I'd buy 111 of those $18 basses 
Oh wait... 
Oh wait... 
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Quality or quantity?
- Thread starter Dougflores
- Start date
That's exactly what I would do, with more to the main one. Probably $1800/$200 split or something like that.
Define quality.
Not being facetious - but an appropriate answer would depend on it.
For example - here is a nice parts bass I built, all from preowned separates using high quality parts (American Standard 5 Jazz body from E-Bay, neck & Ulyate pickups from a previous project).
Total outlay for slapping putting together is about $300 dollars (body). But even if you had to buy all these separates to assemble it, it would still come in well under 2-grand.
This would free up the rest to obtain other gear, backups, etc.
Not being facetious - but an appropriate answer would depend on it.
For example - here is a nice parts bass I built, all from preowned separates using high quality parts (American Standard 5 Jazz body from E-Bay, neck & Ulyate pickups from a previous project).
Total outlay for slapping putting together is about $300 dollars (body). But even if you had to buy all these separates to assemble it, it would still come in well under 2-grand.
This would free up the rest to obtain other gear, backups, etc.
I would probably cut off at $1,950 and get some margaritas and queso, also good quality.
Quality for sure. I already have more basses than I can play. I have more $1800-$2000 than I can play, so no reason to get cheap ones.
I pretty much already did just this in September 2018, and I guess I went for quality. At least that was my intention.
No longer does low price always equal low quality, and high price no longer guarantees high quality.
Play basses. Buy the one or ones that feel, sound, work, and look best to you regardless of price. As long as it’s within your budget.
Play basses. Buy the one or ones that feel, sound, work, and look best to you regardless of price. As long as it’s within your budget.
Same here. It's a shame McCartney had to suffer with that cheapo '61 Höfner 500/1 for so many years...could you imagine how much better a bass player he might've become with a Fodera?
At one point, I owned 6-7 basses (at the same time. I think I have owned over 100). When I realized that a few of them hadn't been played in forever, I decided to sell them off and buy one really, really nice one. I've never regretted it for a second.
Fortunately, I now have two really, really nice ones!
Fortunately, I now have two really, really nice ones!
I owned an EBMM Bongo for a while. The excellence just never kicked in.Same here. It's a shame McCartney had to suffer with that cheapo '61 Höfner 500/1 for so many years...could you imagine how much better a bass player he might've become with a Fodera?
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Same here. It's a shame McCartney had to suffer with that cheapo '61 Höfner 500/1 for so many years...could you imagine how much better a bass player he might've become with a Fodera?
Yep, I can easily imagine that. But it just says something about my imagination, nothing more...
I'll buck the trend here and say, if I had all the high end gigs I could handle, if I had chops to spare in every genre I face, If I truly felt that my instrument was a handicap to the quality of music I make, then I would do best to get the highest quality instrument regardless of cost. In fact none of these are facters of my musical life. Therefore a decent common bass that is setup well (by me), modded (by me) if need be, gives me all the "tool" I need to be the best I can be. Give me 15 instruments that would do 99% as well as one high end boutique issued bass. The money saved can then be invested in no load mutual funds which can occasionally be devistated by a random virus.
I believe I have a different approach. I love to gig, jam, etc., but unfortunately hate playing in cover bands.
I get rocks off by writing and recording, and so my emphasis is in variety. I buy the best I can afford, but basically ignore condition/appearance other than playability, for sound. By the same token, brand is low on the list. I confess that I have some quality instruments - when I see a good buy I can afford and the bass (really, any gear) fills a perceived need, I may buy it sooner than planned or even on impulse. But I do not hesitate to buy what I need as long as it fills the purpose - appearance and brand notwithstanding.
And then I'll augment the inferior one with a better one when I can afford it, which is why I have a couple/3 fretless, a couple Ac/Elec, a couple P/J's ... But I only have one 8-stringer, and one MM-type and one Bass VI as they're good enough, and they are also relatively rarely found at low price and truthfully, relatively rarely used (I did do a Bass VI recording two days ago, and used the MM clone last week.).
I get rocks off by writing and recording, and so my emphasis is in variety. I buy the best I can afford, but basically ignore condition/appearance other than playability, for sound. By the same token, brand is low on the list. I confess that I have some quality instruments - when I see a good buy I can afford and the bass (really, any gear) fills a perceived need, I may buy it sooner than planned or even on impulse. But I do not hesitate to buy what I need as long as it fills the purpose - appearance and brand notwithstanding.
And then I'll augment the inferior one with a better one when I can afford it, which is why I have a couple/3 fretless, a couple Ac/Elec, a couple P/J's ... But I only have one 8-stringer, and one MM-type and one Bass VI as they're good enough, and they are also relatively rarely found at low price and truthfully, relatively rarely used (I did do a Bass VI recording two days ago, and used the MM clone last week.).
I choose quantity. The quality of the cheap basses nowadays justified that choice.
Besides that, after all these years of playing, I can make any playable bass sound good.
Besides that, after all these years of playing, I can make any playable bass sound good.
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The fact is, in this day and age, we have plenty of low-priced instruments that are very well designed and manufactured, and they are such amazing bang-for-the-buck that spending more is really just an exercise in diminishing returns. There are plenty of YouTube videos that compare very cheap and very expensive basses and the difference you hear is nowhere near the price difference. As for playability and reliability, today's cheap instruments are very playable as well, as long as you don't get a lemon. In terms of eye-candy, there are plenty of expensive instruments that's ugly as sin, and cheap instruments that are quite easy on the eyes.
I would much rather have a range of instruments with different features to satisfy different needs, than one very expensive instrument that can't be everything I need it to be.
My mental process when spending money on stuff is basically this:
1) What are the features I really need? How critical are they?
2) What are the features I really want? How much of a difference would they make in my overall sense of fulfillment in life?
3) What's the least I can spend and get what I need/want? (Used market is the best choice, always.)
4) Only spend more when there are no cheaper options available. And only go up in price incrementally until you find all the features you need/want.
5) Think carefully about the range you really need to cover. What genres do you play? How many strings do you need? What features are critical to you but are impossible to find in a single bass?
In my case, I knew I needed to have these to cover the range I want in my bass playing:
-One main bass that's 4-string. Ideally with ample onboard EQ controls and flexible pickup configuration.
-One 5-string with similar features for times when drop-tuning isn't enough and I absolutely need to have that additional lower string.
-One fretless 4-string.
-One EUB.
If I was totally comfortable on 5-string, I wouldn't even need any of the 4-strings on my list, but I'm just more comfortable on the 4-string, so unfortunately for me, I need to spend the money on additional 5-string basses.
Based on those needs, I made sure every bass I bought fulfills a specific needed role. And if I could have one bass fulfill multiple roles, it's the most ideal. For example, my NS Design Omnibass CR5 is both an EUB and fretless 5-string, as it has both piezo and magnetic pickups, and can be played in upright and horizontal positions, so this one bass plays two roles.
The only bass I ever bought that I didn't need but wanted, was the NS Design Radius WAV4, because I just loved the acoustic-like tone its piezo pickup allowed. I don't even have any songs I want to play that needs the acoustic tone, but this is the one case I bought purely for want, not need.
I would much rather have a range of instruments with different features to satisfy different needs, than one very expensive instrument that can't be everything I need it to be.
My mental process when spending money on stuff is basically this:
1) What are the features I really need? How critical are they?
2) What are the features I really want? How much of a difference would they make in my overall sense of fulfillment in life?
3) What's the least I can spend and get what I need/want? (Used market is the best choice, always.)
4) Only spend more when there are no cheaper options available. And only go up in price incrementally until you find all the features you need/want.
5) Think carefully about the range you really need to cover. What genres do you play? How many strings do you need? What features are critical to you but are impossible to find in a single bass?
In my case, I knew I needed to have these to cover the range I want in my bass playing:
-One main bass that's 4-string. Ideally with ample onboard EQ controls and flexible pickup configuration.
-One 5-string with similar features for times when drop-tuning isn't enough and I absolutely need to have that additional lower string.
-One fretless 4-string.
-One EUB.
If I was totally comfortable on 5-string, I wouldn't even need any of the 4-strings on my list, but I'm just more comfortable on the 4-string, so unfortunately for me, I need to spend the money on additional 5-string basses.
Based on those needs, I made sure every bass I bought fulfills a specific needed role. And if I could have one bass fulfill multiple roles, it's the most ideal. For example, my NS Design Omnibass CR5 is both an EUB and fretless 5-string, as it has both piezo and magnetic pickups, and can be played in upright and horizontal positions, so this one bass plays two roles.
The only bass I ever bought that I didn't need but wanted, was the NS Design Radius WAV4, because I just loved the acoustic-like tone its piezo pickup allowed. I don't even have any songs I want to play that needs the acoustic tone, but this is the one case I bought purely for want, not need.
You mean the cheapo Hofner that now costs about $2500?Same here. It's a shame McCartney had to suffer with that cheapo '61 Höfner 500/1 for so many years...could you imagine how much better a bass player he might've become with a Fodera?
Everyone makes a good point that the quality of mass produced basses have increased drastically. I bring this topic up because I own a few short scales that I enjoy playing, with all costing me under $600. I also splurged on a Kiesel headless bass which was pretty pricey, but I love it. I also have dream basses on my wishlist, being a Dunable and a Rickenbacker, both quite expensive. But I also crave the new short scale Sterling Stingray which is affordable. I just don’t know if having so many basses is practical to begin with. Maybe I just need to convince myself that I don’t need so many basses, even if I think it would be cool to have them.
You mean the cheapo Hofner that now costs about $2500?
...lol... they were cheapo when Sir Paul bought his... guess why they're so expensive now...
After three pages of responses, we still don't know what you (the OP) would do.
