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What exactly IS a high end bass?

#41
I agree with you, and I stand corrected on saying that boutique is completely vague, because it is defined. But even with the definition it can be pretty broad. When you use boutique by itself, it has to stay pretty broad. But once you combine it with a word, for instance bass, then it usually starts to mean some tangible things to people. It is still not concrete though since these tangible things will be different things for differnt people.

Example: Wishbass is now boutique by definition. I personally don't have a problem with that, but some people here might. I hope no one gets in an argument over that, because it's not worth it.

These things are definitely more defined (and yes these are my personal laymen definitions)

hand-made: more work is done with the hands and handtools rather than automated machinery
custom-built: You can choose several options and have it built to your specs as a customer
vintage: 25 years or older (the year amount may change by industry and I don't know who sets it so don't ask)
made in the USA: The building of the parts and the final product are done in the USA (otherwise it would say assembled in the US with foreign parts)

Then we have...

Boutique: a small store selling specialized, often luxury, goods or services of any kind

(but remember that this is the noun version, I suppose the adjective version would be something coming from one of those stores. At the same time though Bass Northwest is a boutique shop they sell really cheap basses on occasion. People would look at you funny if you said that an MTD Heir, Yamaha RBX, or Traben is boutique.)

See how vague boutique is by comparison, as well as the word high end.

Also not trying to be an ass, but your definition of sophisticated has the word sophisticated in it. And "discerning" is completely definable but completely vague when you apply it to any particular area. There are plenty of discerning people but what we "discern" may be completely different.

Joe

Eilif said:
Regardless of what some folks are using as their own particular definition, boutique is actually a well defined term.

Boutique, Encarta Definition #2
2. small specialist store: a small store selling specialized, often luxury, goods or services of any kind

This is pretty much a non-bass way of saying what every one else is saying.


Interstingly enough, high end is simlarly defined

high-end

adjective

Definition:

sophisticated: expensive and likely to appeal to sophisticated and discerning people

In actual practice, Boutique is easy to define, where as the definition of high end is entirely dependent upon whatever group items you are discussing.

There can be "high end" examples of
-basses
-American made basses
-5 string basses
-production basses
-custom basses
-Boutique basses

People rarely disclose what "Group" of instruments they are talking about, and that's why discussions of "high-end" are often quite convoluted

Last thought:
Boutique basses are almost always high end, but high-end basses may or not be "boutique".
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#44
dave251 said:
What exactly does constitute "high end"?
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IMG_2314.jpg


:D
 
#45
Brad Johnson said:
+1

I don't look at my basses as any particular "end", that only comes up in conversation with others.
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Another good point. I definitely don't get 'em as a status symbol. I like to see a lot of the custom shop as my attempt to combine things I like, remove a thing or two I don't like, and experiment with a thing or two while I'm at it. If I stock, I'd definitely consider it, but a lot of the things I enjoy probably will never make it as a stock item.
 
#46
Seriously, the terms high end and low end are all relative. There can't be an objective measure, how would it be determined? As a ball park I would say anything "more expensive" than a MIA Fender is approaching high end. Anything less expensive than an MIA Fender is approaching low end, but you don't really approach the extremes of either until you are at Fodera / Alembic prices or at the other extreme - Wishnevsky! :)
 
#50
Brad Johnson said:
+1

I don't look at my basses as any particular "end", that only comes up in conversation with others.
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+1

Either a bass is good or it isn't. Today, I played a Pedulla Thunderbass that was seriously marked down at a local GC. It was comfortable, played like butta' and looked great. The problem was that I couldn't get a sound out of it I liked. My point is does it matter that it cost alot and I didn't like it? Does it matter that my Cirrus and 55-02 are much cheaper but sounded better to my ears? IMO, it doesn't matter what any of the basses cost, either I liked them or I didn't.

If we at TB would remember that, we could avoid a fair number of flame wars over gear choices.:hmm:
 
#54
Others have already made similar comments, but as far as I'm concerned, "High End" is a somewhat meaningless term while "Boutique" has a very clear definition.

To me high end relates to price and/or quality and really depends on the person using it as far as determining what basses the term would pertain to.

But boutique basses (just like boutique pedals or anything else labeled as boutique) simply means made in a small shop and generally more expensive though not always. It's not the price tag but the size of the shop that determines the use of the term. Warwicks can be very expensive, but aren't boutique to me. Of course, that shouldn't be seen as a put down in any way (I think the Thumb has one of my absolute favorite tones), just proper use of the term.
 
#55
Not trying to be an asshat but their are high end basses made outside the US. Tune and Moon in Japan, Lado and F bass in Canada, Status in England, a whole bunch of them like Hotwire, Sandberg, and Ritter in Germany! I could go on. I am sure ther are brands I have never heard of in Czechoslovakia and Italy, and most likely even in Korea and Mexixo but I haven't heard of them yet. So I agree except the USA part.

steve4765630 said:
High end is USA handmade like Pedulla, Alembic, Fender Custom Shop, Sadowsky, Fodera, Roscoe, Ken Smith and you know the rest. For me, it's a bass that you can play for the rest of your life without ever feeling the need to modify it. It should be "THE" bass.
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#56
High End will sound modern , I don't think the Fender sound can be found in those kind of basses.

High End has a quality that can't be match by basses costing 2000$.

They use hand selected wood and AAAAA grade wood.

They are completely custom.

They don't sell their basses in store.

When I think High End , I think : Ritter , Conklin , Carl Thompson , Fodera.
 
#57
normally, when I read someone referring to a bass (or anything) as a "high end" bass, I understand that the other person meant "something more expensive that the normal" or "a very good one" or maybe "a quality one, no matter the price".

If the emitter meant that, then the term accomplished it's goal.

We have proven ourselves that the thread OP asked a difficult question to answer.

"What exactly is a high end bass?" well... evidently "high end bass" has no exact meaning, so it seems impossible to me that this question could have an answer unless we do a... uhmm... in english I think is "consensus".

Anyway, I'll copy here a google definition just for fun.
"High end refers to the best and generally most expensive of a class of goods or services. For example, high-end audio refers to audio equipment that is designed to be the best it can be, regardless of price"
High End from wikipedia.

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On the other hand, a low end bass I think is the cheapest you can find out there. And I guess most of you guys will agree, don't you?
Maybe "low end" is a more precise term. I guess.
 

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