Why buy an expensive bass?

[Moos3h]

I'll start with the disclaimer that this is just my own opinion here, but:

I have just 'obtained' Westfield P-Bass copy. I've set it up, re-wired it, have a GFS pickup on order and replaced the bridge. All of the upgrades cost a total of £50 inclusive of delivery. These basses are £110 new.

So, the bass is made from cheese, possibly MDF or similar.

But it sounds fantastic! It's got all the clarity, weight and guts of 'the real thing' and I've been able to directly compare between this and a USA P-Bass. Stays in tune, nothing falls off (but if it did, it'd be a cheap fix).

So really, assuming you are someone who likes to tinker and customise a bit, how could it ever be justifed to go and spend £1k+ on summat 'posh', when you could pick up a couple of these and not worry in the slightest about the odd knock here and there?

Right, off you go Internet, argue!

Cheers,
James

[crez5150]

[quote name='Moos3h' post='595422' date='Sep 11 2009, 09:45 AM']I'll start with the disclaimer that this is just my own opinion here, but:

I have just 'obtained' Westfield P-Bass copy. I've set it up, re-wired it, have a GFS pickup on order and replaced the bridge. All of the upgrades cost a total of £50 inclusive of delivery. These basses are £110 new.

So, the bass is made from cheese, possibly MDF or similar.

But it sounds fantastic! It's got all the clarity, weight and guts of 'the real thing' and I've been able to directly compare between this and a USA P-Bass. Stays in tune, nothing falls off (but if it did, it'd be a cheap fix).

So really, assuming you are someone who likes to tinker and customise a bit, how could it ever be justifed to go and spend £1k+ on summat 'posh', when you could pick up a couple of these and not worry in the slightest about the odd knock here and there?

Right, off you go Internet, argue!

Cheers,
James[/quote]

It may suit your style of playing and you can get the sound you need from it...... Perhaps I'm a snob but I'd rather staple my fingers together....

[Beedster]

It's a very good question. I've owned a lot of top end basses and am now happily living in stock Fender land. OK, these are still quite expensive instruments compared to the basses you're talking about, but they still cost less than 50% than their Sadowsky, Modulus, Musicman etc counterparts and I'm more than happy (as is evidenced by my lack of activity in the Bassess For Sale forum over the last few months). There is an assumption that 'more expensive = better' which, although true to an extent, is moderated by individual skill and needs factors. I've found basses that are sufficiently expensive to meet my skills and needs and have learned that more expensive instruments only disappoint. Better players with greater needs perhaps require more expensive basses?
Chris

[odub]

Because it's nice to have nice things.

[rjb]

Hey,

You make some great points. If your approach works for you then that's great.

I'm personally a fan of dense, high quality exotic woods so Warwicks make sense to me. I find they also give a thicker tone than cheaper woods - I'm not a fan of effects so I like my basses to have a really characterful sound in of themselves. All of mine have been obtained second hand for no more than £1k so they're not [i]too[/i] extravagant.

Having said that you can get a real bargain if you keep your eye out. A friend of mine got an old Fender MIM for £100 from Crack Converters and its a total peach for the money!

[niceguyhomer]

..because a nice, well made, great sounding bass inspires me to pick it up and play it whereas most but not all 'cheap' basses I've played just inspired me to light a fire.

[metalmickey]

I suppose it's because some players just want a nice, expensive and often exotic instrument. I know a fair few people that have gigging basses as well as that 'one bass' that stays at home for thier own enjoyment. I know if I had the money, I would definately have something stashed away just for me. As I don't, I have to stick to my workhorse guitars. Which I am very happy with, BTW......

[neepheid]

I (usually) buy cheap then mod. The trouble with my mods is that I sometimes spend more on the mods than I did on the original bass - prime example is my Epiphone Les Paul (Not So) Standard - got it for about £170 then spent about £200 putting EMG stuff (2x EMG-HB and an EMG-BQC) into it

It does look and sound pretty though!

Having said that, my last two purchases have been a 1978 Gibson G-3 and an incoming Traben Chaos Attack 4 (new), so I guess that's my reputation out the window!

[Born 2B Mild]

On the whole, I agree with the sentiments of the OP. However, there's a place for instruments at both ends of the performing spectrum. A basic bass made with inferior materials can sound awesome at a gig, where amplification, atmosphere and mind-distorting stimulants can add up to more than the sum of the constituent parts. However, in the studio, those buzzes, dead spots and crackling electronics can't hide.

Another factor is that the (typically & relatively) increasing affluence of the bass player in later life means more expensive options being affordable and preferred.

[51m0n]

If that works for you then great!

I've owned and played and got the most out of a fair few basses, most of them cheap.

The most expensive 'cheap' bass I owned was £499 new in 1994. Then I put a set of EMG Js in it. I spent years and years with this bass, tweaked it and tweaked it to get the action just so, just got to the point where it was sounding exactly as I wanted it to.

Then I realised I desperately wanted a 5, and got the Roscoe. Its really really not cheap, so why get it?

It sounds fantastic.
It has the best set up I have ever seen.
It weighs less than any other bass I have ever played (4 or 5 string!)
Its better made than anything I've ever picked up and played before (which includes a lot of expensive basses).
It is aesthetically beautiful (to my eyes), without being overtly gaudy, in your face or over the top, or in fact obviously as expensive as it is IMO.
It inspires me to play it every time I set eyes on it in a way that none of my previous instruments ever have (and yours certainly would be unlikely to)

It was and is absolutely worth every penny (to me). If it was stolen, I would hunt them down .....

[Bassassin]

No real reason, tbh, it's all just wood (usually) & wire.

Unless there's something fundamentally wrong with the neck construction of a cheap bass, it can be set up to play just as well as its 4-figure counterpart, electronics & hardware can be replaced fairly inexpensively and more often than not the budget instruments these days are made from halfway-decent quality timber as opposed to the splintery plywood of a few decades ago.

I like basses (and g*it*rs :blush: ) in general and like to have lots, and lots, and lots - hence I don't spend very much on individual instruments & I tend not to keep many of them very long. This also helps to explain my fascination with old JapCrap - there were some superb quality instruments which these days don't change hands for huge amounts of money so it's easy to have a varied & interesting vintage collection for the price of a couple of "decent" brand instruments.

If I had limitless money I'd doubtless have as many top-end instruments as I do cheap old junk, though...

Jon.

[Toasted]

It makes me feel better about myself.

[JTUK]

hmmm... some of the most expensive basses can be a real thing of beauty and have quality stamped all over them...
Little things like the walnut liners between woods...little attention to detail etc here and there..
Others can look like dogs dinners no matter what the price..and as much as we might think otherwise, that does count, IMO

I can't say I'd wouldn't buy a cheaper bass, if it felt right, played well and sounded good.. but I am weighing up whether to commission one now to my spec...and that has to be decided..or try and get a stock bass..

Tentively looking and weighing it all up atm...

I don't think you can convince anyone to buy a bass they don't want to... so we buy the basses we are happy with..or rather keep them..

[Cat Burrito]

Great thread! I nearly posted a thread recently called Junk Shop Basses but never got around to it. I think the market has improved massively since when I started and there are certainly a lot of interesting bits of cheap gear that are great. I've played a couple of Danelectros that I've been really excited about. If you can find something that suits at a budget, more power to you. I don't disagree with any of the justifications given here though. Personally I tend to sit around modified mid range gear but that's just me. I'd rather gig a Danelectro then take a £3000 bass to some of the dives I've played. Perhaps that's just me justifying the fact I'm upset I don't have £3000 to spend on a bass?

[henry norton]

I like cheap(er) basses 'cos I like to tinker with them. Most pre CBS Fender owners would give up playing before they let anyone near them with a replacement pickup - especially if it required a rout

I think you can get yourself a bass that's more or less as good as a name 'pro' bass for a fraction of the cost if you're careful about the instrument you start with and what you replace. There seem to be far fewer appallingly bad instruments for sale these days - most seem reasonably well made and are often let down just by the crappy strings and stiff tuners most budget basses come with out the box. What you won't get are exotic facings, thru necks and (usually) unique body shapes. Not forgetting the kudos of having that name on the headstock. For some people this is the whole point.

[Doddy]

It all depends what you want from an instrument.
I've got some lovely expensive instrument( Roscoe LG3500,'91 Tobias 6,Shuker Singlecut 5),
but my Fender Jazz is my workhorse. The build quality and tonal range is greater on the more expensive
Basses,but the Fender is familiar.
Many people seem to have an added 'confidence' when playing a more expensive bass-the
Bass gives them the inspiration to play.

[Pete Academy]

I've got a crappy P-Reg Escort. It cost me £600. I don't care about cars at all - a Lexus would get me from A to B, as the Escort does - but I have absolutely no desire to own one. However, I can appreciate people that love expensive cars.

I've said this in a previous thread: I've bought cheaper basses, thinking that the whole boutique thing is a con, but have ended up disappointed and have lost money. I was after a bass to replace my well-worn Tobias Classic 5, so I bought an Ibanez SR series, which retails for around a grand. I played it on gigs, convincing myself that it was just as good as the Tobias. I was totally wrong.

I've now got a Roscoe that's both great to play and to look at. There's still some things I prefer about the Tobias (the slap sound, especially), but I'm totally happy with the Roscoe as my main bass.

[OutToPlayJazz]

I suppose I like my expensive gear because it's what helps me earn my living & there's a certain sound and feel I'm looking for. Which usually only comes at a price, unfortunately.

There's nothing wrong with cheaper gear, but I need to rely on something that is guaranteed to be of top quality and operate as it should every single time I pick it up to play it.

... And I have impeccable taste, LOL

[Doddy]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='595657' date='Sep 11 2009, 01:31 PM']I suppose I like my expensive gear because it's what helps me earn my living & there's a certain sound and feel I'm looking for. Which usually only comes at a price, unfortunately.

There's nothing wrong with cheaper gear, but I need to rely on something that is guaranteed to be of top quality and operate as it should every single time I pick it up to play it.

... And I have impeccable taste, LOL [/quote]

I earn my living from playing too,and love expensive gear,but let's be honest,you could do the job perfectly well on a simple
Fender.
Like I say,I love boutique Basses but they are not essential for a professional career.

[charic]

The reason i got a custom was because i couldnt get everything i wanted from a stock bass. its arriving tommorrow if i like that as much as i suspect then it will be the last 4 i plan to buy.

You cant usually make similar comments about a cheap bass:
-one of a kind
-own ideas and specs

well worth it imo
(and still cheaper than a stingray )

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote]I earn my living from playing too,and love expensive gear,but let's be honest,you could do the job perfectly well on a simple
Fender.
Like I say,I love boutique Basses but they are not essential for a professional career.[/quote]

Quite true - And I have a humble Fender - Which these days I count as an expensive bass

[bassatnight]

Good points by all, but having always played the lower end of the spectrum and recently forked out for higher end instruments it was obvious as soon as I plugged it in why expensive is better. Better finish, better materials, better electrics superior sound and tone.

Horses for courses I guess...

[razze06]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='595609' date='Sep 11 2009, 12:48 PM']No real reason, tbh, it's all just wood (usually) & wire.

Unless there's something fundamentally wrong with the neck construction of a cheap bass, it can be set up to play just as well as its 4-figure counterpart, electronics & hardware can be replaced fairly inexpensively and more often than not the budget instruments these days are made from halfway-decent quality timber as opposed to the splintery plywood of a few decades ago.

I like basses (and g*it*rs :blush: ) in general and like to have lots, and lots, and lots - hence I don't spend very much on individual instruments & I tend not to keep many of them very long. This also helps to explain my fascination with old JapCrap - there were some superb quality instruments which these days don't change hands for huge amounts of money so it's easy to have a varied & interesting vintage collection for the price of a couple of "decent" brand instruments.

If I had limitless money I'd doubtless have as many top-end instruments as I do cheap old junk, though...

Jon.[/quote]

+1

I'm much more inclined to be impressed by a cheaper instrument than by an expensive one.

[PaulWarning]

I've got a MIJ Hondo professional which I got for £40, and I really like the tone, better than my stingray, but, when gigging I use the stingray because it's got a tighter sound and it cuts through the mix so much better, the Hondo is just that little bit more flabby and tends to get lost in gig situations.

[Gust0o]

It's horses for courses. You're really not going to lug your boutique pride and joy down the pub for a quick thrash with the lads, now are you?

I think I'd qualify as a budget bassist. I don't think I've spent more than £150 in a single sitting to date - but you never know, what's suited me 'til now might not suit me in future.