I’m sorry but what is the deal with spending 1K plus for basses these days and no case included? Maybe a crap gig bag? When I started playing you could buy a Fender bass (Made in the US) for under $500 and get a hardshell case?
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Is It Just Me?
- Thread starter grooveguru
- Start date
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
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- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
When I started, a Jazz bass was about $260 US. Case was not included, as I recall (about $60 extra). Of course that was 1963.
Since then, inflation has been a factor of approx. 8.5 times. In other words, the value of $8.50 in 1963 is now about $1.00.
If you bought a meal at McDonalds for $1.00 in 1963, in theory it would now cost about $8.50.
Your new $260 Jazz bass should now be $2,210 US.
You can, in 2020, get a new vintage-style Jazz for about $2,000 US, vintage-style case is included. Is it as good as a 1963 Jazz?
Fender American Original '60s Jazz Bass - 3-Color Sunburst
File this under "read it and weep"?
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I wonder if cases are used as much as they were, say, 30 years ago.
Speaking just for myself, I've been gigging with basses in only gig bags for the last 25 years or so.
Speaking just for myself, I've been gigging with basses in only gig bags for the last 25 years or so.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Hardshells are nice for storage, but a pain for gigging. I gig with bags...Gator ProGo and GruvGear Sliver.
Sorry to kind of veer off track!
Sorry to kind of veer off track!
Cases are personal. Every hard case that I have is in storage. I alternate between using high end mono cases, Protec cases and others depending on what interests me at the time.
(+1 for things like the Gruv Geap Kapsule, Gator Pro)
(+1 for things like the Gruv Geap Kapsule, Gator Pro)
I've been buying used gear that have cases & then flipping the instrument to keep the case:
held onto the guitar this came in for a week & then sold it to the nearest pawn-shop, all in the case cost me $60
I could have gotten more from the instrument if I had some patience or was willing to drive 3 hours.
Most shops that sell pre-owned instruments place next to no value on the case, GC will tack on an extra $50. (but only when selling it, not when buying it)
held onto the guitar this came in for a week & then sold it to the nearest pawn-shop, all in the case cost me $60
I could have gotten more from the instrument if I had some patience or was willing to drive 3 hours.
Most shops that sell pre-owned instruments place next to no value on the case, GC will tack on an extra $50. (but only when selling it, not when buying it)
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
'OK, so you're gonna take the red ____________, great ! That'll be $1399.00, case included.'
Wait for it . . . . . wait for it . . . . . .
'GEEZ LOUEEZE ! ! ! How much is it WITHOUT the case ? ? ? ? '
. . . . . you just can't win.
Wait for it . . . . . wait for it . . . . . .
'GEEZ LOUEEZE ! ! ! How much is it WITHOUT the case ? ? ? ? '
. . . . . you just can't win.
I bought a EBMM Stingray brand new with hard case in 1994 for $600. Today that bass sells for twice that amount on the used market and for $2200 brand new. Adjusted only for inflation, that bass should cost a little over $1000 today brand new, so there are other market forces at work.
May I veer off with you? Ditto on the hard shells for storage and my gigging bags are two Mono Bass Sleeves. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!
Most people don't use hard cases, and they don't want to pay for that. If it's included, it means you're paying for the case.
Coupla years ago I asked about the case for a used Guild at my local GC. The berk said they just toss cases. At first I was "***?" and then realized a) used cases just take up real estate and b) new cases = revenue.
They toss the gig-bags & soft-cases for new mid-level stuff when they put it on display in the showroom, but I've seen them retaining the ones for pre-owned stuff they buy in. It's easier to sell pre-owned gear WITH a case.
Someone will post immediately after me that they do NOT toss the gig-bags & soft-cases for new showroom instruments, but my personal experience at buying showroom instruments that came with a soft-cases or gig-bags tells me the truth.
When i bought my J Plus in 1990, it was $700 and the case was part of the deal. I tried to get them to keep the case and drop the price by the touted “hundred dollar value” Fender claimed in the ad copy for the case, but no dice. Granted it had a dinky J body so no regular case was a good fit, then or now, so it turned out to be a good thing as my case looks like it’s been dragged down a couple hundred miles of gravel road but the bass still looks near perfect, at least from 10 away.
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When did you start playing?
I started around 1990 (to pick a nice even number), and that $500 bass back then would cost around $1,000 today. I think most people don't want a HSC these days. It's not where the market is at - people use gig bags now.
Also, a $1K bass is not exactly like a "fine instrument" that (I) would expect to come with a HSC. We've been spoiled by cheep instruments made by machines in third world countries. If you look at the history of the cost of an American made Fender bass, it's always been around the equivalent of $2,000+... and that probably comes with a HSC.
That guys who waxes nostalgic about how he got a P Bass for $350 in 1965... well, that's almost $3K in today's money.
