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Man music stuff has gotten expensive

#41
Music stuff has also become really cheap. They’re both true. The ceiling is higher and the floor is lower.

When I started playing guitar (boo, hiss) in the early 90s, the cheapest guitar in town was an El Degas for about $300 and it was unplayable. At the other end of the scale, the most expensive Gibson in town was about $2,000. (And it was also unplayable. ;)) Today you can buy a perfectly serviceable instrument for $100 or spend $20,000.
 
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#44
I have several amps and basses but they’ve accumulated over many years. The most expensive item was a used Deluxe Precision 5 string at $1,750.

I’d love a Bergantino rig but it’s out of the question. If you think they’re expensive in USA, come to Australia -
RRP for the Forté is $2,425 but can be had for $1,950.
HG410 Bass Cab RRP is $3,100, sale price $2,395.00

I just bought a used Rumble 500 head and 4 x 10 cab for $1000. It cleaned me out. No new stuff coming now for a long while.
 
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#45
MordBass said:
Yea it all adds up in the different areas. I try my best to offset it by finding my gear used and haggling when possible. Then I make sure that when I sell stuff, Im not in a rush and can get the best dollar for it.
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I am very picky. Unfortunately, the times make it difficult to go to place and try a bunch of stuff. I mainly ogle over what I see and hear on here. I love seeing it and learning about it. One day.
 
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#48
I buy everything used to offset this cost. As stated earlier, I skimp elsewhere. Of course, I skimp on bass as well! I'm recently acclimating to the fact that some of the boutique dirt I have isn't really doing it for me any more, but the mass-produced stuff is sounding fantastic. So I'm actually "downgrading" on purpose. Most of my rig is considered middle-of-the-road, but it works perfectly fine and is more than serviceable. I rock mid-level Ibanez basses, (typically 500 series or lower), and play older GK amps (700RB and 400RB), with 410s. I get everything for decent deals, and save for them. Often, I wait until I get a deal that is much cheaper than others and jump - and often when I no longer need/want it, the prices have increased. At this point in my process of de-cluttering, swapping, and buying gear, my bass hobby is completely self-sustaining off of old gear I sell and the occasional odd job. I don't make money on this hobby, so I must make sure it is sustainable.
 
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#50
I don’t have lots of expensive gear because I’m rich. It’s a question of priorities. I don’t have lots of pricey art or fancy clothes and I don’t take fancy vacations nor do we have car loans (we have title to all our vehicles). Also I don’t pay for anything with credit—my wife and I went to an all-cash system several years back so we seldom buy anything we can’t pay for.
 
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#51
selowitch said:
Also I don’t pay for anything with credit—my wife and I went to an all-cash system several years back so we seldom buy anything we can’t pay for.
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My in-laws are the same way. We’ve tried to explain the benefits of having 1 credit card that has good rewards to pay for everything and be sure and pay it off every month, but everyone’s gonna do what they’re gonna do. Good on ya for figuring out what works for you.
 
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#52
Element Zero said:
My in-laws are the same way. We’ve tried to explain the benefits of having 1 credit card that has good rewards to pay for everything and be sure and pay it off every month, but everyone’s gonna do what they’re gonna do. Good on ya for figuring out what works for you.
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We have one credit card that gives cash back and we use that for everyday expenses but we pay it off weekly to make sure we don’t run a balance. That was the compromise we arrived at and it works really well. So technically we do use credit but in a very targeted way.
 
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#53
Element Zero said:
My in-laws are the same way. We’ve tried to explain the benefits of having 1 credit card that has good rewards to pay for everything and be sure and pay it off every month, but everyone’s gonna do what they’re gonna do. Good on ya for figuring out what works for you.
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Yup, I put everything on the card and then pay it at the end of the month. Stacks bonus points for money Im spending anyways and gives better recourse in the event of an issue on something that I bought.
 
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#55
Great music gear has never been cheaper.
I've got two great Indonesian made basses both combined total under $800, and a Canadian made amp/cab under $1000.
I will say overall prices have gone up mostly due to inflation, but there is a huge selection of great basses under $500.
It's pretty hard to find unplayable gear these days.
 
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#56
selowitch said:
We found that paying weekly, while perhaps overkill, was a good way to keep us accountable to each other. It also forces us to have our “budget conference” each Saturday morning. That’s how we became debt free (except for the mortgage).
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Paying weekly is a great practice because you wind up looking at your spending more often. Definitely a solid idea.
 
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