[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1378514064' post='2201460']
Touching on what folks like Molan had to say earlier , I personally have always gravitated towards the highest quality basses , even when I was a kid looking at pictures in magazines ( that's all we had for bass porn in the days before the internet ) with no means to buy them . However , now that I have a bit more money, I have realised that most of those basses are completely superfluous to my real - world practical needs . I honestly think that you get most bang for your buck at around the just-over-a -thousand-pounds mark . An American Standard Fender Jazz will do everything that a U.S - made Lakland Joe Osborn or passive Celinder Jazz will , and it's not so expensive or difficult to replace that you need to worry unduly about looking after it . The way to get the most out of any bass is to play it and use it , and there is an inertia for most people that makes them handle expensive custom basses with kid gloves compared to more generic instruments . I am no fan of his playing , but it's great to see Victor Wooten playing his Foderas with scant regard for wear and tear , and Stanley Clarke spanks his Alembics with an equally gay abandon . That's the way to do it , in my opinion . That is what [i]really [/i]constitutes a good investment in a bass - to play it and love it . Overall , once you actually get your hands on them and play them . there is far less difference than you might think in the final results between a very good mass- production instrument ( i.e U.S.A Fender , EBMM, Lakland Skyline , ect ) and most very expensive boutique basses . There are , of course, plenty of notable exceptions , but I can't help but notice that many ( maybe even most ) great players in various eras who we all admire were capable of getting amazing results on fairly standard equipment .
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