NBD & Future of MM Passive Basses…

On a whim last week, I picked pulled a Cutlass Bass off the wall at Guitar Center and fell in love. About a year ago, the price tag was around $1,700… Imagine my surprise when this week it was on clearance for $1,200– I didn’t hesitate and bought it 😉

The next day I went on line to learn more about the instrument, and noticed these are now selling for around $2,200. A little more research, and I discover that used models are listing around $1,600! So today when I came across a new Caprice– again on clearance– I arranged for it to ship to me.

All this got me wondering about the future of the passive line:

Price:
Online prices of most MM basses are now selling for about $500 more than they were a year ago… Can the MM passive line survive priced over $2k?

Perhaps the increase can be attributed to the cost of doing business in California these days? Comparatively, Fender basses are also about $500 more than they were last year as well; American Standards were about $1k, while the “Pro’s” are approx $1,500. G&L had a somewhat modest price bump over a year ago. Kiesel prices have slowly risen over the last few years as well. Rickenbacker has been consistently around $2K for some time now, and Taylor guitars have seen a consistent price increase over the last several years as well. California taxes have seen considerable increases I’m told…

Quality:
When I compare the quality of my Cutlass to that of my other US made basses, it’s as good if not better.

Subjectively, the Cutlass just sounds more musical to my ears, and the lighter weight along with ease of play combine to make the Cutlass my new #1.

Oddity within the MM’s family:
Not only does the new passive line have to survive a substantial price increase, it also seems to be the black-sheep in the Music Man line, as it’s quite different than the active Stingray, Sterling, and Bongo “Collections.”
A lot of MM fans shun the passives in the online forums, as many consider the new line as simply ‘P’/’J’ copies, or a shameless attempt to generate revenue on the back of vintage nostalgia (never mind the “classic” series of Stingrays, etc.).

Remember a recent oddity in the line was the Big Al– it’s no longer in the catalog…

Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I’ve long had a limit to what I am willing to pay for a bass, which was $1,500. Looking at the market in general, where there are several Mexican made Fenders and Asian made Laklands, etc. at/over the $1k mark, perhaps my bias is keeping me from seeing the bigger picture in a 2018 context(?)…

Overall:
When I compare the Cutlass to Fender, G&L and Lull, the Cutlass sounds/feels best to me. Naturally, “best” is subjective; for me, Music Man has knocked it out of the park.

–Would I pay $2,200?
If I didn’t already have a small collection of basses and was looking for a primary go-to instrument– yes. This bass is worth that kind of investment. However, having multiple quality instruments makes it more difficult to justify the expense; is it that much better than those I already have?

The future:

–Do the passive models have what it takes to survive and remain in the MM catalog?
These are fantastic instruments, and comparatively I think they are still in the ballpark, though on the higher end. Realistically, these are likely destined to remain in the shadow of the catalog-core Stingrays.

–Is Guitar Center’s recent “clearance” pricing a sign that the line has reached it’s conclusion?
Browsing the stock of online sellers, there appear to be plenty selling at that price…

If MM adds 5-stings to the passive line, thus justifying “Collections” of each in the catalog, I would say the future of the line looks strong. Otherwise, I can’t help but wonder if these basses are soon going to be rarities like the Big Al…

What do y’all think?

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