_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I'm proposing a spin-off thread to a spin-off thread to try to obtain some more anonymous, tabulated info via the oft-unused poll feature of this forum. How many basses do you currently own and of those, what was the most you paid for one? We certainly have periodic threads about bass costs, how much folks would be willing to pay, how much they have paid, whether custom or boutique instruments are worth it, etc. Given that there are two recent threads in this vein, I thought some tabulated info might be interesting. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 The sample is small, but apparently we're gear whores. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 big surprise, eh? "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 An interesting question may be.... Most number of basses owned at any one time? For me, it was 5 basses. I recently went from 3 down to 2. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Great timing for all these threads. I am re-evaluating my situation. I believe I have a buyer for my bass, and I think I have found a nice bass for less than 1/3 the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 i think i've only ever owned three, but i'm happy now at two. both are sub-$200, but to be fair the one would have been about $500 at retail. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I have 5 basses. One gets played all the time (Fender), another gets played sometimes (Squier), the electric upright (NS WAV) gets played occasionally and of the other two, one needs new batteries (Ibanez - it's active) and the other one (Palmer fretless) only ever comes out of its case if I need the case :grin: "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 both are sub-$200, but to be fair the one would have been about $500 at retail. Sometimes certain serendipitous circumstances allow for expansion of the herd that would otherwise not have happened -- whether it's a good deal or a windfall or what have you. rumple, since I've known you, you have been thoughtful, patient, and parsimonious about your gear. I could really get by with owning only one of my five basses. Really. However, there are three that I find give me complementary and different kinds of playing experiences and tonal palettes: 5-string modern w/ active preamp (and passive option), 4-string traditional PJ passive, and 5-string fretless. A fourth bass is a solid instrument and gets regular use, too. I got it for $200 off eBay to keep at work because on occasion I can break away during lunch to meet up w/ a friend to play for an hour. Having this bass allows me to do that spontaneously when the opportunity arises or to not have to commute on public transportation w/ my bass any time we actually schedule those get-togethers. And, if something were to happen to that bass, I wouldn't be too put out about it since I didn't spend a lot on it in the first place. My fifth bass is for sale. I recently "bumped" the ad on the LDL classifieds. It's also a good bass, but it doesn't provide anything beyond what the others give me already. Sadly, I sold my first bass to a friend years ago. While I don't need it, there are occasional nostalgic pangs for it. It was an Ibanez Roadstar II P bass from the mid-1980s, and was a real player. (And it was black, and we all know what that means...) Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I have various basses that are worth more than $2000, but I bought them long ago enough that that's not what I paid for them. However, playing bass is how I make my living and if I really thought I needed a specific bass, I'd probably spend the money necessary. However, I've never seen the need for anything super-expensive (fortunately). Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 So, unfortunately, this poll doesn't account for "real dollars." Thus, some folks who paid $250 for a bass in 1975 aren't getting to acknowledge that the buying power of $250 back then is the same as the buying power of about $1000 today. It's not worth re-doing the poll now, so for the time being, folks should probably stick with the price they paid when they paid it. However, if you're interested, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has this nifty converter: Dollar values, then and now... So, my first bass and amp, purchased for about $300 in 1986 would cost $638 today (assuming that the musical instrument and gear market were responding to inflation, etc. the same way as other products in the marketplace -- which is likely not true -- although this table has a section for musical instruments that allows us to figure this out). Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 rumple, since I've known you, you have been thoughtful, patient, and parsimonious about your gear. music math: no band + no gig = no gear. also, i'm eminently satisfied with where i'm at. you might have missed that i bought a new power amp in 2013 just for the fun of it. that was money well spent. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Yeah - was trying to decide on whether to use current (inflated) value but went with what I paid for my Wal...but then had to convert pounds to dollars! I currently have an expensive fretless, a free acoustic and am madly gassing for a fretted bass. Luckily I get to play the church fretted bass a few times a month! http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 My great gear purge of the past 2 years or so had a significant impact on my responses. Not too long ago I had some 9 basses, with the most expensive one having cost me $2,000. But I've sold off at least 3 basses in recent memory, including my most expensive instrument. So at this point in time I've got 6 basses that are playable, with another 2 in various stages of assembly. The current stable of instruments is a bit more modest from a cost standpoint. Barely any of them are over $1,000 retail. My Fender Roscoe Beck V string only cost me $900 new since it had been sitting in the store for about a year when I bought that. Now I could probably sell that bass for at least $1500, but that's incomprehensible to me. But my fretless Stingray 5 string would have been the most expensive of the lot, clocking in around $1300 at the time of acquisition. That bass was part of a trade deal where I traded 2 older instruments for a pair of factory ordered Stingray 5 strings. So even then, that wasn't really a straight up cash deal. When I complete my Fender American Standard Jazz bass 5 string, that's probably going to be around $1100. I've already got the neck, which has a rosewood fingerboard. I'm just getting the funds together to purchase a black American Std Jazz 5 string body. Since Fender doesn't offer that particular model in black with a rosewood fingerboard I've taken it on myself to make that particular configuration. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I noticed that Willie went with electrics (Does an electric upright count?). Run that poll with ABG and URB's and you'll get some different answers. I've been "electric bass fat" except for two pawn shop Fender purchases (both less than $400) for three years now. I'm more likely to spend money on my PA at this point. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 If I were really good, I'd set up a more careful poll via something like survey monkey so that I could actually manipulate the data to look at relationships between responses to different questions. Frankly, I don't care quite enough to do that... I should've set up a response in the second question for those who don't own a bass...alas. The one respondent who indicated not being a bass owner was kind enough to not respond to the second question -- which I think also means that s/he can't see the poll results. Maybe later this weekend we can do some interpretative discussion of the data once more responses are in. :-) Peace. --s-uu spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I just assumed that if it has a pickup on it = electric. All my basses including the ABGs have a pickup of some kind. Currently I have 9 basses. The most expensive is my p5 ($1100). If it were brand new then my Warwick thumb 5 BO would have beat the p5 out but I got a ridiculous deal on it ($700). Otherwise no 'Wick for me. Cheapest is my "campground" bass, a converted 6 string dreadnaught guitar put together with junk parts ($50 est.) followed by a Squier affinity p-bass to be a project bass ($60). The others fall in the $125-$600 except the Guild pilot 5 which was a gift from my wife, but I think she paid $800 for it back in '87. In all reality I probably would have been quite happy with just the Guild but I am a hopeless Gear packrat. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 My Estel Louis URB has a bridge mounted piezo. I do not consider her an "electric". Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoodyBluesKeys Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I did have 2 bases, bought the first in 1980 used for $300, sold it 2.5 years ago for $1500 (Gibson RD Artist). Of course, the $300 in 1980 would almost take $1500 now to equal in purchasing power. One thing for sure - lower priced basses now play better than the 1980 low priced stuff. Now only have the Epi Les Paul 5 string, which I bought used 9 years ago (and an Epi LP guitar 5 years ago). OTOH, the keyboard collection has grown from 1 in the 1980's to 6 now (including the real piano). I guess GAS still reigns - just in a different direction. Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I don't think he specified or implied "electric" in any sense. Any "bass" counts, as far as I'm concerned -- you can list a tuba if you want. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57pbass Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Guilty as charged. The sample is small, but apparently we're gear whores. www.danielprine.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard W Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I was at my band mate's house yesterday and counted: he's got 10 guitars. I have just three, only two of which I play. If that's not an argument for me to get another bass, I don't know what is. Now, just need to convince the wife... "Everyone wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Leo Tolstoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 and the other one (Palmer fretless) only ever comes out of its case if I need the case :grin: And that, sir, is the problem. Cases are evil. The only time an instrument should be in the case is if you're going someplace with it. Or if you have small children or a puppy who likes to chew on things. In which case, get rid of the children and puppy. Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 One thing for sure - lower priced basses now play better than the 1980 low priced stuff. And that morsel of truth is so damn cool. Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I currently have six basses which, to be honest is 5 more than I need since I haven't played out in years and years. I could survive quite nicely with one of my jazz basses and a combo amp for the occasional jam with friends. I have two MIA Jazz basses which is kind of silly but I hate the thought of selling one. I justify it by having one with flats and one with rounds. I have a MIM Precision which would be my second if I were to keep only two. I have a beautiful Epi Thunderbird Pro which I bought because I love T-birds and it was tremendous value for money. It's coming to the next jam. I have a fretless that I cobbled together because I enjoy playing fretless occasionally and poorly and I have a cheap six-string Ibanez which I bought on a whim and on which I like to try to fool around with chords. Bass-ically I'm quite content right now. Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I've got seven basses and three guitars. I'm going to get rid of one of the guitars, but everything else is staying. I use all of them except for the Matt Freeman bass which I will never sell. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 My Estel Louis URB has a bridge mounted piezo. I do not consider her an "electric". Fair enough. It's still a bass though. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 If that's not an argument for me to get another bass, I don't know what is. Now, just need to convince the wife... Sorry but the only way to do that is to get her to start playing herself. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I use all of them except for the Matt Freeman bass which I will never sell. Why don't you use it? "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 4 basses, 1 guitar here. Each is for a different purpose, and with these 4 I could play pretty much any gig, anywhere. Assuming I have the actual skills to play those gigs, which is a pretty big assumption, to be honest... I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimberWolf Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 One thing for sure - lower priced basses now play better than the 1980 low priced stuff. And that morsel of truth is so damn cool. That fact got me back into bass after a 20+ year hiatus. I have a Stratocaster that attracted my son's curiosity when he was 6 years old. Since it was really "too much" guitar for him to manage at that age, he ended up with a Squire "Mini" and a 15 watt Marshall for Christmas - which I ended up fooling around with even more than he did. From that point, it was easy to rationalize acquiring a couple of "cheap" Rogue basses for less than $300, and ten years later: Rogue 4 string fretless Rogue 5 string (active) Rogue Violin (Hofner copy) Squire VM 70's J bass Squire VM J fretless Fender Aerodyne Fender Jazz 24 (active) "Gear whore" indeed . . . TimberWolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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