I don’t buy to flip
I buy to play and enjoy
My relatives will sell them when I am dead
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Worth buying expensive?
- Thread starter KleineMerel
- Start date
I buy to play and enjoy
My relatives will sell them when I am dead
All my basses were terrible purchases, according to this thread. I bought a new Carvin, a Luthier made custom, and two Ibanez, one vintage one new.
But as luck will have it, I never considered their future resale value even once.
Strange as it may be, I bought each and every one of them because I wanted to play them and that's what I still do.
As to the logic in this thread, applied by the OP I want to add:
It has already been said that the life expectancy of a Squier that costs a quarter of a top shelf Fender is not to be compared to a can opener where one good investment will set you up for life while buying cheap lets you buy another one every two years.
Those Squiers last a lot longer than that. So that logic applied, I'd wager that with proper care, you can do with two Squiers, which will last you about 30 years each easily. So there's no need to buy four of them, there's need for two and that means there's more money for each - you could buy something better. And here we run into a problem. Higher shelf = better quality. Maybe the life expectancy has just moved a lot closer to the Fender. So we factor in that moving up in quality means higher quality components means longer life.
So instead of two Squiers one could buy something from the upper crust of the Squier brand. Something that will match the Fender so closely it does not make a difference.
A cheaper bass for life.
But as luck will have it, I never considered their future resale value even once.
Strange as it may be, I bought each and every one of them because I wanted to play them and that's what I still do.
As to the logic in this thread, applied by the OP I want to add:
It has already been said that the life expectancy of a Squier that costs a quarter of a top shelf Fender is not to be compared to a can opener where one good investment will set you up for life while buying cheap lets you buy another one every two years.
Those Squiers last a lot longer than that. So that logic applied, I'd wager that with proper care, you can do with two Squiers, which will last you about 30 years each easily. So there's no need to buy four of them, there's need for two and that means there's more money for each - you could buy something better. And here we run into a problem. Higher shelf = better quality. Maybe the life expectancy has just moved a lot closer to the Fender. So we factor in that moving up in quality means higher quality components means longer life.
So instead of two Squiers one could buy something from the upper crust of the Squier brand. Something that will match the Fender so closely it does not make a difference.
A cheaper bass for life.
My advice is if you are out there playing gigs buy the best bass you can afford that suits what you do. The more expensive instruments generally have better hardware and electronics that should have a longer useful life.
If a Squier is all you need then that's what you buy, if a custom shop floats your boat then buy one. Resale value is not something I think about because I only buy what I like and I tend to keep it.
I sold 3 basses in 45 years and that was simply to facilitate an upgrade in my earlier years of playing.
If a Squier is all you need then that's what you buy, if a custom shop floats your boat then buy one. Resale value is not something I think about because I only buy what I like and I tend to keep it.
I sold 3 basses in 45 years and that was simply to facilitate an upgrade in my earlier years of playing.
If you are going to buy an “ expensive bass”
know what you are buying and why you are buying it.
Playing an instrument can be an intimate thing that goes beyond resale value.
In 1996 as a young man I made a choice to purchase the kinda’ bass I always wanted after years of playing.
I purchased a Pedulla Thunderbass at at cost of 3700$ CAN.
It’s still my main bass to this day.
I changed out the pups and electronics a couple of years ago to modernize the sound a bit. I never cared about resale because I am happy I have one amazing bass that is all mine.
I take care of my equipment and have always put quality before quantity.
know what you are buying and why you are buying it.
Playing an instrument can be an intimate thing that goes beyond resale value.
In 1996 as a young man I made a choice to purchase the kinda’ bass I always wanted after years of playing.
I purchased a Pedulla Thunderbass at at cost of 3700$ CAN.
It’s still my main bass to this day.
I changed out the pups and electronics a couple of years ago to modernize the sound a bit. I never cared about resale because I am happy I have one amazing bass that is all mine.
I take care of my equipment and have always put quality before quantity.
Welcome to TB. Too many variables to make a definitive answer. Fender Elite basses may or may not increase in value over time as other premium basses may. The bass market is fickle, what is hip today may become passe. If a star is always playing a certain model that no one else did, it's likely that model will be more in demand and the prices will increase. Some high end basses are practically worthless after a few years despite being fine instruments. (A certain California company that split in two and changed the name of its instrument division may well come to mind.) Rolling the dice on instrument values (especially basses) doesn't make a whole lot of sense in the realm of financial planning. If you can afford a high end bass and would rather own multiple cheaper instruments, why not put the money into real estate, stocks or bonds? If you are able to discern the quality differences between budget and boutique instruments chances are you will appreciate that and choose the better instrument. You may decide to go for the inexpensive bass that you feel comfortable with. Nothing wrong with that. Hope this helps.
Do they?
I've bought a lot of high end basses outside of my area, without being able to play them first. Overwhelmingly positive results and usually great deals too. A return policy is definitely preferred along with a reputable seller.
I got my first Fodera, an Anthony Jackson Contrabass six, at maybe a third of what it was worth at the time from a Guitar Center in Georgia. And it has appreciated since. It's all about how you buy. Has it been worth more to me than five MIM Jazzes? Yeah.
I rarely lose money when I resell (quite the opposite) because I consider that among other things before I buy. So when I see someone who's adamant about not caring about resale value have life happen and then take a beating, it's hard to muster any sympathy. Not like they weren't forewarned.
I'm generally more concerned with how it plays than how much I'm going to make or lose when I sell it. If it's a bass that I just want to try, I'll buy it used so that I can essentially play it for a year or two and if it doesn't bond, sell it for little to no loss.
But you didn't.
And you somehow think that's normal?
Okay.
I didn't because I did not want any inlays on the neck.
If you are asking if it is normal to know exactly what you want and then go out and buy what you need and build it because that's the only way you are ever going to get it. Then yeah. I kinda think that's normal.
It looks like supply and demand and starting price. There is a little bit of MSRP versus actual retail price too. I'm just using these three as examples...Fodera, Warwick, Fender.
A new Fodera Monarch Standard is going to set you back around $5,050 at Sweetwater. A Fodera Monarch Select is up at $7,250. The price goes way up on Custom Shop orders. Build time on custom shop orders is estimated at 10 months.
A Warwick Thumb GPS will cost $2,400 at Reverb from multiple sellers. I bought a brand new Warwick Thumb Masterbuilt two years ago for $3,800. Custom shop orders can probably go up equally high with Fodera. Build time on custom orders is 3 to 4 months.
Fender Precision Standard will cost around $750. American player is $1200 and the Elite is around $1800. The custom shop is around $3500 for most orders and takes 6 to 8 months.
Fender sells by far the most at every one of those categories and so the used market is much bigger as is demand. Warwick sells the next amount and has a decent number of used instruments--especially Corvettes and Thumbs. Fodera sells the fewest instruments and the used market is much smaller. On Talkbass there are 31 pages of used Foderas, 63 pages of used Warwicks, and 63 pages of used Fenders. On reverb it is 134 Fodera ads, 1800 Warwick ads, 13000 fender ads.
Anyway that is a lot of rambling. Here is new versus used pricing based on quick internet searching:
Fodera Monarch Standard $5000 to $3400 (68%)
Fodera Monarch Select $7250 to can't find one for resale.
Warwick Thumb GPS $2400 to $1500 (63%)
Warwick Thumb Masterbuilt $3800 to $2500 (65%)...though I think $2300 would be a better price at (60%)
Fender Standard MIM $750 to $450 (60%)
Fender American Player $1200 to $900 (75%)
Fender American Elite $1800 to $1300 (72%)
Generally, I find that used gear is around 2/3rd the cost of new gear in today's dollars except American Fender instruments which hold there value better (near 75%) because of high demand and custom shop orders which either sit unsold forever or sell near the cost of the closest used standard model for the reasons you illucidated.
Fodera owners definitely have an advantage because if I want a select monarch my options are new or to get into a bidding war on the first one that comes up used...assuming someone would ever sell it.
The internet has made it easier to find and sell things. Competition can work both ways as far as value.
Do research and be as well informed as needed. I've bought expensive basses knowing that they were worth more than I paid... and they were when I resold them.
I bought a high end bass once because I wanted the leather bag that came with it. Had no intention of keeping the bass, the bag ended up being free.
Minus the "always" and getting 40-50% off, I'd agree. These things MIGHT happen. They also might not.
Or get a very good deal on new. I bought my Zon brand new... for 50% off. So much for "always"...the word doesn't allow for exceptions.
No, I'm saying it's not normal to dump $1,300 into a Squier.
Hey, it's your money. I have a friend who just spent $800 modifying a Squier. I told him I hope it works out. It isn't something I'd ever recommend doing to a friend.
As far as what would be so unique about that bass that you couldn't get it elsewhere with a more solid value, unique and normal aren't typically the same.
No, I'm saying it's not normal to dump $1,300 into a Squier.
Hey, it's your money. I have a friend who just spent $800 modifying a Squier. I told him I hope it works out. It isn't something I'd ever recommend doing to a friend.
As far as what would be so unique about that bass that you couldn't get it elsewhere with a more solid value, unique and normal aren't typically the same.
Pretty hard to find custom scale fan-fretted graphite necked basses for under several grand. I was on a budget and Squiers are fantastic mod platforms.
Because nothing screams "normal" like fan-fretted graphite necked basses.
Next time spring for the hydroponic pickups.
Because nothing screams "normal" like fan-fretted graphite necked basses.
Next time spring for the hydroponic pickups.
Um... thank you?
I didn't know hydroponic pickups existed. Never heard of them.
