Yeah the only way I will ever get there is by buying used and slowly trading up. Like, that Streamer LX5 I just posted costs twelve times what mine did 
Weāll see though. Iām quite happy with my current basses. I miss my new 5-string surprisingly much, canāt wait to get it back. And the only way I am upgrading my 604 is if I ever get that purple SR2400 or something like it - the 604 is just perfect for me otherwise.
Thought about this strategy also, but it requires that you donāt get much āattachedā to your basses and can sell them easilyā¦ at this point, I donāt feel like parting with any of my three bassesā¦ one of them because I donāt think I would get for it what I feel it is worthā¦ one because I might regret selling what could turn into a collectorās item (many years down the road)ā¦ and one where I KNOW I will regret selling it, because I think it was a scoop getting it and because it is my current go-to bassā¦ So, yeah, attachmentā¦ 
There you have it 
Yeah exactly. Iām pretty attached to my TRBX604, the only way I see selling it is for a better version of fundamentally the same bass. Iād feel the same way about a 504.
My wife said Iām not allowed to sell my instruments anymore because sheās sick of hearing me moan about regretting it later. 
I never spent do much for a bass or guitar, but I already did for at least one amp 
that is still my main guitar amp. (it was more 3000 than 2000 by the way)
however Iāve had a lot of opportunities to play/try/test very expensive instruments, including Custom Shop Gibson Fender and Musicman. the Fender Deluxe series (the name changes but itās their very high end MIA modern range) is also around $2500. I also tried a very very expensive Tom Anderson guitar, and more others than I can remember.
Some of those instruments are outstanding, for example the Custom Shop Musicman Stingray was really incredible. I donāt know if my friend still has it, would be interesting to ask.
Other instruments are ājustā very high end like the MIA Deluxe series, as you would expect. yeah those things are very good instruments but I wonāt necessarily spend +2000 for one of those.
Other expensive instruments are ā¦ not very good. Gibson of course. those guys are very talented to charge insane prices for average instruments.
My personal point of view is that I donāt feel really good with very expensive instruments. I know that the instruments that I use have hits and scratches, thatās pretty normal and I donāt mind at all, but I might not see it the same way on a very expensive instrument.
My two main instruments (Juliette the yellow Telecaster, Greenie the green Precision) are both Fender MIA, again the range and names always changes but it would be the low MIA range. both of those instruments were around $1300 to $1500 new I think, and I bought them both used for half the price, and added a few $100s more for the pickups upgrades. Iām fine with this range, to me itās a good compromise.
just my 2 cents 
Yeah, thatās a good synopsis of why I am much more interested in (say) a $1500 Ibby SR2400 used for about $800, or for that matter my current $600 TRBX604 that I got for $350, than I would be for a new $3000 Atelier Z. Well, plus Iām not looking for a hyperquality Fender clone but you know what I mean.
If I had that Masterbuilt Warwick I linked instead of my current Rockbass I would probably be terrified to slap it.
I think this is a solid and pragmatic approach, @terb and @howard - and if you stick to Fender , Yamaha and Ibanez, then it should absolutely be possible to find some solid (used) instruments in the 1000-1500 dollars range.
But what if you fancy something a bit more āoff the trodden pathā? Maybe because of the design, maybe because of the woods, maybe because of the pickups/PU configs, maybe because of the āuniquenessā and it not having Fender on the headstock? Then, I guess, it is a bit more trickyā¦ and very fast you find yourself in hand-made territory!
Haha, I know exactly what you meanā¦ I am still very wary to have to lug my Yamaha around in a gig bag using public transport 
I think that (plus Kiyoshi hero-worship of course) is partially what drew me to Warwick, as they are very different. And the Warwick Teambuilts (their mid-tier, MIG production basses) would be the analogue there and probably where I end up with them - I could easily see trading my Rockbass up to a Teambuilt. Iām pretty sold on the brand so far.
Speaking of some nice Ibanez basses in the ca 1500 dollar range:
nothing original, just Fender PB ā¦ but Iām truely in love with those two color schemes :
tidepool blue :
tangerine orange :
Oh.
Oh, that orange with the big chrome???
Iām in love too.
not a big fan of the chrome plate, but I love this metallic orange ! and as far as I know thatās a pretty rare color
Yeah thatās a lovely colour.
Iāve never heard of Sonic Grey though - Sonic Blue yes, but not Grey.
Yep, Sonic Blue is great too, and might be my favorite I have seen in person. I played one of that color in a store and it was really nice.
Iām always drawn to transparent finishes more. I like to see the wood grain. Just my thing though. Thatās why they make both. 
DROOL 
We were out with a good friend we havenāt seen in a while and my wife wanted some time to catch up with her and just do some girly things, so she asked if I could go hang out and shop and meet them in a couple hours.
Oh yes, I can do that 
spoiler: I didnāt buy anything, but it was tough. I stuck to one store.
First, hereās a few Sadowskys, because why not.
Foderas
A bunch of interesting Warwicks
An 8-string Rockbass Corvette
A wall full of Fender
A few $4-5k Status Graphite
Finally, I almost bought these:
.120 E string, yesssssss. You could easily do
Drop C and probably Drop B and still have playable tension.
Manā¦ ākid in a candy storeā kind of dilemma there 
Nice picsā¦ and, uhm, again true to the title of this thread 
