Beedster Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Just asking, prices are getting silly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 As always the market decides. If something is truly over priced then it won't sell. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Depends how the economy is doing I suppose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 To the original question, imho No. That said I'm the classic "Johnny Skintbloke" so couldn't even contemplate such a purchase anyway 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) I paid more than that for one of my fender jazzes which I suppose is mass produced and imo it’s worth every penny Edited March 30, 2023 by Reggaebass Spelling 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Yes, and IMHO spending £1500 plus on a mass produced bass may well leave you happier than spending £3000 plus on a custom built bass, unless you have the skills to be able to explain exactly what you want out of your custom build.....have a look at the sheer amount of custom shop instruments that are out for sale on eBay, all of them would have been dream basses for someone that didn't turn out to be the bass they dreamed of? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 £2,999 for a Stingray. I love Stingrays but that is just nuts... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 I dunno. For a start £1500 isn’t worth what it was… 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 21 minutes ago, Old Horse Murphy said: £2,999 for a Stingray. I love Stingrays but that is just nuts... But I do agree with this too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) Not mass produced but... https://www.thomann.de/gb/martin_guitars_d_200_deluxe.htm Btw. I'm not totally sure that the price on this isn't a typo. The only new guitar I've ever seen with a comparable price had real diamond fingerboard markers and a mammoth tusk ivory nut. Edited March 30, 2023 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 It depends - if the workers are being paid a proper living wage commensurate with the cost of living where they are based, then maybe it’s justified. California is very expensive, my daughter happens to live in San Luis Obispo where Musicman is based and it’s one of the highest cost areas in the state. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 6 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said: It depends - if the workers are being paid a proper living wage commensurate with the cost of living where they are based, then maybe it’s justified. California is very expensive, my daughter happens to live in San Luis Obispo where Musicman is based and it’s one of the highest cost areas in the state. This is an excellent point. If everyone involved in making my US built Fender got well paid then I’m happy to carry the premium. It was bang on £1500 and is the nicest bass I’ve ever played and I love it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Perhaps more companies should do what Taylor have done and convert to be employee owned. They are also made in California but with a second plant in Mexico for the cheaper non-solid wood versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 It is if it's on a Spector 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) The world has gone mad. £3k for a Musicman, £1800 for a P bass and slightly off topic, Mexican Fender Nate Mendel P £1300, Squire £400 + and even a Harley Benton at £400+. Bloomin madness!! Edited March 30, 2023 by jezzaboy 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Panzer Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Better chance of finding a mass produced model to test in a store so at least you'd get to figure out whether you feel it's worth the money. With a custom you're banking on it being worth the extra money without ever touching it until the money is spent and it survives shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 I might be wrong, but I read the question as being 'are £1500 basses worth so much more than £150 basses that are equally mass-produced..?' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Off course not, a bass is 20% about the material item, 80% the romance factor. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 No 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oomo Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 I've wondered that about Dingwalls, I've never tried one but heard nothing but praise for them. From what I understand, they're made in China, then shipped back over to Canada for quality control / setup, then on to wherever. Not sure if that counts as mass produced, but they seem to sell for around £2400 which seems huge for a non custom instrument. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicko Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Anything is worth what people will pay for it. Having said that I struggle to see how a P bass is good value at the prices they charge. I don't think it takes many hours to assemble one and the components are pretty simple when you actually look at them. I can't think of any other item where such basic construction and components commands a similar price. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tegs07 Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Are the prices of instruments going up or is the purchasing power of currency going down? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 £1500 is reaching a point where you can get a custom made. Putting a slab of wood through a cnc machine and slapping on cheap hardware hardly warrants that price though. Custom basses can be a roll of the dice though as you really don't know what it's going to be like until it's too late! Having said that, at these prices I'd rather get a luthier to make a custom to standard specs, you won't get a name brand on the headstock but you will get attention to detail, a better finish and probably better hardware. I got a custom jazz made recently from my local luthier, just specified I wanted it to the '62 spec and gave him the hardware..... £1000 all in and puts an American made fender to shame. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 To be perfectly honest, I don't care whether it's mass produced or hand built, I'd rather judge the value of the finished article than how it was made. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.