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Just Wait?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I'm in the opposite position. I'm retiring in about 2 years and I'm buying everything I need NOW. Once the big fat paycheck goes away, so will all the new toys.
For the cost of internal US flights, especially off season, go to a store or two and play everything, go back to the hotel room, stay offline, pray and have a nap.
First one you think of when you wake up, buy.
I pray you find 'the one' and you spend many years playing and loving it.
Sell your current one in January when you buy the new one. Then flip the January bass when you retire for the super awesome one. Think of it like bass leasing.
Put some new strings on the one you have, get back in the woodshed. You can buy a new set every month, try em all!
Put the new bass idea on your calendar for January 2027.
Now you don’t have to think about it for two years. Relax and enjoy the new strings!
Put the new bass idea on your calendar for January 2027.
Now you don’t have to think about it for two years. Relax and enjoy the new strings!
My current is a super rare that is worth very little. I would my likely to donate it to my church or my kids high school if don’t just keep it.
While waiting is often a good thing, you also have to watch out for the bugbear that is inflation - prices typically always go up, never down. So it might actually be better to buy something now, as opposed to waiting and then realizing that what you wanted is now unaffordable.
Trust me, that is in my calculations. For reasons we can’t discuss, prices of Chinese made basses could rise early next year. I am not here to debate any of that, but for certain brands, it may make sense to buy them this year or very early next year.
June of next year?
Repeat after me:
Possible 20% tariff.
If WalMart is concerned with this publicly, you may want to keep this in the back of your mind, depending on where it's made.
Repeat after me:
Possible 20% tariff.
If WalMart is concerned with this publicly, you may want to keep this in the back of your mind, depending on where it's made.
Too many people wait until retirement to follow their dreams and for health, financial or family reasons et al they find they cannot do it.
Unless some stupid price bass jumps out in front of you, hold your money.
There's less wedge about after Xmas (or lack of it), and more bargains to be had.
That would be a difficult time to sell your own.
No one has mentioned creating your own dream bass. Do it yourself even if you're only half proficient (like me), have some screwdrivers, maybe a soldering iron. It's a good project that enthused me for some time until I finished fettling.
I expect your experience would guide you to select which parts to combine, and use a luthier for specialist skills eg finishes, customising & parts.
I want to build a reverse PJ 5er to replace an ordinary commercial one.
There's less wedge about after Xmas (or lack of it), and more bargains to be had.
That would be a difficult time to sell your own.
No one has mentioned creating your own dream bass. Do it yourself even if you're only half proficient (like me), have some screwdrivers, maybe a soldering iron. It's a good project that enthused me for some time until I finished fettling.
I expect your experience would guide you to select which parts to combine, and use a luthier for specialist skills eg finishes, customising & parts.
I want to build a reverse PJ 5er to replace an ordinary commercial one.
I was blessed in many ways. I had the career I wanted and a modest amount of professional success. Counting my time as a military dependent, I have visited or lived in 11 countries. I earned a Fulbright Fellowship, a Ph.D., and published a few nice articles.
As a young man, I became GAS obsessed as soon as I had enough income to buy gear. I owned every high end bass I could think of between 1986-2002. I ran up a ton of credit card debt that it took me a few years to pay off.
Finally, around 2017, I started seriously taking lessons. It took me a few years to really break out of bad habits and really understand how to constructively practice. Learning how to study and beginning to see progress has given me joy that new gear never did. I can honestly see where upgrading my five would be nice, but I also know that practice trumps everything.
What a Wonderful life you have had. Thankyou for your service. The absolute thing I have learnt from being on Talkbass is what you said. Practice trumps everything!
Well...
I try very hard, not to tell anyone what to do. That said? Personally, I don't have much trouble waiting for things to turn my way. But, being a 3rd generation GI Brat - and spending 24 years in the military, too? The concept of "Hurry up - and wait" is sorta imbedded in my DNA... So... if it were me? I think I'd prefer to wait until I could buy exactly what I wanted - without having to worry about the cost. Well, not too much, anyway. To make waiting for that happy time go buy faster? One trick I've used, is to start saving for what I want to buy - at a certain time. The time simply seems to fly by, as it attempts to make you have too little saved up...
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Knowing what you want is half the trick. Then the time and cost trade off becomes clearer.
I've tended to regret compromise purchases, and more usually aim for what I really want, but being realistic about other budget priorities. Musical instruments are where rationality leaves the room, but that's the whole point. Only you know what the right call is.
I've also learnt to put experiences above things, so getting on with it is part of the equation. Hopefully your big splurge won't be too tall an order once the salary dries up.
I've tended to regret compromise purchases, and more usually aim for what I really want, but being realistic about other budget priorities. Musical instruments are where rationality leaves the room, but that's the whole point. Only you know what the right call is.
I've also learnt to put experiences above things, so getting on with it is part of the equation. Hopefully your big splurge won't be too tall an order once the salary dries up.
Dr.,
Wait, kind of!
You've played/owned loads of basses. You know exactly what you want/like. Take the middle path.
We all know that spending 3x the $$$ doesn't (usually) buy you 3x the instrument. You have a little time before you retire. Keep playing and searching. When you find the one that feels (and sounds) the best, buy it. If that happens in January, great! If it happens a year from now, great! You'll know it when you play it.
Thankfully there is a trend toward lighter weight basses. Great for old (older?!) guys like us! I never used to think about it but my move to under 9lb basses in the last few years has been great. I never had back or shoulder issues. No issues playing (I don't do 3 hour gigs anyway), but the relatively lighter basses are just easier to schlep around. Taking a 12lb bass on the NYC subway in a gig bag is not fun!
Anyway, lot's of good advice in this thread (your most provocative ever, and that includes the demo you posted a few years ago that "forced" me to buy a bass I didn't know I needed! Currently my #1).
Seek and ye shall find (your forever retirement bass!).
Wait, kind of!
You've played/owned loads of basses. You know exactly what you want/like. Take the middle path.
We all know that spending 3x the $$$ doesn't (usually) buy you 3x the instrument. You have a little time before you retire. Keep playing and searching. When you find the one that feels (and sounds) the best, buy it. If that happens in January, great! If it happens a year from now, great! You'll know it when you play it.
Thankfully there is a trend toward lighter weight basses. Great for old (older?!) guys like us! I never used to think about it but my move to under 9lb basses in the last few years has been great. I never had back or shoulder issues. No issues playing (I don't do 3 hour gigs anyway), but the relatively lighter basses are just easier to schlep around. Taking a 12lb bass on the NYC subway in a gig bag is not fun!
Anyway, lot's of good advice in this thread (your most provocative ever, and that includes the demo you posted a few years ago that "forced" me to buy a bass I didn't know I needed! Currently my #1).
Seek and ye shall find (your forever retirement bass!).
GAS is always there until you get a bass that ends that.
I'd put all my energy into tracking that bass down.
First, I'd decide what basic spec I wanted and either commision that or see who produces them already.
Fortunately, I know what I want and its not a wild and wacky build.
I thinks it important that sellability appeals to the market.
Depends where you are knowing what you want, depends how long this journey will take you.
I'd put all my energy into tracking that bass down.
First, I'd decide what basic spec I wanted and either commision that or see who produces them already.
Fortunately, I know what I want and its not a wild and wacky build.
I thinks it important that sellability appeals to the market.
Depends where you are knowing what you want, depends how long this journey will take you.
Right now, I am really leaning towards import Jazz style and active five string basses that are sub $1,500. A local dealer has some nice more expensive basses on sale, but I am not sure if want to spend more money.
Since when is a Chinese bass an upgrade? I'd be looking at top US builders IMHO.
