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All basses made by hand?

#2
As far as I know, not a single one of the major manufacturers sells handmade basses. They are pretty much exclusively done by CNC these days. Even Fender custom shops are "handmade" from machine produced bodies and necks...
 
#3
Yep, but imho that doesn't matter as long as the selection of the parts was done by a person and not a machine,
CNC is way more precise than a human can be, so no problem for me if the neck/body joint is done by a CNC.
If I buy a bass that's handmade but the neck doesn't fit very well or soemthing like that I am not statisfied
and it won't help the sound, too.
 
#5
wasn't meant as an offense or something like that ;)
Just talked to a luthier I know about that thing, he started building everything by hand, but nowadays,
he does all the modelling for the cnc, send the data to a friend who has a cnc at work and gets the bodys from him.
He visited Warwick a few times and a few other bigger companies and said that the build quality, especially at
Warwick was pretty awesome, the only problems somebody should have with these should be
that he has a problem with the feeling or the sound, but he would be glad to build something that well.
And that guy has built like 300 guitars.
 
#7
Hi.

1dgbass said:
Hey,

I own a U.S.A, jazz bass and was wondering if it was made by hand. I have seen some pics in the LC and thought that's how my bass was built. What about for cheaper basses, like squires?

Thanks in advance.

Douglas
Click to expand...

The very idea that Leo had back in the day was to design an istrument was to be able to do as much as possible with machines. He had to fight very, very hard to get an acceptance for such an unorthodox method, and the "fight" continues to this day ;).

BTW, it's SQUIER, Squire is a bass player, and while it's highly unlikely that he was made by hand, it's pretty certain that he wasn't made with machines either :).

Regards
Sam
 
#8
CNC can be just as big a piece of crap as any poorly handbuilt instrument, no matter the technique, machine or hand, it is the accuracy of the HUMAN that dictates the quality of the build, and until this changes, anyone who believes CNC is any better in any way that matters, is bound by assumption and improper theory. See Michael Tobias, John Suhr, Tom Anderson, Bob Taylor, Mike Breedlove, Mike Pedulla, Rick Turner, etc. All of whom made instruments that far exceeded anything F-co ever put out, and did it that way before they ever could even consider CNC in a small shop. The CNC argument will always be conjecture.
 
#10
capnsandwich said:
Rob Elrick carves everything by hand. Read the first page here.
Click to expand...

By the way, Rob is quite the luthier. A client brought in one of his basses for me to work on a few months ago. The bass was a 7 string with a radiused body and ziricote top, and it was gorgeous, both in looks and playability.
 
#13
I think the whole CNC thing comes down to how good the designer and programmer did...and both of em' are in fact human...or alien...but not machine. Am I right?
I'm pretty involved in the sport of mountain biking....CNC'd machined parts look ridiculously good....but a lot of them fail...why...human mistake...not machine mistake.

I think you can make a pretty awesome instrument with a CNC machine. I'm a supporter. And in my opinion...it's a double edged sword....
pro: You can have a loooot of consistency between builds.
cons: You lose that unique quality that 100% hand built basses have.

Just my $0.2 :)
 
#14
Musiclogic said:
CNC can be just as big a piece of crap as any poorly handbuilt instrument, no matter the technique, machine or hand, it is the accuracy of the HUMAN that dictates the quality of the build, and until this changes, anyone who believes CNC is any better in any way that matters, is bound by assumption and improper theory. See Michael Tobias, John Suhr, Tom Anderson, Bob Taylor, Mike Breedlove, Mike Pedulla, Rick Turner, etc. All of whom made instruments that far exceeded anything F-co ever put out, and did it that way before they ever could even consider CNC in a small shop. The CNC argument will always be conjecture.
Click to expand...

No.
 
#15
What does 'By Hand" mean? Where do you draw the line at machinery? Router OK? If so, pin router OK? Spray gun?

It's the person behind the machine who makes the difference IMO. The most expensive and advanced cars are 'made by hand' using the most sophisticated machinery available when it's the best way to do it. Why should a musical instrument be any different?
 
#16
Dadagoboi said:
What does 'By Hand" mean? Where do you draw the line at machinery? Router OK? If so, pin router OK? Spray gun?

It's the person behind the machine who makes the difference IMO. The most expensive and advanced cars are 'made by hand' using the most sophisticated machinery available when it's the best way to do it. Why should a musical instrument be any different?
Click to expand...

I think that waaaay back in the day, every instrument was made in fact, by hand...wood carved by hand, assembled and even finish applied by hand (I'm thinking violin making)...
But...machinery, like in every aspect of life, made everything easier and more precise. Like you said, it all comes down to the guy or gal behind the machine! ;)
 
#17
Musiclogic said:
CNC can be just as big a piece of crap as any poorly handbuilt instrument, no matter the technique, machine or hand, it is the accuracy of the HUMAN that dictates the quality of the build, and until this changes, anyone who believes CNC is any better in any way that matters, is bound by assumption and improper theory. See Michael Tobias, John Suhr, Tom Anderson, Bob Taylor, Mike Breedlove, Mike Pedulla, Rick Turner, etc. All of whom made instruments that far exceeded anything F-co ever put out, and did it that way before they ever could even consider CNC in a small shop. The CNC argument will always be conjecture.
Click to expand...

Not.
If that was the case I wouldn't routinely be holding a .0003" tolerance on parts in our machine shop. The parts go from solid model, directly to g-code, and the machinist does the final setup. There is no way a human can consistantly be more accurate, if there is, I'd like to meet him/her. Any errors in fit - form - function would come directly from me, the designer / CAD modeler.
That is not to take anything away from the people you list, (and many, many others) who put some amazingly beautiful instruments together, who create works of art with their hands. But to say properly designed/programmed CNC isn't accurate is just silly, I think. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#18
bassingeorge said:
I think that waaaay back in the day, every instrument was made in fact, by hand...wood carved by hand, assembled and even finish applied by hand (I'm thinking violin making)...
But...machinery, like in every aspect of life, made everything easier and more precise. Like you said, it all comes down to the guy or gal behind the machine! ;)
Click to expand...

Pre-industrial craftsmen used forms, jigs, presses, lathes, guides and other tools designed to aid in accuracy and speed during the construction process.

For example, In colonial America, rifle stocks were mass produced in shops that used a variety of water powered machines.

The use of machines in no way deminishes a craftsmans artistry. The use of unpowered handtools or the most sophisticated computer controlled machinery are equally valid and neither one is better than the other. In the final analysis it's about the craftsman, not his tools.

Cheers!
 
#19
i dont think there should be an argument about which is better; the argument i see is- what is someone passing off as handmade; if you cut a body out with the routes and/or carve on a cnc and then do everything else by hand; it still not hand made; and you should not say its hand made; and the difference is getting what you wanted to pay for; of course a cnc guitar is going to play fine; (as long as it was built correct) but i wouldnt pay 5K for something that cost 20$ and computer program to make; i wanna own something that has someones vision and soul in it; and you get that by putting pain stakin hours into every aspect of your creation; then it deserves a fat price tag
 
#20
Grant Bass said:
of course a cnc guitar is going to play fine; (as long as it was built correct)
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Making it playable has little to do with whether the body was CNCd or hacked out with a machete; it has to do with the skill in design, shaping, glueup, fretting, and setup of the neck. CNC only helps with the shaping there.
but i wouldnt pay 5K for something that cost 20$ and computer program to make;
Click to expand...
I don't know what you're referring to, but I can't think of a single part of a bass that I could get for $20. The base body wood maybe, which could be nearly the same price for an alder mexi-J or for a low-end ($4000ish) Fodera. The CNC program may be free if you steal it - or maybe there's some freeware - but to make anything with it still requires many hours of your time and effort, and hence money/value.
i wanna own something that has someones vision and soul in it; and you get that by putting pain stakin hours into every aspect of your creation; then it deserves a fat price tag
Click to expand...
I won't be CNCing it, and other people may like it or not, but I would argue that the design of my bass (and those made by others in similar manner), which I "sweated over" extensively in computer CAD has far more vision and soul than some of the hand made unbalanced misshapen lumps that people bang out by sketching on a plank with a pencil and sawing out. At least by my definitions of vision and soul.

If I had access to CNC equipment, and people with valuable CNC skills and experience, while I would lose the satisfaction I get from doing the work, I would know that it was more likely turn out in accordance with my vision and soul than if I don't.
 

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