Stop Buying Cheap Gear
“Buy the best and only cry once!”
Those words were printed on the side of a Snap-On tool truck from which my dad often bought his tools. Over the years, I’m not sure exactly how much he spent in there but I do know that those tools, true to their word, were built to last. Save for an occasional misplaced wrench or socket I don’t ever remember him having to buy the same tool twice. Growing up, I never heard him say, “I should have bought (insert off-brand here)” or the ever-dreaded “My tool broke”.
You may have heard the popular phrase, “You get what you pay for”, and while it’s largely true in most facets of life, it’s one that’s not widely adopted amongst musicians.
After producing gear videos on YouTube for a few years I can’t tell you how many comments I get from people either complaining about the price of a piece of gear or proclaiming the fact that they could get two of the “overseas copy” for the same price. And they’re right. They absolutely can get two cheap, knock-off basses for the same price as one higher-quality bass. The only problem with that is at the end of the deal they have two cheap knock-off basses. Which reminds me of another popular-in-every-other-aspect-of-life-but-rejected-by-most-musicians phrase, “Quality over quantity”.
I know what you’re probably thinking. “Musicians don’t make a lot of money” or “I’m sure the top of the line gear is great, but I can’t afford it”. I completely know where you’re coming from and don’t get me wrong, I am by no means rich, well-off, or any other word that could describe one having an abundance of money. But I also make sure that if I’m serious about buying something I’m going to save and get the right one, making sure any financial-related tears only occur once, rather than the sub-par one I can get right now.
When it comes time to buy a house or a car, you don’t often hear someone say “Well, I can get two Fiat 500s for the price of one pickup truck” or “I chose to move in to the house in the higher-crime part of town because it was cheaper than the nicer house.” In these instances you determine what it is you need. “Which one is going to best fit my lifestyle and what is my budget?” Not, “What is the absolute cheapest option?” The same goes for something as simple as shoes. Shoes need to support and protect your feet and they’re literally going to get stepped on. You need them to last, not fall apart after a couple of runs around the block.*
Now, I want to be especially clear here- The title of this article is “Stop Buying Cheap Gear” to be provacative, but there is still a need to budget realistically. I’m in no way advocating the hobbyist to go out and get a Fodera or some high-end, boutique, made-from-extremely-rare-wood instrument. There’s different price levels on everything for a reason. I’m just saying get away from a cheap-for-cheap’s-sake mindset.
Harley Benton, Squier, Epiphone...these are great for the beginner just starting out or for the kid who asks his skeptical parents for a guitar or bass.
Let’s just use the Fender family of basses for this example:
Say you’ve decided that the Precision Bass is for you. Between the Squier Affinity (~$230) and the American Ultra (~$1,900) lies a plethora of choices.
How serious are you about bass? How often do you play out? Are you going to record with it? What’s your realistic budget? And most importantly, what’s it worth to you?
Let’s assume you’re a semi-pro, playing regular bar gigs, the occasional wedding, and maybe an out-of-town benefit show here and there. You’d probably not be best suited with the Squier. Sure, that price tag is tempting, but all things come at a cost. This will most likely be your primary, if not only instrument. You can’t afford for a pot to fritz, a screw to strip, a jack to fail, a tuner to slip, or any other catastrophe that seems only to happen mid-set. You need something that’s going to play well, sound great, and above all, last for years with minimal trips to your local luthier. If the top of the line Fender American Ultra is within your budget, go for it, but for the semi-pro, this could justifiably be an unjustifiable investment. That’s where realistic budgeting comes in. Your best bet will most likely be the American Performer or American Professional series (after all the pro in “semi-pro” still means “professional”). In mid-2020, these instruments are priced around $1,100-$1,600. A more justifiable investment considering it’ll pay for itself after only a few gigs. (Ed. Note- Assuming we’re gigging in 2020 any time soon. *long sigh*)
The same goes for pedals. Pedals’ prices range anywhere from the $30 Behringer to the $400 Strymon or any boutique, handmade pedal. I’m not a business major so I can’t give you all of the reasons the boutique pedals are more expensive, but I can tell you this: Typically, those handmade pedals are (as the name implies) handmade by someone who is trying to build a bigger reputation. There is likely going to be more care and pride into building each unit. You’re much less likely to get a faulty unit than you would be getting that was something mass-produced overseas. Sure, some of the Behringer circuits sound pretty decent, but they’re enclosed in plastic. How long do you think it’ll take for the housing to crack or a jack to fail? Once that happens, you’re forced to buy another one. Then another one. After some time, you've spent over $100 rebuying the same pedal.
On the flip side, you don’t necessarily have to go for the dipswitch-laden boutique pedal either (unless you’ve decided that it’s the exact one you need). More often than not, a lot of these boutique pedals are just copying Boss or EHX. Both of which come in at a decent price and are most likely featured on your favorite record. They sound great, they’re solidly built, and they’re reasonably priced. Don’t buy into the idea of needing some crazy pedal to sound unique. You already sound unique. “It’s in the hands,” so says every popular bass player ever.
If up to this point I’ve been unclear, let me leave you with this: You don’t always need the absolute best, but you always need the best you can get. Be honest with yourself. Choose the best option for you. To some people, that might be the cheapest option, to others it’s not. Only you can determine where you are in your musical endeavors.
But wherever you are, do your best. Buy the best. Only cry once.
What’s the best deal-to-quality bass-related purchase you’ve ever made? Let us know in the comments. It will be a good resource for the rest of us who know we don’t need a Fodera…but they’re so pretty.
*Ed. Note- This is known as the “Sam Vimes Theory of Economic Injustice”.
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Chris is the executive producer, video guy, and editor of The Bass Channel and current host of Bassic Gear Review. He’s an aficionado of Gibson instruments and is probably the biggest Metallica fan you’ll ever meet.