spend more than 1500 on the first instrument

[iTzPrime]

Hey talkbass
I am currently in the situation, where I started playing guitar 3 weeks ago, and I love it as much as I did playing bass in the beginning. I have now played the bass for over 8 years (of my 22 year old life) and plan to do that with guitar as well.
I was at several music stores and fell in love with a guitar for 1750 bucks, but I am unsure if it is worth it for me being a bad guitarist.

Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?

 

[bluegreenturtle]

The bottom line is getting an instrument that you want to come back to over and over. If you're not a professional, the quality of the sound coming out of it is not really being judged - so it doesn't matter if it's great or not. What matters is you wanting to continue to use it. A great player can make a POS work for them just fine - the level of your playing is not the issue.

As somebody who's bought a lot of expensive basses over the years, I can tell you that we can rationalize almost anything to justify what we really want to buy. I would, however, give yourself a cooling off period.

 

[iTzPrime]

The bottom line is getting an instrument that you want to come back to over and over. If you're not a professional, the quality of the sound coming out of it is not really being judged - so it doesn't matter if it's great or not. What matters is you wanting to continue to use it. A great player can make a POS work for them just fine - the level of your playing is not the issue.

As somebody who's bought a lot of expensive basses over the years, I can tell you that we can rationalize almost anything to justify what we really want to buy. I would, however, give yourself a cooling off period.

what time would you recommend for cooling off?

 

[bluegreenturtle]

At least 3 days.

 

[lfmn16]

Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?

Absolutely. A good guitar will not make you a better player, but it's easier to get a good sound out of a good guitar than a cheap piece of ****. Having said that, you could probably find the same guitar used for about half that. You are 22 years old. You're an adult. You don't need permission from a bunch of strangers on the internet. So go buy it.

 

[JACink]

Obviously each person is different, and expensive to one is cheap to another, but I put some very serious thought into anything that costs 4 figures or more.

My suggestion would be to spend the next 3 or 4 weeks playing every guitar you can lay hands on, if after that time (and that many instruments) your mind is still 100% set on your current choice, then go for it.

 

[bearfoot]

Some parameters to consider: an excellent amp to go with the excellent guitar.
whether you would want to gig with that equipment, or whether you are going to perform at all. If these are concerns, you might want to consider what your gigging rig would be.

Given your youth, this is not a ton of money if you project it over 10, 20+ years of playing.

What is it, a Rick? A Gibson LP? Lately I've been GASing for an SG. Played on years ago, and nothing compares.

 

[bluegreenturtle]

Personally, I'm stunned at the great quality of instruments you can get for cheap these days. When I was 22, it was hard to come by good instruments on the cheap - $200 meant crap. These days, it's different. Especially guitars - there are very good ones for less. Try some cheaper ones and see if they are really that much worse than the expensive one. Don't stress your young finances if you don't need to.
Says the person who dropped $2k (probably about $6k in today's dollars) on a bass when I was 17.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I've known far too many guys that dropped big dough on gear and then HAD to sell.

Almost EVERY time they would say "no this one's a keeper" , "i'll get a 2nd job"..

Buy used......try out a bunch of different guitars....i own a LOT of gear and most i can resell with little to no loss if not make some money.

One guy lost over $2000 on 3 different guitars because of various reasons.

However, if you can afford to lose when its time to resell, buy new.

I rarely know of anyone that kept their first guitars....including myself.

Go play a bunch first.

 

[b3e]

Having owned a lot of different high end guitars over the years (35years of playing I know the thrill when buying the next "better one". I still have it! Truth is the better you get the less you need and the more specific you know what you want. My journey went from Fender through Gibsons, PRS, Robins, Suhrs, etc. Currently I used a self assembled Warmoth and - believe it or not - a simple SX tele with Tonerider pickups most of the time You just get used to little things you like about guitars like how the neck feels, how it resonates in specific frequencies, how the tone breaks around the 10th or 12th fret. But you notice more and more that the tone is in your fingers.

A good guitar helps you definitely get started with less struggle and stay inspired, you probably just won't use it's full potential yet. Personally I would recommend a good one for the start, that has the right playability and tone, so you don't struggle. Saying that, I bought my first bass for nearly a 1000 USD and I don't regret it, as it helps me progress better.

Good luck with the selection!

 

[iTzPrime]

Absolutely. A good guitar will not make you a better player, but it's easier to get a good sound out of a good guitar than a cheap piece of $#!t. Having said that, you could probably find the same guitar used for about half that. You are 22 years old. You're an adult. You don't need permission from a bunch of strangers on the internet. So go buy it.

I've known far too many guys that dropped big dough on gear and then HAD to sell.

Almost EVERY time they would say "no this one's a keeper" , "i'll get a 2nd job"..

Buy used......try out a bunch of different guitars....i own a LOT of gear and most i can resell with little to no loss if not make some money.

One guy lost over $2000 on 3 different guitars because of various reasons.

However, if you can afford to lose when its time to resell, buy new.

I rarely know of anyone that kept their first guitars....including myself.

Go play a bunch first.

The money is not a problem. Not at all, I am just uncertain to spend comparably a lot of money on anything in general. I would buy used, but the finish is an orange sparkly finish, which I can't find in Austria or Germany.

Personally, I'm stunned at the great quality of instruments you can get for cheap these days. When I was 22, it was hard to come by good instruments on the cheap - $200 meant crap. These days, it's different. Especially guitars - there are very good ones for less. Try some cheaper ones and see if they are really that much worse than the expensive one. Don't stress your young finances if you don't need to.
Says the person who dropped $2k (probably about $6k in today's dollars) on a bass when I was 17.

When i was at the different music shops i was stunned as well. After the 1750, and 2 1000 guitar was a squier for 400 which was quite a lot better than some others in a higher price range.

 

[fclefgeoff]

IMO, You should consider every option but always spend as much as you can afford to on an instrument. In my experience, there is usually a vast difference between a $500 instrument and a $1500 instrument.

 

[chris_b]

I had been playing for 2 years and in 1969 I bought my first "pro" bass (a Fender Precision) for around the equivalent of $1500 in today's money.

As long as the OP is serious about bass the best advice I've seen is, buy your second bass first, ie miss out the beginners basses and get into the good stuff.

Go for it.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Personally, I'm stunned at the great quality of instruments you can get for cheap these days. When I was 22, it was hard to come by good instruments on the cheap - $200 meant crap. These days, it's different. Especially guitars - there are very good ones for less. Try some cheaper ones and see if they are really that much worse than the expensive one. Don't stress your young finances if you don't need to.
Says the person who dropped $2k (probably about $6k in today's dollars) on a bass when I was 17.

True....however, setups are everything.....since i have learned to do my own setups and most repairs i can make most decent quality guitars work for me....including imports i have bought for dirt cheap used!

UNTIL you start playing guitar, you may not understand what type of setup, strings work best for you.

Oh yeah the "amp rabbit hole"......dont get me started, but i have a lot of old tube amps.

When i was in band in the 5th grade learning trumpet, one of the 1st things we were taught was an ear for tone and tuning.....i cannot STAND crappy cheap SS guitar amps but there are some decent SS ones as well.

One other thing, DON'T start in using a bunch heavy gain with an electric guitar.....most of the time if you use an actual song for a reference, you will understand the guitar tone is cleaner than you thought.

The issue with a lot of cheap SS amps is it has an okay clean and an okay heavy gain but the low to mid gain sounds aren't good compared to great tube amps.....just my 2 cents, good luck!

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I had been playing for 2 years and in 1969 I bought my first "pro" bass (a Fender Precision) for around the equivalent of $1500 in today's money.

As long as the OP is serious about bass the best advice I've seen is, buy your second bass first, ie miss out the beginners basses and get into the good stuff.

Go for it.

OP is talking about taking up guitar not another bass guitar.

 

[MobileHolmes]

If you had never played an instrument before, it would be a big NO. Given that you already play bass, there is less of a learning curve. But I echo what the others have said about 1. Playing other things to see if you cna find something that works for less, and 2. Budgeting for the amp. Guitars mostly sound bad through bass amps, so you're going to want the real deal at some point before long

 

[DavidEdenAria]

The money is not a problem. Not at all, I am just uncertain to spend comparably a lot of money on anything in general. I would buy used, but the finish is an orange sparkly finish, which I can't find in Austria or Germany.




When i was at the different music shops i was stunned as well. After the 1750, and 2 1000 guitar was a squier for 400 which was quite a lot better than some others in a higher price range.

I see.....what guitar are you after specifically?

Yeah.....Squier and MIM Fenders can be a steal.....my Squier are all Japan but some of the newer stuff is outstanding in its price range....embarassing really!

 

[tjh]

Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?

... no

... plans change, needs change, and I have learned that I don't need a $1500 instrument to meet any need that may arise for me ... unfortunately, it took me 45+ years of playing and probably 50+ instruments over that time to realize it ...

JMHO .. as always

 

[Gully Foyle]

God no! That's more than triple the highest cost of my many basses. Why buy a 1500 guitar, when you could have 2-3-4 very different and very good ones for the same coin?

 

[chris_b]

OP is talking about taking up guitar not another bass guitar.

I think he's asking, "Would you consider spending 1500 bucks on your first bass/guitar if you know you will stick to it?"