Carl Thompson Bass for $14,995. Please school me why.....?

#22
Since it's getting sold by the music shop that ordered it, I can only assume that they're putting their own interest rate in the equation on top of the instrument's full cost and wait period. CT Basses seem to be good at keeping their resale value if in good condition, but this person seems greedy.
I've seen fancier 6-string CTs sell for much less.
 
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#23
It really is a great instrument. It's got some magic that other instruments don't have. The only other bass I know that has this is the Citron basses. Citrons are about 10-11grands for the top of the Swallow deep body.

I hate to say it so bluntly but Carl himself isnt going to live a whole lot longer and if what I heard is correct, someone else whom I won't name is building most of the basses and Carl is doing the final checking due to his age. If this is true, this means that CT bass is already over the prime and his older basses will eventually go up in price.

This basically mean, it has somewhat of an upside price hike, should Carl himself pass away. Now this is a gamble and I would NEVER EVER advise anyone to buy something from this stand point of view.

So there you go, it's a great, unique bass, sounds great, famous players play it, limited number of basses in the open market, and Carl is an old guy. There is one for sale for 16 grands in Tokyo. I would buy this one if I were not eyeing a Citron AE6 and if I didn't put an order onto a Guardian Raitey. Oh well.... one of these days before Carl dies, I will get one.


.
 
#25
I hate when people complain about how much customs cost. I'm a potter, and every time someone complains about a $40 cup I say go buy it at Wal Mart. Hand made things just cost more. Carl Thompson builds basses as his job and he doesn't make very many instruments a year. Someone who has been making instruments as long as Carl should be charging more than something mass produced.
 
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#26
Caca de Kick said:
Everything Craig Brody lists is way beyond top dollar.
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Exactly.

Quentin Hunt said:
The guy is humble, keeps to himself, and it's threads like these that make people like him stay off of the internet. Too many rumors and inaccuracies.
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I don't think it's any criticism of Carl. It's about the dealer - who for at least the last 20 years has had prices exaggerated well beyond the market -- often by multiples; this is the same dealer currently asking $85K for a Ric Lightshow bass and $100K for a Thunderbird. Of course, for the right buyer, it may be worth that to them...
 
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#27
It is a work of art and is cherished and valued accordingly.

You might just as well ask the question, "Why is art so expensive?"

Simple:
1. It's desireable by many people, some of those people have a lot of money.
2. It's rare and there just aren't enough to go around to everyone that wants one.
 
#30
Turnaround said:
Why does a BMW cost what it does? Not to say that this bass is the equivalent of a Beamer, but maybe it is. In some circles Thompson basses are revered. And in some circles, so are BMW's. In the end the price is what someone is willing to pay.

Maybe an Indonesian Lakland is of more value to you.
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I think everyone basically understands this as obvious information. For people like me, who do not follow the market on high-end, famous maker, custom designed basses, is this a normal price for a bass like this? On the high side or lower than expected?
 
#31
Kinda sucks that someone else is trying to make more money than Carl ever did off of this bass. I guess it's their right since they bought the thing, but it's a scummy move in my book. Carl works hard every day of the week to produce these basses, so it hurts a little to see someone who didn't get their hands dirty building it try to reap the rewards. I doubt it'll sell for that, but there's always someone willing to pay too much for their toys.
 
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#33
De gustibus non est disputandum.

I wouldn't pay that price for it, but there are folks who wouldn't pay the $2K I laid down for my lifetime keeper/trusty warhorse pre-owned Sadowsky Metro. To me, that's one of the best purchases I ever made.

As many have suggested, above, the price is set by the perceived value--perceived _by the two parties involved in the exchange_. If the transaction happens (absent coercion or deception), what you (a third party) can assume is that the seller wanted the money more than the item and the buyer wanted the item more than the money. And value has been created in the exchange, in that they both accomplished their goal. 'Sall good.

(That's the Austrian econ way of analyzing price. Way more insightful, IMHO, than the Marxist view that value is inherent in goods or services, and hence price can be analyzed in isolation.)
 
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#34
Ewo said:
De gustibus non est disputandum.

I wouldn't pay that price for it, but there are folks who wouldn't pay the $2K I laid down for my lifetime keeper/trusty warhorse pre-owned Sadowsky Metro. To me, that's one of the best purchases I ever made.

As many have suggested, above, the price is set by the perceived value--perceived _by the two parties involved in the exchange_. If the transaction happens (absent coercion or deception), what you (a third party) can assume is that the seller wanted the money more than the item and the buyer wanted the item more than the money. And value has been created in the exchange, in that they both accomplished their goal. 'Sall good.

(That's the Austrian econ way of analyzing price. Way more insightful, IMHO, than the Marxist view that value is inherent in goods or services, and hence price can be analyzed in isolation.)
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In short terms... As long as there are people who wants to buy goods at s given price there will be somebody selling those goods...
 
#35
Gotta love the Craig Brodies of the world. Where would we be without the middle-man weaving his web with words like 'personal' and 'delicious?'

But what do I know? I've got friends who just dropped over 30 grand for a "artisan granite countertop." It looks like any other polished and beveled hunk of grey granite to me. But I'm not a connoisseur of fine rocktops.

Maybe I'm the one who needs to get a clue. :wideyed:
 
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#36
Without hating on anyone or anything, it is important to remember, 'to each his own'. The truth about any and every product is that the price will always go to a level where someone buys it. If it doesn't sell at a high price, one of two things will inevitably happen: 1) The price will get reduced until someone buys it, or 2) The manufacturer or purveyor of said object will go out of business, and THEN the price will go down until someone buys it. Nothing ever made in history EVER went unsold.

It's a simple game, really.
 
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#37
40Hz said:
Gotta love the Craig Brodies of the world. Where would we be without the middle-man weaving his web with words like 'personal' and 'delicious?'

But what do I know? I've got friends who just dropped over 30 grand for a "artisan granite countertop." It looks like any other polished and beveled hunk of grey granite to me. But I'm not a connoisseur of fine rocktops.

Maybe I'm the one who needs to get a clue. :wideyed:
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When I bought my granite countertops for our farmhouse, they showed me the perfect sample right off the bat. I was so afraid that it would be the most expensive kind, but it turned out to be like, Squier VM money instead.
 
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#40
Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati said:
In short terms... As long as there are people who wants to buy goods at s given price there will be somebody selling those goods...
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Yes--in a _free market_. In a command economy, that's not necessarily the case. The current state of affairs in Venezuela is an illustration. Plenty of demand for food, household supplies, and medical services--but crazy bad shortages.
 
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