This isn't really applicable given the fact that they've stopped making the bass in question though...
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Musicman SUB Bass: Will it become collectable?
- Thread starter PluckyThump
- Start date
This isn't really applicable given the fact that they've stopped making the bass in question though...
If collectible value is your primary concern, I'd stick with the Ball Family Reserve line. That being said, SUBs are still American made, and out of production. In 20 years, who knows?
Wrong.
The most meaningless question is, "how can I make my tone awesome?"
I know. That just slipped your mind.
Anyway, to the question at hand, stupid or not, I have unusual qualifications to answer in that I have bought and sold gear for decades (sometimes as my sole source of income) and never lost money on it.
My rule is this: "Can I sell this for more than I paid for it next week, not in ten years' time?"
Make your money on the front end, not the back end.
Best advice you'll get on this subject.
I got a new S.U.B. for $329 because I knew I'd never lose money on it. I'm not efftarded enough to buy something at street with the expectation that it will appreciate.
FWIW, I own the fretless version of the bass pictured here - it has a beautiful neck and great tone. I don't play fretless that often, but I think I'll be keeping this bass for quite some time.
I had a mid '70s 3-bolt Strat back in the early eighties. The guitarists in my band told me it would never be worth anything. What did I know, I was just the bass player!
audiomitch said:
The difference there is, even in the 70's the Strat was still their flagship guitar.
The SUB was a US budget model, made with cheaper wood pieces, cheaper and very unelegant finish...not the flagship model at all. A good bass, but other models like Dargie I's, BFR's, and a few others have shown to hold better values, some even selling now more than when they were new.
Define increase in value. These were selling in the high 300 low 400 range online used and on these forums two years ago. Now the go for usually over 500. My guess would be people want a cheap USA Music Man over an import bass. Value is based on demand and how much someone is willing to pay at a given moment. I think the value of these will creep up over time, but never to insane multi thousand collector status. Even though I love mine, it's not a sunburst Gibson or Fender. It's ugly.
It's a relatively inexpensive bass to begin with and there are tons of them around so I would say no.
I think the SUB will be more collectable than the sterling.My reason's being that it was only available for 3 years,was made by EBMM plus it has the same active 2 band pre as the Classic 4H.
My guess again is maybe that one day the making of the SBMM may move to save costs,& you MAY end up with what happened with the Squier range when it moved from Japan.
This is just my own thoughts so no offence to anyone if my opinions upset them.
My guess again is maybe that one day the making of the SBMM may move to save costs,& you MAY end up with what happened with the Squier range when it moved from Japan.
This is just my own thoughts so no offence to anyone if my opinions upset them.
Purchasing guitars as investments is much like purchasing physical precious metals. I'll use my uncle as an example here because he actually does all of those things. He has about 70 guitars in his collection, all considered "collectible". However, his profit on these instruments has probably broken only slightly north of even. Apart from his passion for instruments, he wanted them as security. But he buys them with profits from higher risk/higher yeild investments and pockets the difference.
Like the aforementioned investments, instruments are useful as wealth maintenance not for their growth potential. And, like precious metals, there is a risk you lose money, but you can't lose it all. You can do it poorly (IE buy a bushel of squiers for 500 a pop, or pay 3000 an ounce for gold) but if you have a lot of a given item, you will likely maintain your wealth and possibly grow it. With guitars/guns/cars etc, a large collection helps to ensure that when some loose market value, others gain and you end up about even. If you want to purchase a single item as an investment, it needs to be a pretty guaranteed investment quality purchase (1st Gen Colt SAA, Shelby Cobra 427, vintage Gibson ES-335) which will cost you EXACTLY what it is worth at the time. Your return at best will be 1:1 the day you buy it. With most guitars/cars/guns whatever, it's less than that the minute you put your money down.
Any given thing may become collectable, but the thing about physical items is you never know. I buy stuff and keep it as long as is viable for me, and sometimes I sell for profit, sometimes I just get rid of stuff. The nice thing is I have all kinds of crap I can unload if I need some money.
Like the aforementioned investments, instruments are useful as wealth maintenance not for their growth potential. And, like precious metals, there is a risk you lose money, but you can't lose it all. You can do it poorly (IE buy a bushel of squiers for 500 a pop, or pay 3000 an ounce for gold) but if you have a lot of a given item, you will likely maintain your wealth and possibly grow it. With guitars/guns/cars etc, a large collection helps to ensure that when some loose market value, others gain and you end up about even. If you want to purchase a single item as an investment, it needs to be a pretty guaranteed investment quality purchase (1st Gen Colt SAA, Shelby Cobra 427, vintage Gibson ES-335) which will cost you EXACTLY what it is worth at the time. Your return at best will be 1:1 the day you buy it. With most guitars/cars/guns whatever, it's less than that the minute you put your money down.
Any given thing may become collectable, but the thing about physical items is you never know. I buy stuff and keep it as long as is viable for me, and sometimes I sell for profit, sometimes I just get rid of stuff. The nice thing is I have all kinds of crap I can unload if I need some money.
I think they would have had some chance of maitaining ng or adding value over time before the Ray34 was introduced. I was never a big fan of the flat textured finish or the painted neck of the SUB althought the 2-band EQ is a plus. IME, the Ray34's are great instruments and sell new with a waranty for $650.
When these start to to become prevelant on the used market, the SUBS will become less valuable IMO.
When these start to to become prevelant on the used market, the SUBS will become less valuable IMO.
If you buy it and keep it, it will not go up in value.
If you buy it and sell it, the value will go up exponentially.
If you buy it and sell it, the value will go up exponentially.
No not the Squier 5 string. The early-mid 80's MIJ reissues were known as the JV. Those have held fair values, but not anything killing.
Really nice basses too, by all accounts. I haven't owned one myself, but I'd like to give on a shot sometime.
Agreed - but you never know. Given that MM has some sort of ethereal relationship with Fender, anything is possible.
And the few SUBs I've played have been decent but clearly lower quality than their proper EBMM brethren... of course, that doesn't mean much as far as "collectability " goes. Soon, they too will be declared "Vintage" and deemed to be above any criticism.
Yeah, they're rather nice basses at a bargain price - buy it to play it. The regular EBMM basses are pretty inexpensive on the used market (considering the killer quality) and I'd certainly take one of those over a SUB every time, no matter how common or rare.
