When is a bass considered a "high end" bass?

[Cameronj279]

Was doing the usual struggling to get to sleep last night and had this though.

There are plenty of people on here with custom basses, some cheaper than many production models and some the price of a small hatchback. So what is it that makes a bass considered "high end". Is it price, construction, brand?

[discreet]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1399811239' post='2447863']
There are plenty of people on here with custom basses, some cheaper than many production models and some the price of a small hatchback. So what is it that makes a bass considered "high end". Is it price, construction, brand?
[/quote]

'High-end' construction usually implies a 'high-end' price. And some brands are always considered 'high-end', i.e. Ritter, Fodera, etc.

But you can get decent construction for not a lot of cash if you're prepared to do some research. Depends what your priorities are. In my humble opinion there comes a point where spending any more cash won't get you a better-built bass and generally you're then paying for the prestige of the brand name.

'The law of diminishing returns', I think it's called.

[molan]

Very rough approximation but I'd say anything that's more expensive than an 'everyday' USA Fender.

With the Vintage series (which I wouldn't call high end) now kicking around £1,850 new then I'd say £2K is probably about where a lot of people would consider the price break to be.

Of course this is completely screwed when looking at used values as some will always lose value faster than others.

[theyellowcar]

It comes down to price for me. All of the things you listed in your first post define a price which will ultimately skew our perception of whether a bass is high end or not. The few basses that tick all of the 'quality' boxes without a hefty price tag (Squier CV and Yamaha spring to mind) are still labelled 'budget' or 'mid range'.

[Cameronj279]

For me I would normally say price but Fenders quite often sell for a few grand and personally I would never really consider a Fender 'high end'.

It's a very vague question that really is open to interpretation really.

[Roger2611]

For me, if it is your favourite bass, you use it onstage all the time and if some scumbag stole it you would hunt them down like Terminator and then remove their testicles with a cricket bat....then it's your high end bass

[Weststarx]

I think high-end / budget / mid-range / beginner categorisation is bollocks IMO...

You buy whatever bass you like the look and playability of. If you are buying a bass soley because it has the 'high end' price tag you need to question what you are buying the instrument for.

Yes there is a certain element where you get what you pay for but it all boils down to how you feel about the instrument infront of you.

Just because you hand over thousands of pounds on an instrument it doesn't turn you into a better player.

Plus, Mr & Mrs Doe in the audience don't have a clue what's 'high end' or 'budget' anyway.

[discreet]

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1399826905' post='2448057']
Mr & Mrs Doe in the audience don't have a clue what's 'high end' or 'budget' anyway.
[/quote]

Most punters would have difficulty telling the difference between a bass and a guitar.

[Painy]

When it has piccolo strings on it?

Edited May 11, 2014 by Painy

[visog]

When you can't afford it.

[neepheid]

When enough people say it is.

[Skol303]

Well the term "high end" is shorthand for saying "high end of the market" - ie. expensive.

"High spec" (specification) refers to the build quality or complexity of something, and usually goes hand-in-hand with "high end".

[stingraybassman]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1399822790' post='2448008']
If you only ever see middle-aged men with one, it's a 'high-end' bass.
[/quote]

Absolutely nailed it.

[molan]

[quote name='stingraybassman' timestamp='1399843502' post='2448332']


Absolutely nailed it.
[/quote]

Round my way I only ever see middle aged men playing nasty cheapo Squiers - there's no way I'd class them as being 'high end'!

[discreet]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1399845654' post='2448359']
Said the middle-aged man with the Fodera collection.
[/quote]

Whoa!! [size=4] [/size]

[Diablo]

Jealous..? Middle aged men have probably spent a fair bit of their lives saving and paying off mortgages and stuff so they can afford "high-end" stuff, basses included, so buy them. I don't think that analogy works really other than for people that are either young (< middle aged) or old (> middle aged) who did not sort out their sh*t enough to buy said "high end" basses.

It is as much about psychology as anything else in my opinion, if you play a really tidy bass you are comfortable with, then you feel good and confident, so you play better. So it can make a difference. If you are bitter than you play a £50 cash converters special clearance deal then you will play like that.

Cheers,
Rich

[molan]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1399845722' post='2448361']


Whoa!! [size=4] [/size]
[/quote]

Yay - I'm going to live to be 110!

[stingraybassman]

I could sort out said s**t for the next 20 years and have no chance of spending that much on a "high end" bass.

I don't think I'd be able to do it justice anyway.

And for my part I was only jesting, if someone wants to buy a fodera or a soft top sports car when they are 40 good on them.

[molan]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1399845513' post='2448357']


Perhaps they're just nasty cheapo middle-aged men?
[/quote]

Nah - it's just the beginner's bass of choice (quite understandably). I see a lot of middle-aged guys who decide to start playing in their mid 30's and they pick a basic starter bass like a Squier to see how they get on.

Once they get a bit better they tend to move up to something a bit more individual or they decide it wasn't really their thing and sell them on again.

Squiers are great for a first timer. I sent a middle aged guy down to my local Dawsons to buy one last week and he's made up with it. Couldn't believe the quality he could as part of a typical starter pack

[thodrik]

For me its anything more expensive than an American Standard Jazz or Precision. I would probably class the American Standards as a high end bass as well since at this point they are about a grand.

Though 'high end' doesn't necessitate 'good'. Lots of successful touring players are using Mexican Standards and variety of less expensive models.

[Ziphoblat]

A high end bass in my eyes? The bass of choice for a high end player.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Ziphoblat

[Leonard Smalls]

I'm a middle-aged man with a high-end bass - A Wal custom from 1985.
However, I bought it in 1990, (for £495!) and took out loan to pay for it...
And it most certainly isn't pristine, there's deep wear in the thumb picking zone, dents from nearly 25 years heavy live use by me.
Still sounds most excellent though - I haven't found owt to touch it's mid-range!

[molan]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1399845654' post='2448359']


Said the middle-aged man with the Fodera collection.
[/quote]

Just for a change you are incorrect on both counts. . .

[Danj]

I think you just have to accept that as in all things, the more you pay the more you get.

Yes there are diminishing returns, but they are still returns.... and people value them differently. The ability to customise things down to the n'th degree.... to have a certain type of inlay, to have a propellor attached to the head to blow glitter and make sparkles at your show.

When I bought my Alleva Coppolo second hand, I tried vintage basses, modern basses, second hand basses... and I am lucky that the one I picked up and went 'this is the one' was within reach. For me it was about finish, feel and sound.... and you will simply struggle to get the finish and feel of a higher end bass on a cheaper bass.

So high end for me is based on price, usually driven by the level of choice offer the buyer, and the amount of time spent on building and finishing the instrument.

p.s.
We need to adjust references to Middle Age based on the the poster. If you are a

18-19 YO Middle Age = 25 - 40
if you are 20-30 = 30 - 40
if you are 30-40 = 40 - 50
if you are 40+ = 40 - 60

)

p.p.s. I am in the 30-40 range, but am lucky enough to have had opportunities (and the sense to work hard and take them) that means I can afford a bass I want now and again

[ambient]

I don't think it's anything to do with price, it's construction, choice of tone woods, attention to detail surely ?

A lot of older basses are quite valuable but not necessarily 'high end'.

Sei's are surely 'high end' basses, but don't seem to hold their price as well as something like a Fodera or a Wal. My Modulus is (to me) a high end bass, but again not as expensive as a Wal or a Fodera.