I always find it fascinating to read these kind of discussions. I am an unabashed gear snob, always will be. Yes, there are inexpensive instruments that are well made, and can be made to be very giggable. Having said that, there are bunches of reasons why top-end instruments are worth the money. In some cases, it's the playability...the instrument can be a lot more responsive to small nuances in your technique. Other times, it's having a monster active system that lets you easily adapt to any and all situations. Fingerboards and fretwork are usually a lot better. I like ebony boards, so there is that. I'm not into looks especially but I guess that is the other factor. As far as using them, I'll play any of my basses down at the Dog and Duck..I just won't leave it unsupervised....:)