So what does a $25k bass actually get you?

[Calvin Maine]

Living in Silicon Valley and being part of the car culture I encounter a lot of people that buy things because they are expensive.
It’s to impress other people.

For perspective however, my old boss at EHI made ~ $30K per workday. You get to a point where the money genuinely doesn’t matter. It’s more than could be spent

I could spend it. There is no one on earth that could spend better than me. I have a sickness lol

 

[sonofzorro1]

What are you really buying for your $25k or whatever? How much better do these crazy expensive boutique basses REALLY sound/play than say the best one from your average music store set up properly? Would anyone else really hear it?

What are you really buying for your $25k or whatever? How much better do these crazy expensive boutique basses REALLY sound/play than say the best one from your average music store set up properly? Would anyone else really hear it?

I have a Mexican Fender Jazz, and it sounds great. Nik West has the exact same guitar ( Nik West Live-Forbidden Fruit)
and when she plays it its still Nik West playing, and I am still me playing one from the same production run.
Your bass has to respond nicely to how you play it, hopefully with a certain ease, but it is up to you what constitutes those qualities. Jonas Hellborg says that he gets the best music out of an instrument that requires effort to wring music from it. As Michael Manring says, you have to sell your car to buy the Zon Hyperbass, but, well, check him out and tell him he doesn't need it to do what he does. Buy what works for you and play the heck out of it!

 

[Beejay772]

My first bass cost $400. My second cost $1600. Ad it was 4 times better. But I don't believe a bass could be good enough to be worth $2500. Unless it has a history or tie to someone famous.

 

[Brad Johnson]

So, what is the total cost of great hardware, and electronics? Sorry, but even retail, it just isn’t that much. A well-built neck? Custom hardware, yes, that will cost. But very few manufacturers, if any, custom build hardware for each and every instrument they build. Fancy wood and somebody to build it. And that person building it will probably spend it on that fancy car you just helped him buy.

This is the fantasy version of high end luthiery.

 

[Jakemo]

You get a bass. Whether you have $25k worth of craftsmanship in your hands is entirely up to you and only you.

I've often wondered that myself. How much better does a bass get after $1k, $2k, $5k..... and I don't mean vintage, those were basses that sold for the normal retail price and were often made with off the shelf or cheap available materials.

one teacher I had said one teacher I had said you can get an excellent or poor sounding bass at all price levels

 

[Calvin Maine]

one teacher I had said one teacher I had said you can get an excellent or poor sounding bass at all price levels

Imagine an average Bass at $25k sad times indeed..

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I could spend it. There is no one on earth that could spend better than me. I have a sickness lol

Good for him ... wrong job and birthplace for me seemingly

 

[leerod054]

Driving? Not really. Maybe a road trip. But I don’t need a Lamborghini Aventador to enjoy the ride. It will impress everybody outside my car, though.

How's this for a driver??

 

[Brad Stensland]

I can't imagine it "get" that much value. There is a difference between budget basses (Squiers, etc) and the more expensive lines, but after a point, IMO, you're mostly paying for prestige. Yes, I expect the workmanship and materials to be better, but for me, I have much better use of that kind of money than to spend it on any instrument. I admit that I've never even seen anything over a couple grand in person let alone played one, but have never been overly impressed with the relatively expensive basses I have tried - the $2000 bass has never tempted me away from the $500 ones after playing them side by side.

Hard to know for sure, I doubt that I would get something like that even if money was no object. I'm perfectly happy with my lower end basses. If someone gave me $25K that I had to budget for music, I'd spend it on building a rehearsal space at my house. Either that or hire a roadie....

If you hire a roadie, from that 25k...you'll have enough left over for a car to transport him/her in, dinner, a house, two motorcycles, small watercraft and the 101st and 102nd floor of the Burj Khalifa. I usually pay mine in beer...that's what makes a roadie happy.

 

[GregC]

Uh.. it seems there truly are a lot of very wealthy people replying to this thread ... some of them seem to be really strutting around saying several times “I had multiple Foderas, Alembics, Ritters ...” ... ok, and who cares honestly?
We play bass to make music and achieve a good tone .. the bass tone-quality generation curve attains higher values following the increase of the bass’ cost .. that’s normal and that’s what could be expected ... however this is an asymptotic trend ... at 25k USD or EUR or £, we will be looking more at the aesthetics of the instrument rather than noticing remarkable tonal difference with cheaper basses ... in my opinion a lot of this is pure vanity items display ... anyway, as somebody may get called in for replying again with funny considerations on life and philosophy, money is yours wealthy Sirs, spend it as you prefer but do not expect to always be praised for your choices

So let me get this straight. The OP asks what expensive basses get you. Some people who own them or have owned them take the time to detail their personal experiences in this thread to help the OP. And your response is "Who cares?" and you accuse them of "strutting around"?

And where did you get the idea that these folks want to "always be praised for their choices"? How about if we, their fellow bass players, simply not insult them for buying really nice basses?

 

[J_Bass]

What a silly thread.


This is recurrent, and transversal to all forums. In a bicycle forum I used to go, it was the same. Why the expensive bikes? Why spend 8k on a bike, bla, bla, bla.

I would like the OP to show me a NEW 25 thousand dollars bass, please. Seriously, show me a 25k bass that is not valuable due to being a collectors item.

I see 8, 9, 10k basses, but 25k is new to me.

So, to the TB'ers who can afford and want those 10k basses, I say, good for you! If you have the money, if it doesn't hurt your wallet, that's great!

For me it's the same as buying an expensive watch, or a ring, or anything else.

See this chair where I take the pics of my basses?

This Kai Kristiansen chair costs between 1000 and 2000 euros, depending on condition. And they are very hard to find, because a lot of people want them. And all you can do with it is look at it and seat on it.
And take pics of your basses, of course.

So, stop being jealous and try to dictate what others do with their money.




My chair is a replica, it's not a real Kai Kristiansen, by the way.

 

[MovinTarget]

Would love to see a $25k bass. Or even if someone knows a luthier site where one can price out options reaching $25k...

I agree with most that you aren't gonna drop $25k for a new bass and just get a tobacco burst Fender replica... no, that wood is gonna have gold woven into it or something.

 

[Modulus 96]

Uh.. it seems there truly are a lot of very wealthy people replying to this thread ... some of them seem to be really strutting around saying several times “I had multiple Foderas, Alembics, Ritters ...” ... ok, and who cares honestly?
We play bass to make music and achieve a good tone .. the bass tone-quality generation curve attains higher values following the increase of the bass’ cost .. that’s normal and that’s what could be expected ... however this is an asymptotic trend ... at 25k USD or EUR or £, we will be looking more at the aesthetics of the instrument rather than noticing remarkable tonal difference with cheaper basses ... in my opinion a lot of this is pure vanity items display ... anyway, as somebody may get called in for replying again with funny considerations on life and philosophy, money is yours wealthy Sirs, spend it as you prefer but do not expect to always be praised for your choices

eBay is your friend, got two incredible basses for less than half of retail. Of course, it was indeed pricey even at that cost.

As to bragging rights, the only people who care are the guys I play with when they hear the bass. Sound guys also notice, often commenting during or after sound check. After a set when I walk off stage I get intercepted on the way to the bar by people giving compliments on my playing and some on the bass itself. I don't expect it at all, though I'm used to it. (Shrugs).

It should be said though that an expensive bass provides no cover for lack of skill. Start with what you like and go from there. My first bass was a Hondo

 

[Brian Allen]

I believe I can actually answer that question. If you spend $25,000 dollars and you do your research, I am assuming the bass is Vintage and a collectors item. You will be purchasing history. Let's assume you spent $3500 on a newer instrument lets say a custom shop Etc. Five years from now when you want to sell that custom shop I'll bet you you will sell at loss. There's a good chance Five years from now That vintage instrument that cost $25,000 Could be worth several thousand more. Who lost the most money? Also if You're professional and you make Your living Playing the bass. That $25,000 Is a business expense Which can be amortized over time offsetting your income and increasing value Simultaneously...
I hope this helps...

 

[MovinTarget]

I believe I can actually answer that question. If you spend $25,000 dollars and you do your research, I am assuming the bass is Vintage and a collectors item. You will be purchasing history. Let's assume you spent $3500 on a newer instrument lets say a custom shop Etc. Five years from now when you want to sell that custom shop I'll bet you you will sell at loss. There's a good chance Five years from now That vintage instrument that cost $25,000 Could be worth several thousand more. Who lost the most money? Also if You're professional and you make Your living Playing the bass. That $25,000 Is a business expense Which can be amortized over time offsetting your income and increasing value Simultaneously...
I hope this helps...

The OP never clarified other than saying "boutique" bass so most have interpreted this to be a new, custom made bass, not necessarily vintage and the # of boutiques that end up becoming vintage are few because, unless it is inherently a work of art to look at, it is an unknown quantity that investors may not take a risk on.

I've already brought up the tax break point though, I agree with you there.

 

[J_Bass]

The OP never clarified other than saying "boutique" bass so most have interpreted this to be a new, custom made bass, not necessarily vintage and the # of boutiques that end up becoming vintage are few because, unless it is inherently a work of art to look at, it is an unknown quantity that investors may not take a risk on.

I've already brought up the tax break point though, I agree with you there.

That's because the OP is a one month old TB member and this is a troll thread. No credit for the OP, he exaggerated in the first post (25k electric bass? Really??) and just wanted a flame war.

 

[Bflat]

That's because the OP is a one month old TB member and this is a troll thread. No credit for the OP, he exaggerated in the first post (25k electric bass? Really??) and just wanted a flame war.

When I first read the OPs question I missread it to mean there are no 25k basses and that included vintage and historical basses. reading it again there is no mention of vintage or historical basses.....so I've been mute and watch with curiosity.......if we are talking about vintage or historical basses then Would have to disagree.

 

[J_Bass]

When I first read the OPs question I missread it to mean there are no 25k basses and that included vintage and historical basses. reading it again there is no mention of vintage or historical basses.....so I've been mute and watch with curiosity.......if we are talking about vintage or historical basses then Would have to disagree.

Vintage and historical instruments are one thing, there is the historical and collectors value to have into account.

A new bass at 25k? Electric? Sorry, just a troll.

 

[proezak]

It gets you a bass built to YOUR specific specs! Body and neck design, wood, neck reinforcement, pickups, hardware, weight relief, finish. E.V.E.R.Y. T.H.I.N.G. !

 

[MovinTarget]

It gets you a bass built to YOUR specific specs! Body and neck design, wood, neck reinforcement, pickups, hardware, weight relief, finish. E.V.E.R.Y. T.H.I.N.G. !

Pretty sure you can get all that and more for much less. So unless this is the 80's and it comes with several kilos of Columbian White stashed inside...