A question for those of you that have boutique basses

[Bassic Needs]

I am just wondering, for those of you that have boutique basses, how did you arrive at your decision?
Did you have a few favorites, and did you have the opportunity to try each one in-person before deciding?
What was the deciding factor?

I am thinking seriously about getting in line for a build (many have 24 month wait lists) but there is nowhere locally I can try any of them.

My ideal bass sound would be a cross between a jazz bass and a Ken Smith.
At the moment, I am eyeballing an F-Bass DN Deluxe.

Others I have been looking at:

Ken Smith - Killer sound but maybe a little too far from a jazz bass for me. Some say it isn't the most comfortable thing to play, and not overly versatile.
Fodera - Sounds great, but I feel it needs a little more balls. Maybe that is not the case, but it seems a little thin at times in the videos I have watched. Craftsmanship is high, but so if the price. Quite versatile.
Mattisson - Looks great, but the prices are in the same ballpark as a Fodera. I think that is unrealistic to be honest. Can't see anyone choosing one over a Fodera.
Adamovic - Looks good and it sounds like it has good ergonomics. Haven't seen many videos to offer up a good idea of what they sound like.


I play while sitting, in classical position like Hadrien Feraud, so it would need to comfortable for that.

I would love to hear other people's journeys in finding that grail? bass.

 

[Bass Viking]

I had long seen articles, photos, and videos of boutique basses and curiosity got the better of me so when I could finally afford them I went for it. My Ken Smith and Fodera were bought without playing them first. My Sadowsky and F Bass I was able to get my hands on first. I have 2 Roscoes and I was able to play one of them before buying.

My Ken Smith had a very comfortable neck and that unique Smith sound. Was a bit heavy. The Fodera was pricey and didn't really deliver anything out of the ordinary sound-wise. The F Bass played great and was very light. It was one of the Jazz Bass styled instruments (VF series). I still have both Roscoes, they sound fantastic but both are 35" scale so the feel is different.

I think it's worth spending the extra $$ if the bass you're looking at offers something unique. For example, I can't see spending 5 grand on a Jazz Bass because that sound can be had for way less money.

 

[ad9000]

I guess my first real boutique bass was an MTD 635-24 that I ordered and received in 2000. There have been a fair number in and out since then, but the ones in that category I have at present are another MTD 635-24 that I've had for couple of years and two Alleva Coppolos.

What led me to the MTD initially was a search for a well crafted instrument with 24 frets, a comfortable neck, manageable weight, good playability and a modern leaning sound with some versatility tone-wise. I was able to play other MTD's before ordering mine and I felt that they checked all of those boxes.

The Alleva Coppolos are very refined and beautifully made Fender-ish clones with great active electronics. They take care of my need for instruments in that category, which kind of evolved out of playing Fenders and eventually wanting hot-rodded and/or multi-string versions of them. I went through quite a few before arriving at the A/C's and I've very happy with them.

I've also owned a Ken Smith 6, a Dingwall 6, an F Bass 6 and a Ken Lawrence 6, all of which qualify as boutiques, but for various reasons I didn't hang onto any of them for very long. I've been interested in Foderas for a long time, but I never have quite been able to manage the price tag.

All of the above mentioned basses were purchased before prices got as insanely high as they are now. I guess there are still deals out there, but high end basses are definitely more out of reach cost-wise than they used to be.

My main recommendation to anyone looking for a high end bass is to make sure you're comfortable playing it, especially regarding the neck.

 

[Bassic Needs]

I do have a few 4 strings that I like (a Moollon P and a Moollon J) so I don't necessarily need to cover off classic Fender sounds.

I love the look of an MTD, but I don't think the sound is quite what I am looking for.

I'll need to take a look at Roscoe.

I love it. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[BGroovy]

I can never find them to try locally so I end up buying/trading for them and then moving them quickly if they’re not what I’m after. I’m lucky enough to attend NAMM every few years and I get my hands on a ton then (and then up GASing for the ones I like).

I’m a deal hunter so I buy with the expectation I may need to move it for the same price. I almost never buy new unless it’s a custom order. Inevitably I find I want a combination of things from different basses.

I also have a price ceiling. It used to be $2k but I’ve stretched that on three basses, but never past $3k. A Lull, an Elrick, and a Serek.

 

[r_bnks]

I have 3 vintage USA Spectors if those are considered as 'boutique'
I didn't arrive to the decision, I always wanted them, and never had the opportunity to try them. In fact I bought all of them online unseen and of course no disappointment. I had Euros before so I knew what to expect.

But tbh I could never justify their current asking price. I was extremely fortunate that I was able to get all of them for a bargain.

 

[Lo-E]

Is a custom build a “boutique” bass?

About 25 years ago I was looking for specific ergonomics which, at the time, weren’t available off the rack. I contacted a local builder who had already done some repair work for me and we hashed out a design together and he built it. It’s been one of my main basses for 25 years.

 

[Bassic Needs]

I guess everyone's definition of a boutique bass might be different, but I would classify it as above a certain $ threshold, and more than likely, something that has the potential for customization. For me personally, I think anything north of $6-7k is entering boutique territory. $10k or more better be perfection.

 

[mikezimmerman]

Like BGroovy, I tried, bought and sold a lot of used "boutique" instruments before I really had a good idea what worked for me and what didn't.

I have had several custom basses built, but that's generally been because I had something specific in mind that really wasn't available on the used market. For instance, over the years I've discovered that I really like having much wider string spacing than a lot of people prefer, so my two custom Bordwell basses have necks made to my specifications. Even then, I had a chance to try Cliff's work out in advance, because another local player owns a couple of his basses.

 

[micguy]

I build my own basses - using really good woods and hardware. A bass that has absolutely everything the way you like it is a good thing. I have several of those, that's a very cool thing. That is, when you get right down to it, the whole reason for a custom bass - you can't buy what you really want off the rack; you're particular, you "know" what you want; you have an idea of what your dream bass is.

That said, hear's the rub: It took me a lot of builds to really figure out what I really like and don't like. If you've bought a few basses, and are basing your decision of you ultimate bass on comparing and contrasting a limited set of things, you are almost certain to miss your target on your first custom build. When I missed on a build ("this isn't my thing"), I had options - I like the body, I don't like the neck, I like most of the hardware, but the bridge..... when I missed, I could reuse the parts that I did like, and only change those parts I didn't - I iterated my way to my ideal bass, and each iteration could be done pretty quickly. Yes, I ended up with a pile of parts I didn't use (sold off a few sets of pickups), but compared to buying and selling basses from a custom builder, it was quick and "relatively" inexpensive (good hardware ain't cheap).

When you hire someone to make custom for you and it misses, your options are far more limited - typically you'll sell that one and try again. As the cycles are very long and very expensive, there is a lot of pressure/incentive to accept what you have as "good enough". So you're likely to end up with a very expensive bass that....you have mixed feelings about, and eventually you give up and sell. And, when you go to sell it, as your dream bass isn't anyone else's dream bass, you take a bath financially.

My suggestion to folks contemplating a custom build is...don't....for a while. If you think you know what your ideal bass is, buy something off the rack that's kinda close, and mod it towards what you think your ideal bass is. That's how I started, and it was very helpful - even before I started building my own, doing some experiments to figure out my preferences was helpful. You will almost certainly miss on the first attempt, but after a few attempts, when you get really close, you will either have a bass that's good enough (and you' redone) or, at the very least, you'll have a much better idea of what you really want if you do decide to go the custom route. And you won't have spent anywhere near the time or money that a custom build costs.

 

[Rdore2000]

I have 3 Vigier basses, an Elrick NJS Czech made bass, an Alembic Epic and a Sadowsky Metroline. I followed the TB philosophy of purchasing a more expensive bass once I've sampled a more affordable version first. So I got a 2013 Vigier Excess last year, and I loved how comfortable everything was. And the fact that it needed no setup and had no truss rod was the deciding factor. Soon after, I purchased a more expensive Vigier Roger Glover (2023) and another one which was of the last ones out of the factory (2025).

 

[RattleSnack]

If by "boutique" you mean "custom made", then I'll share my story:
I have a lovely bass, custom made by local luthier - modern design 5 strings. Thing is it wasn't made for me, but for the guy I bought it from. He played it for 6-7 years and lost interest in it.
Pro with buying custom made instrument is that you can get it half price like that. Con is that it wasn't specd by me, so there are things I would prefer different. But, I'm flexible and price was good, so it worked out.

 

[gt96g]

Here is what I have learned. Don't get caught up in the idea you need to like one particular brand. I have boutique instruments and one thing I have learned is that preconceived notions may not prove out in the end. Some brands you might think would be the perfect fit for you may end up not working out, while others you never really considered wind up being some of your favorite instruments.

I also see the OP is talking about a lot of the OG (for lack of a better term) boutique brands.

These days there are so many more options from builders who may have smaller profiles but are building instruments of similar quality, just without the name recognition, and oftentimes, this can mean getting a phenomenal bass, without committing to the larger price tags some of the more well-known brands command.

I guess my point boils down to this. Keep an open mind and try as many basses as you possibly can beforehand. Then make a decision based on your experience and preferences, not expectations of what you think a particular bass will be, and anecdotal information / what others tell you about a brand.

 

[Bassic Needs]

One of the reason I listed what I was looking at, the OG's, is to give some perspective on what I was looking at.
I am 100% open to lesser-known builders, especially is the price-point is a little easier to digest.

 

[T McClure]

I’m lucky enough to attend NAMM every few years and I get my hands on a ton then (and then up GASing for the ones I like).

After recently having a bad experience with a custom order of a brand I'd never tried out, I think this approach is a great one. Yeah, going to a show may fuel new GAS, but it will also eliminate GAS as well by picking something up and realizing it's not what you were expecting or hoping. There are plenty of the fancy custom or boutique brands I find interesting, but I also never see them in any local shops as either new or used to try out.

 

[BGroovy]

After recently having a bad experience with a custom order of a brand I'd never tried out, I think this approach is a great one. Yeah, going to a show may fuel new GAS, but it will also eliminate GAS as well by picking something up and realizing it's not what you were expecting or hoping. There are plenty of the fancy custom or boutique brands I find interesting, but I also never see them in any local shops as either new or used to try out.

Completely agree! There were a ton of builders this year I got to check out that I have a ton of respect for but just aren't for me because of balance, neck profile, tone, etc.

 

[Bassic Needs]

After recently having a bad experience with a custom order of a brand I'd never tried out, I think this approach is a great one. Yeah, going to a show may fuel new GAS, but it will also eliminate GAS as well by picking something up and realizing it's not what you were expecting or hoping. There are plenty of the fancy custom or boutique brands I find interesting, but I also never see them in any local shops as either new or used to try out.

I do have a huge fear that I may go with a great builder, and despite there being nothing wrong with the instrument, I find out it's just not for me.

I think a trip to NAMM would be the ideal scenario, but I don't think regular folks can go to NAMM if I am not mistaken.

 

[Altitude]

It's a leap of faith, because if you don't live in a large city there's little chance you can find basses made by the same builder to try.

I have several boutique basses. One thing I had to come to terms with is that they will probably never be worth as much as I paid for them to anybody else. If resale value is a priority, forget it and buy a vintage Fender or something.

Also there are a bazillion builders and if you pore through the threads here you might notice as many people have had rough experiences as have had good ones. Not with any of the builders you mentioned in the OP necessarily, but there are a lot of builders out there who have gotten over their skis on cost and workload and disappointed a lot of people. Caveat emptor.

Lastly, you'll get a lot of recommendations so here is mine. I met Pete Skjold on this forum when he and I were both quite a bit younger. I have two of his basses with a third one coming this year. I’ve had the 6 string for 19 years now. His basses are entirely at the elite level. Highly recommended.

Www.skjolddesign.com

Here is a little thing I recorded that has five or six bass tracks, all from my two Skjolds. Headphones if you've got them.



…and here is a live capture of the red one with me and the amazing Matt White doing a little bass-sax two step.

 

[mambo4]

how did you arrive at your decision?

I pulled a Mike Lull MV4 off the wall of Bass Northwest (RIP) and played it.
My wife saw my reaction and told me to get it.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I only ever play custom instruments at this point. Either extremelly modified stock models or unique straight from the builder.
I'm peculiar about what I want and need. More than often, what's offeredby brands doesn't fulfil me.
So yeah I go with luthiers. However, I tend to stick to local builders whenever possible.
Most of them are able to make your dream real, just as well as famous brands.
Going local is usually less expensive, you can make adjustments along the way and share the progression of the project.