Your most and least expensive basses

[Smooth_bass88]

Link RemovedHere's the bass I spent the most money on, vintage 1962 Fender, slab board (with Fralin pickups). Bought it a few years back. ($undisclosed! Lol)
My cheapest bass in a late 90s Fender MIM Jazzz fretless that I paid $299 for brand new (not pictured). Heavily modded, it's a decent little bass that's got a great feeling neck.

 

[chris_b]

My most expensive bass is a Sadowsky Metro RV5 Jazz (just over $2k), and my least expensive is a Mike Lull PJ5 (just under $2k). A perfect pair.

 

[izpak]

Cheapest Bass that I've bought new is my Harley Benton PB-50, cost me around £70 ($90~$100)
Don't have any pictures of it but it's an early 50's style P-bass

Most expensive so far has been my Atelier Z #M265+ Custom which I got used for £1550 ($2200)

 

[Medicine Man]

My least expensive is a US L2500 i stole for $800. My most expensive is a Modulus Q5 with Lane Poor pickups i got for $1900.

 

[lfmn16]

I don't have pics because they are gone, but my least expensive was an SX six string for under $200. It was an OK bass. Most expensive was a Bossa OB5 that I got in a trade. They retailed at the time for $4,000 although I doubt anyone ever paid that. It's one of the few instruments I'd like to have back. If you count String Bass, I bought an old Czechoslovakian bass in 1980 for $8,000 when I was an orchestral bassist. That was a chunk of change for me back then.

Even though I rarely play bass any more, I'm looking at a 1987 Rickenbacker Tuxedo bass for about $3,200 for a project I'm working on. That would be the most cash I've ever spent on an electric bass.

 

[JRA]

Bonus points will be awarded, however, if you have a bass you paid over $10,000 for and one you paid less than $100

no bonus points for me!

my most expensive, ever, was a $3000 custom build ~30 years ago. but i've disassembled it for a number of reasons and i hadn't gigged it for several years because of weight.

these days: both my "most" and "least" are glarry-based (bodies) parts axes --- and they're both P-basses (even though i'm not a fan of that configuration).

most ($669):


least ($447):


the prices (parts investment) are about to go up on both, however, as i'll be adding a custom pickguard to each one.

TB is littered with pics of these axes, particularly the blonde P, but i offer them here for 'continuity', self-consciousness notwithstanding.

 

[jd56hawk]

Dean Exotica...$250

G&L L2000...$1,500

 

[eastcoasteddie]

About $1200-1300 in 1997 - I traded a 2-year old Stringray Fretless plus $250 cash for it:

Paid $169 out the door April 2021

 

[Diminishedfilth]

The two Fenders are a tie for most expensive. The German representation in the photo was the least I paid for, but is also my favorite because it was the first one I bought after a tough moment in my life.

 

[Ajapses]

Least: Imitation Beatle bass from the Aldens catalog. Including amp - 80 bucks. Thank you, Mom.
Most: Roscoe SKB gently used ~ $2K.

 

[Planespotter]

Of what I currently own
Least expensive: 2000 American Series P that I bought new for dealer cost of $640 back in my GC daze.

Most Expensive: FCS ‘51 Precision Relic I got used for $2500 at a local mom&pop a few years ago.

 

[smtp4me]

Depending on the criteria, my answer will vary (meaning, most and least expensive I currently own vs. all that I've owned)
From all that I've owned:
My least expensive was my first - a 1977 Cortez Jazz bass purchased new at $200.
My most expensive was a 2017 Rickenbacker 4003S at $1600.

From what I currently own (and these are the ONLY two I currently own):
My least expensive is a 2015 MIM Fretless Fender Jazz at $500.
My most expensive is a 2013MIM Geddy Signature Jazz at $800.

 

[Ed Goode]

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

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

 

[Williethump]

Both quality and cheap basses can be fun and often sound similar, though not these two, strung as they are.
I bought the 2014 lightweight ash MIJ vintage style Precision bass with Seymour Duncan pickups, TI Jazz flats and plush Fender HSC used on CL for $460usd a few years back. Makes me sound better than I am:

OTOH I bought this Peavey Milestone II Korean P-bass clone at a flea market for $22 which revealed a previous artistic owner's art after I sanded down much pasty silver rustoleum in a relic/ratrod job. Strung with set of Alice brand $10 Chinese roundwounds it rings like a piano:

Lost art discovered!

I'm putting up a tiktok video of the Peavey as soon as I restring it with some Rotosound 66 Swing real bright roundwounds. Fun thread, thanks for the humblebrag opportunity.

 

[sonojono]

$15 at a yard sale almost a year ago.

NBD Yard Sale Find!!!!

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Lots of variety on this thread. The most I ever paid for a bass was one of the maybe 2 new ones I ever bought over the years, $470 for a Hofner Ignition Club bass w/hsc. It was ok but call me shallow, I just despised the brown color so it's long gone.

My 2 basses, my mainstays that have stayed while 6 or 7 others have come and gone are my Musicmasters. One Fender and one Squier. I got the Fender for free after a friend's family bought a farm and it was found in the barn in the crappy chipboard case. Sadly I never took any photos of the sad state it was in. I originally refinished it in a lake placid blue shade, but when my son was in high school he got into airbrushing and did a Clapton-esque "Crash 1" type design. At that time I did install a Squier through body bridge. And as I posted in the pandemic mod thread I recently swapped out the original chunky neck for a nice thin and playable Bronco neck. I painted the headstock to tie it in to the bass too. And I installed a Nordstrand '51 tele pup. This is my main player.

I got the Squier off CL for $75. It was originally black and the body looked like the former owner had used it as a garden shovel so I did get that refinished in candy apple red. A custom pickguard from my son, no other mods.

Total investment in these two basses over the years is probably around $450-$500. But that's ok.

 

[baileyboy]

I spent $2200 for my '74 Precision, which was a 9.5 out of 10 condition when purchased in 2011. I did pay at the top end of its value, but no regrets, it is killer. My USA Geddy Jazz was purchased brand new in 2015 for $1330. This was a Black Friday sale, so saved almost $300 off the retail price at that time. My GL is under 9 lbs which makes me think I was very lucky to get such a great deal. Now the retail price for a brand new USA GL is around 2K and, from what I've seen, it appears there is a pretty long waiting list.

 

[Thundertips]

I don't discriminate. I love a great feeling and sounding bass that's a little on the expensive side, but I also love finding a really good bass that's inexpensive. Had quite a few of both over the years, although I never spent truly huge money. The most I ever spent for a bass was $1500 new for this one on the right:

View attachment 4290627

These were made by the Guitar Factory in Orlando, and they had more deluxe versions of these basses but I went no frills and saved some money. Well, not really no-frills. They both have Kahler bridges and the 4 has a whammy bar and Sperzel locking tuners. Both have EMG active PJ's and I updated the pres with BQC's a few years ago.

The 4 was my main bass from 1997-2001, but as much as I tried to fight the passive Fender thing back then, I just couldn't beat it tonally so I went back to them. I kept it because there are certain cool things I like to do with the whammy bar on occasion and because it plays so beautifully. But it's rare I use it on a gig anymore.

I've bought cheaper basses than my current cheapest, but at $190, my 2009 Danelectro Longhorn has been a real keeper:

View attachment 4290639
Originally priced at $400, two of these basses sat in my local Sam Ash for a year. Played them every time I went there and this one was clearly my favorite of the two. One day they were marked down, and I bought it, and the repair guy there was nice enough to drill a hole in the horn for a Straplok, which remains the only mod I've done to it.

This version is known for being the cheapest built of the reissues, and I thought for sure I'd have to replace the saggy bridge and cheapest of the cheap Kluson knock-off guitar tuners. But it has very low action, stays in tune like a rock, the bridge still sags but it hasn't gotten any worse over the years, is much more versatile than you'd think, sounds amazing with both flats and rounds, and is super light. And it's mighty purdy in a bizarre way. I've done many plane trips with it as checked luggage in a padded gig bag and SKB Roto case, and it never let me down.

So let's just point out that I'm not fishing for financial information from you all, nor am I interested in starting a peepee sizing match. You don't have to disclose anything financial if you don't want. I just am interested if there's others like me who can see the beauty and usefulness in both cheap and not-as-cheap basses. Bonus points will be awarded, however, if you have a bass you paid over $10,000 for and one you paid less than $100

I paid 200 bucks for a Korean made Mako Bass in 1990 that was made out of plywood, if you can believe that. Haha. Sold it soon after cuz it sounded like total crap. Overtones from the plywood.

Now, I have an AmPro II P-Bass that was 2049 bucks. It's amazing.

 

[Joe Nerve]

My most expensive is the bass in this video, which Minarik Guitars custom made for me at a time I was playing with one of their endorsers. I don't have any other pictures of it, and really should take some . I don't know what it would have cost, but I saw a very similar one on Reverb once for $4000, about 15 years ago.



The least expensive bass I own is a TMB30, though I upgraded the pickups.

 

[aekisz]

My most expensive bass is a Squier Classic Vibe. How did I ever afford such an extravagance, you ask? My other basses are a less than $100 70s Cameo (purchased gutted on Ebay and fitted with a single DiMarzio Model J) and a fretless Frankenbass cobbled from miscellaneous gear. So sum total for three basses: <$900.