The Cheapest and Most Expensive Basses you Gig With!

[ClassicJazz]

I consider myself lucky to have some nice basses, 12 to be exact. No, not a collector. I actually gig with them all. Each pretty varied, from fretted to fretless, 4 and 5 string, P Bass, Jazz etc. They also range from very pricey to very cheap. Yet they get their fair share of gigs. So let's see your most expensive and cheapest basses you actually gig with! These need to be working basses, not home decor!

So mine are….

Fodera Emperor Standard 5
What can you say, it's a Fodera. This bass checks off so many boxes in how it sounds and plays. I use mine in the dingiest of venues too!

And my cheapest….Squier Jaguar H
I absolutely love this medium scale bass! So fun to play. I got this one under $200. Put a Gotoh bridge on and changed the pickguard, but otherwise stock. With the D'Addario tape wound strings it has an awesome old school tone. I use this one quite a bit. Proud it's a Squier!

 

[TheReceder]

I don't own any "boutique" basses, but I've got a nice Custom Shop G&L L2000. The Peavey is one of many that I paid less than a hundred bucks for ($50). They're my favorite bass to play when I know this old fat man will be a sweaty mess on stage, and to be honest, I'm probably more proud of the fact that I've got a few of those set up that play like a million bucks.

I especially like to play the foundations when I know I'll be on stage with someone that is pretty anti Peavey...

 

[pfschim]

nicest, perhaps most expensive is my Lull M4V
cheapest, is definitely my Rogue fretless AEB, I think I paid $99 for it many years ago. The Tomastic Accousticcores on it cost more than the bass

 

[Shenron]

The most expensive bass I gig with is my Ibanez SR300.

The least expensive bass I gig with is my Ibanez SR300.

I also consider myself lucky that I only have one bass to take care of and worry about

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

Cheap: Cort Space 5
Expensive: Sadowsky M5-24

 

[gtirard]

The most expensive bass I gig with is my Brooks, the cheapest is the Acynonix

 

[funkinbottom]

Build my own instruments now days so none are really expensive . That said most $ would be my daily driver 31" scale 5 string (about $750 all in). Least $ would be my 32" scale 5 string parts bass P/J. (about $375 all in).

 

[Element Zero]

Cheapest: Ibanez ATK305
Most expensive: Fodera Yin Yang 5 Standard

Ibanez is in retirement mode unless I get a new or different preamp installed. My first true love.

Fodera is gone and I don't miss it but many fond memories.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

2023 Rickenbacker 4003S is most expensive
1995 Ibanez ATK300 is my least expensive, it's got a Darkglass pre and I'm about to route it for a Turner multi coil in the P position, it's got a 4 way switch for parallel, p, reverse p and series.
I have

 

[DaBigBadaBoom]

The most expensive is probably my 1978 fretless P. Which is my no 1 live bass.

Cheapest is my 2018 fretted Stingray HH.

 

[JRA]

all of mine are "parts basses," so the differences in cost aren't quite as dramatic as some, but it's all relative, right?

"the cheapest"



"most expensive"


both = pleasures to play!

 

[jimmydean]

Sadowsky Will Lee to Squier PB............

 

[GodyP_Bass]

The most expensive bass is my personal and the only bass I have now.

My beatiful Swan Alpha Special.

And the cheapest one was my first bass, Squier JB Affinity

I removed the pickguard and changed the knobs for chrome ones... I loved Jaco

 

[Neil Folkard]

My F Bass AC5 fretless, is definitely my most expensive. I have yet to gig with it, but rehearse with it, with my prog band. If we play live, I will be playing it, for sure. Cheapest? For me, my Musicman 4-string fretless.

 

[Plectrum72]

Cheapest: Squier VM Jaguar I got at a garage sale for $35
Most expensive: G&L CLF L-1000 I got open box for ~$1700

 

[LLendrum]

Cheapest: 2025 Fender Player II Precision (EMG GZR-P)
Most Expensive: 1960 Fender Precision

 

[prndltech]

Cheapest bass was about $400 , most expensive was about $2000

 

[Gervais Cote]

Cheapest : Frankenstein bass made from a Chinese Squier alder body, 2015 Fender maple MIM neck, Fender pure vintage 63 pickups

Most expensive : A Warmoth jazz bass with exotic wood and Dimarzio pickups.

I play my cheapest 90% of the time.

 

[Wyrdlow]

The most expensive is a Rickenbacker 4003SW I got for about £1600 in 2015.
The cheapest is a Harley Benton Beatbass - a Hofner vioin bass copy - I paid around £120 for earlier this year.

 

[Danny O Danny]

Cheapest: Beat-up 2000 MIM Fender Precision. Bought for $350.00. It's my favorite bass and the one I'd keep if I could only keep one.

Most expensive: 2005 Rob Allen MB-2 fretless. Bought used for $2,000.00. My secondmost favorite bass.

I have 3 other basses (an EB Music Man Stingray, an EB Music Man Sterling and a MIM Fender Jazz) that were each purchased used for under $1,100.00.