Wanting my own "bass of doom"
 

Hey guys, I've been thinking of about 3 options
1. Buying a US '62 Reissue jazz bass in sunburst and possible pulling the frets myself and possibly relic-ing the body and maybe even doing an epoxy on the board-jaco style.

2. building a fretless warmoth jazz bass in sunburst with fretlines and pau ferro board

3. Just buying the jaco tribute bass.

What do you guys think?
I'm thinking of options 1, 3, and 2 in that order.
Thoughts?

3

If you build it, they will come.

Couldn't help it, its the truth.

as of now the warmoth, true, would be pretty gnarly but would cost probably around $1500, while the others at about 1k. Budget isn't really an issue on this one, but still. plus building would take around 2 months

What kind of tribute bass would it be if it didn't have any Fender parts?


Gunna add a bogus decal to it too?

I know I just did

If budget is not an issue, I would suggest hunting down one of the Fender Custom Shop relic'd versions. I would think that's about as close to the "real deal" as you could get.

I would do #3 unless you could swing what superdick2112 suggests.

my budget is about 2500
so any of the three listed are viable, not so much the custom shop one

Hmmmmmmm,

Comparing the prices in Germany, for a US 62 Reissue and a Jaco signature, it's about 400 Euros = 540 Dollars.

1. Ripping off the frets and trying to make the fretboard as factory made to save 540 Dollars?

No, Sir. The result will not be the same.

2. Relicing the bass by yourself to get the doombass look?

No, Sir. You won't get the perfect look as a factory made doombass by Fender

3. Paying a lot more money for the reliced doombass by Fender?

No, Sir. Too much money for dings and dongs.

4. Ordering Warmoth parts and make your own doombass with all the specs you want, for less money as a US 62 Reissue, having fun with mounting the own bass?

Yes, Sir. But you have to know: the specs, the design of body and headstock are not exactly the same as on Fenders. You won't ssee it, if you don't compare it.

My result is a choice:

a) buy a Fender Jaco bass, don't relic it but wait til it's your own wear by playing over the years

or

b) build the Warmoth bass, don't relic it but wait til it's your own wear by playing over the years

Because the Warmoth plan is cheaper:
buy the Warmoth bass from parts, save money and build another Warmoth wit frets in the same look. ;-)

2 or 3

Definitely not 1. I don't see the point of "destroying" a perfectly good AVRI.

Building a Warmoth would be really fun! I'd love to do that.

I have the "Jaco Junior" bass, and it's killer. (The Squier...with few mods, and a great setup, you can't go wrong for the money.)

I A/B'd my Jaco Junior against a Fender Jaco Tribute, and it was fairly close...or very? Close. In fact, the Jaco Tribute I compared it to, had TI flats on it, and mine had rounds. Combined with my Kent Armstrong Bridge pup, and rounds, I much preferred the Squier. YMMV, etc.

Thanks.

Get an SX bass and a fearful

Actually, the warmoth would be more expensive in terms of price because all the parts come out to about $1400 then there's luthier work and mounting while a used jaco tribute is about 1k

Already tried the VM modified, hated it.
My main issue in deciding between the AVRI and the jaco is I havent been able to hands on try a jaco

3

Hi ther,

mmmmh, I don't know the prices in the US - but I calculated a lot of guitars and basses in the past (Telecaster, Jazz Bass) - and EVERY bass and EVERY guitar was cheaper than the original Fender model - even within tax, VAT, shipping, etc.
In Germany!

But I think the Fender prices in the US are much lower.
The reliced CC Jaco bass costs in Germany (best price) 4,829 USD.
The regular Fender Jaco bass costs 2,765 USD.
The regular US 62 reissue Jazz Bass costs 2,156 USD.

What are the prices in the US for it?

Paying for luthier's work? Why?
I assemble every fenderstyle guitar or bass by myself - it's an industrial product with screws!

The only thing I had to pay was the pro setup (nut, neck angle) for about 100 dollars.

I'm gonna build my own "bass of doom" with an old Ibanez Jazz Bass copy body I got here and a used Fender fretless neck - the cheapest way...;-)

Greetz

How about getting an inexpensive used sumburst MIM Fender Jazz and then going to town on it. That way if you totally F it up, you won't be out that much money.

It just really makes my skin crawl when someone purposely screws up a nice expensive instrument.

I bought a fretted Fender Jaco Tribute (2000), and pulled the frets out.

More like the original than buying a fretless neck. :D

...and I did no intentional relic'ing; I'll let that happen on it's own.

+1

In the states, the custom shop jazz bass is about 4,000
the jaco tribute is 1,700
and the 62 reissue is 1,300
used they can be had for 3,200
1,000
and 900 respectively