Luthier Extreme from Brazil

Little Cricket · #1 07-17-2006, 08:08 PM

Hello everyone. This is my first post in this section of the forum. My question is two fold. First, does anyone know or have had any experience with luthierextreme from ebay. I really want to try my hand at putting together a bass this summer and I came across some of his stuff on ebay and it looks real nice in the pics. The second part of this question is why more people don't buy a custom body and neck and put together an instrument exactly how they want. Is it because of lesser quality? Like warmoth for example, I would think that it would be the perfect way of getting the look and the sound that you want. Is is advisable to buy parts and assemble or would it be better to spend the same amount of money and buy a used Fender deluxe or something of the sorts? thanks in advance

jonas_oxide · #2 07-18-2006, 08:19 AM

I was wondering the same thing about his basses, they look great, and almost all of his feedback is good too. I think im going to try it if my bank gives me this new credit card

Cerb · #3 07-18-2006, 09:03 AM

I can't answer your first, but your second I will. More people don't assemble basses because a) it can get expensive and b) they just don't have the confidence to do so. If done correctly, one certainly won't get a bass of lesser quality, especially through Warmoth. The customization is almost endless... even more so if it is totally custom built.

Musiclogic · #4 07-18-2006, 11:28 PM

I've always heard more people don't assemble their own bass because of lack of tools, and knowhow to get it to play well. That is what my customers usually tell me.

Little Cricket · #5 07-20-2006, 02:40 AM

thank you all for your responses. I pretty much figured some people wouldn't do it for the lack of tools time and patience but if one were to get say finished products from the show case of Warmoth and put them together with care and accuracy I think itmight be a great instrument. I was reading some of the previous discussion similar to this thread on this site and some people say that no matter what you do, you can't beat some of the high end basses. I am not sure I understand why.

BTW jonas, I have contacted the guy in Brazil and he is sending me pics of some of the basses he has completed and we are trying to work out a price plan. If I end up getting one I will be sure to let you know. Any thoughts on the wood combo he uses and the tone it might produce? Thanks again to all

KSB - Ken Smith · #6 07-20-2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Cricket

Hello everyone. This is my first post in this section of the forum. My question is two fold. First, does anyone know or have had any experience with luthierextreme from ebay. I really want to try my hand at putting together a bass this summer and I came across some of his stuff on ebay and it looks real nice in the pics. The second part of this question is why more people don't buy a custom body and neck and put together an instrument exactly how they want. Is it because of lesser quality? Like warmoth for example, I would think that it would be the perfect way of getting the look and the sound that you want. Is is advisable to buy parts and assemble or would it be better to spend the same amount of money and buy a used Fender deluxe or something of the sorts? thanks in advance

I have had a few run-ins with him Spamming my name in his listings making cheap copies of our Basses. He is either very bold or very dumb. He is close to legal action where a judgement would force US customs to chop off the headstocks and ship them back to him.

One buyer contacted me and at first thought we were involved with this junk which we were not. He was very dissapointed in what he got for if 3-400 bucks and was sorry he made the purchase.

Musiclogic · #7 07-20-2006, 12:09 PM

Hey Ken,

Glad to see you keep an eye out. I have heard a few good things about this guy, but mostly bad. I just had one of his bodies come into my shop today, and it leaves a bit to be desired. Supposed to be a 4 string Jazz replacement body. Neck rout is out of square to the treble side, and pick-up routs are backwards. Neck rout for bridge pick-up and vice versa.

I hope this guy gets squashed like a bug, he makes it much harder for small shops like mine to get bussiness because he claims to be a luthier.

Continued luck to you and keep making great basses.

pc · #8 07-20-2006, 01:42 PM

Never heard of him around here...

FBB Custom · #9 07-20-2006, 04:46 PM

Ken -- good to hear you speak on this finally. I was wondering what your take was on this guy but I would have guessed you were not pleased.

I know I would not be pleased. I have had a couple of people ask about this guy and how much I would charge to finish out one of his basses. My position is that I will not work on them. The guy could obviously do an original shape but he chooses to sell copies, using the hard-earned good name of others to get more hits on EBay.

luknfur · #10 07-20-2006, 05:15 PM

FWIW:

don't know if it's the same guy but I know someone that bought a body out of Brazil on ebay and never recieved it. I'll check.

KSB - Ken Smith · #11 07-20-2006, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FBB Custom

Ken -- good to hear you speak on this finally. I was wondering what your take was on this guy but I would have guessed you were not pleased.

I know I would not be pleased. I have had a couple of people ask about this guy and how much I would charge to finish out one of his basses. My position is that I will not work on them. The guy could obviously do an original shape but he chooses to sell copies, using the hard-earned good name of others to get more hits on EBay.

Thanks for the verbal support. I had reported him to Ebay 2x in the past. Today we made mention of legal action and within minutes I got 2 emails from Ebay and one from Brazil after pointing out the 'Keyword Spamming' rule on Ebay.

He said he was very sorry and after this auction he will never use my name again. I believe he told me that the last time and then re-listed everything again as if I had on recourse in the matter.

On that, as far as dealing with other countries I had a similar problem with a string company in Europe many years ago using one of my trademarked brand names. They refused to stop making the product so I did what I could. I contacted all the USA magazines they advertised and threatened to SUE them all for 'Infringement' of Trademark. They all replied the same way at first like 'that's the Ad' he gave us, we are just running it!'.

Well, I said you are partnership in the damages so then and I will SUE you because 'You' I can find and Sue. This got back to the String company, the Ad's stopped and so did that brand name infringement, worldwide!

Sometimes you just have to pull out the 'big guns' or at least say you will and sound convincing!

Musiclogic · #12 07-20-2006, 10:33 PM

LMAo....Ken's Howitzers.

KSB - Ken Smith · #13 07-20-2006, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

LMAo....Ken's Howitzers.

Lol.. No, actually I picked up 'The Guns of Navarone' on Ebay for a bargain price.

Shipping was a fortune but no one messes with me now if the know what's good for them.. lol

erikbojerik · #14 07-21-2006, 06:54 AM

Don't forget that you'll also get a bill for import duties on anything that comes from outside the US. That duty isn't included in any international eBay purchase prices.

FWIW, you really should go into a good music store and spend a few hours A-B-ing some really high-end basses alongside some factory production ones. If the store has set them up right (another whole issue itself...

) and you can't tell the difference, then you need more playing experience.

Musiclogic · #15 07-21-2006, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Lol.. No, actually I picked up 'The Guns of Navarone' on Ebay for a bargain price.

Shipping was a fortune but no one messes with me now if the know what's good for them.. lol

Yeah.....rail guns....that's it....did you have to hire a fleet of ships? Sort of like when Hearst used a fleet of ships to bring back the Spanish Monestary in pieces, back in the 1870"s LOL..

Little Cricket · #16 07-21-2006, 01:51 PM

Thanks all for the responses, and thank you Ken for your insight as well. You guys have convinced me to stay away from that product and what looks like a world of problems that might follow. Thanks everyone and thanks TB again

krisnowicki · #17 07-24-2006, 01:42 PM

well guys recently i had this builder on ebay build ema custom bass his disign no knock offs... i already own a brsb Vi from ken which is awesome but this luthier is building me a fretless six from brazilian walnut.. it will be here next week and i will post the results i bought carvin tunings and some hardware ... i got bartolini 3 band pre amp and there 6 string soapbar pick ups.... all in all it iwll cost about 750