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Your Most Expensive Bass?

#21
IIRC, I've never paid more than $800 for any single bass guitar, but every bass I've owned was either bought used or as parts that I assembled. I currently have 8(?) in the stable and they range from "that'll do just fine" to "as nice as I could ever need it to be." All of them play well and sound darn good once I get them set the way I want.

But that's what works for ME. Others will undoubtedly have different needs and priorities.
 
#22
Most of my gear has been bought in the classifieds. My Lull and Lakland were about $2000 and the Jazz about $1000.

I don't do spontaneous purchases but I don't impose any limits to what I'll spend either.

I do have a couple of "house rules". The main rule is that it has to be better than what I'm currently playing, then I always buy with cash, never buy because I want it, but because I have good solid use for it and there is a good chance of resale.

That way I'm always improving my gear, and I don't buy what I don't need, can't afford and can't sell.
 
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#23
The most I've ever paid out-of-pocket for a new bass is $1150, after that, $900 for a used one. The used one originally retailed for around $1900. So many things besides utility factor into the price of an instrument. The most important thing about buying an instrument is to be happy with what you bought, whatever it cost.
 
#24
By far, my most expensive is this Fender Custom Shop "Pino." It was previously owned, in fantastic shape, and cost $3200 which is easily as much as my next three most expensive basses combined. This was actually a gift from my sweet wife.


1.JPG
 
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#29
This one, 1937 Regal Bassoguitar, at $3,650 - I probably shouldn't have, but it is really quite something:
Regal 2.jpg Regal Bass-o-guitar.jpg
(seller's pics, I have no tats and don't like in a place like that)
 
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#32
beaglesandbass said:
Not trying to create any sort of bragging thread. My fiancee think's it's absolutely insane to spend close to $2,800 on the bass I want (5 string Valenti), and I'm generally curious to see what others have spent on their high end basses.

My current most expensive bass is a Classic Stingray 4. Retails new around $2,000.. I got it used for $1,220.
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The most Expensive bass I've bought new was a warwick thumb nt5 they go for like $4,500 but I paid around $3,000 new for mine because the guitar center in Raliegh had 3 of them that sat and sat and eventually they cut their prices and got rid of all their warwick stuff. the most expensive bass I currently own is my stingray5.
 
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#38
pcake said:
i don't have any expensive basses - currently the one that would sell new for the most is an ibanez SR500. that being said, serious photography enthusiasts pay easily over $3500 for a decent camera and lenses, and well over that for a good camera and high quality lenses. guys who rebuild cars can easily spend tens of thousands on their hobbies, and do-it-yourselfers need good quality tools that will also cost more than your bass.

i don't know how your fiance grew up or what her interests cost, but i see a lot of women and some men who do their best to convince, bully, pressure or otherwise talk the musicians in their lives into giving up their musical expenses. the way i see it, if you can afford your regular expenses, and the money you spend is your own, i don't believe significant others should get a say in how it's spent. more important, i can't see why they WANT a say in it. your hobbies, interests and passions are a part of you, and IMO they should support that in the same way you would support theirs. my husband is always stoked to get me or help me figure out the latest piece of gear (he paid for half my SR500 and drove me to 3 guitar centers and 2 sam ash stores last weekend) and i was happy to help him get his new jackson V a few weeks ago, as well as paying for all or part of his 8 string guitar and 5 string bass.
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WOW! You got a sister??? (LOL):woot:
 
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