Seriously spend money....like the old saying goes....YOu get what you pay for!!!...Once you play the more expensive stuff your practice time and love go way up!!...SPEND MONEY!!!
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I've never owned an instrument over $250
- Thread starter oniman7
- Start date
There are times when a $250 bass is better than a $2,000 bass..then there are times when a $250 isn't worth the price of strings...
In music I've done lengthy and qualitative research and found, if it sounds good, that's the bass you want.
In music I've done lengthy and qualitative research and found, if it sounds good, that's the bass you want.
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
That is truth: You get what you pay for. If you're satisfied with what you paid for, then go forth, and be happy 
Oh, here comes one now!
$1900 will only buy you $1900 instrument. There is NO guarantee that it will be "better" than a $190 instrument. You hear the old saw here over and over: "You get what you pay for!". Absolute nonsense! Basses are wood. Wood is organic. Basses are designed by humans. Humans have opinions as to what is "best" but no two humans agree. So I've seen a LOT of $1900 basses that were nightmares. I've got $99 SX basses that do EXACTLY what I want them to do!
And then you say, Oh, but you had to mod and fix the SX basses to get them the way you wanted. Yep. I did. But dig. I ALSO had to mod and fix (or more exactly Alembic did) my $1900 Alembic Epic until it did exactly what I wanted it to do. Point is you don't "get what you pay for". Price is no more a guarantee that a given bass will be right for you than the headstock shape is. Sure you can spend a lot of money and go with Sadowsky's opinion of what a great bass is. You may even agree with him. Or you can spend less and go with Wishnevsky's opinion. Why not go with your OWN opinion?
A local pro bass player I know has only two basses: A Squirer and an Ibanez. He rips the house up. I've never heard basses sound so good. Sure he could just as easily be playing two Ritters and still would sound great. But fact is he bought the basses HE wanted, and what they cost was irrelevant. But for HIM they were perfect and did exactly what he wanted them to do.
Which is why I'm never ashamed to play my SX basses nor gloating to whip out the Alembic or Modulus. What I paid is irrelevent. How they feel and sound in my hands is what counts. If they feel right and sound right...They ARE right. Period.
I like how my bass plays and I only spent $35 on it. I got it for that low only because it wasn't playable when I got it, but it is now. Sure, I have my eye on an $800 Fender but I am perfectly happy with my Yamaha for now.
I also have an Epiphone Lp (Guitar not bass) which cost $500. Most expensive instrument I've ever owned but inexpensive as far as Lp's go. And I love that too!
I also have an Epiphone Lp (Guitar not bass) which cost $500. Most expensive instrument I've ever owned but inexpensive as far as Lp's go. And I love that too!
OH NOES.... .you don't know what you are missing.. but you are gaining freedom from those effin birds... lol... so +0 lol
+1 to the thread.... +1 to the comments...
I do feel that "you get what you pay for"... mostly in asthetics... but also your tone as more $$ affords better pre--amps and pickups and the like.... but you can always mod to get that done at a fraction of buying a Ritter...
If you spend the higher $ on a bass you are probably going to spend more time practicing and playing... otherwise you will have felt you made an unjustified purchase... or at least I would =D, to an extent (can't have my "children" jealous of me not giving them attention)
Everyone has an opinion as to what makes a good/great/awesome/F-specin-tacular bass... does it always agree with yours... im guessing 100% not... my cheap basses are my gig basses they are my workhorses (in the bars nicer places i feel safe to bring the $$)...
Phantasm
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.
I went from $200 basses to $2000+ basses. I agree that at GC a lot of the lower end basses are comparable to the more pricey things they sell, as GC doesn't sell a lot of what I'd consider "high end" basses. Ibanez, Music Man and Warwick are what I'd consider "mid-level" basses. Spector, Lakland and Sadowsky IMO are where you start to hear where the money is going.
Say what you want. Why so defensive? I'm not saying that an inexpensive bass can't perform as well as an expensive one.
But to suggest that the components of all inexpensive basses are equivalent to the components of all expensive basses is a gross and, I believe, inaccurate summation.
I spent more on my Amp then my two bases combined. What works for you is what is right. Dosent matter what the magazines, the posts and talking heads say.
IMO there's nothing wrong with playing "el cheapo" - as long as you're happy, price tag doesn't matter. In fact, it would be pointless to play a bass you're not truly liking just because it was expensive or because others consider that instrument to be high end. Whatever works for you
I've had very, very good luck with instruments costing me under $250, including a MIM Jazz that is a real keeper. There are many good instruments that can be had used for under $250. I have about 10 of them.
That said, over the last decade my tastes have migrated upmarket just a bit. I spent $400 for a used Jack Casady Gold Top that's a fantastic bass, and I paid $799 for my Gretsch 5123 at GC. Of course, that special issue Gretsch is the equal of the ones that retail new for $1700...so that made the $799 price tag pretty palatable.
That said, over the last decade my tastes have migrated upmarket just a bit. I spent $400 for a used Jack Casady Gold Top that's a fantastic bass, and I paid $799 for my Gretsch 5123 at GC. Of course, that special issue Gretsch is the equal of the ones that retail new for $1700...so that made the $799 price tag pretty palatable.
My two cents...
Some aspects of "you get what you pay for" are correct. If you want the look of a high end bass, with the fretboard inlays, fancy finishes, exotic woods, etc., you will usually have to pay extra for that stuff. However, as it has been noted, high price doesn't always equal high quality. If you want a great sounding instrument with quality hardware and a great feel, it doesn't have to be expensive. It just takes hands-on playing time with as many basses as you can try out. Go to GC and play them all. Keep in mind that there are those guys who go in there and play the crap out of those basses and amps and tear them up, but if you find something that you like about a bass, look for other basses of the same model or brand. Every one has its pros and cons. If it feels and sounds right to you, it can't be wrong. Don't feel bad that you like "cheap" basses. Good for you! The rest of us are screwed drooling over instruments we may never be able to afford.
To be honest, I love my 4003 and I always get compliments, but sometimes the Ibanez SR400 just works better for the application.
Some aspects of "you get what you pay for" are correct. If you want the look of a high end bass, with the fretboard inlays, fancy finishes, exotic woods, etc., you will usually have to pay extra for that stuff. However, as it has been noted, high price doesn't always equal high quality. If you want a great sounding instrument with quality hardware and a great feel, it doesn't have to be expensive. It just takes hands-on playing time with as many basses as you can try out. Go to GC and play them all. Keep in mind that there are those guys who go in there and play the crap out of those basses and amps and tear them up, but if you find something that you like about a bass, look for other basses of the same model or brand. Every one has its pros and cons. If it feels and sounds right to you, it can't be wrong. Don't feel bad that you like "cheap" basses. Good for you! The rest of us are screwed drooling over instruments we may never be able to afford.
To be honest, I love my 4003 and I always get compliments, but sometimes the Ibanez SR400 just works better for the application.
"You get what you pay for" is a statement that I've found rings true 90% of the time in life. In fact, I had a bass teacher a couple of years ago who showed me a squire bass he bought, and when he was telling me with upgraded pickups it sounded as good as a Fender, I thought he was f'n nuts. I just didn't think a $200 bass could be on par with a $1000 bass it was copying.
Well, after being on this site for a while, I started to have an open mind. Recently I bought a Fernandes P bass for under $200....I also have a Warwick Corvette $$ and a Warwick Fortress. The Fortress gets rave reviews, and I like mine, but honestly think the Fernandes sounds better. Sits in the mix better in a gig. I still like the Corvette the best overall, but more for it's versatilely. So now I "get it" with all the rave reviews on the Squires, Peaveys, ect.
Well, after being on this site for a while, I started to have an open mind. Recently I bought a Fernandes P bass for under $200....I also have a Warwick Corvette $$ and a Warwick Fortress. The Fortress gets rave reviews, and I like mine, but honestly think the Fernandes sounds better. Sits in the mix better in a gig. I still like the Corvette the best overall, but more for it's versatilely. So now I "get it" with all the rave reviews on the Squires, Peaveys, ect.
+1
I've got cheap basses and more expensive ones. No one cares what I play but me. Although I did get some nice compliments on my viola bass ... my $199 Rogue VB100 mind you!
If someone is giving you crap about playing a cheap bass (especially if your gigging) tell them "you're paying me to play the cheap bass, so who is really the fool" as long as you're happy with the sound and playing its a $100000000 dollar bass to you =D
IMHO, It's not about the money, money, money. We don't need your money, money, money. We just want to make the world dance. Forget about the pricetags.
It's not about the Ba-bling ba-bling, and not about the Ca-ching ca-ching. We just wanna make the world dance. Forget about the the pricetags.
It's not about the Ba-bling ba-bling, and not about the Ca-ching ca-ching. We just wanna make the world dance. Forget about the the pricetags.
I was in a boutique bass store once and was playing Roscoes and Elricks. Besides giggling over how low the action was on these basses the only other thought I had was "These sure are beautiful to play and look at but I'm not playing any better than I do on my Squiers". I like playing a well set up cheap bass given that it has decent electronics and past that it's all about how well I play.
I don't know why the BTB is pegged as a "cheap" bass, but because of that fact I picked mine up for an absurdly low price for a well set up, active, flawless 6-string bass.
I do G.A.S. for a Ritter Cora amongst other follies, but for some reason I cannot seem to be able to get rid of that damn BTB. It is full of songs...such an inspirational tool it is.
Oh well..one day I promised to treat myself to a high end bass that looks like a work of art. Someday. As a reward for my current efforts maybe.
But for that amount (over $5000) I would feel guilty not putting the money towards a nice carved upright.
I do G.A.S. for a Ritter Cora amongst other follies, but for some reason I cannot seem to be able to get rid of that damn BTB. It is full of songs...such an inspirational tool it is.
Oh well..one day I promised to treat myself to a high end bass that looks like a work of art. Someday. As a reward for my current efforts maybe.
But for that amount (over $5000) I would feel guilty not putting the money towards a nice carved upright.
best guitar player I ever played with used a squire..
my first bass was under 300 a t40 that a lot of pro guys gigged....
my first bass was under 300 a t40 that a lot of pro guys gigged....
