If you had $1700 for a custom bass...

[Blair101]

Go Carvin. The BB models are sick. I had one with the soap bars and active electronics. Crazy nice bass, neck thru, slick as glass. About $1800.

[Firesalt]

Did you check the Luthier's Corner? Some of the guys there do custom work for customers and may be able to work something out for you.

[Blair101]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Carvin makes fine basses, but have a comparatively low resale value. I live 10 minutes from their factory (when I'm not at Groom), and I go over to drool on their basses every once in a while. Lots of options, high craftsmanship, and nice top woods. I'd say that's about the best you're going to do in your price range. Unless, of course, you opt for four or five hand-made custom Wishbasses.

The low resale has nothing to do with the bass itself. The whole idea of getting a Carvin is because it was built for you and that's a part of Carvin's charm and its also a part of their detriment. All basses modern basses have poor resale, well most. The BB5 I had was awesome and I would have kept it if it wasn't a five string, I don't know what I was thinking at the time. I'm playing an Ibanez sr700 and my old Fender P right now, but I would love to get another Carvin.

[MX5J6]

I will look around and see what I find. I just wanna cover all my basses and check out other people so I make sure if I go custom I get the best bang for my buck. I also don't see myself selling this bass anytime soon, if I ever decide to sell it. It will be my first major purchase. I sound like a 13 year old. Haha Really though it seems I have a lot more options than I originally thought. I have to do a lot of research before I make any kind of decision to spend that much money.

[terrelli721]

These look very nice for the money. They seem to fit your budget, and they get really great reviews http://www.clementbass.com/web/

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Blair101

The low resale has nothing to do with the bass itself. The whole idea of getting a Carvin is because it was built for you and that's a part of Carvin's charm and its also a part of their detriment. All basses modern basses have poor resale, well most. The BB5 I had was awesome and I would have kept it if it wasn't a five string, I don't know what I was thinking at the time. I'm playing an Ibanez sr700 and my old Fender P right now, but I would love to get another Carvin.

Of course. I don't buy basses based on resale value, but some people do. As I said, Carvin makes fine basses.

[obimark]

I had a custom carvin made, and all i can say is make sure you LOVE it before you do it, nothing wrong with the bass, and it was a good player just nothing that thrilling, but when I resold it, whoah nelly. 50% of what you paid is what you will be looking at. 100% guaranteed. I think I paid $1100 and it sold for $595.

How much do the headless status graphites go for? Probably $2.6K I imaging.

[Blair101]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Of course. I don't buy basses based on resale value, but some people do. As I said, Carvin makes fine basses.

I understand. I took quite a hit on my BB75, but had I ordered what I needed, a four string, and not what I thought I wanted I would have never faced the dreaded resale.

[KingRazor]

If I had $1700 I'd save up another $300 and then buy a Dingwall ABZ.

[SquierJazz72]

For $1700, I would probably buy an under $1300 Fender J or P and spend the rest on the parts I wanted to mod/swap out, just because I am partial to the Fender designs and enjoy doing my own work on my instruments. That's just me.

[BIGEJ2]

Originally Posted by MX5J6

...if I go custom I get the best bang for my buck.

Not a good approach.

Cutting corners and talking custom don't go hand in hand. I would completely understand if you want to own a specific model from a certain luthier (like buying an in stock or demo) where color and options don't matter. But trying to order something special while pinching pennies makes no sense. Continue to play basses. Save up. Figure out exactly what you like and don't like and what works for you. This could take years but is well worth the wait in the long run.

EDIT: Picking a luthier isn't about who can give you the best price on your idea. It is more about who you bond with and who you most trust to best turn your dream into a reality.

[chef wong]

You won't get much of a custom project for $1,700..at least that I know of.

For that price I'd find a used boutique bass.

[lmfreeman9]

Bob Mick Tucson Az. He built a lot of basses for Brian Bromberg.

[MX5J6]

All of this is really good advice. I take it to heart very seriously as I can see you guys are actually looking out for someone inexperienced and really want me to make the right coices to come back with something i am truely happy with be it off the shelf or custom. Either way i need to send some emails, talk to some people more in depth and see where things go from there.

[MX5J6]

Are there any other makers like Carvin that do custom basses but aren't like Schecter where the price is outrageous? I am still in the talks with some other people but I am also looking for big companies to see what they offer.

[ILLINOX]

i'm with Skidrawk on this one. I've done the custom order, the custom build, and the headless bass routes and the thing i learned the most was next time i would buy a cheap bass with a neck i like (or order a neck from Warmoth) and through in new pups and electronics and have it painted. This way you probably would get the best bangfor your buck.

But a quick breakdown from my experience for you (and I did my own wood work, so i saved hundreds... maybe thousands in labour):
pickups and preamp: about $400
nice neck from warmoth: about $300
better than stock bridge: $170 (cheap bridge $40)
Headless system (it's not just a neck, but also the bridge): about $800
motorcycle shop paintjob: probably less than $200

of course you'll find price fluctuations, sales, and a grand difference depending on how much you're willing to do versus how much you want to hire out.

food for thought

[Nivmeister]

Your best bet for great quality, reasonably priced custom basses is the second-hand market - sometimes risky but you'll find reputable owners that have already spent the list prices and now want to find good homes for their babies. Here's one example - http://newjersey.craigslist.org/msg/3391160884.html - great bass with quality components for a very reasonable price that gets you into a custom build. My 2005 Pedulla Rapture 5 was a lucky trade-in find at GC (guess the initials) - paid 1/3 the list price for a new Rapture with similar features, spent $100 on a tune-up and it's now my mainstay bass. Good luck with your search!

[ILLINOX]

if yo uhave the time you could do what i did for my first build (and avoid a LOT of headaches plan your build, buy all your parts, and then approach a guitar builder or FINISH carpenter and rent their shop. Not everyone is cool with this, but many are.

let's see some pics

oh, and... good luck and happy hunting!

[MX5J6]

Thanks for the tips guys, I do have one question though. Does anyone have any opinions on Halo Guitars? They have some pretty interesting body shapes but i really don't know anything about them. I am gonna google some stuff and see what I find, but your personal opinions or stories if you have any would greatly help.

[kjpollo]

Originally Posted by terrelli721

These look very nice for the money. They seem to fit your budget, and they get really great reviews http://www.clementbass.com/web/

+100!! I own one and Tom's a terrific builder and an even better person!!