What do you consider an “expensive” bass?

[antfarm]

I wonder what others consider an “expensive” bass. To me, having started playing (and buying) 6 years ago, the threshold was always around the 2000 $/Euro mark…

…just about the price of a regular American Fender. Now that I own one for a while, I feel the threshold is slowly creeping up, but maybe it also increases with my abilities on the instrument.

I found a thread from 15 years ago, where most agreed on 1500 $, not too far from my number. https://www.talkbass.com/threads/what-is-an-expensive-bass.495400/

What is your threshold for regarding a bass expensive in 2023?

 

[Groove Doctor]

Before kids = $6,000
After kids = $2,000

 

[onda'bass]

hmmm, I think 2,500 is getting expensive.

 

[el murdoque]

Fender is more or less the perfect tool to align the line that separates expensive from not expensive.

Fender basses are mass produced and from the very first, the Idea was to create an instrument that is a cheap alternative to a double bass. The world has changed in the last 75 years, and nowadays you can get good quality for little money from the eastern countries. MiA Fender instruments remain what they have always been: Mass production basses and guitars, that have been made in the US, paying US wages for the labor.
Their price is entry level of made in the US/EU instruments - if you go above their standard models, you can and should expect flawless instruments in every aspect. The current EU prices for US made Fenders are €2000 for the American Pro II and €2200 for the American Vintage. So, currently, I would say everything past €2500 is an expensive bass.

 

[Snert]

What is your threshold for regarding a bass expensive in 2023?

$US3k.

I've spent a lot more than that on an individual instrument in the past, but with the use of CNC all over the world, I'm not sure I need to spend more than that to get an overall excellent instrument.

 

[Dlew919]

AUD 1500. My most expensive bsss was AUD 800.

 

[Bass V]

it's a friggin bass, after a point you're just paying more for bad tone. it cost me a $million to learn that lol

 

[bobba66]

One thousand dollars!

 

[groooooove]

$3,000 is fair to say is expensive. i'd say $2k is certainly not cheap but i would not call it expensive specifically in todays world. somewhere in between, that 2600-2800 mark is where i think it starts.

btw it'd be fun to ask the same question to our friends in the DB section. lots of $18,000 basses listed as "nice for a student!"

 

[jimmydean]

After $2500.00 , I have to think real hard about what I am about to do.

 

[JazznFunk]

The most I've ever spent on a single electric bass was $1300 after taxes... that was my Lakland 44-02 Deluxe I got in 2007. Guessing that's probably about $2k in today's dollars. The most I've ever spent on a bass in general was my carved top double bass in 2004... $2,300. I've had it appraised at about $4,500-$5,000 to replace outright in terms of insurance purposes. In either case, that was a lot to spend on a single instrument, but I still have both and they've more than paid for themselves over time. For those who have the resources to routinely drop $2 or $3k and up for basses, I commend you. Anything above $2k is expensive, IMO, but it's not hard to hit that mark these days for even top level import axes like Lakland Skylines, etc.

 

[ics1974]

Greater then $2500

 

[JazznFunk]

$3,000 is fair to say is expensive. i'd say $2k is certainly not cheap but i would not call it expensive specifically in todays world. somewhere in between, that 2600-2800 mark is where i think it starts.

btw it'd be fun to ask the same question to our friends in the DB section. lots of $18,000 basses listed as "nice for a student!"

Since I also live on the DB side, a lot of the price structures there are a combo of ego and truly vintage and pedigreed instruments. Honestly, even as a double bassist primarily, I couldn't ever fathom spending as much on a double bass as one would on a decent (basic) car. In the symphony world though, it's super common. Too rich for my blood!

 

[TheReceder]

Love it when there's a common answer here. Ditto on $2500.

I hit the "are you insane" price from my wife at around $4000. Regretfully I'm not insane, so I don't own any $4000 basses. Happily... I can get away with buying another $2500 + a $1500 Bass without concern over losing them in a divorce settlement.

 

[JRA]

What is your threshold for regarding a bass expensive in 2023?

i think i could rationalize a ~2k purchase if i really wanted it badly. but by the time they're in the ~3k range they need to do some tricks for me (not talking looks, exotic woods, i.e., bogus stuff) --- they'd have to be unsurpassed in all the areas of my concern (neck feel, balance, weight, other stuff). but they're not, so: an ax at about 3k that couldn't deliver the basics would be a very expensive EB....to me.

disclosure: not a tone chaser. the feel is the deal!

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I have a $2,500 bass. Far and away the most I've ever spent on an instrument. An impulse buy, no less: I saw a 2005 Lakland USA Joe Osborne Jazz hanging in my local shop, and my brain said "GIMME!" and I obeyed.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Depends on the individual not the bass

 

[Ostie]

If I can’t afford it, it’s expensive. What I could afford in my twenties was a lot less than what I can afford now.

 

[Aussie Player]

When production basses equate to used Alembic prices, they are overpriced.

An Alembic is worth what every you paid for it. Other brands can never say that.

 

[Dincrest]

Accounting for inflation, I'd say $3000- $4000 is getting into boutique territory.

Many years ago I would have said $2500, but that's what top-of-the-line factory basses are going for nowadays (e.g. ESP's E-IIs made in their Tokyo factory E-II BTL-4 or Ibanez's Prestige line made in Japan's Fujigen factory Ibanez Prestige SR5000 Bass Guitar - Wenge). So basses hand built by independent luthiers or facilities like ESP's world renowned custom shop will probably set you back several grand.