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Music Man basses: Why so expensive?

C

Chipsonfire

Jul 20, 2007
881
2
Socorro, NM
#1
What makes Music Man basses so expensive? The electronics? The wood? The craftsmanship? The brand name? Don't get me wrong, I do love them. I played a Bongo once and it felt and sounded wonderful, just not $1000+ wonderful. I'd love to get a nice HH model of anything, but they are just too pricey for this poor college student :(
 
#7
Believe me, 1k for a new EBMM is cheap! You wouldn't want to know what they cost at other places in the world...

Aside from that, compare them to other quality instruments and you'll find that EBMM is actually on the lower end of the price spectrum for US made instruments. Just look at the prices of Lakland or a US made Fender basses.
 
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#9
It's all subjective, 1K may seem a lot to a college student but as far as quality basses go it's not. Build quality is excellent on MM's and I've owned a few. I don't own any right now as I've come to prefer Fender's and Lakland's these days, but that is just personal preference.
 
#11
Because EBMM is a small company. Compared to someone like Fender, who sells thousands of basses a week, EBMM probably sells in the hundreds in a week. Add to that the fact that all their stuff is made in America and that quality control is a top priority, and you get high prices.
 
#12
All very valid arguments, but unfortunately it doesn't help my GAS for them or my lack of money to buy them lol. As for a grand being cheap, my current bass I bought new for $180, and that was a leap of faith that it would be worth the extra money I didn't want to spend :p Hopefully when I graduate at the end of the year, I'll land a nice job, pay off my loans and be able to get some better gear :)
 
#14
Are they even that expensive? I mean, I'm broker than crap, and could probably never afford one, but considering a lot of other instruments, their price is pretty good considering the quality.

And besides, if you're looking used, you can probably score one for under a grand. Theres one on craigslist near-ish me for like $750 (SR4. H).
 
#15
Everyone has their budget, but like the rest here, I don't consider them expensive at all. Quite the contrary as you're getting workmanship and quality that's as good as a lot of custom made basses out there. I've owned several and was never disappointed in any of them.

If you want one, but don't want to spring for new, get a used one. There's always someone selling one. The things are bomb proof.
 
#16
All of the above. The wood, the tone, the quality of build, the design, the brand name, the "Made in USA" label...

Seriously, though, they cost that much, because everything of quality costs that much. For me, the price of a new StingRay is the entry level of professional quality instruments. The quality available from Music Man is simply a step above what most other companies are offering in that price range. I feel that same way about my Warwick, and you should see what Warwicks cost in the US these days...

The only other large brand name basses I'm considering these days besides more StingRays and more Warwicks are the Paul Reed Smith Gary Grainger models, and they're custom build only ($$$$$$$).
 

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