What is the most you'd personally pay for a new bass?

[Steve Browning]

[Sparky Mark]

7 minutes ago, Lw. said:

I'd quite like a YoB Fender but I was born in '85, bang in the middle of Fender's worst period so not sure if it's worth it! 

You are lucky, not just because of your relative youthfulness, but because there will be excellent 1985 vintage basses out there, you just need to be selective. Feel sorry for those of us who's YOB falls in the pre CBS era. 

Edited December 22, 2022 by Sparky Mark

[Ralf1e]

4 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

 

Oh, I don't know. They're cheap enough. 🙂

Go on tell the tale what date did you buy it?

You blanked it off lol

[Steve Browning]

Just now, Ralf1e said:

Go on tell the tale what date did you buy it?

You blanked it off lol

 

I bought 4 basses in November 1986. 3 from John Entwistle (the 53 plus a 61 and a 62) and the slab 66.

 

Got a bank loan for a whole 2k to get them.

[Ralf1e]

1 minute ago, Steve Browning said:

 

I bought 4 basses in November 1986. 3 from John Entwistle (the 53 plus a 61 and a 62) and the slab 66.

 

Got a bank loan for a whole 2k to get them.

You didn't get a pallet of ex Pete Townsend guitars as well did you. That would have been smashing lol

[Ralf1e]

9 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

 

I bought 4 basses in November 1986. 3 from John Entwistle (the 53 plus a 61 and a 62) and the slab 66.

 

Got a bank loan for a whole 2k to get them.

Not being funny but have you still got them? You might want to get your address of of here.

[Wylie]

19 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

We all wish. My one and only USA custom build would cost at least twice that. 

I do see the advantage of buying in the USA. But in a private buy, I lucked onto a new Geddy Lee Japan-made jazz for $750, with case.

[Steve Browning]

14 minutes ago, Ralf1e said:

Not being funny but have you still got them? You might want to get your address of of here.

 

That's no longer my address and no, I don't have any of them now. The 61 was a dog to play. The E string was dead no matter what I did, new strings made no difference. The 53 was ok but the pick-up was in the wrong place for me (I anchor my thumb on it and it was slightly forward of where it is on a later Pbass - I had the same trouble with the Stingray).

 

The 62 was a white refin when I got it and had it sprayed black (I thought it was more rock'n'roll). The 66 was nice (awesome recorded tone) but was uncomfortable to play (the edge of the slab body dug into my arm).

 

Bear in mind this is pre internet. The 62 turned out to be his first ever Pbass and I had no idea they only made 20 of the slab basses. Ho hum.

 

I should add that the 66 and 72 basses are far better than any of those pre-CBS instruments.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Steve Browning

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, Lw. said:

I'd quite like a YoB Fender but I was born in '85, bang in the middle of Fender's worst period so not sure if it's worth it! 

1985 was prime Fullerton Reissue territory when they started to be good again?! 

[jd56hawk]

$2,000 for something special.

The thing is, I have several special basses already. First one was only $1,350, second one only $425, so...

[Ralf1e]

Both very pretty

[tauzero]

On 22/12/2022 at 11:36, mario_buoninfante said:

One thing that seems a recurring theme here and elsewhere is the idea that prices will go up.

I don't wanna be a partypooper, but there's no way prices will always go up.

Hard to predict when this will stop, but it'll happen at some point even if momentarily.

Especially considering that the number of boutique bass brands increased exponentially in the last 15-20y.

What was a "unique" thing until 20-30y ago, is becoming the standard now.

Let's just consider how many people on BC, or even on this thread own a boutique bass.

And that to me means that prices, also for boutique basses, will go down.

Actually for mass produced one prices have already dropped (ie quality you get for money spent).

Just my opinion though.

 

As an increasing number of people own boutique basses, that could have the effect of pushing second-hand prices up, as the names become more widely recognised.

[tauzero]

22 hours ago, BigRedX said:

In order for "boutique" instruments to become an investment that need the Wal effect as follows:

 

1. The majority of examples need to be basically the same with just minor cosmetic variations.

 

2. There need to be a couple (at least) of big name users who have a distinctive sound.

 

3. Demand needs to exceed supply.

 

Status are there - the Streamline that Bass Bros are selling is £200 more than the new price when they were last made. I do wish I'd kept that Series 2...

[mario_buoninfante]

3 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

As an increasing number of people own boutique basses, that could have the effect of pushing second-hand prices up, as the names become more widely recognised.

 

It might for sure.
But I personally doubt that (apart for the one off) second-hand boutique basses will exceed the initial price. They might retain it, and still I think that is gonna be tricky.
Often we say "it's an investment", and this is where I disagree. The idea behind any investment is that of getting some gain at some point, and I just don't see how this is possible with basses. Again, with the one offs and rare exceptions (eg old bass owned by a famous person, old bass with factory defects, etc.).

[mario_buoninfante]

9 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Status are there - the Streamline that Bass Bros are selling is £200 more than the new price when they were last made. I do wish I'd kept that Series 2...

 

There was 1 on Reverb sold in the Netherlands for 2.3k, now it's gone.
This to say, that 1 data point is not enough.
I believe they might have hold up well, but not exceeded the initial price.
That said, this is a particular model too.

https://reverb.com/item/4155638-status-streamline-5

Edited December 23, 2022 by mario_buoninfante

[TrevorG]

I have a rough equation in my head that includes the amount of spare cash and desire. I pined for a Spector NS5 XL for ten years before I had three and a half grand spare and didn't buy another bass for twenty years. I'm a better player now and am starting to see the value is in what I know, not what I can play it on.  I still have the bass but the spare cash equation clicked in again about four years ago and I got a Fender for around £1700. I'm now looking for a light, 5 string passive Precision. How much I'll pay depends on spare cash which right now is about 1200 but if that were to change, so would my choice.

[Rib13Bass]

i personally try not to go over $2K USA and generally I find no reason for myself to have to.......most of my basses I have acquired between $500-$1500 US.....the last time I went to $2000 was for my Stingray Special HH a few years ago

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by Rib13Bass

[Saul Panzer]

I'm capping myself at £3500, including the cost of getting it into the UK since my 2 planned choices are a custom Sandberg or a custom Bite bass which are both in germany/austria.

[Lw.]

7 hours ago, Saul Panzer said:

I'm capping myself at £3500, including the cost of getting it into the UK since my 2 planned choices are a custom Sandberg or a custom Bite bass which are both in germany/austria.

Remember to include the additional cost of sorting that headstock out! 

[Saul Panzer]

52 minutes ago, Lw. said:

Remember to include the additional cost of sorting that headstock out! 

I've come to terms with the headstock on my Sire, either of those are improvements to my eye.

[prowla]

I'm not sure I would buy a new bass.

[joe_geezer]

What's going on with the secondhand market? There's no decent high end bassists for sale?

 

I just picked up a Guitarist magazine from 1991 & looking through the the music shop adverts theres about 20+ new and secondhand Status Series 2/Empathy basses for sale & 15 used Jaydees... how times have changed!

Edited December 24, 2022 by joe_geezer

[Saul Panzer]

32 minutes ago, joe_geezer said:

What's going on with the secondhand market? There's no decent high end bassists for sale?

I was recently checking out basses I'd previously brought new and they've all gone up in price...both new and in some cases the second hand ones now cost more than I paid for new.

Not really a buyers market unless you're desperate for the bass and/or have the coin to throw around.

I guess it's down to confidence in the market...do people think those prices are going to come back down or keep climbing. I considered selling a bass and now think I'll hold onto it.

 

Can't really speak for the high end but I'm assuming it's the same but amplified.

[LukeFRC]

28 minutes ago, Saul Panzer said:

I was recently checking out basses I'd previously brought new and they've all gone up in price...both new and in some cases the second hand ones now cost more than I paid for new.

Not really a buyers market unless you're desperate for the bass and/or have the coin to throw around.

I guess it's down to confidence in the market...do people think those prices are going to come back down or keep climbing. I considered selling a bass and now think I'll hold onto it.

 

Can't really speak for the high end but I'm assuming it's the same but amplified.

We have a cost of living crisis, much more inflation than we are used too, a lack of supply of most things in the market and a weaker pound than normal.

All pushing prices up of new and therefore used basses - but people theoretically have less spare cash - with the wierdness that cash in the bank isn’t keeping track with inflation so if you want to use it on a bass you might as well get it now. 
 

[tauzero]

4 hours ago, Lw. said:

Remember to include the additional cost of sorting that headstock out! 

 

3 hours ago, Saul Panzer said:

I've come to terms with the headstock on my Sire, either of those are improvements to my eye.

 

This merely adds weight to my contention that all basses should be offered with a headless option.