I should have mentioned ATKs for relatively new Ibby basses. I've played several and think they are great.
I also dug the retro-pawn-shop Jet Kings they made a few years back.
Also, the Artcore line...some very nice hollow and semi-hollow basses and guitars at good prices.
Yeah, they are a classy company I think.
Totally agree. The old Roadstars really are P-killers. The stock pups (at least on the ones I have owned) are beefy as hell, but have a lot of definition. There is NOTHING cheap about these old Ibanez Roadstars and Blazers. They may have been inexpensive at the time, but they are extremely high quality IMO.
You had every right to be insulted at the price GC was offering you. Then again, not surprising from GC. They would have happily given you $100 then stuck a $499 price tag on it.
Anyone who would criticize you for the amount of money you spent on your bass or look down on you because their instrument is more "high end" than yours is nothing but a jerk and ignoramus and is not worth wasting one second of your time giving any thought or consideration to. Period.
The idea that you only have a "real" instrument or are a more serious player depending on the outlay of cash it took to acquire it is one of the most obnoxious, ridiculous and wrong-headed loads of nonsense in the entire world of music.
First off, it has no basis in reality whatsoever...it's meaningless and nothing but a way for one player to pretend like he has a bigger peen than someone else.
Second, it can be very discouraging to new and aspiring players if they think they have to cough up $2000 for a bass or that they won't be taken seriously if they buy a $350 bass instead of a $1500 bass. Pure BS.
Yes, there will likely be some differences with regard to materials and construction. Whether those differences "justify" the extra $$$ is something only you can answer by trying out as many examples of both as you can.
There are really only a few criteria I feel people should use when seeking out an instrument (solidbody electric instruments in particular)--
Do you like it?
Is it comfortable?
Can you afford it?
Does it sound good to your ears?
Does it hold tune and intonate well?
...and that's it. Even if there are things you aren't 100% crazy about, most basses are easy to modify/upgrade with pickups and hardware if you feel that it is important or would "better" the instrument.
There's no reason why any bass should fall apart or spontaneously experience irreparable damage. Take decent care of it and most any instrument (again, especially true of electric solidbodies) should last a lifetime.
If you mean you think you may be forced to upgrade to a more expensive instrument as you progress as a player, that's a consideration, but remember that buying a more expensive bass won't make you a better player.
Finally, I know I've taken up enough space and oxygen in this post, but I have owned some very nice guitars and basses. I have owned a number of highly desirable vintage basses. I've been playing a long time. I understand the differences between instruments and, yes, can tell the differences between a '64 Fender P bass, a new Squier Affinity P bass and a new MIA Fender P.
And YES, they are different animals, but the "quality gap" between top-of-the-line instruments and complete entry level "budget" instruments has never been more shallow and narrow than it is now.
Play what you like, like what you play.
If you are worried about anyone looking down their nose at you for playing a "cheap bass" the best solution is not to spend more money on a new bass but continue working to be a better player so that you can blow them out of the water.
