Your Rig - where's your biggest cost?

[kesslari]

For your "usual" gigging rig, do you have more invested in your bass, your amp/cab(s), or your effects?
I see some effects and realize that one pedal can cost more than an amp (and that's OK if it's your thing) and a few of them will easily be the "big investment" in a rig. Then again, some folks rock an MIM Fender and no pedals through a SVT with 810 - there the amp's the biggest investment (for the sake of this poll, consider "amp and cab(s)" as one "component".

I've always had my biggest investment in my bass. For a long time that's because I was going for "as good as I can get for pretty cheap" on my amp, and had no FX. I've gotten more comfortable spending more on an amp (and cabs), and have the FX that I want now, but with my Zon, the bass is still my biggest chunk of cash.

Please consider this on your "usual" gig rig, with one bass, one amp, and your gigging pedal board. I don't care if you have 20 basses, or 25 amps, or a room full of pedals. That skews things. Just "1 bass vs 1 amp/cabs vs 1 "set of pedals".

 

[arbiterusa]

Basses and amp rig running about the same at this moment in time. Pedal (1) is negligible. But I've got four basses.

Based on what I take out of the house for a typical gig, the bass (I take one) is about $250 - all four basses cost the same - and the amp rig cost right about a grand. Everything was bought used.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Kess

Cool thread!

Playing bass for over 35 years now.

The answer is strings! Daaaaang roundwounds! (followed by beer)

Just "1 bass vs 1 amp/cabs vs 1 "set of pedals".

Okay I get it, no strings!


I don' t use pedals, (A HPF might come, but that won' t break the bank),

but I am picky about my amps and cabs

(that's why I can' t buy a Ritter )


greetings

Wise

 

[Runnerman]

Bass by far is the max investment.....my Bongo.

Most of the time I'm running through the PA/subs unless it's an outdoor or big venue so I've not updated amp/cab setup for a long while.....though I'd like to.

Pedal board/effects would actually be second if you consider wireless/sansamp/micropog/tuner together.

I have quite a bit invested in in-ears setup also....actually a heckuva lot when I think about it.

 

[two fingers]

I've got about the same amount in basses and amps. I only have a few hundred in pedals, board and power.

 

[mapleglo]

Either of those Rickenbacker basses individually were higher cost than the amp - got the 8x10 used and the PF-800 was like $400. Adding the costs of the pedal board was actually more than the amp. And my IEM setup was also more then the amp, but less than the bass.

 

[JRA]

my current, most used amp/cab costs more than my current, most used basses, but not by much. i don't care about the amp at all --- if it exploded i'd get another one. but my players are 'priceless' to me and i'd hate to have to replace them as it would just be a pain (but doable! ha!). i don't have enough in pedals to care much about them either.

it's all about the bass!

 

[Moving Pictures]

Mostly it would be the amp and cabinets which are comprised of Aguilar Tone Hammer and Bergantino cabinets. The basses come a close second.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Amp.

Wasn't planned that way, just the way it ended up, so far.

I think the total investment in pedals surpasses my amp cost but that's the death of a thousand cuts. The head chopper is the Amp.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

None of your business.
Now sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done.


Amp and Bass equal.

 

[12BitSlab]

Bought a new Ric 4003 in 2015 that set me back about $62,000.

$60,000 of that was a completely remodeled kitchen. She got a new kitchen and I got a new bass.

Therefore, for me, the bass is the most expensive part of my “rig”.

 

[user362432]

I set my limits. $500 for individual piece. Not a dime more.
I actually got some pedal-something... just to try what is all about. I don't think I can find purpose for it on any gig. All I need is decent bass, cable and Acoustic amp/with cab. That the sound I like. If someone does not like it, it's their problem.

 

[lermgalieu]

Amp, if you count the head and cabs. I think I spent $699 for my D-800 and about $1200 more for two Subway cabs. That's $1,900. My most expensive basses are my MIA Fender P and my Stingray, which are each about $1,300 instruments (unless you count them both together, but I don't know why you would, and if you would, you would also count all my other basses).

The pedal thing is interesting - I think my current pedal board probably adds up to about $800, but if you count all the pedals I own and don't regularly bring to gigs...yikes. Let's not speak of it, at least not in front of my wife.

 

[matante]

I think you should have separated the amp and the cabinets in the poll. For me a cheap bass sounds as good as an expensive one. A cheap amp sounds almost as good as an expensive one. A cheap cabinet sounds like mud at gig volume. I'll spend good money for a good cab.

 

[Madhouse27]

Both my head and cabinet cost more than my most expensive bass.

 

[Tom Bomb]

The divorce, by a country mile.

 

[MD]

My new AI Clarus/used Berg 1x12 was pretty close to the used B10. A new TB10 would dwarf the rig cost by ~3.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Amp, if you count the head and cabs. I think I spent $699 for my D-800 and about $1200 more for two Subway cabs. That's $1,900. My most expensive basses are my MIA Fender P and my Stingray, which are each about $1,300 instruments (unless you count them both together, but I don't know why you would, and if you would, you would also count all my other basses).

The pedal thing is interesting - I think my current pedal board probably adds up to about $800, but if you count all the pedals I own and don't regularly bring to gigs...yikes. Let's not speak of it, at least not in front of my wife.

I can equal the cost of my MarkBass Jeff Berlin AND NYC115 cab plus the puss as hell cable with 3 pedals! It's a flippin' disease . . .

 

[BioDriver]

After doing the math on what I have and plan on purchasing down the road, the amp situation is easily going to be the most expensive. Joy.

 

[basscapes]

Effects, but only if we count the whole board as one entity.

Otherwise, my SVT810 is the most expensive part. Both my basses cost less (even after adding/changing stuff to aftermarket).