Mrbigstuff

Attacking the business’ level of customer service is fine but when it is specifically directed at a person it’s out of order IMO. When comments are made about the bigger stores, it is the brand that is commented on, not the person(s) behind it.

I think your problem here is you are asking people who don’t know the answer to your very specific query.

One thing to note, Mark is taking a battering on his personality here in this thread. I dont know him and have never met him, but part of me hopes that he doesn’t read it, because for some people taking this level of criticism can lead to mental health illness.

My Fender P was nice but the pickups were a bit clean and timid. Put in some Lindy Fralins and it sounds more vintage than a custom shop reissue. A new fender will be hit and miss whether Chinese, Mexican or US made. Jap fenders regularly get good comments and my MIJ strat is pretty good.

You should be able to alternate both fingers, whether 1 first and then 2 or vice versa. Practice slowly and get your muscle memory used to it. Learning this now will help no end when you are playing more technical tunes later down the line.

Yeh but you’ve had (and I assume still have) some incredible basses. I’m sure there’ll be many more nice ones in the future.

Would be a different story today! I’ve not seen one that colour but so few come on the market.

Yep, I think second hand tends to sell at 50-70% of new price depending on condition. When I traded my 3EQ stingray 10 years ago the value was £550. Should have asked for a bit more but it was the going rate at the time. Now I would get double that. The MIM precision I bought 16 years ago for £350 new would easily get that now. Same for the Ken Smith I passed up on for £5k new around 5 years ago, now they cost £8k and the s/h price is £5k.

Luck? I don’t think so, circumstances such as change to production, competitiveness in the market and fashions will affect desirability.

To my ears vintage fenders are a different gravy to modern ones. Hopefully the value does drop and I can afford one but with how many were modified they’re only going to get scarcer.

Nice, is that the one from Switzerland? There’s someone selling a 6 in England but wanting a stupid price for it.

Seen him quite a few times in various lineups between 2009 and 2018. I was more of a fan pre FX pedals but I reckon this will be a good show and Stoller Hall was a great venue for Stanley Clarke. Sadly on holiday. Will also be likely missing Bob Reynolds return to band on the wall this year.

Really surprised by that. My second ever bass was an ETH and it was awful. Sound was pants, setup was awful, couldn’t get on with the painted neck, the neck dive meant it was like wrestling a whale even with a low strap. Quickly traded it for an Ashdown amp but is there a cooler bass?

Both the bass gallery and bass direct have plenty of choice in budget. In terms of what is best for you, only one person can make that choice.

If you can get the JV series…. They’re still nothing like the real thing but neither were the US Fullerton reissues.

I was comparing prices of the past to current prices - in GBP. Fender is an easy comparable and the Mexican range have seen just as high and increase as the US.

I don’t think you read what I was commenting on. I said there were some good instruments coming out of South Korea but the examples I provided were expensive and not for beginners. Reverend aren’t priced at beginners, neither are Lakland whether Indonesia or US built. This thread was to illustrate the above inflation shift in instrument pricing over the last decade, not what is the best bass.

Not particularly good though. Think Squier is made there now and mine is sh*t quality. Some good basses coming out of South Korea but Moollon and vintage modern around £2k. Sire seem to be breaking the mould but that can’t keep up with demand.

For the record, I do not need a new P bass as my £300 Mexican fender from 2006 is fantastic. But the point is that prices are out of reach for some and if I was 16 now I would only be able to look at Harley Benton’s and Squier if I wanted to buy new. A Fender US P bass was the gigging standard so I used it as an example. Second hand values have basically followed. About 10 years ago I sold a Fender AM deluxe jazz V for around £500 which is around what I paid for it and a MM stingray for similar amount, about half what I paid for it. I’d get over £1k for each now.

That’d be £1.23 in todays money 😜

Prices of basses are now crazy IMO and even the standard US made basses now feel out of reach. Take the standard series US made Fender P. In 2008 it was listed at $1600 - roughly £850 at the time. Now the professional II are nearly £2k on their website. Where’s the difference? If the price had followed inflation since 2008, BoE calculations has 2021 price at £1.2k. With many salaries not following suit, it’s no wonder (pandemic aside) instrument sales have been declining.

The Squier VMJ I have is in natural and it has the most obvious block joins you will ever see. I think Sibob might be right that the difference is down to the colour of the wood underneath.

Or is it because that music has a bigger marketing budget and increased exposure? There are plenty of great songs in the charts but also lots that is only there because of who the artist is.

Have you seen the prices of US instruments now? Those vintera series are the same price an US Deluxe was 10-15 years ago. Then MM US special are nearly £3k. You could get those US SUB basses for £350 brand new before they were discontinued

You’re in but you’re wife can no longer take part. I’m sure she is devastated 🤣