Bass for thousands or bass for hundreds

[Ed_S]

I'm one of those who doesn't like taking basses that cost too much out to gig with. I realise that 'they're tools to do a job' etc. but I get too preoccupied with their safety to enjoy the outing, so I play mid-value (£500-£1k) instruments out and have a couple of slightly more expensive toys to play at home, just for my enjoyment. I guess that makes my answer "both".

 

Cheaper copies can also be subjectively better if they're built to more personally comfortable specs than the originals. The nut is too wide and the board radius too small for my liking on a 'proper' Fender 5 string P-bass, but much cheaper copies are out there with measurements that I find just right, so a couple of those (modded and fettled as required) are what I have.

[tauzero]

On 12/12/2024 at 09:36, Lozz196 said:

Our guitarist has just been given a Japanese Les Paul copy, bolt-on neck, name I`ve never heard of - think Kysugu? - but it`s a stunningly good guitar. 

 

I would guess Kasuga - I had a Kasuga LP copy, also bolt-on neck, it was a great instrument.

[tauzero]

The first 5 string I really bonded with was around £300 IIRC, from Vietnam. Played beautifully, electrics weren't great, so it's had electronic upgrades and new pickups and I still love it 17 years on. I use that and a couple of Seis for gigs - all effectively irreplaceable but I want to use them. I can always take a Cort or Ibanez to somewhere I'm not sure about, not a vast difference in price but I can get another one if disaster should befall it.

[jazzyvee]

Please delete my post.

Edited December 14 by jazzyvee

[Geek99]

I still play my vintage (brand) stingray copy - it does it all 

 

[Happy Jack]

I've never understood why people ask this question, requiring people to choose between cheap basses and expensive basses.

 

I own both.

 

Simples.

 

[NancyJohnson]

I've got a £5.5K Mike Lull and an Aria Pro II Primary bass from 1978 that came as part of a job lot of kit for £50.00.  They're both fit for purpose, but I wouldn't chuck the Lull across a stage.

[diskwave]

22 hours ago, Dazed said:

The only people who care what you play are you and other musicians

Even thats stretching it. I know drummers and pianists and classic players who have never heard of Fender, Gibson et al and don't care either.  Anyway, Ive had a few vintage basses, sold the lot and now play a lowly CV 70's P bass and want for nothing more. 

[prowla]

My '64 Rickenbacker cost me £220.

(It was in 1977, though.)

[Lozz196]

My fave bass, my 2015 US Precision cost me about £800/900ish new. I’ve just been playing it for about an hour and a half, the sheer enjoyment I get from playing this bass is unlike I’ve ever got from any other instrument. Cost doesn’t count imo once you find “your” instrument (aside from being in the position to be able to afford it of course).

[gjones]

I've owned Musicman and Fender basses which don't play as good as much cheaper instruments I own/have owned. A Jazz I have plays superbly, it's body is from a Squier 70s Classic Vibe and the neck is from an old Korean Squier from the 90s.  The trick is to play the bass before you buy, especially if it's an expensive purchase, as not all expensive basses play great right out of the box. Of course this is easier said than done, as physical music shops, that carry decent stock, are difficult to find these days.

Edited December 16 by gjones

[Bassassin]

1 hour ago, prowla said:

My '64 Rickenbacker cost me £220.

(It was in 1977, though.)

 

£1415.84 now, apparently!

 

https://www.inflationtool.com/british-pound/1977-to-present-value?amount=220&year2=2024&frequency=yearly

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Bassassin said:

 

£1415.84 now, apparently!

 

https://www.inflationtool.com/british-pound/1977-to-present-value?amount=220&year2=2024&frequency=yearly

You can just find them lying around, this is likely an 1864 vintage rickenbacker so proper vintage, look at the relic mojo 

Edited December 14 by Geek99

[meterman]

20 hours ago, Ed_S said:

I'm one of those who doesn't like taking basses that cost too much out to gig with. I realise that 'they're tools to do a job' etc. but I get too preoccupied with their safety to enjoy the outing, so I play mid-value (£500-£1k) instruments out and have a couple of slightly more expensive toys to play at home, just for my enjoyment. 

This ^
 

I had a rare moment of clarity after playing a £150 gig, with a 1968 Fender Telecaster, a Wurlitzer piano, à Hammond organ and Leslie speaker, an electric sitar and a stock '78 Fender Vibro Champ. I think all I was missing was the velvet cape, the 50" gong, and a wind machine. Oh, and loads of dry ice. 😂
 

Thousands of pounds worth of gear for a £150 gig. Bonkers! After that I started taking an MIM reissue rig out. The audience usually don't care or notice anyway. Even onstage sometimes the other players won't know the difference if they're not gear heads.

[rwillett]

6 hours ago, Geek99 said:

You can just find them lying around, this is likely an 1864 vintage rickenbacker so proper vintage, look at the relic mojo 

Isn't that one of those really heavy 70's Fenders...

[Geek99]

52 minutes ago, rwillett said:

Isn't that one of those really heavy 70's Fenders...

No it’s a proto rickenbacker, the plough share is a dead giveaway as the inspiration for the bridge and pickup cover 

[tauzero]

7 hours ago, meterman said:

Thousands of pounds worth of gear for a £150 gig. Bonkers! After that I started taking an MIM reissue rig out. The audience usually don't care or notice anyway. Even onstage sometimes the other players won't know the difference if they're not gear heads.

 

I had about £3000 worth of gear on stage earlier for a £75 gig. The most expensive single item was the £1600 Sei Jazz BC Bike, and I wish I hadn't taken it because it's not a headless and there's buggerall room at that pub. I'm quite happy to use expensive gear if I'm enjoying it, with the minor proviso that I don't want it damaged or stolen.

[LowB_FTW]

11 minutes ago, tauzero said:

… the minor proviso that I don't want it damaged or stolen.

I really don't think there's anything minor about that proviso.

 

Mark

[Ed_S]

The problem, for me, comes when I start to add it all together. My gear is decent but nothing rare or out of the ordinary, and still if I add up amps and cabs, pedals and power supplies, cables and straps, boards, cases and bags used for a standard gig, I'm at around £3500 before I even choose which two basses I want to take. Being primarily on the metal originals scene, the people I meet are some of the nicest and least likely to ever wilfully damage or steal anything, but my gigs are usually the £0 variety.

 

Don't get me wrong, though, I fully support anyone enjoying using their rare and/or expensive basses and equipment exactly where, when and how they please.

[meterman]

4 hours ago, Ed_S said:

The problem, for me, comes when I start to add it all together. My gear is decent but nothing rare or out of the ordinary, and still if I add up amps and cabs, pedals and power supplies, cables and straps, boards, cases and bags used for a standard gig, I'm at around £3500 before I even choose which two basses I want to take. Being primarily on the metal originals scene, the people I meet are some of the nicest and least likely to ever wilfully damage or steal anything, but my gigs are usually the £0 variety.

 

Don't get me wrong, though, I fully support anyone enjoying using their rare and/or expensive basses and equipment exactly where, when and how they please.

It's also a problem for drummers, often in a working band, whether originals or covers, the cymbals alone could easily run to £2500 and that's before they've spent anything on drums or pedals or other hardware. Even a comprehensively filled stick bag might run to £300 or more.

 

Certainly not unusual for a drummer to have £5000 worth of gear onstage with him. But they could easily get away with a £500-all-in kit, and many do. 
 

The same price dilemma affects most people that play instruments - "how much do I want, or need, to spend". Ultimately it's the choice of the individual musician, and how deep their pockets are, or if GAS is playing a part in the decision making process.

[Lozz196]

Yup, I remember our drummer spent a grand on a set of cymbals, first gig we did after he’d bought them an 18stone bloke was thrown into the kit and all the drums & cymbals ended up on the floor. Said drummer was not pleased.

[Ed_S]

34 minutes ago, meterman said:

It's also a problem for drummers, often in a working band, whether originals or covers, the cymbals alone could easily run to £2500 and that's before they've spent anything on drums or pedals or other hardware. Even a comprehensively filled stick bag might run to £300 or more.

 

Certainly not unusual for a drummer to have £5000 worth of gear onstage with him. But they could easily get away with a £500-all-in kit, and many do. 
 

The same price dilemma affects most people that play instruments - "how much do I want, or need, to spend". Ultimately it's the choice of the individual musician, and how deep their pockets are, or if GAS is playing a part in the decision making process.

 

Indeed! I don't know how I'd go on with being a drummer... aside from the minor strength, fitness and limb co-ordination issues, the idea of buying nice, shiny, expensive things intending to hit them repeatedly with a stick just doesn't sit right with me at all.

 

GAS certainly has to be factored in. I keep having thoughts about a trip to Bass Direct so I can try an Alusonic, as they seem to be light and built to comfy neck measurements. I have to keep reminding myself that if I liked one so much that I left with it, that'd be unhelpful as it's well into 'expensive toy' territory... so it's better that I just don't bother.

[Dazed]

On 14/12/2024 at 13:49, diskwave said:

Even thats stretching it. I know drummers and pianists and classic players who have never heard of Fender, Gibson et al and don't care either.  Anyway, Ive had a few vintage basses, sold the lot and now play a lowly CV 70's P bass and want for nothing more. 

True, I suppose I meant other bass players more specifically 

[Bass4real]

4 hours ago, meterman said:

It's also a problem for drummers, often in a working band, whether originals or covers, the cymbals alone could easily run to £2500 and that's before they've spent anything on drums or pedals or other hardware. Even a comprehensively filled stick bag might run to £300 or more.

 

Certainly not unusual for a drummer to have £5000 worth of gear onstage with him. But they could easily get away with a £500-all-in kit, and many do. 
 

The same price dilemma affects most people that play instruments - "how much do I want, or need, to spend". Ultimately it's the choice of the individual musician, and how deep their pockets are, or if GAS is playing a part in the decision making process.

Everything is crazy expensive in the U.S.

But There's a lot of really good basses being made for what some Bass players refer to as cheap pieces of s**t

.2 of my basses 

A  1996 PEAVEY FOUNDATION 5 is one monster BASS I paid $150.00 for it , of course it was used but in great condition.

My Brice FREAKOUT 5 str was 399.00 new

in 2018 .

It's one of the best basses I've ever had 

and I've had quite a few over the years.

I think it's not the BASS that makes a good player It's the player that makes a bass GOOD.

I have a boss me - 50B multi effect and a DARKGLASS B7k V2 analog Preamp , It's a badass I didn't use any bass effects until 2020 I started playing bass in 1976 .

Effects don't make me a better bass player 

But I can make the effect better., I mean sound better.

Anyway I agree with what you said 100%

 

[meterman]

50 minutes ago, Bass4real said:

I think it's not the BASS that makes a good player It's the player that makes a bass GOOD.

 

 

100% agree with this ^
 

With drummers it's slightly different because with cymbals, if you're looking for a particular ride cymbal sound, depending on your preferences you can spend maybe €500 to €3000 to get the exact sound you want. £500 on a pair of hi-hats is not uncommon either.

 

It's very difficult to make a WalMart $60 brass cymbal pack sound anything other than what it is. Even if you're the greatest drummer in the world, your touch isn't going to improve cheap cymbals much. 

(Disclaimer: I was a classical percussionist, then a drummer, way before taking up the bass. And my bass is a Squier Precision with a Jazz neck on it. For £150 I have all the bass I'll probably ever need. But actual skilled bassists would find my setup too limited I think?)