pocket. While the guy that can make a turd with strings sound great probably play just that, a piece of junk because he can afford nothing better. (Some guys just like the low dollar basses and have a arsenal of $300 beauties they just love)

Is it fair? Who knows!

I've heard some great players that to my surprise play the crappiest basses I wouldn't wipe my butt with and it's nice to say that the magic lies in their hands not whether they could afford $4000 for some wood and metal dream.

A great bass will make a poor player sound a little better. But a great player can make just about any bass sound great and that’s the bottom line!

So with the similarities in wood, pickups, and all the other things that go into the making of our instruments, no matter who makes it, it really comes down to us as musicians.

To answer the original question, If it’s under $2000 I’m probably not playing it.
 
#132
You are correct! Expensive (electric) basses are designed and built to please the player, not the listener. If amped & set up properly, a $245 Squire J bass will sound pretty much the same as a $3000 Alembic or whatever. With double basses this doesnt apply. A 140 year-old German bass worth $14K will ALWAYS sound better than a $950 Kay.
 
#133
tdub0199 said:
Who's crucifying them? I think they do that to themselves.....;) don't get me wrong, I have nice gear, (not all of it is Bass related) and I'm Happy with what I have..... but could live perfectly fine with less....
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Not me. Gotta be from Vinny Fodera's hands. There's nothing else like it.
 
#135
Marc61 said:
HUGE plus one. My son showed me an article from a pro musician discussing how to make it in the business.One of his thoughts was to stay away from working with people who are too hung up on equipment.
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As a highly specialized and trained professional, I sort of both agree and disagree with the above statement.

I agree on the part that one person needs to have a basic (and deep) understanding of the role, function and applications relevant to the task (realizing his/her limitations too) before jumping into extremes. There is nothing worse than a badly trained professional to rely on equipment to cover for his lack of abilities.

Once a person is trained to a certain level and has the understanding and technique and expertize to perform, then equipment becomes a MAJOR part of the execution and outcome

Same applies for the bass as a mean for the fullfilment of it's (expanding) role in music. An incompetent bass player will not become competent just by playing a Dingwall/Fodera/Ritter/Status, but a competent player will be able to draw from a wider pallete of possibilities if one of those basses are in hand (if they are better suited for the application compared with eg. a Hofner). If all one needs is a Hofner/Danelectro to fullfil the needed part, the excess possibilities of the former basses are not an advantage for the given situation, but that does not distract from the offerings of those basses

YMMV etc etc
 
#140
JimmyM said:
honestly, i think little people were fine with being called midgets until billy barty came along and told them they shouldn't be called that.
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Not true Jimmy. In the early days a lot of dwarfs were having issues with the M word even then.

Billy Barty's biggest contribution to the awareness of little people and their plight was when he founded a get together for them in 1957 in what would later be called Little People Of America(LPA).
 
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