What would you do?

[joel406]

It's your birthday.

 

The wife says. Go buy what you want.

 

Musically...

 

With the world as your oyster.

 

What. Are. You. Buying.

 

By the way. You have roughly a $4,000 usd budget.

[AndyTravis]

Me personally…something Gibson.

 

or I’d seek out a Wal from an auction or house sale as Reverb and eBay pricing MENTAL

[MichaelDean]

I'd take a trip to Bass Direct and see what fanned fret I liked the best. I really liked the playability of a Spector NS Dimension, but it didn't sustain like my Dingwall. I'd like to try out the Dimension HP vs D-Roc vs Combustion vs NG and take my pick. 

[OliverBlackman]

5 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Me personally…something Gibson.

 

or I’d seek out a Wal from an auction or house sale as Reverb and eBay pricing MENTAL

Judging by the fact it’s USD I assume OP is in the states where Wal prices are even higher than UK (if Talkbass is anything to go on). 
 

Can you get a 70s Fender Jazz for that price in the US? I think that’d be my shout or a used Ken smith if one came up in budget.

[NancyJohnson]

$4k in the US (unless this is a typo), will buy you significantly more than £3.2k here on a direct exchange value; I think we'd all concur a $4k US ticket price would be £4k here (so nearer $5k).

 

The answer to what are you buying is much the same as that expressed elsewhere, nothing mainstream.  I'd be looking at used Hamer, Mike Lull, Kubicki; if the budget extended to geetars I'd try and find a first run Ibanez Destroyer.

 

[Geek99]

I’d look at any instrument that was better quality than the standard of my playing and keep the change.

 

So, one $150 squier affinity later … 

[spyder]

I would track down a beautiful 5 string Ken Smith.

 

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

I’d look at any instrument that was better quality than the standard of my playing and keep the change.

 

So, one $150 squier affinity later … 

That’s with a busted pickup and a poor relic job naturally 

[StingRayBoy42]

Toss up between a pre EB StingRay and a 74 (YOB) Precision.

Or a Ricky.

[Paolo85]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

.... and keep the change. 

Well, this

[BigRedX]

I'd probably get a second Eastwood Hooky 6 to use as a spare for gigs.

 

What I'd really like is a  Gus Bass VI built using the their G3 Baritone shape, but last time I enquired (pre COVID) I was looking at in excess of £6k for the spec I was after...

 

Edit: After buying the Hooky I'd use the rest of the money to buy one of my bands in the studio with a decent producer who is sympathetic to our genre/sound and get as many tracks recorded and mixed to best possible standard until the money ran out.

Edited February 11, 2024 by BigRedX

[Bassassin]

I think in the Real World, I'd struggle to spend that across a range of instruments/recording gear at the moment, never mind just the one bass. I've had terrible GAS in the past & have ended up with all of my musical needs over-carered for - although in fairness (to myself) my tastes aren't particularly expensive so I have an embarrassment of (mostly) cheap-but-decent gear.

 

In the not-so-real world, & if it had to go on just the one bass, I think it'd be time visit a few luthiers & see if my vision of a headless, lightweight, double-neck through neck(s) fretted 4/fretless 5 prog nightmare bass is actually achievable. I have drawings & everything...

[Lozz196]

A year of birth (1965) Precision wouldn’t be in that budget so I think I’d struggle to find a single instrument at that value that I wanted. 

[snorkie635]

11 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Me personally…something Gibson.

 

or I’d seek out a Wal from an auction or house sale as Reverb and eBay pricing MENTAL

With you on the Gibson Andy. Any particular model?

[TRBboy]

Right now, probably buy my old Sandberg back, and spend the remaining few grand on a new car 😅

[jd56hawk]

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, snorkie635 said:

With you on the Gibson Andy. Any particular model?

I’m thinking a ripper in natural/maple, maybe a grabber in natural…

 

id love a thunderbird or RD - but the offset shapes look weird on me.

[Bolo]

[itu]

7 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

The answer to what are you buying is much the same as that expressed elsewhere, nothing mainstream.  I'd be looking at used Hamer, Mike Lull, Kubicki...

Now that sounds like a plan. There are a lot of interesting local brands, like Alembic, Surine, Pensa-Suhr, Pedulla, Zon, Carl Thompson, Modulus Graphite, F-bass (although Canadian), Sukop, Linc Luthier... 4k$ sure is a lot of money.

[PaulThePlug]

Maybe a Ric... Something different, maybe a Cheyenne or Laredo?

[Paul S]

I'd have a look at a 60s EB-0 or EB-3 shorty.  I've never had one of those powerful old sidewinder mudbuckers but think I'd like it.

[bass_dinger]

If I had $4,000 to spend on musical gear, I would not spend it on musical gear!

 

But if you are forcing me.....

 

Lessons. Bass,  piano, mandolin, theory. 

 

That should keep me busy, and on track for the 2024 Bass Abstinence thread.

[bubinga5]

£4000 on a bass, no way.. Amazing and I mean amazing basses out there for £1500 to £2000 second hand, even 4th hand. For me a Lakland 5502 deluxe and Aguilar. But if I had to..  USA Lakland, Suhr, Sadowsky, MTD, F Bass, .  

[NancyJohnson]

25 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

£4000 on a bass, no way.. Amazing and I mean amazing basses out there for £1500 to £2000 second hand, even 4th hand. For me a Lakland 5502 deluxe and Aguilar. But if I had to..  USA Lakland, Suhr, Sadowsky, MTD, F Bass, .  

 

I have a couple of basses that cost me more than £4,000.00 each.  They're lovely and all, but realistically are they worth 40 (or 55) times the money my old Aria bass owes me?  Nooooo.

[Linus27]

I would buy an original 70's Fender Fretless Precision or a fretless Ibanez Musician. Both would be considerably less than $4k.