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Over-Priced basses?

#41
mike_v_s said:
I'm not a big fan of the concept of "worth" except on a personal level, but I'll add this:

I own a Tribute L-2000. It is a great instrument, enough so that I sold my US L-1000. That stated, I believe the Lakland Skyline series is priced higher for two reasons. The first is quality of components. The Tribute only sports US pickups. The pre is not the same pre as found in the US line. Same specs, possibly, but not the same. I believe the 02 Skylines have all US electronics. Second, aren't the Skylines inspected and set up at the US factory? The Tributes are not.

Is this worth the price difference? I dunno, but it should account for at least some of the discrepency.

Mike
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Thanks for the perspective, Mike.
Johnny Alien said:
The pre could be a bit of the price difference but Tributes were just as cheap when they had the US pre as well (they originally came with them). They get the PLEK treatment in the US. So if you wanted to you could PLEK the Tribute and it would still be lower priced.

Again....great instruments and as long as they are selling them then obviously people don't have an issue. I have just become a little shocked at their price versus competition from the same factory.
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Well, judging from the price difference between the 44-01 and the 44-02, the US pre must make a significant difference (granted, one has to account for the price difference in the pickups as well).

I'm not quite understanding the sticker shock now--I don't believe Skyline prices (not counting the new limited runs coming out) have moved at all in 2-3 years.
 
#43
Spinal Tapper said:
Any of the new Fender - you can get such a better deal if you buy used. For example, look at what the Geddy Lee Jazz sells for new, and compare it to what they go for used - literally almost half off!
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funny... This past weekend, I played the first new off-the-wall Fender I have in a long time that I actually liked... I thought it was a used Japanese fender at first - the way it was finished, all the gold hardware...

Then I looked at the tag: it was a Victor Bailey signature.... $2500 store price. FOR A FENDER.

Yes, it played nice and sounded very nice... but for that many, we're now moving into Lakland/Sadowsky territory and I'm sorry - it wasn't THAT nice...
 
#44
GregC said:
Thanks for the perspective, Mike.
Well, judging from the price difference between the 44-01 and the 44-02, the US pre must make a significant difference (granted, one has to account for the price difference in the pickups as well).

I'm not quite understanding the sticker shock now--I don't believe Skyline prices (not counting the new limited runs coming out) have moved at all in 2-3 years.
Click to expand...

They increased a bit around the time they moved to Indonesia, went to the PLEK and got their own pickups. All things that in the end should have reduced the cost IMO.

It was the increase of Cort made basses from other companies that had me start to question the price as well.

But they have gone up. Twice if I remember correctly. At one time a Glaub was $900 or less depending where you went. Now Lakland only has one model (the 01) under $1000. They are no longer in the mid-priced market they are in the US basses realm and should be judged as such.
 
#45
BigOldHarry said:
funny... This past weekend, I played the first new off-the-wall Fender I have in a long time that I actually liked... I thought it was a used Japanese fender at first - the way it was finished, all the gold hardware...

Then I looked at the tag: it was a Victor Bailey signature.... $2500 store price. FOR A FENDER.

Yes, it played nice and sounded very nice... but for that many, we're now moving into Lakland/Sadowsky territory and I'm sorry - it wasn't THAT nice...
Click to expand...

$2500 is alot for a Fender but expect to pay $1000 more for a US Lakland or Sadowsky.
 
#46
Johnny Alien said:
They increased a bit around the time they moved to Indonesia, went to the PLEK and got their own pickups. All things that in the end should have reduced the cost IMO.

It was the increase of Cort made basses from other companies that had me start to question the price as well.

But they have gone up. Twice if I remember correctly. At one time a Glaub was $900 or less depending where you went. Now Lakland only has one model (the 01) under $1000. They are no longer in the mid-priced market they are in the US basses realm and should be judged as such.
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The last price increase on the Skylines was at the beginning of '08, as I recall. The move to Indonesia was at the end of '08, when the first Skyline Decades came out. (I bought one.) And the street price on a Skyline Glaub is still under $1000 at $979. An MIA Fender is $220-$320 more, depending on where you look.

Johnny Alien said:
$2500 is alot for a Fender but expect to pay $1000 more for a US Lakland or Sadowsky.
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Depends what you're after. A US Glaub is about $2800 street. Non-custom US Lakies top out around $4000. Sadowskys go for more (not sure how much). Of course, neither shop makes a sixer to my knowledge.
 
#47
BigOldHarry said:
funny... This past weekend, I played the first new off-the-wall Fender I have in a long time that I actually liked... I thought it was a used Japanese fender at first - the way it was finished, all the gold hardware...

Then I looked at the tag: it was a Victor Bailey signature.... $2500 store price. FOR A FENDER.

Yes, it played nice and sounded very nice... but for that many, we're now moving into Lakland/Sadowsky territory and I'm sorry - it wasn't THAT nice...
Click to expand...

Yeah man - very true - you're even in vintage Fender land at that (unbelievable) price point.

Hell, save up another grand and you could get an original 60's Jazz bass.
 
#48
For_Ironys_Sake said:
On my lists are any MIM fenders after that price increase a while back... :ninja:
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When was that? I have a MIM Fender Jazz that I got for $750Cdn 13 years ago. The same bass now is priced at $550. Granted the Canadian dollar has increased as well being almost even with the US dollar right now, which has a lot to do with it.

Anyway, overpriced basses. Fender American Standards, Warwick, Gibson, Ibanez. Obviously not every bass by these manufacturers, but a lot of them.
 
#49
GregC said:
The last price increase on the Skylines was at the beginning of '08, as I recall. The move to Indonesia was at the end of '08, when the first Skyline Decades came out. (I bought one.) And the street price on a Skyline Glaub is still under $1000 at $979. An MIA Fender is $220-$320 more, depending on where you look.
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OK...well that was right around the same time. I "believe" they knew they were going to move factories at the time.

Bass Central which is one of the larger Lakland dealers sells Glaubs for $1050. That is without a case which will run you $100 extra so $1150. A US Fender is about $50-$100. I say that is in the same range. It puts you in the range of a US G&L as well.

Again I am not saying they aren't good basses. I think they are very nice. I just think they could easily (as seen by other companies) charge a few hundred less for them. As it is they are putting themselves smack dab into US bass territory and not in the mid price range they should be in. If you don't want to spend $1000 on a Music Man or Fender you have plenty of options but with Lakland you do not.

What started as a more affordable brand is now out ot the realm of those on a budget.

I said in another thread that I believe they use the Skyline brand to subsidize their US line. Dan mentioned in an interview that the import line basically saved the company.
 
#50
Personally I think the Geddy Lee and Steve Harris basses are overpriced for what they are. I own both (although my Harris is the 01 version). Awesome basses but at 1200 plus dollars I think it's a bit steep. Got my 05 Geddy Lee mint used for 550 and my Harris mint used for 700.
 
#55
king_biscuit said:
I don't think you will find too many "original 60s" jazz basses for $3500.00!
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as in zero.

There are some boutique basses that i thought were overpriced, but what I really thought was that I didn't dig either the feel or sound of them, and i know others do. so i rendered my own opinion moot.

there are a lot of basses mentioned in this thread that basically sell like hot cakes, so it doesn't make any sense to call them over priced. Instead what i am hearing sounds like a lot of wishful thinking.

but i guess that has already been said.
 
#59
Currently, I'd say Warwick neck-throughs and Rickenbackers, if you buy either new. The used market is better, although the Ricks are still pretty expensive.

Most custom basses you could argue are overpriced, but you could also argue that they're not, since you can't get anything comparable for the money. Well, except Carl Thompsons. Those are clearly overpriced for the bass you get, but demand keeps the prices high. :)
 

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