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The more I look at basses...

#101
Lets forget about basses for a minute and think of something else - like cars. Do you drive a 20 year old beater? A newer SUV or sports sedan? A 10 year old minivan? An expensive German car?

So it is with instruments.

If transportation is all you want (or a tool to get the job done), you can save a lot of money. If you want something nicer with some flair, it'll cost you more. If you really want the cool guy factor, its even more expensive .

After all, its not just about what you use, it's about who you are.

Me? I'm a brand snob and I'm willing to pay extra to get something nicer. I don't want any Fender because I want to be different.
 
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#103
40Hz said:
We're bass players. Nobody really gives 2¢ about what we play as long as it doesn't sound like complete crap. Even a half-crap sounding bass will pass muster in many situations. That's how little what you're playing registers or means to most people. Musicians included.

And to my mind, it's about time we learned to deal with it.

So get whatever you like. And pay whatever you feel you need to pay to either get what you want - or feel good about yourself for paying it.

Just remember...nobody really cares.
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I usually agree with you, but not here. A lot of music is fairly bass centric and/or has the bass prominent in the mix. If you're in that kind of act, people do hear and care about your tone. Having said that, the last two bassists I've discovered with great tone both played cheap basses; one a Squier Jazz and the other what appears to be an SX Jazz. So yeah, no one cares what you play, as long as it sounds good.
 
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#104
Yes but once the deed is done you start looking at amps. Once you buy an amp you start looking at speakers. Before you know it you could've bought a very nice car to get all the ladies but now you're stuck with a wooden rod and a fridge and the cold shoulder of ladies talking at your guitarist.
 
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#105
Gizmot said:
Lets forget about basses for a minute and think of something else - like cars. Do you drive a 20 year old beater? A newer SUV or sports sedan? A 10 year old minivan? An expensive German car?

So it is with instruments.

If transportation is all you want (or a tool to get the job done), you can save a lot of money. If you want something nicer with some flair, it'll cost you more. If you really want the cool guy factor, its even more expensive .

After all, its not just about what you use, it's about who you are.

Me? I'm a brand snob and I'm willing to pay extra to get something nicer. I don't want any Fender because I want to be different.
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Well said...

I drive an expensive German car btw... well...bass, to be exact ;) I do however love to take my pinto (Danelectro to be exact) out for a drive on a Sunday afternoon. Both will get you from point A to point B. Just in a different way.

And you can have both and love both btw people....and you don't have to be wealthy or even remotely well off. Employed will do.

I find these types of threads quite amusing... There seems to be some bass players who actually get defensive and somewhat passive aggressive when other players say they have, or want a bass that is more expensive than say an American Deluxe Fender.... ;) It's always the old...."I would never consider a bass over 1600, 1800...just silliness!"....Why is that I wonder?? :roflmao: :smug: Though isn't a Fender custom master-built bass like 5k-6k new?

And as far as the old "some of us can't afford those kinds of basses".... Sorry, but that's a little bit of a cop out.

If you really love something... have passion for something, whether for the beauty of it it...or for the sound of it, or it's your profession... Then GO FOR IT. Life is long (hopefully). Do whatever it takes to get it. Save money. Don't buy that latte everyday...don't smoke...buy generic....whatever it takes to get it. Save. If it takes 2 years...to save for that MIA P-Bass, so be it....you'll have your dream bass. If it takes 4 years to get a Warwick or Fodera, so be it...you'll have a work of art that will last a lifetime and can be passed down to your kids (that goes for the Fender too ;)). If you don't have 20,30 bucks a month to put toward a bass savings fund...then you simply shouldn't be spending money on any basses probably.

I'm a laborer. I don't rake in the cash. I do however save money for a specific thing from time to time and buy that thing when I can. Simple. I just don't get the peeps who can't fathom why someone would spend thousands on a bass. How is that hard to comprehend? We are bass players. We buy basses of all types.


:woot: :bassist:
 
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#106
I have not read the whole thread...

The first bass I bought after starting to play bass cost me $1000 (still own, sits in garage).
The second cost me $550 (current backup)
The third cost me $110 (stolen, was my main while I had it).
The fourth (my current main) cost me $30.

At this rate I am expecting my next bass to be given to me.
 
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#109
moody said:
I have not read the whole thread...

The first bass I bought after starting to play bass cost me $1000 (still own, sits in garage).
The second cost me $550 (current backup)
The third cost me $110 (stolen, was my main while I had it).
The fourth (my current main) cost me $30.

At this rate I am expecting my next bass to be given to me.
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... I take it you didn't win the Fodera they gave away earlier this month...
 
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#110
Pilgrim said:
The more I look at basses, the more $4000 looks like a used car to me, not a bass. (In fact, the last used car I bought cost less than $4000.)

There are excellent instruments out there brand new for under $1000, and even under $500 used. I don't have the mad money to spend 8x what's necessary to get a decent bass.
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Either do I. I think that the more disposable income you have, the more your "equipment needs" become inflated. Since I am on such a strict budget I am very grateful for what I have. I almost always buy used and everything is fine. I have a desire for more expensive equipment and would certainly spend more if I had it but it is not a necessity. One time I went all out and had a custom bass made for me that cost $2500 (14 years ago before I had a family!). It was a great bass but not much better playing than my two current basses which cost me a grand total of $750. I think many of us (myself included) spend too much time looking for fabulous custom equipment and not enough time practicing. The majority of my bass heroes from the past played off-the-shelf basses and did just fine. I would never tell someone not to spend $7000 on a bass but I can't justify it unless I am a professional which I am not.
 
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#111
steamthief said:
If somebody pays 30k for a car and it lasts only four years, they need to shop smarter. Did you happen to buy a Fiat?
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The average American used to keep a car 4 years. I checked my facts and now it's just under six years. It doesn't change my point, but I think you just want to argue because my point that some people pay a lot for things that don't last long and won't pay a lot less for things that last practically forever is pretty easy to understand. ;)

pacojas said:
i think he exaggerated for effect. just guessing. ;)
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Some people just don't want to get the point.

I get that some people don't want to spend $4000+ for a bass. I don't get why they feel the need to insult people that do. :rollno:
 
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#113
lfmn16 said:
The average American used to keep a car 4 years. I checked my facts and now it's just under six years. It doesn't change my point, but I think you just want to argue because my point that some people pay a lot for things that don't last long and won't pay a lot less for things that last practically forever is pretty easy to understand. ;)
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If by forever you mean a month or two, then yeah basses seems to last TB'ers forever.
 
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#118
MultiScaleMale said:
Just about anyone can save $5k over two years to buy an expensive bass if they really want to. The problem with saving over two years is that you pass a lot of $1000-$1500 basses along the way that are pretty darn good.
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You can pass a lot of other things along the way too. Within two years you can have a kid to raise.
 
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