You mean like the Super Axe?
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I’m not sure the model name but it’s the 355 looking Yamaha. Delicious. He install the Bixby on it.
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Yeah that’s the Super Axe. Yamaha SA-1000, etc
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Personally I want to get this RevStar I’d pay extra if I can play like this kid, a lot extra, lol.
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I love mine. You should totally get one of the new Revstar Standards, it’s the sweet spot. Fantastic guitar.
Matteo is scary good 
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Oh yeah! That was one of the first video I saw him play, I thought hmm! That’s interesting he plays finger style and more like bass too. His trio songs are super yummy. They are all great players.
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Yep! There is also a quartet with Federico Malaman on bass. If you like fusion… 
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Oh yeah, that guy is simply a Beast!
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yeah i mean part of this equation is how much money do you have? there are definitely people out there who wouldnt blink an eye at the increased price tag and any bump up in quality or status would make it worth it.
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Yeah that’s definitely a factor. Objective instrument quality is not the only factor in subjective purchase satisfaction, even aside from bias. Which is another reason I prefer reviews from neutral observers over owners.
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My hobby revolves around cheap instruments where I take good care of it and put a nice spin on the aesthetic which would hopefully attract the buyers, which in turns generate profits so I can keep GASing my favorite whatever bass.
I’m constantly reminded of how good the entry level and sub $500 basses are. They are quite fun to play and sounds just as great as their big sisters. All of the big brands sub $300 and sub $500 are just killers. Great for all kinds of music.
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To me, status is immaterial. Personally, the value of a custom bass lies not only in my appreciation of a handmade’s build quality and materials, but also in its custom specs, uniqueness, fit and finish craftsmanship, materials, and the support it provides to expert artisans creating in small shops.
I’m not saying or suggesting that anyone should agree with any of the above. Those are strictly my views and values as a more than satisfied customer of handmade guitars and basses.
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Handmade - can you give an example of what level of personal handling would differentiate a handmade bass from one that is not?
AFAIK almost all instruments are put together by hand. And many that you likely consider handmade, like Warwick Masterbuilts, are heavily CNC’d.
I’m obviously different. I just think of a Bass a tool. A tool to make music. As a carpenter I can appreciate the skill required to make a custom bass out of exotic woods. So as a piece of art that you can hold in your hands. Yes I totally get it.
But that’s not what interests me. I want to be the best bass player I can be. So I practice, I read and try and absorb all things bass. But a Fodera won’t make me a better player. You can’t buy your way up the bass player ladder; you have to put in the work.
I have the disposable income to buy a custom bass. I just don’t want to, when a mass produced Fender, Schecter, Yamaha, G&L, Music Man etc will work just fine.
So I think we can agree a high end bass is potentially better built and more beautiful to look at. But in terms of playing fretted notes. You can achieve the same thing on a $1000 bass and in a blind test it would sound pretty close / the same.
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I have instruments that did not involve CNC machines, and some that did. That said, the majority were hand-carved.
But none of that matters. What does matter to me is this:
YMMV
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I would say I am pretty similar. I have no trouble appreciating the craftsmanship of high end instruments. However the current quality of the midrange instruments has risen to the point that objectively, in terms of providing a well made instrument that plays well and can last a lifetime as a well loved means to make music, it’s really hard for me to see improvements gained by going to the high end customs as being objectively more than just incremental.
I don’t mean just utilitarian things here, I also mean overall feel and enjoyment while playing.
This is not a slight of boutique instruments at all. They are usually wonderful. I’m just being realistic about the actual objective gains they add.
Agreed and agreed. We each choose our enjoyment. I worked, I retired, and now I’ll choose my enjoyment. For reasons that I don’t need to go back and forth on I DIDN"T find enjoyment in my first Fender almost 20 years ago (Deluxe QMT), or the Sadowsky that I had made and started the course with. I find everything that @MikeC mentions, and more so than the others, in my Fodera’s (and the Fodera that will be here in May). Play better? Probably not; but, FOR ME, playing bass is more than the sound that comes out. I’m sure that we each find “that thing” in something (not necessarily an instrument). To each their own. I wouldn’t pay a dime for fishing gear, travel, golf, or the like; but, wherever I see my forum-mates finding their enjoyment, and with whatever instruments, I am supportive and understand that we each choose our enjoyment, and where WE CHOOSE to spend , or acquire, and on what.
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Well said, @booker_t.
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I just got a custom bass, for under $700, so it doesn’t have to break the bank. It’s easier to play, easier to fret notes, do slides, and hammer ons/pull offs. Nothing a better quality bass wouldn’t give me I’m sure. Doesn’t make me much better, but it’s less tiring to play. I’ll leave it at that, because I don’t really disagree with what you say. I wouldn’t buy a Fodera either. There are gradients of custom though