tegs07

So difficult to predict as vintage and collectible stuff is not really logical. A split screen VW camper is hardly the most practical or refined vehicle to own for example.

Not sure if it’s worth judging tone in isolation. Listen to the latest Cure album for example. Some of Gallup’s bass tones are hideous but work perfectly for the song.

Recessions tend to produce excellent music. Less gentrified, low rent areas can provide affordable living and rehearsal space. Who knows. An economic downturn could create a new generation of gritty musicians rather than glossy pop stars.

Pretty much anything made now that consists of decent quality materials be they wood, cotton, wool etc are starting to cost eye watering sums. This is one reason for the popularity of things like Vinted. I wouldn’t be surprised if Indonesian made instruments made in the last 20 years gain in popularity a little as IMO the low inflation era is pretty much done. Even the cheap production countries like Indonesia, Mexico, China, Vietnam etc are getting more expensive to produce from as commodities and wages increase. Either quality will decline or prices will increase. There are a lot of cheap second hand Indonesian made instruments out there that are very cheap but very good.

There isn’t a correct answer to this question. For less than £150 you can buy an instrument that is more than good enough to enjoy playing. You might find it a little heavier and less refined than say a Yamaha in the £500 range. At the top end of the budget (particularly used) you can buy an instrument that will last a lifetime, hold its value if you give up playing or see you throughout a musical career, even if you become one of the lucky few making a very good living.

this monkey’s gone to heaven - pixies

caterpillar - the cure

maggot brain - funkadelic

hold on - tom waits

It’s encroaching into tech as well, particularly support roles. The concept being AI can suggest fixes based on search terms and historical data. I suspect the reality being frustrated users and even more sluggish productivity.

The getting upset part is mostly down to creatives losing income. It’s happening a lot already in the voice over world.

I am not sure what can be done about this. When the general public would rather watch a second rate YouTuber fight an old man we are probably approaching the point of no return. I vaguely remember something said by Baudrillard about the century closing with the image of someone masturbating to TV static and we are approaching this point.

Or people who want and can afford a CS bass. For much of my life a used Mexican Fender would have been a big purchase requiring a lot of thought. Now it’s something I don’t have to consider in the same way. For others a CS bass would be a similar experience.

I have a Sandberg California which is a slightly different league. I still pick up the Fender more often though…

The thing is though the CV is a really good instrument. My CV P bass is the only bass I regret selling. It took a few basses and finally a Nate Mendel to match/better it.

A big problem with this statement is £700 ten years ago bought a lot of Fender Mexican made bass. Now the prices have increased with inflation. Wages in the urban areas of Indonesia particularly for skilled labour are steadily rising. I read somewhere that minimum wages will increase in Indonesia by 6.5% this year. Raw materials and transport costs also remain elevated. £250 for a musical instrument including all taxes, distribution etc is incredible value. I don’t think £700 is particularly expensive either. I think we have just got used to things being extraordinarily cheap in the last few decades.

plenty of people spend hundreds of pounds on sports clothing that have been developed for elite athletes only to shuffle down to maccy d’s.

i don’t think they scorn the gear just the people buying it. if your a dentist that wants a £4000 custom shop fender for your 30th anniversary and can barely play then there are worse crimes out there.

i don’t have any data to back this up but i would guess that a sizeable chunk of people buying new instruments every year are parents. they possibly know nothing about the instrument they are buying but unless they have been living in a cave have probably heard of fender. japan was a cheap manufacturing destination 50 years ago, mexico was also very cheap until relatively recently. i would guess that the production of this bass is to make a budget fender to fill the gap in the market left by increasing costs in mexico.

scorn and belittling the behaviour and perception of others can also go upwards.

Excellent. So something is available for every budget. If the purpose of this thread is to praise the quality of Indonesian and Chinese built instruments then I agree. I don’t really agree with the inverse snobbery though. If someone has enough money to buy a custom shop Fender or wants to buy a brand they recognise then fair play. We know marketing is a dark art but I’ve stood staring at shelves long enough in foreign supermarkets pondering what to buy to realise it came about for a reason.

So have we reached the conclusion that it’s far cheaper to mass produce instruments in Indonesia and China and that brand recognition tends to make the end product more expensive ?

the problem is politics and decisions made by politicians are inextricably linked and influence pretty much everything we experience in life.

Tarrifs are inflationary. What is bluff and bluster to bully other nations into getting your own way is another question. As for the Indonesian made Fender if people want a budget bass with an F logo then I am sure it will sell. Personally I would buy a used CV or Mexican Fender but each to their own.