Quality or quantity?

[Dougflores]

Hello all,

Let’s say you have around $2,000 dollars of disposable income and decided you wanted a new bass. Would you get one expensive high end, boutique, American made etc... bass, or would you buy as many lower priced basses as you can? What is your reasoning behind your choice? Just curious and thought it would be a fun way to pass time during everything going on now.

 

[Yummy Notes]

I’m currently trying to generate some disposable income (from selling drums and a motorcycle) for this exact reason. I would get a higher quality American made bass. I suppose my reasoning would be that I already have an entry level instrument whose limitations are becoming apparent. I would like to have something I could bond with that would inspire me to play more. Sure I could find a less expensive bass to bond with but I do admire quality details and finish that a more expensive bass should have. That was fun...now I have to wait.

 

[outoftune]

I just found out what I like and would buy. I have 6 basses and spent the money on a new Spector Eurobolt. It absolutely kills. I am selling 4 of them to fund the purchase and I am ok with it. What I will have left is the Spector, American P Pro and a Rickenbacker that are all superior quality to the ones I am selling. So anyway, I’ll buy a high end bass today but tomorrow I may buy 15 SX Basses depends on the mood I guess.

 

[mouthmw]

I'd go quality over quantity, that's how I ended up downsizing to 2 of my main basses. Quality doesn't mean super pricey though, I got both of my basses for a great deal on used market (USA Fender P and Japanese EBMM Stingray).

 

[alembicguy]

Neither. I’d get the one I like.

 

[Tommyc]

Whether a rank beginner or with 50 years under your belt, whatever instrument you play, get the best instrument you can afford.

 

[garp]

I would get one $500 bass – probably used – and then put the balance toward something more practical. My rationale is that I have buying and selling basses for decades, and no single instrument in my current herd has cost me north of $1K to acquire. Hence, spending $2K on a single instrument is just a bizarre concept to me.

 

[Nedmundo]

I voted quality over quantity, but with $2,000 that might mean one $1,500 bass and a $500 backup/alternate. I haven't actually needed a backup in many years, but in college I broke a few strings at inopportune times so I bring backups to all important gigs.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Quality.
Don’t inundate yourself with many cheap things. Don’t blow your wad at Glarry....

for $2k, you can probably get a used USA and a used Mex.

 

[JRA]

i voted "quality," of course, but that doesn't mean that certain cheapies and a mix of the right parts wouldn't get you there. $2000 is more than enough to get the best possible instrument --- just by assembling your own preferences into an instrument!

$600:

 

[two fingers]

I'm clearly in the minority so far.

Honestly, I would buy a BUNCH of parts and assemble several basses. I'm I'm the market for an unlined fretless. I recently decided I'm going to get some parts and put one together. I did a parts P bass a couple of years ago. It came in at UNDER 8 pounds and plays/sounds fantastic.

So, yeah, I would probably get two or three necks, two or three bodies, some guts, some parts, and go to town on assembling some ridiculously cool parts basses.

For a couple grand one could have a TON of fun putting together several really nice pieces.

 

[Guitalia]

Quantity, definitely. I went through the same acquisition arc with racing bicycles in my teens, 20s, and 30s. I started at age 12 with a half-decent but inexpensive bike and then rapidly bought a series of no-cost-spared professional-level bikes, much later moving down to moderately priced bikes that provide 95% of the performance of the current pro bikes for about 15% of the cost.

At 68 years old, I suspect that that arc closely follows the curve of testosterone production over the course of my life.

Luckily (from the cost perspective), I was happy with my one Sears Silvertone/Danelectro bass until I was in my '50s because I didn't begin taking bass seriously until then. My bass buying since has been confined to accumulating basses that cost less than a grand, with most being well under $500.

 

[LoTone]

I checked quality. The only problem though, you have to know what quality is for you. In the past, I did buy higher end basses just to flip them later because I did not know what I really wanted. It is a bit like a journey. In my experience, buying a more expensive instrument is something that makes sense only when you are ripe for it.

 

[skyline_01]

If I HAD to spend it on just basses then I would probably buy (based on current GAS) at least one old US Peavey, a fairly inexpensive Aria Pro (John Taylor vibe) and then try to find a used Stingray 5 or Lakland 55-02 with the rest.

 

[bassstrangler]

I think of the time, money and wasted effort in purchasing and losing money selling inexpensive basses. I ended up selling them all and ended up going for quality.

I used to have this thought that a $300 bass was as good as a $1500 bass. Then I played a $1500 bass and never wanted another $300 bass again.

 

[rtslinger]

Quality for me has to be in it for the long haul. Doesn't need to be expensive, just needs to be road worthy

 

[Clark Westfield]

Quality first. Time is precious, put the best in your hands when you have that time to play an instrument.
$2000 is not enough for this:

 

[el jeffe bass]

We are very fortunate to live in a time that you can buy a reasonably good quality instruments without spending a lot of money. Mexican Fenders, Mid level Ibanez and a whole bunch of others make nice instruments at lower price points. Unless you are making a living with them or can recoup the money in the future, my take is the third option, buy mid level.

 

[lizardking837]

Both. I love the idea of taking a cheap bass and making it my own. The next bass I buy is probably going to be one of the Sterling Sub Rays for about $300. But that doesn't mean I'm not saving up for a Spector Euro.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I only need one good one!