Inflation and are you near your limit?

[JRA]

How has inflation affected your options?

i'm only buying parts: sure, they're creeping up in price, too, but in little increments, here and there, so it's not the same as those wicked jumps of several hundred dollars or more for a complete instrument. i'm probably being more budget conscious in general, however, overall.

i'm actually fine with what i have, but before i'm "finished," i've got a couple of bucket-list instrument projects to advance.

 

[sleddogn]

i'm on my 3rd serek, and i'd be jumping all in on another fearing a 1k price increase is just around the corner...

 

[TDR1138]

I'm actively avoiding any bass purchases for now. I bought so much stuff last year, so this time around it's #ayearwithoutgear. That said, I really do want another Serek...does it count if I order it now but don't get it until next year?

I’m still waiting on a bass I ordered in 2021 that I will consider a 2022 bass purchase (at 2021 pricing ). So no, you’re just getting a jump on your 2023 purchases.

 

[el murdoque]

Inflation does not touch me.
Why? I'm in sales.
Stuff gets more expensive means my margin goes up, too.
I got more money while stuff got more expensive, my "buying power" stays the same.

 

[DeepHz]

Inflation has definitely put the brakes on any gas I may have and also made me appreciate what I have!

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I spent alot of time last year assembling my 2nd parts bass. Most of that with the paint my daughter was doing on it.

I voted ok with my gear. But that being said I have another body, Bronco neck, spare pickup, assorted pots and parts so who knows if I'll do it again. The only thing I know I need is a guard and bridge. Hmmm.......

 

[Crash 56]

Because of some unexpected bills, four of my five are in the pawnshop. So I get to buy them again.....

 

[CallMeAl]

I buy used whenever I can, and my tastes aren’t terribly expensive. Even though the situation is also affecting the used market, I feel slightly insulated.

On recent bass shopping trips trying the next tier bass, I left completely satisfied with what I got. (I liked the better bass, just not enough to want to buy one.) I actually have 1 too many amps, and could stand to sell one.

I’ve been playing a lot of guitar lately, and though unnecessary I just picked up a second guitar and amp (dream guitar, and my first tube amp!) But I had the budget for those, and found them used in the budget.

I have absolutely no desire to buy gear; but little to do with inflation just a matter of getting everything I’ve been pining for. I’m real glad I have what I have cause I don’t think this will get better anytime soon. I could easily see #ayearwithoutgear for me too!

 

[bass12]

I’m glad I got to experiment with different high-end basses basses when I did. They were expensive then (ten to fourteen years ago) but many of them are prohibitively expensive now. Sadowsky NYCs, for example, used to be just within my grasp but not anymore. It doesn’t help that my gigging schedule has basically been wiped clean, but even if I was gigging a lot I’d have to accept that things aren’t what they used to be. It’s cool though: I have some great basses and I’m better off spending time practising than obsessing over gear.

 

[Medicine Man]

For me the gas killer has been dropping from 75 gigs a year to 5. Its hard for me to justify buying new stuff when i have nowhere to play it.

 

[mb94952]

5-string Bass Guitars | Sweetwater

Above is a link for Sweetwater’s prices for Spector Euro 5 basses. They are running from $2,899 to $3,999 (the Alex Webster Sig.) When I first joined TB, these were prices more like those for USA Spectors. I was just thinking about rumored production of Czech Peavey Cirrus basses. If that happens, they may very well come in at over $3K because they tend to have more elaborate wood work than Spectors. I wonder how many would buy them at that price, and is the reality of inflation why we are not seeing any? Generally speaking, some production Music Man basses are getting near $3K too. How has inflation affected your options?

Yeah, it's INSANE in my opinion. Now, when we see a new production bass selling for $2,500 average and we're not surprised anymore. The "$1,000 dollar bass" is no longer a big deal. It really shows how a brand like SIRE is so relevant and kick ass. I think it has "officially" cemented the idea with the release of the new Czech Spector, and non-Canadian Dingwall's in 2021, for example, that a new higher end bass purchase price is going to cost $2,800 or so. I have NO DOUBT that the new Cirrus will be MSRP of like $3999 (maybe more !) and sell for $2,999 and they will fly off the shelf initially. Like the Spector, we will see like-new Cirrus's selling in the classified for about $500 less than a new one a few weeks after release. That's just the way it goes. Will I be in line to buy a new Cirrus ? Probably not, but I sure can't wait to see it.

I think the WORST thing to come out of all this is the new $600 IRS laws. I heard yesterday that Ebay will be now sending 1099 forms to anyone who sold things to a combined total of over $600 needs to pay income tax to initiate the new era of government here in the United States. So, if I bought a USED Cirrus on Ebay for $1000 and sold it for $500, I'd have to pay taxes on the sale of $500 even though I LOST $500 on it. I don't know if that's true and that's the way it will work, but that will put Ebay out of business real fast if that's the case. It's bad enough that we have to pay taxes on used items like a garage sale in the first place. I don't know if it's a PayPal thing, but a lot of people are using other forms of payment to avoid taxes.

Sorry, hope I didn't get too serious here. It seems that a lot of answers are light hearted, so I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer. If so, then I think there will be more trading than selling going on. Remains to be seen in 2022 and beyond...

 

[matti777]

I'm a gear guy whether its bass, cars, sports equipment, etc. The cost is certainly impacting my decisions. I would have liked an Ultra Fender jazz but at $2800 no thanks. Instead I eventually found a used '13 MIA Deluxe jazz for half the price. My GAS is satisfied for now with a new with a new cab and bass. To compound things finding what you want new or used is an issue too.

 

[Koshchei]

Great question, Cheese. I was already starting to slow down before the prices started skyrocketing. I think I'm good on the music gear front. The Boss FZ-1W will be my last purchase for a while.

 

[Robf]

My skill limit of a bass is $1500, which means that my playing doesn't pick up on basses that are higher priced. This also means that right now many of the basses in this price range are now in the $2000 range or higher. For myself I'm happy with the gear I have, most of it was bought before the shortages and price jumps, but if I really wanted another piece, I would sell something before buying another.

 

[jd56hawk]

Not in the slightest.
I buy from Reverb exclusively lately, used mint basses, and I've yet to buy wrong.
Bass savvy.
I'll never have to buy another bass because everything I have is special.

 

[marchone]

I got a nice increase in my Social Security check this month, so no.

 

[LBS-bass]

I was pretty good on gear before the pandemic hit, and I didn't really need anything during the lockdown phase. I do need a larger cabinet, so planning to purchase that when the one I want becomes available. That's going to be about it. I might sell off a bass or two to acquire something different but not planning any big ticket music related items any time soon.

 

[skyline_01]

The GAS will never be relieved for me, but I'm pretty good with where I am right now. I just put together a new pedalboard, acquired a Stingray Special 5 HH. I have a total of 5 basses (including a fretless), a modest but nice live rig, and a good combo for band practice and small gigs.

I'm continuing to look at various pedals to potentially add to the board, but my expectations as to when they might be acquired have been adjusted due to the market. If something is meant to be then I guess it'll happen when it's supposed to.

 

[musicman556]

I will say the rising costs have made me shift some potential off-the-shelf purchases into custom builds. In my collection I'm past buying much stuff in the $300-500 range anyway. I liked some of the nicer USA Fender stuff when it could be had a good bit under $2k, but at $2k or above I'm realizing that I can build EXACTLY what I want and save some change. I don't care about resale. I am not in the hobby to churn basses. I only sell something if I work with it for awhile and just don't like it.

I just bought a nice new roasted maple Fender P neck for $340 for a Mark Hoppus PJazz inspired project I'm working on. I feel like the neck is the most important part of a bass, and the hardest to get right. Quality custom roasted maple necks I've seen are at or nearly twice the price of this Fender. The stock specs and shape are exactly what I want anyway, so there's no need to go custom here. Fender isn't too bad at making necks, lol!

I'm sourcing a custom solid maple body for about $200 and the largest cost will be the crazy 5 or 6 step paint job I'm having Sims Custom Guitars do for me. The paint won't be completed until April or so. About $400 in electronics and hardware (USA Hipshot Ultralites, Hipshot Kickass bridge, DiMarzio P pickup, assorted knobs, pots, jack, straplocks, Hipshot string retainer, strings) and I'll be in it for about $1500. I'll attach the hardware and load the electronics myself, then probably another $100-200 for neck fit and setup by my luthier buddy.

I'm so excited because this Fender neck feels and looks GREAT! To the masses, it will just be some crazy custom Fender. To me it will be a celebration of a bass I've always thought was interesting, a band that was a big part of my teenage years, and a visual tribute to my hometown. (Crockett and Tubbs would love this thing!)

I have seen parts pricing creeping up as well, like @JRA mentioned. I bought a Hipshot Kickass bridge for $42 last year. I paid $56 for another last week. As well, availability is dwindling. I'm watching things in my online carts go OOS regularly, often with no alternative sources to be easily found. I'm actually buying ahead for some of the less expensive parts that I know I'll need on future builds. (Gunna do a '51 Tele style bass next)

Like @el murdoque I am also in sales. I am thankful to have just received a good bump in my bass pay (haha! see what I did there?) as well as having just closed one of my biggest projects to date, with a pipeline of pending deals more full today than it has ever been.

In my day-to-day life I'm more frustrated that the price of groceries has skyrocketed! I am the primary chef and shopper for our house. This is going to sound dumb, but I felt like I finally "made it" when about five years ago I stopped worrying about whether nice ribeyes or filets were on sale or not at the grocery store. We had enough excess funds that I just got what I wanted when I wanted it. Now I'm making more money than I ever have before, but I'm back to watching for sales to come around before I'll let myself enjoy a nice steak dinner. Cereal used to be a pantry staple for cheap tummy-filling fodder. Now it's $5/box, too! I am solid middle-class and am just adjusting to it all while grumbling a bit here and there, but I really feel for folks that are right on the edge and getting absolutely crushed. Costs for all of the more basic, inexpensive foods generally used to feed a family seem to be far outpacing the increases we see elsewhere. It's here where my wife and I are trying to keep our eyes open more for opportunities to help folks around us. A $100 increase on a USA Fender bass is not such a big deal compared to a $100/week increase in food prices for a family of four trying to get by.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

5-string Bass Guitars | Sweetwater

Above is a link for Sweetwater’s prices for Spector Euro 5 basses. They are running from $2,899 to $3,999 (the Alex Webster Sig.) When I first joined TB, these were prices more like those for USA Spectors. I was just thinking about rumored production of Czech Peavey Cirrus basses. If that happens, they may very well come in at over $3K because they tend to have more elaborate wood work than Spectors. I wonder how many would buy them at that price, and is the reality of inflation why we are not seeing any? Generally speaking, some production Music Man basses are getting near $3K too. How has inflation affected your options?

I just bought a double buck, 5 string, active jazz bass, brand new, for 500 dollars. Inflation hasn't affected me one bit.