Quality vs Quantity?

[nilorius]

One $1500

 

[Teijo K.]

I think $300 and $1500 are not extremes of price. $300 it's around where the quality becomes decent. $1500 is just below where the quality becomes custom.

Would you rather own 30 $100 basses or 1 $3,000 bass?

My fully carved 4/4 double bass was estimated around 3000€, so looks like I rather have one than 30.

But yeah. I am not a hoarder. Really happy with 3 basses. Double bass, fretless bass guitar and fretted bass guitar.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

would you rather have one $1500 dollar bass or 5 $300 basses?

That would depend on which basses!

 

[wraub]

I'd rather have 5 basses that each cost way more than $300 new but which I paid way less than $300 each for used.

Which, I do.

 

[baileyboy]

...one $1500 dollar bass...

This. It's called a USA Geddy Lee jazz.

 

[irbass]

I went from $ 7 basses to $$ 2 basses and to $$$ 1 Bass.
The price is above $1,500.00 but just to have an idea how it was.

After being on that path I prefer 2 good Basses. 1 6strings and 1 5strings.
At this moment I have just One the STR 6.
Choose wisely.

 

[Greg Waldon]

I have a Sterling Sub4, Washburn RB-2002 and a Squier Affinity PJ. Total cost of all 3 was around $300. I got a super deal on all 3 and all 3 play and sound fantastic. As long as a bass plays and sounds good that is what matters most to me regardless of cost. If I can get them for cheap, that is even better.

 

[James Collins]

That's more like it. One $3000 bass for me, thanks. I do believe the OP was trying to stimulate conversation by using prices that are not uncommon but have certain connotations tied to them. $300 today buys a lot more than it used to and the quality of budget instruments has skyrocketed since the '60's. On the high end $1500 isn't extreme, but the idea is to compare a professional grade instrument to a budget one. Depending on where you draw the line and what your budget is $3000 could be a budget bass and a $25000 Ritter could be considered expensive.

I understand and agree. This is a lot more nuanced topic. Like I might rather have 4 x $2,000 instruments over 1 x $8,000. But that comes down to the offerings not really being what I would like. I would probably rather have 1the $8,000 one over 50 cheap ones though.

 

[adk teleman]

I buy for what I need. I have several high end Fenders which are amazing! I also have a Squier VM Telecaster Special bass which is inexpensive but amazing in all aspects, to a 5 string Sterling Sub Ray 5 which sounds and plays much better than a $300 dollar bass. Price does not necessarily equate to higher/lesser quality in thus day and age.

 

[pappabass]

I would take the 3. Because I play at a open mic and don't like the idea of taking a $2000 bass. Then drunk guys want to play it or knock it over.. I do have 3 'good' basses. Fender p, 2 ESP/LTD'S. They are all different models that have a good and different sound from each other.
Finally, hate to hurt feelings, there is not that much difference between a $500 bass and a $1500 bass

 

[B-Mac]

Depends what those $300 basses are. 9 of the 10 basses in the photo below cost me $300 or less. They all play and sound as good as or better than any $1,500 bass you can buy today. In fact I can't think of a single new bass in the $1,500 price range that I would trade any one of them for.

View attachment 3307861

You got a Peavey Brian Bromberg in there...I’m guessing that is the one that wasn’t $300, correct?

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Bob

would you rather have one $1500 dollar bass or 5 $300 basses?

5 $1500 basses for me!

That said,

I would rather have one bass that I really love (which is not price related!),

than 5 that are just "okay".


Wise(b)ass

 

[TreySonagras]

It depends on what you are trying to do. If I need to tighten a screw I would rather have a 50 cent screwdriver than a 300.00 table saw.

 

[EriktheRed]

Depends what those $300 basses are. 9 of the 10 basses in the photo below cost me $300 or less. They all play and sound as good as or better than any $1,500 bass you can buy today. In fact I can't think of a single new bass in the $1,500 price range that I would trade any one of them for.

View attachment 3307861

Sir, forgive for asking, but I have this suspicion you're partial to Peaveys. Could I be right about this?

 

[JohnnyChatter]

Man. I used to think quantity was better. Plenty of great used basses on the cheap. They were easier to find 10 years ago I feel. I was at music go round and they wanted 850 for a Peavey T-40... I’m a big fan of old Peavey and Carvin basses but people are catching on...

I got a stingray special when they first came out and now I don’t touch my other basses... So I’m voting try everything until you find that magic bass.

I also have a nice American Fender P I slowely trade up for and cost me around 300.

 

[Keger Jupit]

Brand new? 1 $1,500, easy. Used market? 3 $500, & some very careful selection/GAS control.

 

[Blake Bass]

Quality over quantity any time. A bunch of cheap basses would be a bigger waste of money for me because I wouldn’t play any of them.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Man. I used to think quantity was better. Plenty of great used basses on the cheap. They were easier to find 10 years ago I feel. I was at music go round and they wanted 850 for a Peavey T-40... I’m a big fan of old Peavey and Carvin basses but people are catching on...

I got a stingray special when they first came out and now I don’t touch my other basses... So I’m voting try everything until you find that magic bass.

I also have a nice American Fender P I slowely trade up for and cost me around 300.

This^^^
My Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray5 Special and Caprice are those magic basses for me. I do have a Sire V3-5 as a back up/ when I don’t want to take my nicer basses out.
No need for more basses . I’ll take quality over quantity everytime.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Would you have one Porsche or five KIA’s? I’d have one Porsche. Similarly, I’d have one $1,500 bass.

 

[smtp4me]

Depends what those $300 basses are. 9 of the 10 basses in the photo below cost me $300 or less. They all play and sound as good as or better than any $1,500 bass you can buy today. In fact I can't think of a single new bass in the $1,500 price range that I would trade any one of them for.

View attachment 3307861

I'm guessing you like Peavey basses?