Bongos or Car?

[Dees]

Get the car, you already have 2 great basses, and I don't think you NEED them.
I'd like to have acar too. I'm almost 21 and I don't even have my driver license!

 

[adouglas]

the thing that sucks about the car is, unlike a bass, it keeps costing you money (gas, insurance, repairs) so you probably won't be buying any more basses any time soon

That's a good point. Basses don't burn gas. Gas is getting so expensive that ordinary working stiffs are starting to have to choose between groceries and transportation.

Of course, if they hadn't been stupid enough to buy huge SUVs in the first place....

You have more basses than you can possibly play at one time already. Get the car, no question.

But do yourself a favor: Do the math and find out what it will cost you to actually own and operate the thing for a year. Decide if you can really afford to keep it, not just buy it.

My car is four years old. I bought it new. In that time, between insurance, gas, oil, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, taxes, registration fees, tolls and parking I have probably spent more to keep it than it cost to buy it. And I didn't even have to pay any loan interest (bought it outright).

Are you going to be able to do that?

If you're just going into college and are lucky enough to be able to afford brand new, top-flight instruments already, chances are the answer is yes. But walking into it with eyes wide open will pay off in the long run.

Owning a car gives you a lot, but it's a HUGE expense and often a great big pain in the butt.

 

[stingrayplayr83]

Its offical.... I have a 1997 white Land Rover Discovery sitting in his driveway, along with a 3000 dollar loan from his parents. Looks like those bongos won't come for a while.

PS. My girlfriend definately liked my mom's car more than mine, she says mine looks like a box.

PSS. Looks like I'll also need a job while I'm at Penn to pay for the thing. Good thing I'm lucky enough to have my parents pay for my college.

 

[adouglas]

Criminy, you've got too much money for your own good. I take back my last post. It was intended for someone who actually has to worry about silly stuff like spending fifty bucks on a tank of gas or choosing between rent and the next car insurance payment.

Listen, friend, if your idea of a used car for which you have to sacrfice the purchase of a few more $12-1500 basses is a Land Rover and you don't even work for a living yet, believe me you've got WAY more money than most of us do. The typical person going into college would be thinking about a used Corolla, not a used high-end British SUV. Why the heck are you asking the question in the first place?

Don't take this wrong. I think it's great that you're so lucky. I wish I was. Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it.

Be well, best of luck, make good use of that education to make the world a better place, and may you be fortunate enough to never have to have a face-to-face encounter with the real world of living paycheck to paycheck!

 

[shamus63]

I'm speechless (almost)...I just had to sell off my backup bass so that I could keep some money in the bank between paydays.

And we were worried that he might make the wrong decision...

 

[TheDirtyMoocher]

good luck on the gas...

 

[stingrayplayr83]

ah. This car is far from new, though, plus I got it for about the cost of a used carolla. It has 154,000 miles, and needs a new muffler because the other one fell off

 

[shamus63]

I personally would have bought a used Corolla; you're going to be paying out the a$$ in gas and insurance in the long run.

 

[stingrayplayr83]

But can a carolla carry big amps? That's why I bought the good old rover.

 

[shamus63]

Funny, that exact thought was just crossing my mind. But still, there are a lot of used vehicles out there that'll do the job without breaking the bank just to gas up...that's going to eat up your gig money.

Better save that $3k for upcoming breakdowns (and gas) on the Rover.

 

[tkarter]

The price of fuel period is enough to bust most bank accounts. Matters not what vehicle.

Enjoy your new ride and hopefully you will get back to the point you can get your Bongos soon.

tk

 

[Jazzbassman23]

(Old guy voice on) Well, back when I was your age, we didn't have cars. We had to walk. I strapped my Acoustic 2x15 cabinet on my back, took the head in one hand and my bass in the other and walked uphill in the snow to my gigs. Ahhh, youth. (Old guy voice off)

Let's not be too hard on our young bass playing friend here. As a long time high school teacher, I know that if he's going to Penn, then he worked his ass off in school, and that ought to count for something.

 

[adouglas]

But can a carolla carry big amps? That's why I bought the good old rover.

A Corolla wagon could.

I drive a Ford Focus station wagon. More usable room inside than a number of SUVs, though I don't know about the Rover.

My car is definitely able to carry even the largest bass rig (short of a stadium setup). In fact, I carry ALL of the band's equipment in it except for a couple of acoustic guitars. If I had one of those Thule pods for the roof, I could handle those, too. To be fair, we have a modest setup in terms of size:

1200 watt pre/power bass rack w/2x12 cabinet
Two basses
Two complete Bose PAS systems w/one subwoofer each housed in rolling luggage
Four mic stands
Three guitar stands
Bass PodXT and floorboard
Bag w/extension cords, mic cords, speaker and instrument cables
Bag w/miscellaneous crap
Mic case
Tool box
Case with two drum machines, mixer and power strip
Two heavy duty music stands

I even have enough room for one passenger.

Manual transmission. 30 mpg.

My previous car, an 89 Honda Civic hatchback, was easily able to carry a big bass rig and two basses (but not much else). That got 35 mpg and was still running great when I sold it with 254,000 miles on the clock.

 

[AnthonyD]

Let's not be too hard on our young bass playing friend here. As a long time high school teacher, I know that if he's going to Penn, then he worked his ass off in school, and that ought to count for something.

Agreed...

 

[shamus63]

(Old guy voice on) Well, back when I was your age, we didn't have cars. We had to walk. I strapped my Acoustic 2x15 cabinet on my back, took the head in one hand and my bass in the other and walked uphill in the snow to my gigs. Ahhh, youth. (Old guy voice off)

Let's not be too hard on our young bass playing friend here. As a long time high school teacher, I know that if he's going to Penn, then he worked his ass off in school, and that ought to count for something.

Was he an Economics major?

 

[shamus63]

The price of fuel period is enough to bust most bank accounts. Matters not what vehicle.

Enjoy your new ride and hopefully you will get back to the point you can get your Bongos soon.

tk

I'll have to keep that in mind when I'm deciding between the Dodge Ram 1500 that I crave, and a Subaru Wagon.

 

[tkarter]

I think the point is he did not ask what kind of car he should buy in the first place.

Do we have to meet a car buying standard to enjoy EB basses? I think not.

I drive a 4 wheel drive truck. I haul lots of things in it. My choice. Gets really bad gas mileage but I wouldn't replace it.

tk

 

[shamus63]

Maybe some of us read too much into his request for advise. However, this guy started this particular thread based on where he should prioritize his spending (transportation or more basses). If any of us had any idea that he was looking at the kind of vehicle that he eventually bought, some of us would have advised against it right away, given that he gave the impression that he was going to be strapped for cash (no mention of the $3k loan at that time; nothing like extra debt).

If you're going to put it out there for the public to see (and comment on), then be ready for any kind of feedback. Besides, I'm not so much bashing him, as I'm making a comment on the upcoming money troubles he's (inevitably) to inherit with this old tanker.


He obviously wants to be able to buy more basses; this purchase may actually set him back further than he realizes.

IMO.

 

[tkarter]

Right you are and all is good

tk

 

[shamus63]

I shouldn't have mentioned my craving for a Dodge Ram 1500...now I seriously want one!

I've got to follow my own advise, though.