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Forum » General Discussions » where do you guys draw the line on spending? by chiamac (586 posts) 20 years ago where do you guys draw the line on spending? So I’m just wondering, how much are you willing to pay for equipment? Is 100’s of dollars too much for a mouthpiece, or $5000 for a sax? How about 1000’s on recording equipment. (which we all know is expensive) Where do you guys draw the line between price and use? My story is this… So I’m a dj (like I’m fond of bringing up) and records are $10 PER SONG! These aren’t albums, they don’t have 10-15 tracks like a cd… they just have one, two if you’re lucky. So, I have paid up to $45 for a record – one song. I’m going to pay $50 to have an mp3 cut on a record. Why? Because, that record sells for 400-500, if you can’t find a copy. So far my collection is small, maybe around 100-120 records. But still, I don’t play out anywhere it’s just something I do for myself. So let me ask you guys… when is enough, enough? Where do you draw the limit on spending? Reply To Post [Report Abuse] Report Abuse Web Address * Your Name Your Email Address Comment
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by SaxMan (559 posts) 20 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I am willing to pay whatever it takes if I really need it. 5 grand for a sax is very reasonable, especially when you look at the conn-o-sax. I am planning on paying at least 7 grand on a low A mark VI, probably will go up to ten, no sweat. I almost bought a m/p for 750, but I screwed up one of my saxes and had to fix it instead. Now, I do not think I would pay 2 grand for a meyer, but then, I am not really a jazz person. It is a balance between being worth it and price, for instance, I wouldn't pay 600 bucks for an alto case made by wintergreen or whatever it is. (The one who makes keil's cases.) Why don't you get a mixer made for Cd's? they do make those now. probly be expensive as hell, but in the long run cheaper. Reply To Post by Spike (248 posts) 20 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? So this $600 winter you speak of... is it... made of gold? most of them are about $150 Reply To Post by sax_maniac (984 posts) 20 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I refuse to carry revolving credit month to month (as most people should but generally don't) so I spend as my passion cooperates with my pocketbook. Music is my hobby - not my profession, so I can afford it more than I have time to enjoy it. Though I wonder if being a professional musician would take the fun out of it anyways... I splurged on a new silver III last summer, but it was a reward to myself for a good couple years at my job - not an impulsive OOPS! I'm always one for a bargain (who isn't), so if I come upon an offer I can't refuse, I don't refuse it. Would I pay $9000 for an SBA tenor? No way - not even if I had a million bucks. Would I turn one down a mint one for $1500? No. Not even if I had to eat mac and cheese for two months to make up for it. I'm also not one to buy something and put it in the closet or cigar box. If it's not going to be played, I won't bother with it. I've amassed an assortment of mouthpieces on what I'll call my "tone quest". As it's about over, I'll soon be unloading everything I'm not going to use. So I try not to buy things I can't resell relatively easily. I've been using Cakewalk Pro Audio for 10 years and have discovered MidiNotate, which is a cheap midi to sheet music converter with some pretty cool capabilities for about $40. For $200, you can get a soundblaster audigy with decent inputs and enough power to handle what most folks will attempt at home. So things can be done on the cheap if you really try. I think musicianship is more about making that Bundy II play well than obsessing over having the latest and greatest whiz-bang gear, though I've splurged for dessert on occasion. Though I've enjoyed chasing equipment a bit - I'm getting a little tired of it and am looking forward to playing more - focusing on developing my sound from what I like and what I have. I sound a lot different than I did a year ago, and it's somewhat better, but it's still me. So when you're happy with your sound, be happy and move along with your bad self - enough is enough. OR when the bank forcloses on your home, enough is enough. If you play your cards right, you find your sound before the bank calls... Gotta go. The phone is ringing... Reply To Post by chiamac (586 posts) 20 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? OR when you're wife/girl leaves you... Reply To Post Yahoo! AIM by Spike (248 posts) 20 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? oh man, troof! so what's too much? well let's look at my spending habits: Sax: $3,600 Mouthpieces(with ligs): C*: $150 Berg: $180 Case: $250 metronome: $50 tuner: $15 strap: $5 So a total of $4,250 plus reeds and music. if we figure an average of 20 reeds at an average of $2 each, and 5 books, real book, and 5 pieces sheet music i've purchased, that's about $240, and i've usually got a pair of drumsticks, that's a total of $4,500 i cary around on my back. my dad picked up most of the sax(bless him) so that's $1,600 out of pocket from a high school senior. That's about exactly what i can afford, since i have a car, and go on dates and hear jazz and such. so anyway, $4,501 is too much. for tenor. Reply To Post by cyber75sax (33 posts) 20 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I disagree. I just spent $7800 on my silver mint condition 1955 Mark VI. I had the dinero and I spent it. If I didn't, I wouldn't have. But I would have been wondering what that horn would've sounded like. In the past two months I've spent about $10,000 on saxophone stuff. It's things that will last me for the rest of my life and things that will make me a better musician, which happens to be my profession. Bottom line is that you spend what you can afford. It doesn't matter if it's a new tenor or a new car. Reply To Post by SaxAppeal (67 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? Don't spend what you can afford cuz then you'll be outta money ;P Reply To Post by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I don't even want to think about the amount of money I have spent on equipment! I guess for me, enough is enough when I can't afford to pay my other bills because I have spent too much on saxophones and other gear. It's like an addiction. The more you play, the more you have to have, and the more you have the more you want! When I bought 5 saxophones in one month and had to pay my rent and cell phone bill late because I spent all my money on saxophones, I had to stop and get a grip! As for how much to spend on a horn, mouthpiece, etc., buy the one the best suits your needs and feels the most comfortable for what you can afford to spend. If you have silly money, buy whatever you want, but my experience tells me that sometimes the most expensive isn't necessarily the best! Reply To Post Yahoo! by blackfrancis (396 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I don't spend all that much on equipment. I've had my sop. since 1970, my tenor since 1980, and I just replaced my Mk. VI that I got in 1972 with a less expensive Conn at a big gain. I tend to find something I like and stick with it, and if it costs an arm and a leg, I forget it. I'll go looking for a deal first. You want to see some equipment hounds, look at guitar players! Reply To Post by saxophonik (73 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? Hey Francis, I happen to play guitar and bass as secondary instruments, and you happen to be absolutely correct about guitarists :) I think guitarists tend to be gear junkies due to their insatiable desire for the "holy grail" of tone. Plus, in most cases, there's more to guitarists equipment than just a guitar and amp. There's guitars, amps, strings, picks, EFX units, etc. Very few musicians of all genres are totally happy with the tone they achive with what they have. I, for one, will probably always be tweaking this, or adding that, or trading this for that... same will probably be true about my horns. I'm content with my sax / mpc. / reed setup, but maybe this will give me just a touch more darkness to my tone, or that might be just a touch more free-blowing... boy, musicians are a fickle lot... Reply To Post by phathorn (165 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I don't draw the line on spending.....SHE draws the line on spending LOL Reply To Post by reedrage (21 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I am a freak who,if I had enough money,would be found only by the smell under piles of saxophone cases. Reply To Post by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I'm a guitarist too, and I am so particular about my tone. I have found my holy grail. I play an early Gretsch Electromatic hollowbody with the original DeArmand pickups and a Bigsby tremelo through a re-issue Fender '59 Bassman tweed tube amp with 4 10" Jensen blues. I practically had to pry this guitar out of Setzer's hands at a guitar show! Reply To Post Yahoo! by saxophonik (73 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? Very nice!! Jim, do you actually draw ANY lines on spending? :) Reply To Post by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? I paid $3500 for my Gretsch, which is more money than I ever thought I would spend for a guitar. I was at a guitar show in Indiana looking at some Gretsch guitars and Setzer was there. He picked this guitar up and started looking at it, put it down and picked up another. I grabbed it and played it only a minute and told the guy I wanted to buy it. Setzer just laughed and said that it was a nice guitar and he wanted to buy it too! The seller just stood there looking like "what should I do?" and I told Setzer that I wanted a Gretsch because I was a big fan, and I wanted to sound like him! He just smiled and told the seller to sell me the guitar and then he signed it for me. I put the dice knobs on it, and I put a chrome V8 emblem on it (like the old T Birds had). It's a really cool guitar! Yes, you have to draw the line somewhere. I was fortunate enough to have a pretty good job for a while, and I had relatively low expenses, but I was laid off in July. When I was making more money, I spent more money, and I also accumalated more bills and more debt! Now, I'm struggeling, and trying to find a job that pays even half what I was making before! So, I'm sticking with the equipment I have for right now. I did sell a couple guitars and a Marshall amp, and I bought a Jody Jazz ESP mouthpiece for my 10M, but we're also planning a wedding, so it'll be a while before I buy any more saxophones or anything else! Reply To Post Yahoo! by blackfrancis (396 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? Jim, what do you think of the ESP? Does it work well with the Super 20? Congrats on the wedding! And the Gretsch! Reply To Post by connsaxman_jim (2336 posts) 19 years ago Re: where do you guys draw the line on spending? Actually, I haven't even tried it out on the Super 20 yet! It sounds great on the 10M and I have tried it on the Buescher 400. I need to fix a couple pads on the King. Reply To Post Yahoo!