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So what does a $25k bass actually get you?
- Thread starter FollowMeDown
- Start date
If that person has the money and can afford it by all means go for it as then it's something then that can be fully utilized. That's just my thoughts on this from somewhat of a personal experience as I've obtained a few of could be considered high end instruments but nothing in the $25k range. The most I've gone was just short of $6k
Agreed. I only offered the counterpoint because folks seem to dwell on the negative.
Most people probably couldn't tell the difference between a thousand dollar bass and a five thousand dollar one... but that doesn't mean that no one could. A lot of people don't seem to get that.
I wouldn’t be so doubtful about other people’s discerning skills ... what I may say for sure nowadays, at least in Europe, is that a great deal of bravery will be required by the majority of people I know, who have got good musical skills and hears, to approach a 25k instrument, also taking into account the asymptotic nature of the cost/tone quality curve ...
If I had that $25000 dedicated funds for that purpose I would :
Get a really good high end amp.
Maybe one sub $5000 range spec'ed out custom shop instrument.
And get plek / top end electronics and hardware, and resto to make some of what I already have top notch as possible, and give away a bunch of other stuff.
That's what $25000 would get me.
Get a really good high end amp.
Maybe one sub $5000 range spec'ed out custom shop instrument.
And get plek / top end electronics and hardware, and resto to make some of what I already have top notch as possible, and give away a bunch of other stuff.
That's what $25000 would get me.
Yep You make a good point but the most I’ve ever spent on a bass is 1800. Bet you got a deal on some of those basses.Actually it doesn't tell us that at all. In fact someone like you would even be more likely to spend big money on gear... because you didn't spend it on a new truck.
My current daily driver is a 2005 Honda Element EX that I bought last summer for $2,800. The basses I currently own retail for well over $100k in today's dollars.
At least a full bunch of top notch gear covering all needs
As someone who has several $5k+ instruments and confidence in my abilities, I couldn't care less about what others might think about my choices. Because I understand the fundamental flaw in the cost/tone quality curve...
There is no curve. I've said for many years that the only guaranteed result of spending $5k on a bass is that you spent $5k on that bass. I've found far more expensive basses that I've found completely underwhelming.
I don't talk about what I'll never do because I've seen so many have to defend their change in stance later all.
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I may be misunderstanding what you're referring too, but I would disagree a bit with throwing out the idea of a curve. Not because the curve always works or is a constant, but simply because improvements of any kind (tone, build quality, ornamentation, etc) do come with an exponentially increasing price tag as you seek finer and higher levels of improvement.
However, this is truth:
I've played so many instruments that leave you scratching your head trying to find a justification for the price.
And this is wise:
Eilif of 15 years ago would have laughed in your face at the notion that he'd ever spend 2k on a bass. Then he came across a used Carlo...
I believe there are very few people on TB that aren’t aware of the fact that you own many 5k+ basses ... you didn’t make this a reserved information, so to speak .. the fact that you don’t care about the opinions of others is also not a mistery, although it can’t certainly be regarded as a very positive characteristic @Brad Johnson ... sometimes the opposite may be helpful .. anyway, I can tell you that there’s always a quality versus cost curve for every product of human hands when made a certain number of times, even with slight variations of the salient characteristics passing from one specimen to another ...
You have shown the picture of a vintage Tobias that you own .. what were you expecting in terms of quality when buying a Tobias in the 80s? To buy a piece of firewood? Of course not ... had Tobias put a 25k bass on the market during that period, would it be the overall quality of the instrument 5 times better than that of his more standard basses? ... of course not, hence the asymptotic nature of the quality versus price curve of a bass regarded as a manufactured item
I think you get what I'm saying.
If there really were a cost/quality formula results should be predictable. But they aren't. And unfortunately because of poor results at a price range folks often condemn the price range vs. the specific product. And don't see why that might not make sense.
As usual you're talking past what I'm saying.
I mention what I own for context. If you think this is already common knowledge among TBers I'd question why that is a valid conclusion vs. a simple assumption?
I'm saying I couldn't care less what people think about WHAT I LIKE. Or WHAT I SPEND. Are you seriously contending that I should?
I've explained my stance on your curve to another poster. If you still don't get it, cool. Spending a specific dollar amount does not guarantee quality. If you believe the opposite, cool. It explains so much.
The dollar amount as a multiplier of quality is one of the sillier tropes on TB. Yet people continue to traffic in it. As if I'd approach a purchase as "Yeah, but is this x times better than a Squier?". Then again I could ponder that while I'm asking a guitar player about his amp so I can multiply that by four and buy the "appropriate" bass amp.
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Plek is one of those things that many top end luthier don't need.
You are quite correct but neither did I say otherwise. I just said what I would spend part of my $25000 on .
Technology is a good thing, and plekking is aimed at producing consistent (across multiple instruments) and excellent results.
Unfortunately, from friends’ experiences, I’m hearing results that are less than excellent.
It’s like driverless cars. The technology is there, but it has a long, long way to go before I’ll trust it.
Bah ... money is yours after all although I wasn’t criticising your choices (I’m not supposed to) ... what I was and I am doing is to openly challenge your way of reasoning, according to which, someone owning multiple expensive basses would automatically be in a better condition than others to judge about the quality of a musical instrument ... my view on this is that knowing the top is certainly useful to get an informed opinion, although for this it’s not strictly necessary to own several expensive gear ... that said, it’s all a matter of tone in the end ... the nasal tone of Jaco playing predominantly the bridge pickup of a jazz bass with only a small amount of treble driven in is the epitome of a sound that has been copied by legions of players and builders ... however, even in the ‘60s, the cost of a new Fender jazz was not that of a boutique instrument nowadays, taking due account all economic factors ... the same can be said for the tone of Paul Jackson’s P bass in several tunes from the Headhunters ...As usual you're talking past what I'm saying.
I'm saying I couldn't care less what people think about WHAT I LIKE. Or WHAT I SPEND. Are you seriously contending that I should?
I've explained my stance on your curve to another poster. If you still don't get it, cool. Spending a specific dollar amount does not guarantee quality. If you believe the opposite, cool. It explains so much.
In terms of what we can expect from a purchase, whatever purchase, unless we’re buying a prototype, we know more or less what we can expect and it’s normal after all .. you know, I’m an Engineer and I tend to look at things from a manufacturing/production perspective and, trust me, I’ve got some knowledge in the field .. do you own Foderas? Do you believe, as I said for old Tobias before, that people deciding to spend 6 grands on one of them do not know what they are going to receive .. come on Brad !
But having it on top of the top end luthier job may not ruin their work or be regarded as blasphemy
as many folks have said, why on earth does the OP give a c@#p. Do what you want, have fun, and stop trying to "challenge" everyone for their decisions. Gawd this kinda crap makes me wonder how I've been on this site for 14.5 years.
