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

#61
I play a gig where there's a woman who brings a harp - not a harmonica - the 7 foot tall thing with 6 or so octaves of strings (she needs a full sized SUV (probably another $40K) to move the thing anywhere. I don't know exactly what hers ran her, but it's probably in the neighborhood of $50K. If I could find a bass that was half as cool as that thing - that caused jaws to drop half as much as a well played harp does, I'd gladly spend $25K on it. But honestly, I don't think such a thing exists.

And no, at least to me, no Fender from 60 years ago is anywhere near that cool - I've played several of those, and they ain't it.
 
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#62
FollowMeDown said:
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?
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I deal and have access with high end things, vintage cars, motorcycles, planes and musical instruments.

Back in the late 80's our bassist, not calling her my bassist, bought her second custom bass.

I think it was $10 or $12K. Up until then the most I paid for a vintage guitar, not custom, was just under $10K.

She asked if I wanted to try it. OF COURSE!!!!

Very carefully pulling it out of the case and plugging into my bass rig, I had a good 45 minutes to enjoy while she ran out to pick up some grinders.

When she came back, asked what I thought........

I told her after 45 minutes, I could see at least $8000 anyways, and if I played it more and it had been made specifically for me, the additional value would be recognizable to me for sure.

Weird thing was.......if it ever showed up used, I wouldn't think twice about buying it.

Since then I have been inside that bass.........inside and electronics and controls all done top notch, and shielded properly, part of the equation, not an option.
 
#63
What would it get me? Probably a terminal case of buyer's remorse, the morning after I spent that much on a bass. As I've said several times on other threads; yes, a German made Hofner 500/1 does sound better than my $180 MIK Rogue VB-100. But a new one costs about 17 times what the Rogue cost; sadly, it isn't built 17 times better, and it doesn't sound 17 times better, either. So, I don't have one... Besides, $25K would be more than enough for one of these;
Kawasaki Concours 1400.jpg
with plenty left over for insurance and accessories. And, with 24 basses already, I really don't need another one...:whistle:
 
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#64
micguy said:
I play a gig where there's a woman who brings a harp - not a harmonica - the 7 foot tall thing with 6 or so octaves of strings (she needs a full sized SUV (probably another $40K) to move the thing anywhere. I don't know exactly what hers ran her, but it's probably in the neighborhood of $50K. If I could find a bass that was half as cool as that thing - that caused jaws to drop half as much as a well played harp does, I'd gladly spend $25K on it. But honestly, I don't think such a thing exists.

And no, at least to me, no Fender from 60 years ago is anywhere near that cool - I've played several of those, and they ain't it.
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Harps don't usually cost that much, but they could.

I played with someone whose harp had a series of Barcus Berry Hot Dots mounted on theirs. It was fed into a mixer that also had an effects loop for a pretty comprehensive multieffect unit.
 
#66
CatchaCuda said:
A good feeling. <-That's my best guess.
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I would have the opposite reaction. A sick stomach and a spinning head thinking about what else could have been done with that much dough. I'd be scared to touch it.


arbiterusa said:
Bragging rights. And nothing else. Nowadays, the rolloff point, where you're just not going to get additional functional quality no matter how much you spend, seems to be about 7-8K.
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I wouldn't brag. Wouldn't want my friends to know I spent that much. I'd be embarrassed, even at 7-8k, even if I could play it to its potential. Not likely to get to that level. Maybe 7-8 hundred.

But that's just me. I won't pay $2 for an avocado. $1.25 tops or going without.

If it's worth it in your eyes, more power to you. But we live on different planets.
 
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#67
BadSanta1281 said:
I would have the opposite reaction. A sick stomach and a spinning head thinking about what else could have been done with that much dough. I'd be scared to touch it.




I wouldn't brag. Wouldn't want my friends to know I spent that much. I'd be embarrassed, even at 7-8k, even if I could play it to its potential. Not likely to get to that level. Maybe 7-8 hundred.

But that's just me. I won't pay $2 for an avocado. $1.25 tops or going without.

If it's worth it in your eyes, more power to you. But we live on different planets.
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Avacodos.... .59 cents each here lately. I’m loving it.
1.0 each is usually the going rate. But I’m with you, much more than that, I’m good without them.

I would love an Alembic...I just can’t justify it.
 
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#67
First, I haven't seen a $25K bass...certainly never played one. When people throw out the "Boutique" I'm never certain where the boutique price line starts. $2000? $3000? More than that person thinks is what you should pay for an instrument?
I have a few basses I consider boutique. Each of them plays, feels and looks better than the non-boutique basses I've played and owned. My opinion and, in this case, the opinion that matters since I'm paying for and playing them.
Someone doesn't think they're worth the money? That's OK. Perhaps they prefer to spend their money elsewhere or simply can't afford 'boutique'.
But some of the criticisms of boutique basses are laughable.
To each his own.
 
#68
BadSanta1281 said:
I would have the opposite reaction. A sick stomach and a spinning head thinking about what else could have been done with that much dough. I'd be scared to touch it.




I wouldn't brag. Wouldn't want my friends to know I spent that much. I'd be embarrassed, even at 7-8k, even if I could play it to its potential. Not likely to get to that level. Maybe 7-8 hundred.

But that's just me. I won't pay $2 for an avocado. $1.25 tops or going without.

If it's worth it in your eyes, more power to you. But we live on different planets.
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Again what is the price of your home ? Your car ? Your smartphone ?
I prefer someone is spending 8k on a bass and create music with it than someone with an appel Idontgiveapoopie for more than 1k and posting his "meal" or his junk on facebook.
 
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#69
FollowMeDown said:
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?
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nothing. bragging rights. if you're a wealthy rock star $25k is a drop in the bucket
 
#73
The more customizations, the more it costs. The car analogy isn't as good as the house analogy. You can buy a cookie cutter house brand new in a neighborhood starting at say $250k. You want granite counters everywhere, a custom floor plan, extra large windows, an outdoor patio with a hot tub, hardwood floors, and custom tile work in the master bathroom; suddenly you are looking at a $500k house that looks about the same from the road.

With a bass, every customizations that you choose adds significantly to the price. If you look at Warwicks custom pricing, a maple neck can cost significantly more than a more exotic wenge neck. But if you try to find the things that jack up the price the most it is things that require more work. Making the bass 36.5" scale would make it crazy expensive. As do a lot of the finishing techniques that are labor intensive or just too hard for the standard person to do. Custom routing or non standard electronics also take the price up. Intricate custom inlays would be another way price goes up a lot. Specific choices of wood do very little to the price unless it is something more difficult to find which tends to be really crazy figuring like AAAAAAAA Flamed Maple.

I'm not sure what other manufacturers consider in there prices. After around $2k, the fit and finish is about as perfect as it is. People who like to criticize expensive basses tend to focus on the idea that it is crazy exotic and rare woods making prices so high. Prices mostly go up for labor and time.

As an example, a maple neck on a cheap bass is normally one piece at a random cut that has not been cured. The frets are pressed in a way that makes them fairly level for most set ups. The fret ends are quickly filed so they are still a little sharp but not bad. The truss rod costs around $10 retail. The neck might sell for $35.

The $350+ neck is aged and dried to a particular water content and matched to a similarly aged fret board to aid in stability. The neck wood is often quatersawn or laminated to also aid instability. The frets are properly leveled and the ends are dressed so that they are completely smooth even near the body. The fret material is often higher quality and harder. The truss rod might cost $50 retail--more than the entire other neck.

A $3500 neck would be some unusual scale length or something the builder doesn't normally make. It might have some higher prices woods in it. Heck, it could have gem stone inlays like those PRS Dragon guitars. It will not play better than the $350 neck, but if you want diamond side dots, it will cost you.
 
#74
I can't justify spend a lot of money on boutique stuff personally but I appreciate that it exists. After those first few thousand I can't imagine that return on investment is much though.
 
#76
BoogieZK said:
Again what is the price of your home ? Your car ? Your smartphone ?
I prefer to think that someone is spending 8k on a bass and create music with it than someone with an appel Idontgiveapoopie for more than 1k and posting his "meal" or his junk on facebook.
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Need a roof over your head. Need a car. Need a phone. Don't need Facebook.

Like I said, if it's worth it to you more power to you. I think most of our/your bass player heroes, living and dead, would think it's crazy.
 
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#79
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#80
Super secret wood grown on a private island, cut with a american made handsaw by the island priests. Frets made from the purest nickel hand dug from Siberia. Pickups hand wound by nuns with copper from the moon. Magnets formed on the space station, Body shaped by a professor using German hand tools. Then the final assembly is by virgins.
 
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