Your Most Expensive Bass?

[BlazinJzZz]

Got it! 1965 Precision $25.00 (MANY years ago)!!

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That's just crazy

 

[Jaze Bass]

Of course she does. To her, that money is much better spent on the wedding.

A Ring or Honeymoon. Yes indeedy!

 

[Antisyzygy]

A Ring or Honeymoon. Yes indeedy!

Tell her you want a brand new wedding-bass to solidify the commitment you are making to each other. Problem solved!

You can buy a tungsten wedding band for like 25 bucks, that's what I'm wearing.

 

[Baird6869]

I just wandered through the local vintage guitar shop, and they have an early '50s Les Paul for something north of $30K and a couple Strats for more than $20K each. I could make any of 'em sound like a low end guitar. That's negative talent. I got it, baby!

The 1958-1960 Sunburst Les Pauls can go for $250-500k. Insane money.

I jammed with a guy last year that had a very early Les Paul Goldtop ('52 or '54 maybe?) and he painted it black in the 70's. I got to play it and it was amazing. He had it appraised recently for $30k, but it wasn't THAT amazing!

 

[Big John66]

I lucked into a couple of great deals back in the late nineties. I picked up a '92 Alembic Elan for $950. It needed some work, but a trip back to the factory later it was in mint condition. Roughly a year later, I got a mint Pedulla Pentabuzz for $1100. It came with the case and all the case candy. I still have both basses.

 

[Rich Terry]

Here are a couple of my basses, 2006 Stingray 30th anniversary and my 1970 pristine Ampeg Dan Armstrong

 

[shadven]

I paid $9500 for my 1956 Fender Precision. I paid to much, but I really wanted this bass. So much mojo and vibe. I gig with it sometimes and I use as my bedroom practice bass mostly. It feels perfect to me.

 

[anavar]

Warwick Infinity bass, 3K even

but i sold it to buy a warwick thumb, which is even more beautiful.

 

[Shardik]

My Sterling by Music Man Ray34 is my most expensive and my main bass. I got it used for about half price off new, and I guess that would be like $500 or something in the US.

Sorry, OP, that this doesn't support your choice, but for what it is worth, I think a really great instrument could be worth more than you indicate. It's a matter of preferences and priorities.

 

[Sixgunn]

A Ring or Honeymoon. Yes indeedy!

I hope you're not still paying for 'em after the divorce

 

[AMJBASS]

I have owned some pretty expensive basses in the past(including Fodera, Sadowskys, F-Bass, etc), and currently I own 3 Fenders. The most expensive being my 2014 MIA Standard P-Bass. The Canadian dollar isn't great compared to the US and I spent more than I would like on it($1650), but its one of the best playing basses I have ever owned.

 

[Muddslide]

Tell her to be glad you're not a symphony player. Many play instruments that start in the tens of thousands and run to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. No joke. They make paltry salaries and yet spend more than they make in a few years on an instrument.

Google the international society of bassists site $5-$185K or the uptown basses site for prices ranging from $5K-$115K

Show your wife what working classical bassists pay for their instruments for a reality check.

This is true. Heck, repairs alone on a high-end or vintage violin can cost several times the price of the highest-end boutique electric basses and guitars.

 

[powmetalbassist]

The most I ever spent (my wife was concerned by this as well) was $1500 CDN on a used (estate sale) 1991 Warwick Streamer Stage I. When I was younger I was looking at picking up a $5500 bass online (The Warwick Vampyre), decided I was too poor for it at the time.

 

[eldorado2001]

My Burgundyglo 1977 4001 was $2200. Was worth it to me.

 

[avocado]

When you have a serious interest in anything that's even slightly esoteric, it's always shocking to "outsiders" how much gear can cost. Some of my friends think it's crazy and irresponsible to pay $100 for a bike saddle when you they spent less than that on the whole bike, while some others are surprised that I can stand one that cheap. Same with stereos, fishing gear, photography, tools, fashion, etc...

If you're sharing finances after marriage, it's reasonable that she would be interested in how shared resources are spent on something only one of you enjoys, particularly with respect to saving goals or whatever (maybe she thinks you're going to want a $5000 bass later on), but it's also really important that you're not both watching every penny. I also know married couples who happily keep all finances separate, and never question each other's spending as long as bills and goals are met. Either way, probably best to get that sort of thing squared away sooner rather than later.

To answer the OP's question, I've spent as little as $40 on a pawn shop guitar and as much as $1200 on a Music Man bass. I'll probably never pay more than that, as I'm satisfied, and my GAS is more interested in cheap projects.

 

[Sixgunn]

Well, since we're showing off... Not the one I paid the most for but probably the most expensive and it's a masterpiece!! Mayones Comodous 5.

 

[blowinblue]

I don't recall revealing on these pages what I paid for my most expensive bass. But my wife knows. She wasn't happy about it but did agree to it beforehand. That's what is truly important to me. It's called peace of mind.

M. M.

 

[Muddslide]

My most expensive is my MIA Jazz, an '08 bought new in '09 for almost 1200 bucks. My favorite bass to play however is my '10 Squier VM P I bought new it about 280 bucks. Go figure. The Jazz is most definitely the best of those two, it's just that I'm more of a Precision guy, and it really is a great bass.

To my way of thinking, if you enjoy the $280 Squier more, then IT would be "the best of those two." I don't believe price tag, headstock logo/brand name, what kind of wood and other components, etc. make one instrument "better" than another. At all.

You might objectively be able to say "many of the parts of Instrument X are more costly, exotic, etc. and are typically considered of superior quality than the components of Instrument Y."

But that doesn't make one bass "better" than the other. That's why those threads where people talk about how they have a beat up Squier Affinity that plays better than any MIA Fender, or an MIA Fender is always better than any Squier because...because of where they are made and the name on the headstock and the "quality" of the hardware, etc., are so meaningless and ridiculous.

Things like "quality, feel, tone, mojo, etc." are all completely subjective, are particular to the fingers, ears, wishes and experiences of the individual player and have nothing whatsoever to do with how much a bass cost, where it was made, what kind of wood, etc.

(Incidentally, I GASsed very hard for one of the VM Squier P basses in that amber finish. I'd still love to have one. I know they are out of production now, but I'm thinking I might refinish one of my current basses to look similar, or I might build one someday out of cheap parts.

"The things you own end up owning you"

Over the years I have come to think there is a great deal of truth in that statement.

"It's just, when you buy furniture, you tell yourself, that's it. That's the last sofa I'm gonna need. Whatever else happens, I've got that sofa problem handled."

1. The First Rule of Fight Bass is YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT BASS.

2. The Second Rule of Fight Bass is...

 

[scottyd]

My number one build.. it's flawed, imperfect and priceless to me. Still have it and will never let it go which is much more than I would say for any other guitar.

 

[40Hz]

Prices are relative. I scored a used Alembic for $2300. I felt that was the bargain of the century when I got it. I've tried out Fender Americans in the $1500 price range that I though were ridiculously overpriced for what they were. I own an all original 1974 Ripper which I bought new for $350 in '74. That bass I consider absolutely priceless. The most I ever paid for a bass was that $2300. The least I ever spent was $50 for a surprisingly nice sounding and playing instrument that I originally intended to use purely for testing pickups and alternative wiring schemes.

If it plays well, sounds good, and makes you happy - it's a good deal. If it doesn't, it's not even worth $5.

Consider...a wedding ceremony and reception lasts for one day. A quality musical instrument you can afford, and which works for you, is something you can use every day you're still breathing. And you can also leave it to a musical grandchild in your will once you're not. If you're going to splurge on something, do so before you tie the knot. Because after you start your married life, spending that sort of money will almost always get harder and harder to justify. And harder to find even if you can. Especially after a buying a home, having kids, dealing with unexpected medical expenses and other bills all start coming your way.

P.S. Congratulations! Best wishes for your wedding.