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What do more costly basses provide?

#61
vindibona1 said:
It's a given that you can buy a bass guitar for $100... or $10,000+. But lets say we find some middle ground; $600-$2000 and $2000-$4000. I'm curious as to what you get as as benefit as you move up in price class? And I will stipulate that with a player who earns a living playing bass, price almost doesn't matter because you want the best for your needs, even if the gains for significantly more money brings incremental benefits. But for the rest of us, I'm wondering what would justify spending even $2000 as opposed to $1000 or for some well made budget basses, even $600.

But first, I'd like to take "artistry" off the table. We know that many wooden instruments are genuine works of art and the art should be acknowledged. But I'm just wondering about value and benefit from a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT standpoint. As a brass player I often see top players playing beat-up, Frankenstein mash-ups, playing and sounding terrific.

So if we boil bass guitars down to playability, sound, electronics and finish quality (excluding "works of art"), what drives and average player to pay over $1500 for a quality bass? Let's start there for conversation's sake.
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As an instruments price gets more and more expensive I think it’s true that the law of diminished returns comes into play. What I mean is you get a big improvement from say a $100 bass to a $1000 bass. Still a noticeable improvement from $1000-$2000, but above $2k imo any little bit of improvement starts to get insanely expensive. As for what makes more expensive better. Sometimes they really aren’t any better. Sometimes you’re just paying more for a name. But In situations where they are better I think “love” is the secret ingredient. By that I mean more time is spent with real hands on the instrument. These days with most instruments shaped mainly by machine the noticeable difference is the little things. Parts quality, spending that extra time on the fretwork and so on. One easy tell on a bass that has good fretwork is to play bends/vibrato. On a high quality instrument you shouldn’t hear that subtle metal scraping against metal type sound when you bend a string. If the frets are done well you won’t hear that. But yeah it’s pretty all over the place. Some of the worst tuning machines I’ve had on basses were on very expensive basses. I’ll take some real Hipshot tuners over these self branded tuners on a lot of high end basses any day.
 
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#64
JRA said:
:laugh: i'll play!


sure, you see that all of the time --- it's common among players who know what they want! and i would add: among players who know what they have!


some "average" players don't really know what they want or what they have. lots of TB folks have time on their hands, money to burn, and no clue that the object of their GAS is not the answer to their bass playing 'issues':
- my life or my playing will be better if i spend a little more
- the cool cats play Xs so i'll get an X, too
- i can only get the sound of an X if i have an X --- i want that sound!
- bragging rights: "this ax was made by X, cost a bazillion dollars, and it's one of a kind!"
- yada yada

IME: "playability" (i'd call it feel) is all that matters on most axes because on most axes everything else you mentioned can be changed or modified.

if you're looking to justify saving some money and still getting a quality instrument the current era is a fine time to play that game: tons of quality instruments in the 'affordable' ranges you mentioned + tons of used stuff where maybe even better deals are available if you can find the right ax. and if you can assemble the best parts yourself (your 'dream parts') you can pay even less for the highest quality parts-basses...sometimes cheaply enough to make a poser blush.:D

so even though this topic has been covered before: an update of responses from an update of responders might very well be in order/appropriate. i don't know how many times i've posted similar/same thoughts, but it's a pleasure to share them again, now!

that's my .02 on both accounts! good luck with your thread! :thumbsup:
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Absolutely True!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
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#65
JRA said:
:laugh: i'll play!


sure, you see that all of the time --- it's common among players who know what they want! and i would add: among players who know what they have!


some "average" players don't really know what they want or what they have. lots of TB folks have time on their hands, money to burn, and no clue that the object of their GAS is not the answer to their bass playing 'issues':
- my life or my playing will be better if i spend a little more
- the cool cats play Xs so i'll get an X, too
- i can only get the sound of an X if i have an X --- i want that sound!
- bragging rights: "this ax was made by X, cost a bazillion dollars, and it's one of a kind!"
- yada yada

IME: "playability" (i'd call it feel) is all that matters on most axes because on most axes everything else you mentioned can be changed or modified.

if you're looking to justify saving some money and still getting a quality instrument the current era is a fine time to play that game: tons of quality instruments in the 'affordable' ranges you mentioned + tons of used stuff where maybe even better deals are available if you can find the right ax. and if you can assemble the best parts yourself (your 'dream parts') you can pay even less for the highest quality parts-basses...sometimes cheaply enough to make a poser blush.:D

so even though this topic has been covered before: an update of responses from an update of responders might very well be in order/appropriate. i don't know how many times i've posted similar/same thoughts, but it's a pleasure to share them again, now!

that's my .02 on both accounts! good luck with your thread! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
giphy.gif
 
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#68
I've played a lot of basses over the years ( I currently own ten. I think. Yes, it's embarrassing that I forget how many I own, but it's a relatively healthy habit). It's been my experience that while you can get a far better bass for $300 these days than you could 30 years ago, the more expensive instruments seem to just.... feel better. As others have mentioned, there's a law of diminishing returns past a certain price point, but when you hit that specific price point, you get a dependable, rock solid instrument. I've had my Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray for 23 years. I can put it away for a few years (and I have, as I've focused on other basses for different bands), and I can pull it out of the case and it plays EXACTLY the same as it did when I put it in. Part of that is certainly age and "settling in", but it's a solid platform. It doesn't have quirks, and if it does, i'm used to them. I also have an Ibanez BTB 6, and while that bass has a lot of cool features, it's cantankerous. It's a lot of bass for that price point, but I can absolutely see where they cut costs on it.
 
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#69
Hey you remember that time when there was some sharp frets end on the side of the neck and it was scraping your hand and also a rattle at the bridge right before a gig and you stopped in at the shop where the luthier is who made your $300 bass? The one where the luthier put everything down for you and fixed it for no charge and lent you a bass for your gig? Same luthier who buffed out some scratches on the back from a belt buckle....

Didn't think so....
 
#70
I own 12 Basses. They are ALL American made. The cheapest one I paid about $800, the most expensive was $2600. The one I play the most was about $1300. It’s a preference thing. The day I find a cheaper bass that sounds and feels good, I’ll buy that too, but for me the sweet spot tends to be in the $1500 range. That’s not to say there aren’t better Basses that are less or more expensive...that’s just my own experience and preference. At the end of the day, play what makes you happy and what you can afford.
 
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#71
Tnavis said:
I also have an Ibanez BTB 6, and while that bass has a lot of cool features, it's cantankerous. It's a lot of bass for that price point, but I can absolutely see where they cut costs on it.
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I tried to like that bass. On paper it sounded like a cool bass but, in person, I didn't like the neck feel :(
And it wasn't because it was a 6 string. It didn't sound all that special to me either but I caulked that off to the environment and amp I was playing it through but, the neck feel was so offputting to me that I was not interested
in trying it at home.
 
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#72
Means2nEnd said:
Hey you remember that time when there was some sharp frets end on the side of the neck and it was scraping your hand and also a rattle at the bridge right before a gig and you stopped in at the shop where the luthier is who made your $300 bass? The one where the luthier put everything down for you and fixed it for no charge and lent you a bass for your gig? Same luthier who buffed out some scratches on the back from a belt buckle....

Didn't think so....
Click to expand...

Yes, except the luthier, Mr. Jones never built a bass for me, but sure worked on some and modified a few over several decades. He was the best in our area, and taught many before his passing about 25 years ago. But he would stop anything if you were in need, and get right on it. I have dropped off a bass in the early afternoon, and pick it up at 7 PM right on the way to the gig.

He did two fretless conversions for me, changed tuners, replaced and rewired pups with coil taps switches, and cleaned up necks, and so much more. And I was always in awe of the violins, violas, and cellos he used to build from scratch.

Hard to get that level of dedication these days.
 
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#74
Eddie LeBlanc said:
Yes, except the luthier, Mr. Jones never built a bass for me, but sure worked on some and modified a few over several decades. He was the best in our area, and taught many before his passing about 25 years ago. But he would stop anything if you were in need, and get right on it. I have dropped off a bass in the early afternoon, and pick it up at 7 PM right on the way to the gig.

He did two fretless conversions for me, changed tuners, replaced and rewired pups with coil taps switches, and cleaned up necks, and so much more. And I was always in awe of the violins, violas, and cellos he used to build from scratch.

Hard to get that level of dedication these days.
Click to expand...

Story to tell.
I had a used '82 G&L 2000 (the early model), in mid 80s. Brought it to him to convert to fretless. I was playing a lot of fretless and upright at that time. He didn't want to convert it, cause he liked the bass so much and had never had a G&L in there. Finally, I had to say, "Raymond, who is playing the bass?"

Finally he agreed to pull the frets, fill, and set up with tape wounds Rotos. Did a great job. When I picked it up, he was then bragging how great of a fretless it was, and how it's fretless sound really opened up that bass. I still have that G&L in the stable today. And she plays as great as ever.
 
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#76
Chrisk-K said:
Think about differences between a cheap Carmax used car and a new BMW.
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I've always been told that it's more of a "brand name" thing. Which would be more like the difference between a $2000 Tag-Heuer steel wristwatch and a $200 Swiss made watch with everything built exactly the same. Same exact case and movement, the only thing missing being the logo on the dial.
 
#78
Cost is a number that is easy to understand. Value is something that is up to the individual to determine.

I currently have four basses. Two of them were stupid expensive. I gig the snot out of them (going on 8 years now). This 4-string just slays me - any limitations are mine and not the instruments. It coaxes me into reaching a bit further. Plus I got to see it come to life from pieces of wood. I know the people who made it and have eaten dinner with them. To me that is part of the value. To others, not so much. Btw, one of my other instruments is a MIM P-bass - it plays and sounds great. So I swing both ways. But I always know what I'm going to reach for first.

Life is short and you're dead a long time. Pick your personal priorities and make them happen.

tar_bass%201.jpg
 
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#79
but more seriously ..

i've had a few ... they taught me , or showed me , what i like ... which has helped me build my own pieces parts basses which said parts and a much lower cost .. ! if you like that kinda stuff .? then learning how to do decent fret work and setups is a must ..!! which are things i find to be rather fun and zen like ..
 
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#80
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