Most overpriced basses: IMHO

[SLaPiNFuNK]

IMHO the most overpriced basses for what you get...

#1 - Spector... I mean, they are just like a regular bass to me... Contoured body, I dont see anything special about the contstruction besides that... electronics nothing evolutionary... they are a well constructed instrument, but I dont think they are worth multi thousands of dollars...

#2 - Alembic... Yes they are beautiful instruments... but I dont think the price is justified... Yes LED's are cool, Yes they have tons of different eq and stereo options... but over 10K for a new one? no thank you... I owned a ELAN in the early 90's and it was a great instrument, but for the price they are talking about, no thanks... Id get an EPIC and call it a day, thats all I need in a bass...

#3 - Fodera... Yes they are definately beautiful and have a great sound and look, (well some of them have a nice look), but its like the episode of southpark where cartman buys the amusement park and doesnt let anyone in and gets all the popularity, it seems like their hugely long wait time and high price makes them really wanted... and of course their main endorser (atleast i think he is) who is a really cool guy Victor Wooten... yes I used to want one when I saw him playing one, but then I actually played one... didnt justify the cost for the feel of it compared to what I was already playing at the time...




Sorry I was just looking over some auctions on ebay and just made me think of this...

I am very grateful for the instruments I do own and it took a lot of time as a young kid to save up the money to buy the ones I got new...

But when it comes down to it... If the bass feels good in my hands I can lay down that groove, and the other day, I didnt have a bass and rented a $120 yamaha 4 string, and it got the job done, sucked playing it, but it worked...


apparently i suck at making polls.. i left out spector... and a bunch of other makers... forget the pole, mega pole fail...

 

[cheezewiz]

Warwick.

 

[GM60466]

The new Fender "Road Worn" basses

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

YES! I forgot about warwick...

I dont know why people go nuts over them...

The necks are so THICK... I mean thats totally cool if its comfortable to some people...

but i dunno, never liked them...


OH!!!

THIS will get me really flamed...

MTD basses! I mean come on, bolt on, nothing special about the electronics, nothing special about the construction... cool looking woods.. but 7K? no thank you...

Give me back the old Signiture made in USA series... THATS a bass... If the MTD's were in the 2K range (what I think they are worth), I would go for one...

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

The new Fender "Road Worn" basses

yup!

I had a Jaco Relic for a few months... I got it used at a STEAL of a price... I couldnt turn it down... it was worth its money just for the neck... BUT i wouldnt pay the asking over 3K that they want for a new one... I would pay what I paid for mine again though which is about what a mid 70's natural finish goes for...

 

[DanielleMuscato]

I used to have a Spector NS-5 (US-made) bass, and I really didn't "get" it. It was nice, but so not worth what it cost. I later sold it and got an NS-5 CRFM (the Czech-made version), which I thought was just as good and a much better value.

I'll also put Fender Custom Shop instruments on this list. For the same money or even less, Valenti and Sadowsky are much better.

You could argue that there's no such thing as an overpriced bass: If people are willing to pay the money and there's no surplus supply, obviously they can't be overpriced. Many of these guys even have waiting lists, indicating underpricing. But, there is such a thing as a relatively good value or not when compared with quality. In that department, I'd put Carvin and Valenti at the top; Spector USA, Alembic etc near the bottom. This is not to say that Spector USA or Alembic are not good quality; only that, as a ratio of price to quality, they don't measure up to Carvin or Valenti.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I used to have a Spector NS-5 (US-made) bass, and I really didn't "get" it. It was nice, but so not worth what it cost. I later sold it and got an NS-5 CRFM (the Czech-made version), which I thought was just as good and a much better value.

I'll also put Fender Custom Shop instruments on this list. For the same money or even less, Valenti and Sadowsky are much better.

You could argue that there's no such thing as an overpriced bass: If people are willing to pay the money and there's no surplus supply, obviously they can't be overpriced. Many of these guys even have waiting lists, indicating underpricing. But, there is such a thing as a relatively good value or not when compared with quality. In that department, I'd put Carvin and Valenti at the top; Spector USA, Alembic etc near the bottom.

yeah exactly... I have no doubt they are not good instruments... but to me personally I do not see they are worth what they are for what you get...

IMHO - with my Ken Smith basses... they are worth every penny... Top Notch construction, Clean Beautiful Unique sounding electronics, rock solid quality hardware, a solid bridge that is easly adjustable, quiet, and looks hot... To me its a bit more inovative even today with better construction than some higher priced instruments...

 

[peterpalmieri]

IMHO the most overpriced basses for what you get...

#1 - Spector... I mean, they are just like a regular bass to me... Contoured body, I dont see anything special about the contstruction besides that... electronics nothing evolutionary... they are a well constructed instrument, but I dont think they are worth multi thousands of dollars...

#2 - Alembic... Yes they are beautiful instruments... but I dont think the price is justified... Yes LED's are cool, Yes they have tons of different eq and stereo options... but over 10K for a new one? no thank you... I owned a ELAN in the early 90's and it was a great instrument, but for the price they are talking about, no thanks... Id get an EPIC and call it a day, thats all I need in a bass...

#3 - Fodera... Yes they are definately beautiful and have a great sound and look, (well some of them have a nice look), but its like the episode of southpark where cartman buys the amusement park and doesnt let anyone in and gets all the popularity, it seems like their hugely long wait time and high price makes them really wanted... and of course their main endorser (atleast i think he is) who is a really cool guy Victor Wooten... yes I used to want one when I saw him playing one, but then I actually played one... didnt justify the cost for the feel of it compared to what I was already playing at the time...




Sorry I was just looking over some auctions on ebay and just made me think of this...

I am very grateful for the instruments I do own and it took a lot of time as a young kid to save up the money to buy the ones I got new...

But when it comes down to it... If the bass feels good in my hands I can lay down that groove, and the other day, I didnt have a bass and rented a $120 yamaha 4 string, and it got the job done, sucked playing it, but it worked...


apparently i suck at making polls.. i left out spector... and a bunch of other makers... forget the pole, mega pole fail...

I don't understand how you can try to make this arguement on #1,2,3 but leave out Ken Smith similar design concepts and price points.

I don't agree with your points in no case are you getting junk and paying a ton of money for it.

 

[mokkat]

If you guys in the states say Warwicks are overpriced, Im saying Musicman. The tables are kinda turned here in Europe - wicks are more reasonably priced and a standard Stingray or Bongo is over 3000$

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

The ken smith basses are a bit less then the alembic and fodera... and IMHO, have something more unique / better use out of the money for the instrument...

Yes the higher end smiths have a mid 6K price point... but to get what those instruments have you are looking at more in a fodera and twice as much in an alembic..

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

If you guys in the states say Warwicks are overpriced, Im saying Musicman. The tables are kinda turned here in Europe - wicks are more reasonably priced and a standard Stingray or Bongo is over 3000$

****, if thats the case after the conversion, ill let you know next time im going over there and Ill bring one to you!

 

[DanielleMuscato]

IMHO - with my Ken Smith basses... they are worth every penny... Top Notch construction, Clean Beautiful Unique sounding electronics, rock solid quality hardware, a solid bridge that is easly adjustable, quiet, and looks hot... To me its a bit more inovative even today with better construction than some higher priced instruments...

Hmm... I agree with Peter... Seems pretty arbitrary here. I know you said IMHO, but one could say the exact same thing about any of the above-mentioned basses. My Ristola cost (new) about the same as a Ken Smith (I bought it used), and I think it's worth every penny, too. I'm *sure* there are guys here who would say the same thing about their Foderas and Alembics and MTDs.

For what it's worth, I love MTDs and strongly considered one before I bought my Ristola, but ultimately decided I wanted a 34" scale. I have a Korean-made MTD that I think is just great. I don't see how they are any worse of a value than Ken Smiths, esp. on the used market.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I don't understand how you can try to make this arguement on #1,2,3 but leave out Ken Smith similar design concepts and price points.

I don't agree with your points in no case are you getting junk and paying a ton of money for it.

I am not saying you are getting junk... just dont see the extra cost making that much of a difference...

alembics to me also feel very stiff,

 

[Sundogue]

I learned a long time ago to not resent or pass judgment on what people do for a living, how much money they make or what a company charges for something.

It's always the "other guy" who is making too much money or selling something for too much money. If the person making all this money, or a company is selling something for too much, was you or your company...you'd have a different opinion on it.

Being an artist, I am often asked why I charge so much. Why? Because I can. It's as if I should lower my price to appease someone who won't lower their perceived value as an employee of someone else. Why don't you work for less money and then I'll sell you my artwork for less, OK? It's OK for you to want to make more money, but not the guy who makes what you want?

Having said that, IMHO the most overpriced bass is whatever one I want, that I can't afford. Still, a bass (or anything for that matter) is worth whatever one can sell it for. If you don't think it's worth it, don't buy it. But if it sells anyway to someone else, then it is obviously worth that, even if isn't to you.

 

[DanielleMuscato]

If you guys in the states say Warwicks are overpriced, Im saying Musicman. The tables are kinda turned here in Europe - wicks are more reasonably priced and a standard Stingray or Bongo is over 3000$

Is that just because of import taxes and such, mokkat? With the weaker dollar, one would think the prices would come down for you folks for US-made instruments... or have they already? LOL.

I would never pay $3k for a Stingray, for what it's worth. You can start looking at quality custom builds once you get into that price range.

P.S. Well said, Sundogue.

 

[Marlat]

MTD basses! I mean come on, bolt on, nothing special about the electronics, nothing special about the construction... cool looking woods.. but 7K? no thank you...

Give me back the old Signiture made in USA series... THATS a bass... If the MTD's were in the 2K range (what I think they are worth), I would go for one...

No doubt this thread will be locked at some point, but you are making some false assumptions here:

1. The electronics in MTD are custom Bartolini active pickups and a custom active preamp. AFAIK you can't get them on any other bass other than an MTD. IIRC they are like two pbass pickups under the soapbar shells.

2. An MTD is not $7k. I think they generally are around the $3.5k - $4.5k area depending on the options.

3. Bolt on construction is not any easier to produce than neck through - its just a different design philosophy.

4. You're not factoring the cost of paying an expert in the field to produce the bass (select woods etc) (this applies to Fodera etc as well). I work in the legal industry. The cost of using me is very high (I couldn't afford to use me!), but people pay because of a level of expertise. I would rather have Mike Tobias build my bass than a laborer in China whose doing it because its a job, rather than for a love of making guitars. But that's just me.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I would love to have a lower priced MTD, but they just dont do it for me...

maybe I am just very picky...

I would rather get a higher end ibanez sound gear than an MTD personally... Especially the new model they just came out with I think its the SR2000? that has the wenge top and back and neck...

 

[Fnord Explorer]

Supply and demand. If these basses were truly overpriced, no one would be buying them and these guys would be out of business.

 

[Selta]

My pick isn't on the list: Sadowsky.
I love my Spectors though. I paid $1600 for my USA 6 string Bolt On. Nothing that I've played in that price range, new or used, has come close to touching it for playability.
It all depends on your perspective, too. I can't pick up a sub $1000 bass anymore and feel the same about it.

 

[Marlat]

I would love to have a lower priced MTD, but they just dont do it for me...

maybe I am just very picky...

I would rather get a higher end ibanez sound gear than an MTD personally... Especially the new model they just came out with I think its the SR2000? that has the wenge top and back and neck...

Well then this thread is meaningless. You don't like MTD's (or Foderas or whatever) so of course they are going to be overpriced. Its like me saying that a Ibanez is "overpriced" because I wouldn't pay anything for it (as I don't like them). Its a pointless discussion. Something isn't overpriced just because you don't like it or don't agree with the design philsophy. Every bass costs more than the sum of the price of its parts. That's life.