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Spending $2,000 for a bass?

#61
KrisWarrington said:
AYE SIR! And this whole MRSP compared to street prices because I'm a complete idiot and have no idea what i'm ever talking about. ATLEAST Fender and Gibson post their MSRPs on their websites which some companies fail to do and I'm not really too worried about it to go searching around endless webpages trying to find accurate MSRPs.

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So yes I should have probably just went to google shopping and typed in the basses and compared those values but honestly I like seeing what a company believes their instrument is worth from a guitar store to person.

So 1,100 for an American Standard and 1,500 for a Tbird.

So now that I have corrected that discrepancy that was such a huge deal I re-ask my question:

In the experienced, seasoned, and knowledgable Fender/Gibson bassists collective wisdom. What makes these instruments worth the price that you may or may not be paying for them depending on 1) If you buy used 2) If you buy new 3) Any other situation you feel the desire to mention ? Personally, in my limited experience with the instruments, I didn't find them to my personal tastes, HOWEVER; being as some are the "American Standard" perhaps I am missing some key aspect of these instruments that I fail to notice because of my lack of experience, the fact that I am only 21 years of age, or I personally do not play bass with a pick. So with no malicious intent twords these companies or any member of the TalkBass community I would personally like to hear of your personal experiences with these instruments.

I hope that my revised topic is now better suited for a general audience without being seen as a troll post. Honestly, the only thing I can ever think of to talk about on this forum is gear, expecially gear I personally don't like, so I can better understand why people enjoy that gear and perhaps it might dawn the light on my short decade of playing bass and help me become a veteran of the instrument and switch to root notes, a SVT, and a fender P bass. My intent on joining was to learn about different gear and I apologize that you have seen my posts as nothing but a big bash fest on everything other than Kustom, Schecter, ESP, BBE, DBX, Brace, D'Addario, or Furman. After all... I've only been playing bass for twenty minutes and I rest my peace on this one just keep in mind my intent was never to be a "troll" that just so happens to be the label I was dubbed for being blunt and honest in my opinions and seeking the opinions of others.
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If you want opinions, seek them. But, more importantly, let's say you went out, got a P bass, took it home, played with it a bit through your gear, maybe even played it in your band or whatever your gigging situation is AND you didn't like it. So what? You don't like it. THAT'S OK! Looking for someone to change your mind on it is likely not going to happen. You tried it yourself, and you didn't like it for whatever reasons. That's cool, it really is. You DO like your schecter - awesome! You found a bass you like enough to be proud to play. That's a great feeling, and there's nothing wrong with that at all. Sure, it might not be a $1100 Fender or whatever, but it's what you like and what works for you and whatever price it was. An $1100 Fender wouldn't work for me either. I went down that path and it just did not fit me. I've tried a lot of cheap and expensive basses, and finally found the ones *I* am happy with. I wouldn't want someone to come along and try to tell me why I was wrong about disliking Fenders, and I certainly wouldn't ask someone to do that ;)
 
#62
OK, well I'll go ahead and answer that. Companies charge what they charge because that is what the market will bear, and they are in the business to make money. Why do people pay it? Because they like the product and have determined that they can afford it. If you're not one of them, there are only about 1000 basses you can get instead, including cheaper models from Fender. Some are quite happy with them. Some are not. Those who aren't don't mind paying the difference for what they feel is a better instrument. Some people will pay $3000 or more for a boutique copy of a Fender because they feel the boutique model improves on Fenders in a way they like. Some will spend 5 figures on an older Fender from the 50's or 60's because they like them better. It's their money. Affects my life in 0 ways.
 
#63
A huge amount of music that you've listened growing up was recorded on a Fender P or J bass, and that continues right into todays music.Most recording studios want you to bring a P bass. They know how good they can sound, how well they fit into a wide variety of music, and how to EQ them to sound great. There isn't much to go wrong on them either. Simple design, works well for many things.

That is another reason why they charge what they charge.

KrisWarrington said:
My intent on joining was to learn about different gear and I apologize that you have seen my posts as nothing but a big bash fest on everything other than Kustom, Schecter, ESP, BBE, DBX, Brace, D'Addario, or Furman.
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And just to play devils advocate and turn a similar question onto yourself since you mention Furman. Why did you spend the money on a Furman?

You know it's nothing more than a glorified 15A power strip that you can buy at Home Depot for $10, right? Oh, it has lights? A couple more bucks from the lighting section. :ninja:
 
#64
bassgod0dmw said:
And just to play devils advocate and turn a similar question onto yourself since you mention Furman. Why did you spend the money on a Furman?

You know it's nothing more than a glorified 15A power strip that you can buy at Home Depot for $10, right? Oh, it has lights? A couple more bucks from the lighting section. :ninja:
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1) Fits in a rack
2) Line Voltage Monitor
3) I have lots of stuff in my rack to plug into it
4) Twas free :)

Besides when you have the money why does it matter, why not buy a glorified power strip? It's like looking at a perfectly good used car and deciding you want to buy a porsche
 
#68
Oh, I don't mind if someone wants to spend $2000 on a bass and gig with it, especially use it rather than keep it as a poster back home on the wall.

For for me, personally, worrying about a bass on the gig that cost a fortune, for me it's not fun. If my low-end MIA Fender gets dings and scratches, I don't care as I didn't purchase it for selling it later. And if something worse happens, it's replaceable. Actually dings and scratches makes the bass unique and your own.
 
#69
KrisWarrington said:
Yeah true but I will always believe if steve harris played a good schecter with some emghzs, prosteels, and a magma preamp or maybe even a orange his tone would be phenomenal.
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All opinion.

Steve's tone fits perfectly into Maiden's overall sound.
Personally I'm not a fan of Schecter, EMG HZs, or Prosteels.

But...if he did, $20 says he'd still sound like Steve Harris. It's not like the guy plays through garbage. He can play whatever he wants, but that's what he chooses.
 
#70
KrisWarrington said:
Yeah true but I will always believe if steve harris played a good schecter with some emghzs, prosteels, and a magma preamp or maybe even a orange his tone would be phenomenal.
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Would not be the same at all. It wouldn't be Steve. It'd make sound, yes, but it would not be Iron Maiden or Steve's tone at all, which is already phenomenal, and exactly perfect what what that band has been doing for over 35 years.
 
#71
bassgod0dmw said:
All opinion.

Steve's tone fits perfectly into Maiden's overall sound.
Personally I'm not a fan of Schecter, EMG HZs, or Prosteels.

But...if he did, $20 says he'd still sound like Steve Harris. It's not like the guy plays through garbage. He can play whatever he wants, but that's what he chooses.
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I think that since Steve would be playing it of course, a lot of his technique and personality would still come through, but a P is vastly different than a humbucker, and all of that magic would be lost.
 
#72
Ray Salamon said:
Would not be the same at all. It wouldn't be Steve. It'd make sound, yes, but it would not be Iron Maiden or Steve's tone at all, which is already phenomenal, and exactly perfect what what that band has been doing for over 35 years.
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I personally believe they did it for about 15-20 years. After steve stepped down from the writing throne the music got more guitar oriented. Iron Maiden was always unique but Brave New Word, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death, and the Final Frontier were all pretty bland compared to steves usual performance.

Just like metallica i love everything they wrote in the 80's. The 90's just changed everything
 
#73
KrisWarrington said:
AYE SIR! And this whole MRSP compared to street prices because I'm a complete idiot and have no idea what i'm ever talking about. ATLEAST Fender and Gibson post their MSRPs on their websites which some companies fail to do and I'm not really too worried about it to go searching around endless webpages trying to find accurate MSRPs.

Exibit A: Invalid Link Removed

Exibit B:
Link Removed

So yes I should have probably just went to google shopping and typed in the basses and compared those values but honestly I like seeing what a company believes their instrument is worth from a guitar store to person.

So 1,100 for an American Standard and 1,500 for a Tbird.

So now that I have corrected that discrepancy that was such a huge deal I re-ask my question:

In the experienced, seasoned, and knowledgable Fender/Gibson bassists collective wisdom. What makes these instruments worth the price that you may or may not be paying for them depending on 1) If you buy used 2) If you buy new 3) Any other situation you feel the desire to mention ? Personally, in my limited experience with the instruments, I didn't find them to my personal tastes, HOWEVER; being as some are the "American Standard" perhaps I am missing some key aspect of these instruments that I fail to notice because of my lack of experience, the fact that I am only 21 years of age, or I personally do not play bass with a pick. So with no malicious intent twords these companies or any member of the TalkBass community I would personally like to hear of your personal experiences with these instruments.

I hope that my revised topic is now better suited for a general audience without being seen as a troll post. Honestly, the only thing I can ever think of to talk about on this forum is gear, expecially gear I personally don't like, so I can better understand why people enjoy that gear and perhaps it might dawn the light on my short decade of playing bass and help me become a veteran of the instrument and switch to root notes, a SVT, and a fender P bass. My intent on joining was to learn about different gear and I apologize that you have seen my posts as nothing but a big bash fest on everything other than Kustom, Schecter, ESP, BBE, DBX, Brace, D'Addario, or Furman. After all... I've only been playing bass for twenty minutes and I rest my peace on this one just keep in mind my intent was never to be a "troll" that just so happens to be the label I was dubbed for being blunt and honest in my opinions and seeking the opinions of others.
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Ok, then I'll re-answer. Not trying to be a jerk, but what really is the point of this post? First, as others have pointed out, the American Standard never sells for the prices you mention. Go to any big name store web site: Musician’s Friend, Sam Ash, Music 123 and you’ll see that the American Standard P is offered for $1199 and the Jazz is $1299. If you call and haggle, you can often get 15-20% off especially if they are having a sale -- even if the coupon "doesn't apply” to Fender. It may not work online, but they will deal over the phone. So, maybe now you've realized what the street prices are.

Go ahead and buy your cheaper foreign-made basses. They are indeed of good quality and they still make low notes as a bass is required to do.

After playing for a while, you realize that there is a psychological component to instrument ownership. As long as it’s playable, some folks like myself are willing to pay more for: (a) an American made instrument; (b) an instrument with a rich history and tradition used on numerous recordings and by iconic bass players; (c) for the knowledge that an American Standard P or Jazz will never be viewed as a second-rate instrument and will be considered appropriate for virtually any gig or setting; and (d) the feeling that comes with being on stage with such an instrument.

The P and Jazz are basic instruments. They were further refined in 2008 to much acclaim and, in many players’ view, are still the gold standard to which all other instruments are compared. Some say that God must have communicated with Leo Fender about the designs because he created the perfect basses with the P and J and no matter what has come along since then, they remain the industry standard.

Yes, Fender does play off the "heritage" aspect of the instruments to justify the pricing, but so what? There is value to the heritage and history of the designs. They are worth what people will pay for them in the market and Fender has been selling the American Standards like hot cakes since the redesigned line came out in 2008. By the way – remember when they raised the price, by $100 across the American Standard line in about 2009 after people were buying the new models -- everyone got mad and they lowered the prices back down? That’s the market at work! People complaining about the price are usually ones who really, really want one! Otherwise, buy something else.

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.

As far as the T-Bird, my brother once met Allen Woody (RIP) from Gov't Mule after a show where they just dominated. He said, "Allen, why the heck do you play that crazy Thunderbird bass?" Allen looked at my brother and earnestly replied, "Because the Thunderbird gets the chicks." True story. Brother buys Thunderbird. Allen was right.

Enough said.
 
#75
$2000 isn't a lot to spend on a bass, provided it's a good enough bass. My Lakland 55-02 cost me very nearly that with a case and taxes. Granted, it was at a time when the Canadian dollar was in the toilet; it would cost me a lot less today. I got my 2008 American Standard P 5 for about $1250 in 2009. I make a few bucks gigging, so I feel that I can spend on the mid-range stuff. I know a bunch of guys around here who do the same pub circuit as I play, using MTDs and Sadowskys -- which obviously cost a lot more than $2000.

Simple fact is that a $1900 MSPR is still a midrange axe. Especially once you work out what you'll likely spend on it at the store. Add a grand and I start to get the sweats.
 
#76
I can't believe you guys take the time to write all these lengthy waste of time internet arguments of opinions. I feel like I wasted 10 minutes laughing/skim reading.

Playing bass is always going to be more productive than talking about playing bass.
 
#77
Torque said:
I can't believe you guys take the time to write all these lengthy waste of time internet arguments of opinions. I feel like I wasted 10 minutes laughing/skim reading.

Playing bass is always going to be more productive than talking about playing bass.
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Yeah, but since this is a place to talk about basses, that's what we do here.
 
#79
KrisWarrington said:
Yeah I learned that voicing your opinion is not a very good idea expecially if too many people disagree with it. I mean... If you re-read the original thread post I was kind of hoping to get some helpfull information from some experienced fender/gibson users as to why it's a good instrument. Then again, I'm just trolling as always.
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Yes. You are trolling. As always. Basically your OP reads "My bass is better than yours, yours are crap, and you're morons for paying so much for them."

Also, do you know how to play with a bow? If not, go play guitar. :p
 
#80
KrisWarrington said:
Yeah true but I will always believe if steve harris played a good schecter with some emghzs, prosteels, and a magma preamp or maybe even a orange his tone would be phenomenal.
Click to expand...

Steve Harris is rich enough to afford anything he likes.

I'm sure he's tried a huge variety of basses in his time. He's stuck with the P-bass with brand new (steel, I think) flatwounds. He has changed his rig from time to time, but mostly it stays the same.

I can only conclude that this is the sound he likes.

Having tried numerous Schecters myself, including some with EMG's... well, I wouldn't take a P-bass over one, cause I don't like P-basses, personally. But I would rip those EMG's right out of there, probably.
 

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