Buying custom bass help!

[alanchia]

hey for our interest, thread starter - why are you looking to get a customized bass versus getting a mass production model? there must be something which all of us have overlooked.

peace!

 

[shinobi]

lol i didn't know fender pups were considered to be boutique. i mean, if anyone is gonna build a dream bass, i doubt fender is the brand that first comes to mind where pups are concerned.

anyway, the COMPANY is all that matters. a good company is a good company. where the company places its factories doesn't matter. i was told by a japanese guy that the illustrious Fender Japan manufactures parts in malaysia, and assembles it in japan.

anyway, design of the pickup has to match the design of the bass. some pickups work damn well with some basses, the same pickup may be ordinary on another bass. need to see the whole package.

"design of the bass" meaning whether its single coils, humbuckers, triple coils, soapbar, piezo, wired in series/parallel, does it have a pickup at the bridge, at the neck position, etc etc. so... what kind of bass you wanna get? then maybe we can recommend the individual specs.

 

[dodgethis]

Like I said, I'm not going on a world tour. So why for would I need such an amazing pickup? So therefore I decided to tighten my budget and spend the rest on pedals and the only way to change the pickups. So I was just asking around SOFT whether they would recommend Duncan designed jazz pickups.

Two issues that you are clearly confused by, tone and reliability.

Pickups, as for as most people are concerned, are bulletproof and damn near indestructible, so surviving a world tour is nothing it can't do. Heck, pickups from the 50s are still working today. People do not bother with this aspect because it is so trivial. What they fret about, is the tone.

Tone. Why you want an amazing set of pickups is that they may translate to amazing tone! Many people think that effects is the way to go for their tone but they forget the pickups play a very important role as well. How do you know you like the sound of the Duncan-designed pickups? If the base sound of the DDs aren't good to your hears, there's nothing effects can do to save the tone. Effects can only do so much. Rather than choosing purely based on budget, go and look around for pickups with a sound that you like. That is what a custom instrument is all about, having the things you want in it, not something you have to live with.

 

[jbarks]

anyway, the COMPANY is all that matters. a good company is a good company. where the company places its factories doesn't matter. i was told by a japanese guy that the illustrious Fender Japan manufactures parts in malaysia, and assembles it in japan.

But Fender Japan pickups aren't exactly the bee's knees hahaha

 

[Morlock]

piece of advice as I owned a custom bass myself...

1. Biggest problem with a custom bass is the resale value... there is basically no resale value in a custom bass... so you better make sure that you really want this bass before get it made.

2. if you already have ordered a bass, make sure to ask for a tool to adjust the truss rod... this is very important because all necks need to be adjusted every now and then and not all truss rods are the same... if he did not give you a tool to adjust the truss rod and the truss rod that came with your bass is a complicated one then your dead... no one in singapore might be able to adjust your neck if your neck dives...

I got a custom bass because I want the best of the best without selling my wife and kids lol...
example:
MIA fender ,Ibanez prestige,yamaha trb series,warwicks, lakland, sadowsky, all these basses will easily cost 2000-4000 sgd.

I chose the wood (as I want a solid swamp ash body, with a dark red woo top), the design or shape of the bass, pickups (2x emg 40 Js), bridge (because I want a through body bridge), preamp(emg BTC system), 18v, tuners, nuts, ferrules, lowest action possible, set neck... I don't think you can find any production bass with this setup.

this took a lot of research and time, including research on the builder him self as you need to make sure he is a reputable builder of bass... but it was worth it for me... cost me around 1500sgd but this is one of the best sounding, most comfortable, bass I have ever laid hands on...


Things that can go wrong with a custom built:

1. Builder puts in cheap wood.
2. un-even height of frets
3. wrong placement of frets (this can cause wrong intonation)
4. electronics not properly soldered and shielded
5. bad finish
6. the bass can fall apart after a couple of years and builder closed shop.

 

[fretless6]

Things that can go wrong with a custom built:

1. Builder puts in cheap wood.
2. un-even height of frets
3. wrong placement of frets (this can cause wrong intonation)
4. electronics not properly soldered and shielded
5. bad finish
6. the bass can fall apart after a couple of years and builder closed shop.

All of the above can go wrong with production basses. Its not a matter of custom or production. It's a matter of being a low budget instrument. A low budget production instrument is achievable at its price range by cutting corners, how do you think a low budget custom instrument is built?

So the question is... If there are so many available production basses in the market, which could be tested before purchase. Why go the custom route for a low end instrument, not sure of what options to get in the first place, sight unseen.

 

[Morlock]

A low budget production instrument is achievable at its price range by cutting corners

Not necessarily, production basses can lower thier cost by:
1. shifting location for manufacturing means cheaper labor.
2. mass production can also lower price as they dont need a high price margin (like what china is doing).

none of these can be done by a custom builder

 

[fretless6]

Not necessarily, production basses can lower thier cost by:
1. shifting location for manufacturing means cheaper labor.
2. mass production can also lower price as they dont need a high price margin (like what china is doing).

none of these can be done by a custom builder

All the more the reason not to purchase a low budget custom over a low budget production instrument.

However, the points you mentioned is usually the case for all production instruments. Even for high end ones. Shifting location is a grey area, a custom builder could be from a low labour cost location in the first place. Which I highly suspect in the case for the one that approached the TS.

 

[Keefeology]

Here are the specs


body : Ashwood
neck : canadian maple
fretboard : rosewood
pups : bartolini MK1 5 string
hardware : korean standard
string : Ibanez string

What's hardware? Heard from the builder that his suppliers don't supply duncan-designed pickups for 5 strings. What does that mean? o.o Anyway, I'm going for a 4 string in the first place. Idk why he got the idea that I wanted a 5 string. -.-

@fretless6 I'm spending the rest of my cash on a pedalboard.
The builder is from Indoneisia btw.

 

[Morlock]

All the more the reason not to purchase a low budget custom over a low budget production instrument.

However, the points you mentioned is usually the case for all production instruments. Even for high end ones. Shifting location is a grey area, a custom builder could be from a low labour cost location in the first place. Which I highly suspect in the case for the one that approached the TS.

Agreed!

 

[Morlock]

Here are the specs


body : Ashwood
neck : canadian maple
fretboard : rosewood
pups : bartolini MK1 5 string
hardware : korean standard
string : Ibanez string

What's hardware? Heard from the builder that his suppliers don't supply duncan-designed pickups for 5 strings. What does that mean? o.o Anyway, I'm going for a 4 string in the first place. Idk why he got the idea that I wanted a 5 string. -.-

So far looks good on paper... check out what kind of bridge will he use... is it passive or active? what will the bass look like? 34 or 35 scale? if your going for a 4 string why he use a pick up for a 5 string? I think what he means by hardware is Tuners, Brige, jacks,pots, straplocks and knobs.

 

[Morlock]

how much did he say the total cost will be? honestly I am very skeptical of this.
I did ask for a quote from this guy before. I asked him how much a fodera copy will cost me (swamp ash body, maple board 5 string) he quote me 700 - 800 SGD all inclusive of hardware and pickups. this really got me very skeptical as I know importing the body and neck alone will cost at least 300 plus SGD depending on which part of the log you are getting and another 2-300 SGD plus on hardware and pickups then shipping it is another thing. I don't intend to scare you but this transaction will also involve a lot of trust in your side. how sure are you that he will deliver on the said date?

 

[Keefeology]

@morlock 570. It was from 450 and it just keeps increasing and increasing. -_-

 

[Morlock]

OMG! 570 for a custom bass? MK1 Barts alone costs 200 SGD brand new... I will think twice my friend... have you already paid? please reconsider... I can help you buy 2nd hand from our fellow softies if you want I think with a budget of 570 you can get a really decent 2nd hand bass like a MIM fender jazz or Yamaha or Ibanez
there is an RBX375 on the buy and sell section right now for only 450.

 

[alanchia]

if i want custom bass, i want barts too!!

 

[AlNino10]

I know this builder the TS is talking about and he'll deliver. Check out Composer of Requims thread on his "self made" bass. The body is done by this chap and i must say it looks a pretty decent job. But thats just the body, not sure how "good" the hardware actually is. Anyway I might be doing a project with him since there're some spare "bass funds" available to me now. Will post the progres and details!

 

[Morlock]

true and I remember him also saying that the unfinished body alone is 300+ usd... that alone is about 400+SGD

how is the builder going to build a bass for 570 SGD?

well at least we now know that he delivers. but to what quality is another thing i guess.

TS please keep us posted I am really interested in this... if he was able to deliver and with decent quality. I might ask him to build me a fretless 5 stringer

 

[Keefeology]

So his a recommended body builder? (LOL, that sounds a bit wrong.) Will think about it guys. Thanks. For 4 strings there's duncan designed pickups but his charging 480sgd now. With the same specs.

 

[Composer of Requiems]

I know this builder the TS is talking about and he'll deliver. Check out Composer of Requims thread on his "self made" bass. The body is done by this chap and i must say it looks a pretty decent job. But thats just the body, not sure how "good" the hardware actually is. Anyway I might be doing a project with him since there're some spare "bass funds" available to me now. Will post the progres and details!

Oh him ah... yeah the work on the body is not bad, I'm satisfied with it. Do note that he does take pretty long to finish work, I think sometimes he probably takes on too much work xP but yeah, he does deliver.

That time when I collected he was also holding on to a neck and an inlay-ed wooden pickguard that looked quite nice. Had a bit of filling but can't really see unless you look close up. The neck looked good, but I don't know about the feel.

Anyway, some time this week or so I'm picking up a 5 string bass from him for my friend, I'll tell you how it is. I expect pretty decent work from him, stay tuned for updates!

That reminds me, I should go get soundclips of my bass.
Edit: Here goes- http://soft.com.sg/forum/gear-bass/...-more-like-assembly-finish-2.html#post1083812
Do note, though, that
1) For this bass, I used a Warmoth neck, Nordstrand fat stacks, Audere preamp..... and on top of that, I've heard a lot of builders say that body wood isn't as important to the sound, which I quite agree- it's just going to add colour, and especially on a fretless, the neck wood is going to have a much larger impact on the sound. I'm sure most of the tone is coming from the strings (using tapewounds on this, which are drastically different from roundwounds), and the fatstacks and preamp (I boost mids, cut highs, set to low Z (impedence), shifted mid frequency to the lowest option, I *think* I solo-ed bridge on this, can't remember already).

2) Sound recordings don't tell you how a bass feels. And I think that's the most important part. You can "upgrade" your sound with better pickups, electronics, pedals, amp.... but you can't "upgrade" the feel without actually getting a new bass.

 

[Keefeology]

Oh him ah... yeah the work on the body is not bad, I'm satisfied with it. Do note that he does take pretty long to finish work, I think sometimes he probably takes on too much work xP but yeah, he does deliver.

That time when I collected he was also holding on to a neck and an inlay-ed wooden pickguard that looked quite nice. Had a bit of filling but can't really see unless you look close up. The neck looked good, but I don't know about the feel.

Anyway, some time this week or so I'm picking up a 5 string bass from him for my friend, I'll tell you how it is. I expect pretty decent work from him, stay tuned for updates!

That reminds me, I should go get soundclips of my bass.
Edit: Here goes- http://soft.com.sg/forum/gear-bass/...-more-like-assembly-finish-2.html#post1083812
Do note, though, that
1) For this bass, I used a Warmoth neck, Nordstrand fat stacks, Audere preamp..... and on top of that, I've heard a lot of builders say that body wood isn't as important to the sound, which I quite agree- it's just going to add colour, and especially on a fretless, the neck wood is going to have a much larger impact on the sound. I'm sure most of the tone is coming from the strings (using tapewounds on this, which are drastically different from roundwounds), and the fatstacks and preamp (I boost mids, cut highs, set to low Z (impedence), shifted mid frequency to the lowest option, I *think* I solo-ed bridge on this, can't remember already).

2) Sound recordings don't tell you how a bass feels. And I think that's the most important part. You can "upgrade" your sound with better pickups, electronics, pedals, amp.... but you can't "upgrade" the feel without actually getting a new bass.

Thanks dude. I am going to order from him at the end of year. But what I'm going to do is a Pedulla Rapture replica. But he did told me that I could buy the pups at Singapore first and deliver it to him so that he can help me install. So now the greatest problem is, where do I get barts in singapore without burning a hole in my pocket? To be specific it's uhm Bart RB 4 string pickups. I need help on this! I can't get the bass now as it'll be a major distraction to my major exams. Thanks lovely people!