Is there any real benefit to buying a brand new (£1500) bass, or should I just go for the more affordable options?

[bremen]

  On 27/03/2025 at 15:17, NancyJohnson said:

 

So like Ticketmaster's Dynamic Pricing, then?

 

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Not really, I don't think anyone would prefer to pay £200 rather than £100 to see Oasis [insert joke here], but some people do enjoy saying, "yes, it's top of the range, cost £4000 but worth every penny" when patronising a Squier owner.

[chris_b]

  On 27/03/2025 at 13:49, peteb said:

 

All really good choices. If I was in the market for a 4 string jazz, I would definitely buy @jay-syncro's Sadowsky! 

 

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If it's half as good as mine it will be the last bass you buy.

[peteb]

  On 27/03/2025 at 16:14, chris_b said:

 

If it's half as good as mine it will be the last bass you buy.

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But I'm not in the market as I've got a few basses of a similar quality, all of which I paid about £1.5k more or less (actually £900 to £1.7k, but thereabouts)! The OP is looking for something similar for that budget, and as you say, a Japanese Sadowsky at £1.3k could be the last bass he ever has to buy. 

 

I've been gigging for many (40+) years and have been lucky enough to play with quite a few guys who make their living from playing music (or used to), some of whom have been in famous bands, or played with people who have been in very famous bands. One thing they have in common is that none of them play entry level instruments as their main gigging guitar / keyboard / whatever. I don't know any bass player at that level who plays a headless Hofner or whatever. 

 

But what do I know... 

 

Edited Thursday at 20:44 by peteb

[Terry M.]

  On 27/03/2025 at 16:26, peteb said:

One thing they have in common is that none of them play entry level instruments as their main gigging guitar / keyboard / whatever. 

 

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Grammy award winning Esparanza Spalding set a few tongues wagging a while back when she was seen touring with a standard Mexican Fender fretless. I don't claim to know for definite but I'm sure many famous musicians have done something similar at some point. She can have access to any bass she chooses in terms of value.

Edited Thursday at 17:11 by Terry M.

[Geek99]

  On 27/03/2025 at 17:10, Terry M. said:

Grammy award winning Esparanza Spalding set a few tongues wagging a while back when she was seen touring with a standard Mexican Fender fretless. I don't claim to know for definite but I'm sure many famous musicians have done something similar at some point. She can have access to any bass she chooses in terms of value.

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Leigh Gordon of morcheeba played an early Mex fender. I know because I bought it off him in person 

[Geek99]

Are the b stock sadowsky metro express on thomann actually any good ? 

[peteb]

  On 27/03/2025 at 17:10, Terry M. said:

Grammy award winning Esparanza Spalding set a few tongues wagging a while back when she was seen touring with a standard Mexican Fender fretless. I don't claim to know for definite but I'm sure many famous musicians have done something similar at some point. She can have access to any bass she chooses in terms of value.

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In my experience, most musicians at that level don't (unless they are being paid to promote them). There are exceptions and I have seen guys occasionally turn up with a decent Squier (the great Jack Pearson's main guitar is a Squier strat), but those are few and far between. 

 

Edited Thursday at 19:04 by peteb

[tauzero]

  On 27/03/2025 at 16:14, chris_b said:

 

If it's half as good as mine it will be the last bass you buy.

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There's a few basses that crop up on Ebay you could say that about, because the diseases that you catch from them will finish you off.

[AMV001]

  On 27/03/2025 at 17:20, peteb said:

 

I have seen guys occasionally turn up with a decent Squier (the great Jack Pearson's main guitar is a Squier strat), but those are few and far between. 

 

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The electric bassist in the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Proms 'Sound Of Disco' night at the Albert Hall was playing a Squier Precision.

[Lozz196]

I’ve experienced a good few musicians on the punk/Oi scene gigging Mex Fenders, Squiers, Epiphones. Most of them seem to do so as they don’t want to gig expensive instruments, a few having had some uncomfortable days awaiting the return of their expensive Gibsons/Fenders from airlines who had sent them to the wrong countries.  

[merello]

If I had £1500 I would play every used and new bass I could in my prices range. Have a think about 2nd hand, sorry, pre-loved, from a music shop as there is slightly more come back if something goes wrong. But play....if possible thru a similar amp to what you will use. I always smile a wee bit when Guitar shop dudes plug an economy bass thru their best amp or Markbass rig when the customer plays.

[Beedster]

  On 27/03/2025 at 13:49, peteb said:

 

All really good choices. If I was in the market for a 4 string jazz, I would definitely buy @jay-syncro's Sadowsky! 

 

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Yep

[peteb]

  On 27/03/2025 at 18:28, Lozz196 said:

I’ve experienced a good few musicians on the punk/Oi scene gigging Mex Fenders, Squiers, Epiphones. Most of them seem to do so as they don’t want to gig expensive instruments, a few having had some uncomfortable days awaiting the return of their expensive Gibsons/Fenders from airlines who had sent them to the wrong countries.  

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I know a few guys who have bought a cheaper guitar / bass just for fly gigs, as they can't face the thought of trusting their beloved (and expensive) guitars to the tender embraces of airport baggage handlers! 

 

Edited Thursday at 19:05 by peteb

[Stub Mandrel]

  On 27/03/2025 at 16:26, peteb said:

who plays a headless Hofner or whatever. 

 

But what do I know...

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Apparently Dave Pegg (Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention) preferred the sound of wooden Hohner and Riverhead headless basses over plastic Steinbergers.

[Ruck]

To the OP

 

30 years ago, absolutely yes. Now a days, not so much as quality control on many budget intruments is so high you dont have to worry about contruction much anymore. Just find a bass you like and is made well and there is an abundance of boutique pickups you can buy if you had a certain tone in mind.

 

The only exception is luthiers like Roscoe who get pickup builders like Bartolini to custom make pickups for their basses and there is no way of buying the same pickups from Bartolini. Therefore basses like that will always sound unique. Rickenbacker would be another example of truly unique as they use their own pickups and a hollow steel bridge that gives them their unique sound.

 

Edited Friday at 02:20 by Ruck

[Geek99]

  On 27/03/2025 at 17:16, Geek99 said:

Are the b stock sadowsky metro express on thomann actually any good ? 

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Anyone got any experience to contribute? 
800£ + is a lot to spend on an experiment 

Edited Friday at 10:07 by Geek99

[Terry M.]

  On 28/03/2025 at 10:03, Geek99 said:

Anyone got any experience to contribute? 
800£ + is a lot to spend on an experiment 

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Don't rule out asking them directly also. I've had good experiences with email exchanges with them in the past.

[Geek99]

  On 28/03/2025 at 10:21, Terry M. said:

Don't rule out asking them directly also. I've had good experiences with email exchanges with them in the past.

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Don’t think they’ll be objective given that they have a b stock item to shift 

[Terry M.]

  On 28/03/2025 at 10:45, Geek99 said:

Don’t think they’ll be objective given that they have a b stock item to shift 

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That's a point but they should explain why an item is B stock if nothing else. I've played Metro Express basses that have been awesome and some less so. There's no way of subjectively knowing which one is which until you have it in your hands. From experience I know they have an easy and free returns policy.

I bought a B stock from them(Fender) in the past that was nothing more than a customer return. It was flawless. 

Edited Friday at 11:46 by Terry M.

[Crusoe]

  On 27/03/2025 at 18:28, Lozz196 said:

I’ve experienced a good few musicians on the punk/Oi scene gigging Mex Fenders, Squiers, Epiphones. Most of them seem to do so as they don’t want to gig expensive instruments, a few having had some uncomfortable days awaiting the return of their expensive Gibsons/Fenders from airlines who had sent them to the wrong countries.  

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I was watching a Trogly YouTube video yesterday, where Aldo Nova appeared to be playing a Chibson copy of his own Gibson signature guitar. He was working on a cruise ship, or something like that, so Trogly reckoned he probably just didn't want an expensive guitar getting damaged/stolen by a passenger or damaged by a salt water atmosphere and had bought a cheapie and fitted his hardware of choice to it.

[JoeEvans]

I think there's a pretty broad zone of solid, playable basses that are better than basic cheapies without being stunning deluxe coffee tables. Something like a Reverend would be at the lower end of the zone, good enough for any actual musical function but under a grand new.

For £1500 you get pretty much anything in that zone if you're happy to go secondhand.

[Terry M.]

  On 29/03/2025 at 08:57, JoeEvans said:

Something like a Reverend would be at the lower end of the zone, good enough for any actual musical function but under a grand new.

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I'm so anxious to get my hands on a 5 string Reverend to test drive but it seems to be only Merchant City Music in Glasgow that is a dealer in the UK. That's to my knowledge only. They're currently out of stock anyway on their website. 

[neepheid]

  On 29/03/2025 at 10:38, Terry M. said:

I'm so anxious to get my hands on a 5 string Reverend to test drive but it seems to be only Merchant City Music in Glasgow that is a dealer in the UK. That's to my knowledge only. They're currently out of stock anyway on their website. 

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I heartily recommend the recently released 5 string Triad when they arrive in stock, the 4 string is fantastic.

[Terry M.]

  On 29/03/2025 at 11:34, neepheid said:

 

I heartily recommend the recently released 5 string Triad when they arrive in stock, the 4 string is fantastic.

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Oh it got my attention believe me 👍

[Terry M.]

  On 29/03/2025 at 11:34, neepheid said:

 

I heartily recommend the recently released 5 string Triad when they arrive in stock, the 4 string is fantastic.

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Just reading up on this and learning that there isn't a setting amongst the 5 options for the two outer pickups. Have you found a favourite setting of the 5 at all? I assumed the "jazz bass" setting would have been an option.