18mm spacing bass under $2500

[Obese Chess]

I say go custom. Maurizio Uber basses. Handmade custom basses.
He builds an insanely good bass for a reasonable price. There are plenty of other great builders out there, but I highly recommend mau.

Just want to say, Mau has the best approach to building I can think of and is one of the nicest people in the world. My first custom will 100% be from him. We put some plans together for one back in 2015 before I got laid off, I don't know if he's still got the wood we picked out but he was a delight the whole time.

 

[MJ_Sotti]

So... a mm is like 3/16 of a inch? How can you feel the difference of 3/16 while you're playing?

 

[funk generator]

Just want to say, Mau has the best approach to building I can think of and is one of the nicest people in the world. My first custom will 100% be from him. We put some plans together for one back in 2015 before I got laid off, I don't know if he's still got the wood we picked out but he was a delight the whole time.

My second bass from him is just about done. He's been great about working with my budget but still getting me exactly what I want. I agree, he is a delight to work with and truly gets excited about every bass he makes. The man is incredibly passionate about his art. I've had many custom basses from luthiers I respect greatly, but mau will get my business from now on.

 

[noagreement]

Where are you going to find a Smith under $2200?

@baltodoc plenty of used ones out there under $2K - here, Ebay, reverb. I purchased an older 5 string BSRJ two years ago for under $1K. I was lucky on that one, and love it so much that I have been looking for a newer 4 string Smith.

New ones are out of that range, but not the older ones from late 90s and 2000s

 

[Bob_Ross]

So... a mm is like 3/16 of a inch?

No, 1mm is between 1/32" and 3/64". There are 25.4 of them in 1".

 

[Geoff_tcf]

So... a mm is like 3/16 of a inch? How can you feel the difference of 3/16 while you're playing?

No, 1mm is between 1/32" and 3/64". There are 25.4 of them in 1".

For me, the biggest challenge for a wide string spacing is string skipping. the thickness of my plucking hand index finger and middle finger are 5mm and 6mm respectively (measured by pressing my fingertips against the ruler).
So when skipping from the E-string to the G-string, my fingers need to travel 3mm, i.e. at least half a fingertip more, per every 1mm increase in string spacing. Not mentioning sometimes I would need to skip from B to G. Not sure if others here find it an important factor, but it kinda bugs me

I've owned a 21mm 4-string Fender P, a 19mm 4-string Ibanez, a 16.5mm 5-string Ibanez, and after trying a couple of other basses I think 18mm is the sweet spot for me.

 

[Geoff_tcf]

I say go custom. Maurizio Uber basses. Handmade custom basses.
He builds an insanely good bass for a reasonable price. There are plenty of other great builders out there, but I highly recommend mau.

Just want to say, Mau has the best approach to building I can think of and is one of the nicest people in the world. My first custom will 100% be from him. We put some plans together for one back in 2015 before I got laid off, I don't know if he's still got the wood we picked out but he was a delight the whole time.

My second bass from him is just about done. He's been great about working with my budget but still getting me exactly what I want. I agree, he is a delight to work with and truly gets excited about every bass he makes. The man is incredibly passionate about his art. I've had many custom basses from luthiers I respect greatly, but mau will get my business from now on.

Wow guys this look interesting!

 

[ebozzz]

Not sure if others here find it an important factor, but it kinda bugs me

'Nuff said! It's YOUR bass!

 

[MJ_Sotti]

For me, the biggest challenge for a wide string spacing is string skipping. the thickness of my plucking hand index finger and middle finger are 5mm and 6mm respectively (measured by pressing my fingertips against the ruler).
So when skipping from the E-string to the G-string, my fingers need to travel 3mm, i.e. at least half a fingertip more, per every 1mm increase in string spacing. Not mentioning sometimes I would need to skip from B to G. Not sure if others here find it an important factor, but it kinda bugs me

I've owned a 21mm 4-string Fender P, a 19mm 4-string Ibanez, a 16.5mm 5-string Ibanez, and after trying a couple of other basses I think 18mm is the sweet spot for me.

Wow guys this look interesting!

You guys think way too much

 

[Bob_Ross]

You guys think way too much

...says the guy who asked if a millimeter was like 3/16"






j/k Ultimately we're all some balance of Left- and Right-Brained. If we weren't we couldn't walk in a straight line. :::dancing banana:::

 

[MJ_Sotti]

honest question, I have no concept of metrics.

 

[DJ Bebop]

For me, the biggest challenge for a wide string spacing is string skipping. the thickness of my plucking hand index finger and middle finger are 5mm and 6mm respectively (measured by pressing my fingertips against the ruler).
So when skipping from the E-string to the G-string, my fingers need to travel 3mm, i.e. at least half a fingertip more, per every 1mm increase in string spacing. Not mentioning sometimes I would need to skip from B to G. Not sure if others here find it an important factor, but it kinda bugs me

I've owned a 21mm 4-string Fender P, a 19mm 4-string Ibanez, a 16.5mm 5-string Ibanez, and after trying a couple of other basses I think 18mm is the sweet spot for me.

Not doubting you at all. I was that way about sub 19mm spacing, I couldn't do it. Flash forward 40 years, it doesn't make a differents to me what the string spacing is. I sound like crap on all of 'em