• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Spending $2,000 for a bass?

#23
i own a $500.00 ibanez soundgear 4 string and have just recently bought a fender american standard v string deluxe, which i payed just over $2,000.00. granted that includes the 3 year warranty. the difference in tone and quality are like night and day. i love my ibanez, great low end and nice cutting mids and highs, the neck is small, and if you have small hands like me, you appreciate that. and it is very light, back saver for those 4 hour shows. now my fender well, do i really need to comment on the tone? that's how they built their rep. but the real difference is in the craftsmanship and quality.

my ibanez after a couple years of playing it and several hundred gigs is already showing wear and tear, the pods are noisy, and the knobs are coming loose, my neck has a substantial bow that i or my tech can't seem to competely get out, which leaves me a dead G note on the D string. the action is high and hard to play further up the neck.. my fender once i set it up plays like a dream, i don't have to worry about my neck bowing, cuz there are 3 different positions to adjust it from. the difference is in quality, type of material and craftmanship... that's what you pay for, not tone or playability.
 
#24
boristhespider9 said:
I play other basses as well -- more expensive ones such as MusicMan and Lakland USA. They are awesome. But, there's nothing like bringing a Sunburst/Rosewood American Standard Jazz or P Bass on stage and seeing it shine under the stage lights (sometimes thinking you’re John Paul Jones or Noel Redding…oh wait). If you don't like them, buy something else. There's plenty out there. But, they remain the American Standard for a reason.
Click to expand...

This ^
 
#25
That is pretty cool, OP, that you found an affordable instrument you really like. That is always a nice feeling to get a good deal on something you genuinely like. I had that happen recently with a Squier Classic Vibe 51 P bass I bought. I wouldn't have touched it unless I saw the videos on YouTube highlighting it's tone. Then I picked it up at the local music store and it really exceeded my expectations for only $275.
 
#27
Yeah the Fender and Gibson stuff is totally up to taste and what value a person puts on it for their needs. For some people it is a brand, and for others it just feels right. I prefer to trick my stuff out and set it up myself, which is why a Squier CV is much more worthwhile for me than an American Fender is. One bass that I do feel is very overpriced is the Rickenbacker 4003...and the call/email for price comes off kind of cheesy and lame as well. But eh...YMMV.
 
#28
caeman said:
It comes down to what you are happy paying and getting for what you paid. If you like 4-figure basses and you like the sound, more power to you. If you prefer to go low-rent and convert Deans and SX's into your diamond, that works, too.

I wouldn't pay 4-figures for an assembly-line bass with cnc-milled bodies and necks. Mass production negates inherent value to me. I would consider paying that much for a hand-made custom to my specs.
Click to expand...

good luck waiting 1or 2yrs for your hand-made custom bass that may or may not be to your specs/liking. there are proably way more small shops with CNC machines these days than we know of.

it's sad to see so many boutique basses in the classified that sell for much less than the original buyer paid. they claim this and that, but it just didn't come out right. :(

the next guy buys it, sells it, ad nauseum! i once read a post by a well known custom builder who was tired of people buying his basses and selling them before getting to know them! it was as sad as it was amusing. there seems to be this addiction to buying, selling at a lost, then ordering another in hopes of obtaining that special one.

me,... i'd rather try any number of assembly line basses and leave the store that day with a definite gem! YMMV :)
 
#29
I wouldn't mind a nice bass, but I can't afford it at the moment, so I stick with what I got....I guess I'm one of the people that prefers the name Fender over others. I don't like Gibson's basses. Period. To me, Gibson's designs just look better as guitars.

I have 3 cheap basses ($250 Squier, $200 Peavey, $30 Memphis). I do intend on getting higher price basses in the future (plans for a RIC, a Fender Am. Std. and a Warwick infinty)

When you barely have enough money for strings, paying $1300 for a fender is more reasonable than paying $8000 for a 'wick....
 
#30
boristhespider9 said:
But, there's nothing like bringing a Sunburst/Rosewood American Standard Jazz or P Bass on stage and seeing it shine under the stage lights (sometimes thinking you’re John Paul Jones or Noel Redding…oh wait). If you don't like them, buy something else. There's plenty out there. But, they remain the American Standard for a reason.
Click to expand...

I agree. You don't have to pay a lot. You just have to find the killer deals. There's nothing like the originals :)

'05 Black MIM Jazz (used mint in case $175) & '74 S.B. Jazz(used $65)

7402JazzBass001.jpg
 
#31
Lee H said:
years ago I did a restoration on a 69 lambo espada... That distributor gave me headaches. I actually set the dwell on a lathe, then installed it in the engine... Later I went back and machined a jag XJS V12 distributor to work in the espada engine
Click to expand...

If you can afford a good, working Lambo (and not some garage mess) you shouldn't be worried about maintenance costs. :thu:

I"d be willing to give up kids for the Gallardo Balboni but my lady friend said no.................
 
#34
Bass_Thumper said:
+1 - Why do folks have to start posts bashing something and then compare it to basses that are totally different in nature. I have played/owned many import basses and they played nice and will get you in the game for sure. The last two basses that I've purchased have been a Am Std P and a EB/MM Sterling and I can tell the difference in an american made instrument. If you don't want one/can't afford one, that's fine, there is no shame in that but you don't need to bash something just because it's not what you're looking for anyway or don't feel comfortable with the prices.
Click to expand...

:bassist:
 
#36
ksandvik said:
I'm sure expensive bass guitars are nice but I would not like take them around at gigs as they get scratchy and worn and after a while will look like a cheap bass, anyway. Not to speak of worrying about this all the time.

It of course depends if this is purchased as a working man bass or something that is just kept in the bedroom.
Click to expand...
I don't even know how many gigs my Sterlings have, and they look phenomenal. I think my blue one has one scratch on it on the back that's less than a half inch in length... the orange one is flawless. The black bongo has a tiny smudge on the headstock I could probably buff out. The silver bongo only has two practices and one gig on it. Take care of something and it won't get "scratchy" or "worn" and "look like a cheap bass".
 
#38
Isn't it funny how the people that are so happy with their inexpensive instruments have such a hard time with those who buy more expensive ones? Strange phenomenon.

If the OP really wants to hear the opinions of Fender owners, he might start out by not insulting them.

Not just a troll post, an award winning multiple cliché hard troll.
 
#40
KrisWarrington said:
I've noticed that the two big brand names in the music industry (Gibson and Fender) have extremely expensive basses. For example I'll use the American Standard Precision Bass ( around $1,600 msrp) and the Thunderbird IV Bass ( around $1,800 msrp). Both of which can be found at pretty much any guitar center in america and I've played both of them. It seems to me that these companys are really out to make a few bucks off their pure reputation in the music community as being the "standard" for music equipment. Which is fine because I'm pretty sure they sell lots of instruments based on the fact of "Oh thats a gibson it MUST be good". Frankly though I really wasn't really impressed with either of these instruments. Maybe the strings were dull, i plugged into a "bad" amp, or it was raining in hawaii but I really just didn't see a need to dump almost two grand into either of those instruments. A Schecter Studio 4 is a great bass with a good feel and is very well constructed but runs for about $700. Now I realize that these instruments aren't "American Made" but then again whats so special about American constructed instruments? Indonesian and Korean instruments play pretty well IMO. They may not be hand crafted and made with the pure red, white, and blue guitar building god expert but they play above reproach in my opinion. LTDs are pretty nice too with the 414 models usually running around $700 as well. Same thing can be said about Traben, Ibanez, and Spectre. I love Steve Harris to death and I realize when he started out Fender was pretty much the only thing around with any kind of reputation but I would refuse to pay that much for a Fender. He rocks it out, it sounds good, and he owns things that have been discontinued since the 60s and 70s but I guess technology has just gotten better since then. I would rather have my cheapest Schecter, which has excellent feel, playability, and tone over a Gibson Thunderbird. I realize that everyone has their own opinions but if any of you own a "high end" gibson or fender I would love to hear about your long term experiences playing these instruments.
Click to expand...

Good for you. :) Someone has to like the cheap wine.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back