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attn: custom bass owners

#61
This is an interesting story (to me anyway)...

I do prison ministries with my church and have been doing so since about 17 (I'm 26 now). The first one I ever went to I met this guy named Kevin (an inmate) who was a guitar player. When we go on these outreaches we have a full band and a nice sound system. I was playing a pretty nice guitar and a good tube amp. I am a decent guitar guitar player- nothing special, but I get the job done. Anyway, the prisoners had put together a band and asked if they could play. Of course we said sure. This guy Kevin asked if he could play through my amp. I told him he was absolutely welcome to do so and he could use my guitar as well- I saw that he was playing an Aria Pro guitar that was beat to death, had high action and actually wouldn't tune properly. It was a JUNK guitar. He told me that he would rather play his, because he was more comfortable on a junky guitar. I thought that was kind of silly. He was given a chance to play a guitar far nicer than that and he turned it down.

Well, he made me look like a fool. He played and sounded great. Somehow, he got a better tone out of that crappy guitar than I got out of my nice one. Now, to help me sleep at night, I like to think that if he had used my guitar, he would have sounded THAT much better. But, it's what you are comfortable with.

I have decent basses- not anything like some of these customs you guys have. I prefer to play them, because they are set up perfectly and are comfortable. I played my friend's Dean bass one day ( a real cheap one) and it played great and sounded decent. I played another friend's Tobias bass (a pretty nice one) and it played like trash.
 
#62
RTL said:
It would be great to have you come out! Let me know if you're coming, so I can at least buy you a beer or something :bassist: Last time we played there, they wouldn't let us put anyone on the list, which I thought was kind of strange.
Click to expand...

No worries on the list - I'd rather support local music here anyway. Politicians in Austin are making it harder and harder for bars to support live music, so making sure that all of us pay door charges and buy a few drinks will hopefully combat the urge for bars to discontinue having bands. Small price to pay in order to support the scene and help ensure my living. :)

Just promise not to tell anyone how undeserving of my gear I am. Hah. :)
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I heard the recordings - you have NOTHING to worry about !
 
#67
It really does suck when you go to places like GC or Sam Ash, ect, and nearly every bass you pick up is horendously set up...

Me being poor, i was lucky enough to be able to afford a $100 3/4 scale Hofner bass, and taught myself to play it to the point where people started noticing my skills, and was being told i was playing it well enough to rival most bassist in and around my area, me on a "cheepo" bass, while others were using top of the line CG basses.

Starting off, i really didnt know any better about getting my bass set up, much less setting it up myself. I was always amazed by these other fellow bassists gear, and i always jumped at the chance to try out their basses. I soon realized about how importaint having a good set up on a bass was. I asked around and found a buddy who was able set my bass up decently, and i was amazed by the HUGE difference.

Little by little ide run accross really cool cats that had crazy custom and botique basses and i totally fell inlove with them. This one cat showed me his 7-string Conklin bass, and i emediately set my goals on getting one. I saved for 3 or so years and got what was at that time my dream bass. It was a red Conklin 7 string Groove Tools Bass.

I took that big jump from 4 strings to 7 and emediately connected with it and played it as well as i played 4 strings right off the bat. Very natural feeling for me. And man, playing a 7 stringer for 4 years led me to a tottaly different way of playing and seeing the bass guitar. I then met this cat named Andy Cervantes on myspace who had a 10 string bass made by Bee Basses. It blew me away to see that wild custom work. I never dreamed that i could ever afford to buy a bass like his, i had saved for years just to buy that Conklin, and it was no where near the price that Andy payed for his Bee Bass.

Andy being the coolest guy in the world put his faith in me, and made me an offer i couldnt refuse. He told me that if i was serious about bass and ever decided i wanted a Bee Bass, that he would give me a 7-string conklin to play while i had a custom Bee Bass built if i sold my bass and saved up some money to put a down payment for a Bee Bass!!

I couldnt belive him!! I mean, ive never even met the dude, and here he was, offering me a chance of a lifetime (in my eyes) He did know i had the chops on my 7 stringer because he checked me out on myspace, but i just thought he was pulling my leg about the offer....

But, what if he was serious??? I took my chances and sold my bass for $1300 on ebay. I had it all tricked out with an aggie OBP-3 Pre and it had a kick ass top to boot, i was surprized i got so much for it, but hey, these guys were bidding and really wanted my bass that bad, so that was that "SOLD".

Shortly after selling my bass i contacted Andy and he was like "so when do you wanna come pick up your loaner bass?" Problem was that i could not afford to take time off of work to head out 900 miles to his house to pick it up, and he was like "well, you know what? I'll have my wife drive out there and drop it off with you." This guy is just too damn cool!!!! and sure enough a couple weeks later, his wife shows up in Los Angeles and gives me the Conklin!!

I felt like ive been hooked up with "MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION" or something! I then emediately placed my order for my very own custom 9-string Bee Bass!

I ordered a Bee Bass Stinger model with custom wound tripple Jazz Bucker (JSBC x's 3)Delano pickups with a Bee Pre, with a 9 peice flame maple and purpleheart neck, bookmatched acrylicised ebony fingerboard with flame maple neck binding, flame Koa top with flame White Limba (korina) body with a black dyed veneer sandwiched between the two woods. Here are a couple pictures of the bass in progress.
 

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#70
I can appreciate the difference in quality between a custom or boutique bass. (and I should notice a difference in playability and tone or whats the point?) But really, looking back on everything I've played, It all comes down to ME way more than the instrument. Anyone listening to me playing reguardless of the instrument is going to hear ME expressing myself. The truth is..........noone really cares what I'm playing as long as it sounds good. Of course a nicer custom instrument can make it easier for you to play certain things and that in itself can be inspiring. Do I prefer playing a boutique or custom bass? Yes. Do I think the audience cares if I play a really expensive multi stringed work of art? No. Can an inexpensive bass get the job done if set up correctly?..........yes. It goes back to the original statement of the OP. Yes......a custom bass is like a Ferrari and a cheaper production bass is like a Honda Accord. They both get you from point A to point B. More strings, fancier woodwork, more expensive electronics does not mean you are a better player and most of it is lost on the audience.
 
#71
I will always hands down get more comments about my Wishbass than my Ritter! Then again both will have folks asking questions, which I won't get from using my Fenders. When I play my T'bird I just get told I look cool! (Note to self play T'bird more!)

But as per 'lowstrung5' what really matters to me during and post gig is whether or not I am/I was in the pocket. I'd guestimate that 99% of the audience are looking at our cute, 23y.o. singer anyway and not at my bass!
 
#72
IngerAlb said:
Ppl drive cheaper cars because they simply can't afford a really expensive one.
Click to expand...

Not exactly - I could drive a LOT more expensive car than I do but what I have suits what I want. My 328 is fun to drive, gets good milage, and costs less than I could spend. The same with my basses, I could go cheaper or more expensive, depending on what I want to play.

Dan K.
 
#73
It comes down to whether or not the instrument moves you and allows you to speak music. Hendrix would smoke on any guitar (and he played different makes and models throughout his career), but the Fender Stratocaster was what he always went back to.

I've played a number of basses, both high-end custom and off the shelf production line, that while good, didn't make me say, "Man, I need this!" It wasn't anything against the instruments; they were good basses. I just have found a couple of basses with which I really connect.

IME, there's a law of diminishing returns with basses. You do need to spend a few dollars if you want to get something "professional level," but after spending so much, you aren't really getting anything that necessarily plays or sounds better. It may have more bling going on or has more hand-built work done to it. If that's your thing, then play on! I've been pleased with just about every boutique I've ever picked up and played; however, I then go pick up one of my $1200 Carvins, and I'm just as pleased with the fit, finish, playability, and sound. It's about what you dig. Some boutiques look beautful to me. Some look like fugly pieces of bad, pretentious modern art. I will always gravitate towards a Jazz Bass over a Precision. I prefer a Mesa 400+ over an Ampeg SVT. I like roundwounds over flats. Others may not share these preferences, and that's cool.
 
#74
I love the feel of many high-end and custom basses, but I can't stand those natural wood finished instruments that have the really bizarre shapes (like having a bass horn that sticks out five feet). I would probably buy more high end instruments, if their companies offered more of a selection of normal looking instruments.
 
#75
MOTORHEADBANGER said:
I love the feel of many high-end and custom basses, but I can't stand those natural wood finished instruments that have the really bizarre shapes (like having a bass horn that sticks out five feet). I would probably buy more high end instruments, if their companies offered more of a selection of normal looking instruments.
Click to expand...

Theres plenty of high end Fender style (normal) cookie cutter companies out there. You have a world of options to suit your needs in the "high end" custom department. But i understand why you dont have a "high end" custom bass of your own, i mean, why would you want to spend 4+ grand on a hand built work of art (with nice quality woods that you would rather have painted over anyway) that looks like a copy of a 60's style Japanese bass, when you could find something like that, that suits your visual standard for a good bass in Guitar Center and walk out the door with it for under $500 bux. I dont blame ya. :eyebrow:
 
#76
Some of you will kill me for this but now days there's not a big difference in stock basses and Custom basses. It all comes down to quality and craftsmanship.


You could buy a standard EBMM Sting Ray and later add a Hipshot D-tuner and another pickup and there you have a custom EBMM.

I have played some custom basses there were really garbage but because they are custom a lot of people believe and want to believe that they are much better than a stock bass.

I use stock and custom basses and my main concern is not whether they are stock or custom but the overall quality and if they are the proper tools that I need when it's time to get the job done.
 
#77
BIG CHEETO said:
It really does suck when you go to places like GC or Sam Ash, ect, and nearly every bass you pick up is horendously set up... Me being poor, i was lucky enough to be able to afford a $100 3/4 scale Hofner bass, and taught myself to play it to the point where people started noticing my skills, and was being told i was playing it well enough to rival most bassist in and around my area, me on a "cheepo" bass, while others were using top of the line CG basses. Starting off, i really didnt know any better about getting my bass set up, much less setting it up myself. I was always amazed by these other fellow bassists gear, and i always jumped at the chance to try out their basses. I soon realized about how importaint having a good set up on a bass was. I asked around and found a buddy who was able set my bass up decently, and i was amazed by the HUGE difference. Little by little ide run accross really cool cats that had crazy custom and botique basses and i totally fell inlove with them. This one cat showed me his 7-string Conklin bass, and i emediately set my goals on getting one. I saved for 3 or so years and got what was at that time my dream bass. It was a red Conklin 7 string Groove Tools Bass. I took that big jump from 4 strings to 7 and emediately connected with it and played it as well as i played 4 strings right off the bat. Very natural feeling for me. And man, playing a 7 stringer for 4 years led me to a tottaly different way of playing and seeing the bass guitar. I then met this cat named Andy Cervantes on myspace who had a 10 string bass made by Bee Basses. It blew me away to see that wild custom work. I never dreamed that i could ever afford to buy a bass like his, i had saved for years just to buy that Conklin, and it was no where near the price that Andy payed for his Bee Bass. Andy being the coolest guy in the world put his faith in me, and made me an offer i couldnt refuse. He told me that if i was serious about bass and ever decided i wanted a Bee Bass, that he would give me a 7-string conklin to play while i had a custom Bee Bass built if i sold my bass and saved up some money to put a down payment for a Bee Bass!! I couldnt belive him!! I mean, ive never even met the dude, and here he was, offering me a chance of a lifetime (in my eyes) He did know i had the chops on my 7 stringer because he checked me out on myspace, but i just thought he was pulling my leg about the offer.... But, what if he was serious??? I took my chances and sold my bass for $1300 on ebay. I had it all tricked out with an aggie OBP-3 Pre and it had a kick ass top to boot, i was surprized i got so much for it, but hey, these guys were bidding and really wanted my bass that bad, so that was that "SOLD". Shortly after selling my bass i contacted Andy and he was like "so when do you wanna come pick up your loaner bass?" Problem was that i could not afford to take time off of work to head out 900 miles to his house to pick it up, and he was like "well, you know what? I'll have my wife drive out there and drop it off with you." This guy is just too damn cool!!!! and sure enough a couple weeks later, his wife shows up in Los Angeles and gives me the Conklin!! I felt like ive been hooked up with "MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION" or something! I then emediately placed my order for my very own custom 9-string Bee Bass! I ordered a Bee Bass Stinger model with custom wound tripple Jazz Bucker (JSBC x's 3)Delano pickups with a Bee Pre, with a 9 peice flame maple and purpleheart neck, bookmatched acrylicised ebony fingerboard with flame maple neck binding, flame Koa top with flame White Limba (korina) body with a black dyed veneer sandwiched between the two woods. Here are a couple pictures of the bass in progress.
Click to expand...
Did anyone make it more than three lines into this post?? :eyebrow: Sorry, but come on... I might have read it, had it been, at least, separated into paragraphs.



Boutique basses don't intrigue or impress me, at all. I'll play my clunky, bolt on, Fenderesque, chunks of lumber 'till I'm gone. That's my thing. Everyone has their thing.
 

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