Al Krow

For me, the key point that you're missing Pete is clear from your thinking of basses as just "tools" to do a job. Yeah for sure they can be just that and I've got a couple of super work-horse basses that do me proud (the OP Yammy being one of them). But basses are also musical instruments and many high-end basses can also be fantastic pieces of craftsmanship. A musical instrument should be played. No disagreement from me on that, but where and when it is played is up to the owner - there is no "directive" that says if you're in a band you MUST gig all your basses. A lot of us get a lot of fun playing our basses at home whether we are in bands or not. As you say "people are more than welcome to use their hard earned money in whatever way that makes them happy". Amen to that.

In which case probs best not to describe them as "indulgent" then should they decide not to gig some or all of their basses?

Ah so, a car is something that gets you from A to B Never something to collect or appreciate in itself. A car collector has no business collecting high-end cars; he or she should be using them on the school run, even if the Nissan does that job just fine. It's a utilitarian approach.

No need to apologise, Dave. I'm totally cool with the conversation going where folk want to take it.

Lol! Well @peteb if you can't appreciate that folk have different priorities and they are not necessarily the same of yours... I must have missed the thread where you were appointed judge of how we spend our money and what we do or don't do with our gear 😂

It's a slightly arrogant statement if you stop to think about it, though, Pete? Isn't it effectively saying that all of our colleagues who are not in a band should never be allowed to own / enjoy a high end bass, because they are not gigging them? Being the simple chap I am, saving up for and owning a KS that I will enjoy for many years, look after and treasure, is worth more to me than a trip around Central Europe for a few weeks. I get that we all have different priorities.

I totally get where you're coming from @peteb I agree it would be a real shame if a fantastic bass is locked away in a case and never actually played. But it can certainly be played a lot and for the owner to get a huge amount of pleasure from a bass, without ever gigging it.

Hi TorVic - your suggestion makes a lot of sense and is similar to ones that myself and @Steve Browning have put to the mods together with a pinned notice about needing to be aware that VAT may apply to used goods being sold between the UK and EU (and vice versa). Currently I don't sense that there is any appetite to do so.

Aaaaaand seamlessly back on topic! (Please check the bass in the OP). Sir, you're a genius. I don't care what anyone else says. 😁

@Stub Mandrel go on, ask him what his favourite musical instrument is? 😁

No it's not, I agree! We seem to be settling, as a group, on £1k as being the de facto boundary between normal and boutique. Is that what folk would typically consider to be their "price boundary" (albeit no doubt blurred at the edges!)? But it's kinda funny, 'cos my Ibby SR Premium for me is a goto workhorse bass and I wouldn't have considered it in any shape or form as being "boutique" even though it cost me a fraction over £1k new.

That is high praise indeed if your Ovation is more of a keeper than your Wal Mk1! Please don't mention this to @OliverBlackman, but I actually feel similarly about my £550 Yamaha 1025 vs my three higher end basses. Fortunately neither of us are being forced to choose!

It's not better. And you'll need a very decent PA speaker to compete with a decent bass cab, for purely bass use. But there are potential cost savings and the ability to get everything mixed perfectly. I think there are pros and cons to both approaches and you will find some very content FRFR users and plenty (like me) who stick to a dedicated bass rig. Big topic! Best jump on that thread, if you're interested - it's been done in a LOT of detail

Lovely bass! But in this case, loyalty can't have been cheap! 😁

I've got a Barefaced cab. And some RCF active speakers. I think that qualifies as pretty FRFR, right?

More like yin and yin, I would say, Mr Yang? 😁

Full range, flat response Interesting FRFR story.. - Amps and Cabs - Basschat

Very juicy! Now where did I leave my feather duster? 😁

That is a serious play room you have there @prowla! And a very tidy pedal board too (although we really should discuss finding a successor to your 12 year old bass synth technology at some point in the coming the decade...)

Having your own studio? Heaven

Gear too heavy?...EBS head? All appearing in one sentence! I see an alignment of stars in your future when an @EBS_freak shall appear as if from nowhere and utter the magical incantation "FRFR"....

So the sweet spot with Thomann is going to be above their minimum value [£99? - seems to change all the time] for free delivery and below £135 where they sort out the VAT and make the risk of losing VAT on returns disappear.

Well you boys are immensely helpful for dealing with any guilt issues for me having a dedicated home rig separate from my gigging rig!

So exactly how many rigs have you got Dave?! I think I've tallied four from the pics plus mention of the Mesa rig!