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Tobias Killer B IV and V

#21
RGerhart said:
Dang! The Classic 5 is Indonesian-made, and going for $2599 on Sweetwater.
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another miss by Gibson, they again don't understand the bass market. Blues Lawyers/Doctors will happily overpay for a Gibson Guitar but that doesn't transfer to their bass offerings and non-Gibson name. This will likely implode and we won't see Gibson new instruments for another decade because "no one bought them" when in reality Gibson shot themselves in the foot.
 
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#22
markjazzbassist said:
another miss by Gibson, they again don't understand the bass market. Blues Lawyers/Doctors will happily overpay for a Gibson Guitar but that doesn't transfer to their bass offerings and non-Gibson name. This will likely implode and we won't see Gibson new instruments for another decade because "no one bought them" when in reality Gibson shot themselves in the foot.
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If you check Sweetwater, too, it says once they are out of stock, they won't be re-stocked. So, maybe it's a limited run to test out the market, or maybe Gibson is banking on people snatching these up at higher prices because they are limited.
 
#23
Mastiff_5 said:
2,500 for an indo bass? No thank you. I'll take an American made or German made bass first. And I have been drooling over Killer B's coming out again. I am incredibly disappointed in that price point.
And I do not agree that that bass would be a $4,000 bass. If it was a Michael Tobias, maybe.
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if it was an MTD, it'd be $6000, realistically, spec for the new indo Tobias Basic V would be $8000 any day of the week. $4000 is base specification price for most builders out there, I don't even think you can get a new base spec MTD for $4000. maybe the fact is just that Every thing is more expensive than it needs to be at the moment. I played a new indo Basic iv at Chuck Levin's and it actually felt quite nice, bright and snappy, actually made me consider a 5 string, will wait for a used 5er to come along.
 
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#24
Jason Bonilla said:
if it was an MTD, it'd be $6000, realistically, spec for the new indo Tobias Basic V would be $8000 any day of the week. $4000 is base specification price for most builders out there, I don't even think you can get a new base spec MTD for $4000. maybe the fact is just that Every thing is more expensive than it needs to be at the moment. I played a new indo Basic iv at Chuck Levin's and it actually felt quite nice, bright and snappy, actually made me consider a 5 string, will wait for a used 5er to come along.
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Except it isn’t an MTD. The exact same bass - CNC builds with the same wood and same electronics isn’t the same as an MTD. Michael Tobias would use selected, dried woods, specific hardware and electronics, and hand-build it.
It’s just not logical to defend the price of an indo factory bass by saying that if it was made in America it would be a $4,000 bass. Or a 6 or $8,000 bass, because it wouldn’t. Those specs and those woods and those build methods do not a $4, $6, or $8,000 bass make.
My point is, for $2,500 a fine German or American bass could be had.
Mostly, I’m bummed because I really want a Killer B5, selling my pre-Nashville B5 some years ago is my big regret-sale. But $2,500 just isn’t worth it. I’ll buy another Maruszczyk Frog for that, or very nearly that.
 
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#25
Mastiff_5 said:
2,500 for an indo bass? No thank you. I'll take an American made or German made bass first. And I have been drooling over Killer B's coming out again. I am incredibly disappointed in that price point.
And I do not agree that that bass would be a $4,000 bass. If it was a Michael Tobias, maybe.
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Probably should check that... I believe if you want a hand-made MTD like that you'd be looking at closer to $6K now...
 
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#27
Mastiff_5 said:
Except it isn't an MTD. The exact same bass - CNC builds with the same wood and same electronics isn't the same as an MTD. Michael Tobias would use selected, dried woods, specific hardware and electronics, and hand-build it.
It's just not logical to defend the price of an indo factory bass by saying that if it was made in America it would be a $4,000 bass. Or a 6 or $8,000 bass, because it wouldn't. Those specs and those woods and those build methods do not a $4, $6, or $8,000 bass make.
My point is, for $2,500 a fine German or American bass could be had.
Mostly, I'm bummed because I really want a Killer B5, selling my pre-Nashville B5 some years ago is my big regret-sale. But $2,500 just isn't worth it. I'll buy another Maruszczyk Frog for that, or very nearly that.
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I see your point. but also, if its the killer b you were really hoping for, those are actually 1600 not 2500
 
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#28
Mastiff_5 said:
2,500 for an indo bass? No thank you. I'll take an American made or German made bass first. And I have been drooling over Killer B's coming out again. I am incredibly disappointed in that price point.
And I do not agree that that bass would be a $4,000 bass. If it was a Michael Tobias, maybe.
Click to expand...
I have played three of them and put one on layaway. I'm not a great bassist, but I have played hundreds of basses and I know good craftsmanship, components, and construction when I see it.

It is worth mentioning that Lakland makes Skylines basses in Indonesia and some of these bolt on basses are $2K. Current offshore MTD's are made in China and the nicest ones are around $2,500. Dingwall makes basses in China that are around $3K, if not I over $3K. Bolt on Fenders made in America now are running $2.3-2.8K. Thirty years ago, when I bought a bolt on Ken Smith it was $2.3K. I am pretty sure the reason that Peavey has been slow to release their Czech made Cirrus basses is because they are just under $3.5K, but everybody remembers $1,700 Cirrus basses made in Mississippi.

Unless something changes, it won't be long before we see $3K basses coming out of Indonesia.
 
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#29
Mastiff_5 said:
Except it isn't an MTD. The exact same bass - CNC builds with the same wood and same electronics isn't the same as an MTD. Michael Tobias would use selected, dried woods, specific hardware and electronics, and hand-build it.
It's just not logical to defend the price of an indo factory bass by saying that if it was made in America it would be a $4,000 bass. Or a 6 or $8,000 bass, because it wouldn't. Those specs and those woods and those build methods do not a $4, $6, or $8,000 bass make.
My point is, for $2,500 a fine German or American bass could be had.
Mostly, I'm bummed because I really want a Killer B5, selling my pre-Nashville B5 some years ago is my big regret-sale. But $2,500 just isn't worth it. I'll buy another Maruszczyk Frog for that, or very nearly that.
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If these basses could be made cheaply in the USA, they would be. As we get older, we remember what prices were, heck I bought a sweet five string Spector for less than $2K in 1994. I bought a used Alembic for $900 in 1992. Those days are just gone.
 
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#30
IMG_9563.jpeg
Used USA Gibson made Tobias basses can still be had for fair prices, and there are some good ones out there..
 
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#31
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#36
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