• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is it wrong for bass builders to charge for certain options?

#102
Jay Ralston said:
Not sure on the fretless basses but on the lefties, it is actually a much bigger task.

Here is what Sterling Ball had to say about them on his website when asked why more companies don't make more left handed models and why they are sometimes more expensive.

"Yes they are substantially more expensive...

First off the parts that cant be flipped are drawn and manufactured in very small quantities and we dont even come close to maging a margin on them...The minimum quantities that you have to buy cost more and are still more than you need so you have cash tied up in it.

A good rule of thumb is the more you can make the more your cost efficiencies
kick in"
Click to expand...

that makes since
 
#103
MrWalker said:
This is an interesting discussion, and I guess the answer is what have been said a few times, the number of instruments made will affect the price in the end.

What puzzles me more, is that I have never in my entire life seen a trumpet player, tuba player, piano player, violin player, cello player, double bass player, saxophone player, etc., play "lefty". Somehow, all the left-handed people of the world who are playing other instruments than guitars and bass guitars, seem to be adjusting to the "tradition" of the instruments they play, rather than their "handiness." And correct me if I'm wrong, but... don't we use both hands? So why is it important at all?! And in reality, since the preferred hand should be the more accurate one, why don't we prefer to fret with that hand? Woudln't that actually give left-handed people an advantage, playing a so-called "right-handed" instrument?

Does left-handed people read from right to left? Do they dry themselves from the feet up after a shower? OK, so the last was kinda lame, but.... you get my point.

Sorry for derailing the topic. *lol*

But why left-handed in the first place, is my question? Just cause Hendrix hadn't studied violin before he picked up (and smashed) his Fender?
Click to expand...

As a lefty player I can tell you that you're dealing in apples and oranges my friend. Strumming and/or picking requires much more 'retraining' of the hand than any action on any of the instruments you mentioned with the exception of piano. But with piano you have to use both hands the same way anyway so that's irrelevent. It's like learning to throw with your off hand without looking silly, only ten times more time consuming and difficult.
 
#104
FYI, the Musicman preamps use a different PCB for the lefty's. If you've ever seen one, you'll notice that the PCB is curved to follow the curve of the knobs. When you have to make a lefthanded version, you have to have a PCB that is reversed. So they are ordering a great deal more right handed PCB's then they are lefty. Also, I don't know if they populate the PCB's in house or if someone else dose, but that adds cost as well.
 
#105
ChrisB2 said:
I wear size 15 shoes. It's almost impossible for me to find shoes, and if I want a good selection of modern styles, guess what? THEY COST MORE! Duh! But do I cry and whine because the shoe manufacturers aren't making my size in every style, and available at the same price as "normal" sizes??
Click to expand...
As a size 14 (not much more common than 15s) who also takes a crazy-long shirt sleeve size, I can totally relate to this! Fortunately/unfortunately, I need really good shoes, and at higher price points bigger sizes tend to be more available. No getting away with cheapies for me! Same was true of discount/thrift-store clothes when I was a student--big/tall sizes were rare.
 
#106
Brad Johnson said:
Is there absolutely anything extra involved in their process to accomplish that? Therein lies your answer.

People often think that if something has what appears to be less it should cost less, not cosidering the deviation from a standard process that might be involved.
Click to expand...

I do not believe there is. It's like cutting out an entire part of neck building, I just do not see how it cost 35 bucks. It's saving them on materials and work hours yet it cost more. Fishy
 
#107
MrWalker said:
But why left-handed in the first place, is my question? Just cause Hendrix hadn't studied violin before he picked up (and smashed) his Fender?
Click to expand...

Why right-handed is my question. According to many TBers, it's better for a lefty to play a right-handed instrument due to the complexity of fretting vs. the relative simplicity of picking. If that is true, then it stands to reason that all right-handed people should be encouraged, if not forced, to play lefty instuments.
 
#108
danomite64 said:
Why right-handed is my question. According to many TBers, it's better for a lefty to play a right-handed instrument due to the complexity of fretting vs. the relative simplicity of picking. If that is true, then it stands to reason that all right-handed people should be encouraged, if not forced, to play lefty instuments.
Click to expand...


Well that and It takes a left handed person, to not question "why left handed?", a right handed person will be stuck on "why left handed?".........
 
#109
Is it wrong to charge for certain options? Without any doubt no its not wrong. Builder decides and customer either agrees or not. Simple. Whether or not you feel its worth extra depending on if extra material is used or more work necessary is up to you as a customer but thats just the opinion of the customer. Even if they want to charge extra for something that costs less, its not wrong. Its up to you if you will pay or not. I think folks are mixing up the two ideas.

If im a builder and you want me to fill your control cavity with cheeze whiz instead of electronics i have a right to say that'll be $50 extra. Your personal outrage or acceptance of the charge is independent of my choice to ask for $50 for cheeze whiz.
 
#110
curbowkid said:
I do not believe there is. It's like cutting out an entire part of neck building, I just do not see how it cost 35 bucks. It's saving them on materials and work hours yet it cost more. Fishy
Click to expand...

you miss the very obvious thing that people who don't manufacture always fail to understand - you are paying extra for somebody to babysit that neck during the CNC machining process so they can (as a very minimum) select 'No' when prompted to run the neck inlay routine. you are paying a shop rate to have that neck babysat thru a portion of the production process. the manufacturer must pay their employee to babysit this 'special' neck instead of working on whatever else they would normally be doing while that neck is running. they also need to cover the added overhead of QA to make sure that this 'special' neck is indeed verified at each check point. that upcharge is compensating the manufacturer for their loss of productivity. whether they save money elsewhere during the manufacturing process is irrelevant, as the standard costs are already factored in the manufacture of the neck

if this was a standard neck, it would be simple to check 'Yes to all' and then walk away until the CNC work for that station was completed

here's a case that proves the saying "Sometimes less is more"
 
#111
curbowkid said:
I do not believe there is. It's like cutting out an entire part of neck building, I just do not see how it cost 35 bucks. It's saving them on materials and work hours yet it cost more. Fishy
Click to expand...

I'd be willing to bet that most people see it as you do. You feel that there is no deviation from their bulk building process... right? Did you really consider that?

People often don't understand that it takes time to stop making 100 (or 1,000 or whatever) of one thing to make one of something else. The economy of scale helps get and keep the price down. Deviate and it goes up.
 
#112
depends a lot on the builder. my guy does not charge more for lefty (i think, im righty.)

depending on how theyre treating the fingerboard and if theyre doing lines and that stuff, fretless can be more labor than frets. or less. depends. most guys ive worked with havent charged more for fretless, even with lines an an impregnated-ebony board.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back