Your most and least expensive basses

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I need to know if we're talking about the original price (in the case of used instruments I've bought) and if we're adjusting for inflation.

I had a '72 P-Bass I bought used in 1981 for $1,300. That is a pretty big bite of the old budget.
That was my main bass for about a year then, a brand-new Ibanez RoadStar II (I think they were about $300, brand-new) replaced it.

Today, I've got a '79 P-Bass for which I paid $800, two years ago. It took about $300 worth of repairs/parts. So, that's $1,100.

On the low side (pun intended), I have a 1993 Epiphone AccuBass for which I paid $90 three years ago. It's the bass I reach for the most often.

 

[tubatodd]

These two...

 

[Arjan01]

I own a used Warwick Corvette $$ German made. Paid 1300usd for it, probably new around 1700usd, no idea really.

Cheapest bass currently is a Ibanez tmb 100 (used for 160usd, new for 240usd).

 

[tvbop]

Well I only own two basses now and there both dirt cheap Squires and yes in my hands they sound very good but I've had vintage that broke the bank too but did they sound better?..not really, not enough to justify keeping them.

 

[Eneade]

My most expensive bass now is this 66 J :
BS6A0327 by Eneade, sur Flickr

But the most expensive bass considering the price when new, is this Emperor 5 Special :
BS6A4050-7 by Eneade, sur Flickr

The least expensive is this Sandberg :
Sandberg JM4 by Eneade, sur Flickr

 

[BassAgent]

The bass I paid the most for is most definitely my '66 Jazz:

Paid €4000 for it 13 years ago.

Least expensive was my Yamaha BB N5II, which cost about €400 when it was new 21 years ago.

 

[TBird1958]

Least expensive, Epiphone Vintage Pro.

Most expensive, 1964 Gibson Thunderbird II, more than10 times the price of the Epi.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Least expensive.... Ibanez Talman. Purchased new for $150. Helluva bass and value.

Most expensive.... Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray 5 HH. $2,350.

 

[marchone]

All of my basses cost or are worth roughly $2000-$3500 each. I have one build on order that will be over $5000.

After my first really cheap Kay in 1966 I bought a Fender Telecaster Bass for around $300. That money is over $2000 today.

 

[GIBrat51]

Depending on your definition of the terms, there are different contenders for those titles. Going by MSRP for a new one?
- Most Expensive: My Alembic Epic. Latest list price for a no-frills version is - IIRC - $8,100.
- Least expensive; My Chinese Starfire violin bass. Price (including shipping) - $139.00
Most and least expensive bass, according to what I actually paid for them?
- Most expensive: there are a couple of contenders. My '18 Gibson Thunderbird's very close, but, total hit to my wallet? At $3,500 and change, my left handed '17 Hofner Sunburst Deluxe 500/2 Club Bass takes the crown. The T-bird's downfall? Gibson's normally outrageous "Lefty Surcharge" wasn't quite as outrageous as Hofner's, this time...
- Least expensive: The '81 Kramer "the Duke" headless bass I walked out of the Las Vegas GC with, about 10 years ago. With tax included? It cost me a whopping $103.00. For Vegas? Meh; pocket change...
To be honest, I don't usually care - well, not all that much, anyway - how much a bass costs. If my "Bass Herd" list specifically called for a top of the line Alembic- or any other, really high-dollar bass? I'd have one. But, if the list just calls for "long scale solid body bass", I'm not going to order something like a Sadowsky, when something in the $800 - $1500 range will do just fine. I have the Alembic only because, when I was looking to fill the "Active Bass" spot, it was the first left handed active bass to pop up on eBay that day. It could just as easily been a Schecter, or any other active lefty they had. But, the price was... reasonable, so it's been mine ever since. Yes, it was fairly expensive, but I'm not sorry I bought it. Quite the opposite, actually...

 

[slapshot]

Least: 1983 Aria Pro II CSB300 $200
Most: 2021 Fender Tony Franklin fretless $2100

 

[WoodyJ]

Most expensive - Fender Custom Shop Sean Hurley '61 Precision. I switched the pickguard because i did not like the looks of the hideous tort guard that it came with. And I usually love tort if it looks like tort!

Least expensive - Paul Goddard's '57 Fender Precision that I bought from it's then-owner, Paul Goddard, bassist for the Atlanta Rhythm Section in 1980. His asking price was $750.

 

[andvari7]

Least expensive, even when adjusted for inflation, was a $100 Peavey TL-Six, which I unsuccessfully tried to defret.

The most expensive that I currently own is my Basslab, which cost a few more dollars than my TL-Six.

The most expensive will be the custom Basslab basses I have built, as soon as I can afford to do so.

 

[the general]

Least expensive: Slammer by Hamer, which I think I paid $50 for.
Most Expensive: Fender MIA Jazz for $850-ish?

 

[ThaCoast]

Least: Parts Pbass: Roughly 250$ CAD after modding it over the years.
View attachment 4294220
^^^specs: Redfox pbass copy basswood body, unbranded high mass bridge, Duncan Hot for Pbass pickups wired to a 1meg audio volume & 500K tone, switchcraft output, Fender Branded 70's reissue tuning keys, Aftermarket j bass maple/rose neck.

Most: Home Built Ripper inspired/tribute Bass about 600-700$ CAD
View attachment 4294221
^^^Specs: Maple neck, Purpleheart board, 2 piece plywood body, Wilde L90 Pickups, 4 position rotary, 1meg volume, 500K linear Mid control, 500K linear tone control, switchcraft output, unbranded made in japan 3 point bridge, schaller BM nickel tuners. It's not finished as i still need to carve a separate wood piece for the headstock & paint it whole in red.

Quoting myself, as i had finished the Ripper bass build back in October/November 2021. Here it is.

Invalid Link Removed
It sounds as big as it looks My preferred rotary setting are 2 & 3. All are usable, but 2, which is both full humbucker in parallel, & 3 both split (neck north, bridge south) in series - which kinda sounds like there's reverb on it.

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

Least Expensive: Fender Player Precision purchased from AMS for $830.

Most Expensive: Fender Vintera 70s Jazz traded for a Fender Blues Deluxe amp and a Gretsch G2622 semi-hollow git-fiddle.

 

[wango55]

I am a bang for your buck kinda guy, and have never really felt like I deserved to be playing on a super nice bass. Most of my collection are decent, player instruments that I happened upon - none of those coffee table type.

Least expensive (in terms of what I paid): Moniker Zuma Bass (Free - I won a contest they were running)

Least expensive that I actually paid for: Parts-bass (I think roughly $300 total). It's probable my favorite at the moment.

Most expensive bass in terms of what I paid: 2004 Fender American Series Jazz (I paid $675ish for it)

 

[JCW308]

I just bought a NS Radius CR4. It should be here in a few days.

 

[Lee Barker]

Custom Barker Bass fretless 6 string, only one ever made. I think it was north of $2300

View attachment 4290836

Parts P bass, not 100% sure of the total cost but maximum of $120 ... I think it was slightly less

View attachment 4290842

And speaking of Barker Basses, available on Amazon: Plausible Gumption: The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and the Barker Bass. By Lee Barker, who should know better but wrote the book anyway.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

And speaking of Barker Basses, available on Amazon: Plausible Gumption: The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and the Barker Bass. By Lee Barker, who should know better but wrote the book anyway.

Hope you're doing well!