If you were given $4k

[Rickett Customs]

4k, you say?

I'd build myself a few nice basses.

 

[punkinfantry]

you could probably have fender build you a custom p and a custom j and still have a few bucks left over for taco bell or something

 

[baileyboy]

...but HAD to spend it on a new rig or a new bass, which would you choose?

Models, makes and reasons please

I'd put it in one of my Roth IRAs.

 

[Selta]

A Bongo 5HS and a Sterling 5HS.

 

[jim777]

Lots of fun answers in this thread

 

[Dave W]

The G&L I want
Black & Maple MIA P bass
Ric 4003
Something fretless, probably an SR5

Reasons? Because I don't have any of these currently and would like to. I quite enjoy the P bass tone, I'd really like to have a Ric, I need a fretless, and I just want the G&L.

 

[Marial]

...but HAD to spend it on a new rig or a new bass, which would you choose?

Models, makes and reasons please

I'd get an Upton hybrid upright bass. Why? Because everything I've read says they're great and I really need a better upright.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

First thing I would do is drive over my RH450 with my truck... I would then start looking for a new head... probably a Mesa... for a bass, I'd look at the Pedulla Rapture in jj.
Fishheadjoe

 

[Nedmundo]

I'd buy a Dingwall Super J

That's my first thought, in P/J format with drop-tuner. Either that, or I'd get passive P and J basses from Mike Lull to give me some lightweight alternatives to my current basses. The two would be more than $4k, and I'd cover the difference by selling some stuff. A Callowhill Infini would probably be sweet too, but I'd need to try one through an amp first. I do know they're light, and feel simply amazing.

 

[jim777]

I really love the look of 5H Rays with the white pickguard, white pickup and maple board. If I couldn't find someone with a Fodera 6 string who desperately needed $4K for a kidney transplant or something I'd probably get a Wood & Tronics 6 and sell some of the basses I wouldn't be using anymore to get that Ray

 

[Basso54]

Sadowsky or Valenti.

 

[animvl]

Hmm, this is the kind of question I like to ponder over...

But I can't give you any makes and models, because that's not how I shop. I try everything available out and try not to be biased. I'd be looking for a good P/J style bass and a D.I. rig with a tone that I love. I suspect I'd have some money left over from that, so I'd probably get a good practice amp (I imagine a low powered valve amp with 2 or 4 10" drivers).

...I'd rather spend the majority of it on recording gear though.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Fender MIA Standard Jazz in Charcoal Frost Metallic/Rosewood
Fender MIA Standard Precision in Blizzard Pearl/Rosewood
Fender MIM Standard Fretless Jazz in 3-Tone Sunburst/Rosewood
Ampeg PF-500/2xPF-115HE

Total: $4,200

Not bad!!

 

[ExaltBass]

Sadowsky UV P-J 5

 

[pbass62]

A new Lakland 55-94 fretless set up w hipshot d-tuner strung and nut cut for E-C tuning or my 30 scale piccolo bass

 

[fourstringbliss]

...but HAD to spend it on a new rig or a new bass, which would you choose?

Models, makes and reasons please

I'd pay off my credit card and take the other $1600 and order myself up a Carvin.

 

[sharkwagon]

I am pretty sure I could get a copy of Doug Wimbish's trace rig for about 4k. I'd do that. No wait I'd buy a Wal. Or the Trace rig. Or the Wal. Damn. I'm not sure.

Spending fake money is surprisingly hard.

 

[caeman]

...but HAD to spend it on a new rig or a new bass, which would you choose?

Models, makes and reasons please

I'll play this game.

$4,000 would get me a lot of bass and amp, as my needs are not as exacting as some.

For a bass, I would have a custom 5-string short-scale hollow body built -- already have the builder and quote -- strung with flats, with piezo pups under the bridge. That is $1500 right there.

For the amp side, I would start with a tube-based EQ, into a solid state power amp, into one of a selection of cabs for the different playing situations: 1x15, 2x12,4x10.

I would make sure to keep $200 set aside for a custom strap made from Rattler snake skin.

 

[newbold]

+1 on dingwall SuperP

Amazing maker, that Sheldon Dingwall is.

 

[bassbenj]

I am pretty sure I could get a copy of Doug Wimbish's trace rig for about 4k. I'd do that. No wait I'd buy a Wal. Or the Trace rig. Or the Wal. Damn. I'm not sure.

Spending fake money is surprisingly hard.

Just as hard as spending real money! It's not as much fun as you think. My mother passed away a couple of years ago and left me some savings bonds. First off, you can't imagine the gigantic hassle that ensues to get those things cashed. Anyway, eventually the little nest egg was sitting in my bank.

What to do? I'm sure we all think the same way when we don't have any money, "well, I'd get a Ritter etc." But it turns out that when reality sets in you use that money not for some big flashy thing you know nothing about but rather to just keep doing what you were already doing! Which in my case was experimenting and moding basses.

So... I got three SX 6ers, two Wishbasses, one blueburst USA G&L L-2500 to go with my fretless one. (and a partridge in a pear tree). And for latest NBD is a used Squier P 5er that I'm going to change the jazz pickup to split P 5 that I picked up a long time ago. Oddly, I'm sure I would have bought these basses without the "extra" money. And with all this great stuff I'm still not to 4k! Which is the best thing about "extra" money. When I go to Sam Ash or GC and see something nifty (In this case was a Zoom Video recorder for a little over a hundred bucks) I don't need to ponder it forever. You just say "gimmee one" and take it home! The problem now is to find the TIME to play with all this stuff!