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Stepping down from high end basses
- Thread starter sidonbass
- Start date
I still have the high dollar Steinberger but it does not leave the house much. They run about 6-7k these days. I use Cort's B-series Artisan basses, I think list is around 700 but I got mine used and didn't pay over $250 bucks for any of them. Rip out the pre and go passive (what I did) or blow a couple hundred on upgraded Barts or the Nordstrand Bart replacement pickups and you'll have a bass that can go up against anything.
Yamaha and G&L (including the Tribute line) both really punch above their weight and can be found used for comparatively cheap.
Unless you have to let go of your Sadowsky because of financial need, or the Bass simply doesn’t work for you, it makes no sense to me to let go of an already paid for bass, even if you don’t play it a lot.
I've owned a ton of basses, many of them custom built to my specs. I usually know what I am getting when buying a premium bass, and am rarely disappointed. You can get lucky and find a diamond in the rough in the sub-$1k realm, and you can find some real stinkers. When you find a good one, you should feel lucky.
For the last year I have been playing bass in a tribute band, where I thought I better get a black fender jazz like the one the artist I am mimicking plays. The used MIM active jazz I picked up on here for about $300 was a pleasant surprise, and is quickly becoming among my favorites in the stable. I feel lucky. I still have several high-end basses, fancy tops, great electronics, they make me happy too, but I'm making money with a $300 MIM jazz.
For the last year I have been playing bass in a tribute band, where I thought I better get a black fender jazz like the one the artist I am mimicking plays. The used MIM active jazz I picked up on here for about $300 was a pleasant surprise, and is quickly becoming among my favorites in the stable. I feel lucky. I still have several high-end basses, fancy tops, great electronics, they make me happy too, but I'm making money with a $300 MIM jazz.
Years ago, credit card overuse caught up with me, and I let my expensive basses go. The cheaper basses I bought were not as nice as the Modulus, Ken Smith, SSD basses I used to have, but I quickly realized that the cheaper basses were by no means bad, and my sound did not suffer. I also found that USA Peavey basses were very high quality, and they were cheap because they were being phased out. Over the last three years, I have been studying seriously with a teacher pretty regularly. A good qualitity factory bass and a player who has put in the shed time can hang with anybody. Does Marcus Miller look overmatched when he is onstage with Fodera and Alembic totin’ Wooten and Clarke?
I prefer all my Ibanez basses, even my cheapest one over my Ric for ergonomics. I prefer my new Ray 4 SUB at $389 cdn over any of my basses for sound! 
Man, I feel like a peasant, all my basses are under 1K.
I played a Ray 4 SUB recently and agree. They are flippin' great and on my GAS list. And used ones go for as low as $199 usd. What's not to love about that!?I prefer all my Ibanez basses, even my cheapest one over my Ric for ergonomics. I prefer my new Ray 4 SUB at $389 cdn over any of my basses for sound!
You may be super happy about stepping down, you may not. But either way, I can tell you that I won't be losing any sleep over it 
Play whatever makes you happy. Personally, I like it a lot when I find an inexpensive bass that I love to play, but while $1000 can get you quite a well-made bass these days, some of those really expensive ones are super sweet. I just can't bring myself to buy one.
Play whatever makes you happy. Personally, I like it a lot when I find an inexpensive bass that I love to play, but while $1000 can get you quite a well-made bass these days, some of those really expensive ones are super sweet. I just can't bring myself to buy one.
Absolutely. Prior to this my last two basses were a Modulus 5 string and Fender Jazz Deluxe. I sold them both when I took a break from playing awhile ago.
When I restocked I went back to the basics with a CV Jazz and a CV PBass I've since modified to my liking. They're as good as any Fender Bass I've ever owned and I have less into both than even one MIA Fender Bass would run.
My 5 string is now a G&L Tribute I paid about 1/4 of what I paid for that Modulus and while I miss the 35" scale length the G&L is far more versatile. These three can take me anywhere I need to go.
I've gone from custom made Status Graphite fretless 5 and 6 stringers costing thousands:
to two Gold Tone fretless 4 stringers priced in the hundreds:
The Gold Tones have a viable sound, are very light, small, easy to carry around and most of all, A TOTAL BLAST TO PLAY!
to two Gold Tone fretless 4 stringers priced in the hundreds:
The Gold Tones have a viable sound, are very light, small, easy to carry around and most of all, A TOTAL BLAST TO PLAY!
In the last few years I bought, played and sold many basses: Warwicks, Dingwalls, EBMM, Fender CS, Rickenbacker... I got to understand what I like and don't like with a bass. I am now selling the ones I have left to only keep a Sire V7 Vintage 4 strings (and a Bacchus import series as 5 string backup). The V7 covers all the ground I need it to (with fingers, pick or slap) and sounds glorious with my Ampeg PF50T + Ampeg SVT210AV. I cannot complain with anything on the frets or finish either. So apart from a beautiful woody finish maybe, I don't miss anything on my V7.
I haven’t owned anything super expensive. No like $10,000 basses. But I’ve owned 5 German Warwick’s including a thumb nt5 and a thumb nt6.
There was two times I changed to basses that cost less than a grand as my main bass. They didn’t really stick though. The Conklin didn’t cut through the mix with the band well and it was really heavy. It was a fun bass to play at home by myself though. Loved Just chillin on the couch with this bass running through a delay playing two hand tapping parts. That’s what drew me to it when I found it for sale used at GC. Thinking about that bass makes me want to buy an NS stick to mess around with at home but I can’t justify the cost for something that i wouldn't gig with.
This ESPs ltd f-415fm was a fun bass. It sounded pretty good also. Had a couple minor things that could be improved with little money. Like the nut and the pots felt cheap. Sounded good with the band though, I actually used this bass to record my bands last album. despite its wild shape it was actually very comfortable for me, the forearm contour and the neck were great. The downside of this one for me was really a cosmetic thing. It just screams “Batman” lol. If I find another one with a nice flamed top at a great price I might try to refinish it. But yeah it was a good bass that I recommend to anyone where the finish and body shape suites the genre but this model only comes in black. The cheaper f series models aren't the same and the ESP custom shop is insanely expensive.
I played a SR5 for a little while. Paid way over a grand but it was less than $2k
My main bass now is my Dingwall ng2. It was around $1800. think this bass is going to stick around. It just feels and sounds so good.
Something That kind of relates to this thread is im actually pretty frugal when it comes to backup basses. I’m more of a one bass type player and havent had an expensive backup in over a decade. It’s mainly been ESP LTDs and Mexican fenders that I found used in the $300-$500 range. But I’ve had a couple others like a Peavey and a Sterling’s by musicman. I’m leaning towards getting another Mexican p bass right now. For me backups are basically just in case a jack goes bad or something. I’ve never been one to switch basses mid show to suite a particularly song or anything like that.
There was two times I changed to basses that cost less than a grand as my main bass. They didn’t really stick though. The Conklin didn’t cut through the mix with the band well and it was really heavy. It was a fun bass to play at home by myself though. Loved Just chillin on the couch with this bass running through a delay playing two hand tapping parts. That’s what drew me to it when I found it for sale used at GC. Thinking about that bass makes me want to buy an NS stick to mess around with at home but I can’t justify the cost for something that i wouldn't gig with.
This ESPs ltd f-415fm was a fun bass. It sounded pretty good also. Had a couple minor things that could be improved with little money. Like the nut and the pots felt cheap. Sounded good with the band though, I actually used this bass to record my bands last album. despite its wild shape it was actually very comfortable for me, the forearm contour and the neck were great. The downside of this one for me was really a cosmetic thing. It just screams “Batman” lol. If I find another one with a nice flamed top at a great price I might try to refinish it. But yeah it was a good bass that I recommend to anyone where the finish and body shape suites the genre but this model only comes in black. The cheaper f series models aren't the same and the ESP custom shop is insanely expensive.
I played a SR5 for a little while. Paid way over a grand but it was less than $2k
My main bass now is my Dingwall ng2. It was around $1800. think this bass is going to stick around. It just feels and sounds so good.
Something That kind of relates to this thread is im actually pretty frugal when it comes to backup basses. I’m more of a one bass type player and havent had an expensive backup in over a decade. It’s mainly been ESP LTDs and Mexican fenders that I found used in the $300-$500 range. But I’ve had a couple others like a Peavey and a Sterling’s by musicman. I’m leaning towards getting another Mexican p bass right now. For me backups are basically just in case a jack goes bad or something. I’ve never been one to switch basses mid show to suite a particularly song or anything like that.
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All depends on the sound you've got in your head.
I can't say I've stepped down. But I straddle a range that runs from boutique to bargain bin when it comes to what I've owned and played over the years. And I own multiple basses. The most expensive bass I ever owned was an Alembic. Least expensive bass, a sub $200 Gretsch Junior Jet purchased used.
Does the Gretsch sound like the Alembic? No. Does the Alembic produce the same sound as the Gretsch? No. But they were both excellent instruments for the tone they had - which is why I bought them in the first place.
We all have a certain sound (usually more than one) in mind when we're selecting an instrument. Sometimes one bass does it all. Sometimes it takes more than one. If you go by your ears (like I do) the price tag or brand/model.name is largely immaterial. You buy whatever bass gets you what you want.
Will something else sound exactly like your old Sadowsky? Probably not. That's why Sadowsky (and a bunch of other brands) continue to sell. But by the same token will your Sadowsky sound anything like a far more expensive Alembic or Wal? No. But not because of the price differential. It's because those two basses are designed to have a completely different tonal character than anything with its roots in a Fender. Just like my cheapie Gretsch was.
So here's my feeling. If you're fortunate enough to have found a bass that checks all your boxes, and you don't absolutely need to sell it, then don't. The odds of getting an exact replacement are slim since each individual instrument has it's own character even if it's within the same product line. So while you can get another Sadowsky if you change your mind, there will always be subtle differences in tone and feel. Sometimes you'll like the new one as much or even better than your old one. But that's a chance you'll have to take.
Good luck whichever way you decide.
I've never paid $1000 for a bass. I'm not saying I never will. But for my genre (mainly 90s rock) if I had an Alembic, it would be like taking a chauffeured Rolls Royce to watch a demolition derby. I'd feel out of place.
That said, I'm really happy with my basses. I have an old 1986 Stingray ($900), a MIM Geddy Lee ($600), three Warwick Corvettes ($550-$750). When you buy used, there are really good basses under $1,000.
That said, I'm really happy with my basses. I have an old 1986 Stingray ($900), a MIM Geddy Lee ($600), three Warwick Corvettes ($550-$750). When you buy used, there are really good basses under $1,000.
If it’s isn’t specifically a financial decision don’t make it one. I paid $340 US for a MIJ ‘51 P. Exchange rate with Canada was amazing. It’s a truly wonderfully playing bass. It’s cost is irrelevant to its response as a musical instrument. I played an MTD that was the most beautiful, heaviest, most expensive, least responsive, dull sounding basses I’ve ever seen. The same maker makes incredible instruments.
I’ve played $2K instruments that were to me way better than my $3+K instruments. In fact I downgraded to the more responsive and dynamic bass.
So when you play electric if this one hits you in all the right places just hold on to it. It would be a shame to start the search all over in six months when you fancy playing electric again and/or some mates invite you in for a project.
I’ve played $2K instruments that were to me way better than my $3+K instruments. In fact I downgraded to the more responsive and dynamic bass.
So when you play electric if this one hits you in all the right places just hold on to it. It would be a shame to start the search all over in six months when you fancy playing electric again and/or some mates invite you in for a project.
I seem to be doing okay with both of my sub-$1K basses- Yamaha BBN4 (used, $400CDN before mods, $650-ish after), and Warmoth/Mighty Mite 70's Fender P-bass copy (About $750, all in).
They both play as well, or better than a few $1K+ instruments that I've seen/played in local shops.
Gotta be the setup and hands...
They both play as well, or better than a few $1K+ instruments that I've seen/played in local shops.
Gotta be the setup and hands...
