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What exactly IS a high end bass?

D

dave251

Wendler Instruments
Feb 5, 2004
163
3
Lawrence, KS
www.electrocoustic.com
#1
The thread( which is currently going on ad nauseum ) about preamps/high end basses, got me to wondering.....

Is there a price break point where an instrumet becomes high end? Is it if the instrument is a "botique" bass? Or perhaps a bass made by one set of hands?(which is dang near impossible).

The most expensive bass I've built so far came in around $1800....where does that place mine? Does that constitute "high end"?....or is it the exclusivity factor?(I've built about 175 instruments so far).....

What exactly does constitute "high end"?
 
#2
More than price, I think about particular brands or maybe just certain models when I think "high end". For example, Warwick has a wide variety of models. Some I consider high end. Others I don't.

It boils down to how the bass plays and feels more than anything for me. Sometimes you just pick up a particular bass and immediately just know it's "high end" quality. The materials, hardware, electronics, and method of building the instrument come into play as well.
 
#3
I think that "high end or boutique" is totally subjective. For example, Warwicks can be very expensive, but they get very little respect here from a big segment of the membership.

"Boutique," IMO, is best applied to small scale operations that have limited production capacity and are largely handmade or hand fitted. "High end" is what ever you consider to be very expensive. For me, high end starts around $1,500.
 
#5
I totally agree with the thoughts here ... it is all subjective. I have basses that are well into the upper $3K range and basses that are less than $200 and I love them all. And every one of them is of better quality than the stuff I first owned when I started playing in 1963 ;)

Even though I'm guilty of occasionally throwing the terms around myself, "high end" is a relative term. Regardless of the basses I currently own, a bass that costs $750 + up is expensive to me and I think long and hard before buying it. Ten years ago anything over $500 was mind blowing to me.

Buy and play what feels right to you, don't worry about the qualifying terms attached to the bass itself ... :cool:
 
#9
IMO High End gear is where every single extra penny spent is an improvement in sound and/or playability and/or ergonomics. When any more penny spent has no effect in the above mentioned areas, then I call it "boutique". This definition is only applicable to me and me only
 
#11
It really must depend upon your level of playing expertise in addition to your budget. If you own one bass, a $200 instrument, then a $600 bass could be perceived as high end. However, if you're a professional who owns custom basses valued at over $5 grand, then a $1,500 bass could seem ordinary or even low end. It depends from person to person; to answer your question directly, there is not a price barrier for an instrument to be considered high-end.
 
#15
High End, means beyond affordable, to the average person. I think that if you scrape together every single penny to buy that "special bass" it becomes a High End bass to some degree.

I also think to some degree it may mean more than a brand name.

Think about this: If "XYZ" manufacturer built a bass that has a price of $$$ and is of average workmanship and quality, we all know the difference between that and a bass with a $$$$ price tag that has hand selected woods/hardware/electronics.

It still doesn't mean one is better than another, but we still judge based on the price of that bass.

Pricing is a VERY big factor in deciding to buy a bass, for the average bass player. So, with that in mind, High End may be subjective-but has a place in our minds nonetheless.
 
#16
Yes, it's subjective.

My ballpark definition of a high end bass is one that costs more than a MIA Fender. So, in my mind it's just cost...it could still be made or designed poorly.

My rough definition of a boutique bass is similar to Cheese's, with the addition of my high end definition.

M
 
#17
While I agree the answer would be subjective and opinionated, I'll go ahead and spew out my .02 here.

Personally, I look at it monetarily. $0-$1,000 is budget, $1,001-$2,000 is mid range, and $2,001+ is high-end to me. Of course I've never owned anything over $1,200 before but I do have a custom Valenti on order that'll run me $2,000+ when it's all said and done.

Again, this is simply just an opinion and whether you agree or disagree I'll remain at peace.:D
 
#18
spade2you said:
What about basses that are considered high end but have uber low end tones? :p Does the low end tone cancel out the high end price? How will this affect the price of tea in China?
Click to expand...
I personally fore see the price increasing as this thread inscreases.

In other news, " High end" for me starts at about $1,000.00. I'm in the air force and we don't get paid a lot for our services. I also agree with every one else that it's definition is totally subjective to what the particular person feels, how much income they have etc.
 
#19
I would define "high end" as something built to a higher standard than your garden variety production line bass. So on the lower end of that spectrum, I guess I would include stuff like Rickenbacker and EBMM for stuff that people are familiar with. Their build quality seems to be above "average" even though their prices arent' through the roof. Obviously on the other end would be the "Boutique" built stuff, and pretty much everything that falls in between those two like Sadowsky, Lull, etc. I personaly would also include the desirable Vintage basses in this catagory as well, as their price tags can be quite staggering.

That's how I would define it. I'm sure there are plenty who are going to disagree. I'm speaking only for myself here. Again, this is only MY opinion.
 

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