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attn: custom bass owners
- Thread starter beebassdude
- Start date
my avetar strikes again... 
I know it's been said inumerable times on this forum but... Play what inspires you. It doesn't matter how much it cost, how much "mojo" it has, or who made it. It you dig it, it makes absolutely no difference what anyone else thinks about it. I have had several customs(roscoes and a modulus) because I dug them. My favorite bass is my Geddy Lee, because I find it a blast to play and more importantly because it was a wedding present from my wife.
I've owned basses in all categories:
Once the set-up is done, it's all about the tone. If you're handy with a soldering iron, pickup swaps open up a world of possibilities.
- boutique, built-to-order basses
- vintage basses
- high-quality, USA-made production basses
- entry-level, Asian-made production basses
Once the set-up is done, it's all about the tone. If you're handy with a soldering iron, pickup swaps open up a world of possibilities.
The analogy is more accurate than even you might think. But I think you'll be surprised to find out why
A super expensive, exclusive, handmade, bass that takes 2 years to build is a like a Ferrari. OK, I can buy that. What I can't buy is the implication that this exclusivity and expense somehow makes the bass/Ferrari better than other basses/sportscars.
It's funny, but I actually instruct for the Ferrari Club of North America (as well as the Porsche Club, BMW Club, and many others). The Ferrari guys are some of the slowest and least skilled drivers I've ever worked with. The guys in the Porsche and BMW clubs run circles around them on the track. That's because the guys in the big-buck Ferraris think that merely OWNING a fast car is enough. It's not.
Meanwhile, look at which cars consistently win races. It's not Ferrari or Lamborghini. It's Porsche and BMW. Why do these less expensive, production cars beat the piss out of Ferrari on the racetrack? Because they're designed with excellent ergonomics, they're easy to drive at the limit, they're more reliable, and built with less exotic parts.
Moreover, Porsche and BMW attracts serious drivers...whereas Ferrari and Lamborghini attracts poseurs. A guy who is serious about winning races chooses a GT3-RS. A guy who didn't get enough attention as a child chooses an F430 Scuderia.
I guess the Ferrari guys never stop to ask themselves how come their instructor (me) drives a BMW 318!
I've gone the compleat opposite direction than the op. After starting out with Fenders and moving to boutique basses in 1991 I've all but quit playing the fancy stuff and gone back to playing old Fenders(must be an age thing). My last 3 boutique basses have sat in their cases for the last 2 years and my Dingwall was sold last spring. My Squiers and MIM Fender see more stage time than my boutiques anymore. Fancy tops and 12 piece necks are great if ya like em but anymore just give me somthing with 5 strings or less under 9 lbs. and I'll be happy.
Edit to delete shameless self promotion.
Edit to delete shameless self promotion.
Meh, cost is relative to income. To some people a "boutique custom coffee table bass" is the same financial outlay as an SX. People are different and like different stuff, they can use their money however they want, regardless of their talent. This thread is a non-event.
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
if an instrument is built well and able to be setup well, it'll do, if it has what i need. unfortunately for me, my choices are limited. i only play 7's, have only played 7's for the past 16+ years. if i couldn't play a 7, i wouldn't play bass.
if there were inexpensive, decently made 7's, i'd certainly own a few, and dig em too. i -wish- essex made a 7 string bass, for instance - i would -love- to get a beater 7 that i could hack on and mod out.
unfortunately, they don't, so i've always been "stuck" with customs. of course, my customs rule - it's pretty inspiring to be able to pick from a dozen different instruments that were all built specifically for you and are unique in the world.
but still. not why i play bass, to "show off" my purchasing power, or to collect pretty instruments. and it certainly isn't to insult someone else's instruments.
shoot, of all my favorite bassists, most of them play relatively "cheap" basses - geddy lee got his '72 jazz from a pawn shop - in fact, he retired boutique instruments built for him to -go back- to his pawn shop special. steve harris played a p bass with flats. chris squire played a ric.
....if i couldn't play a 7, i wouldn't play bass....
An intriguing and hypothetical statement, but can you tell us the reason why you only play 7 string basses and is it possible to explain why 6, 5, 4 or 8 just wouldn't work?
4, 5, and 6-string Basses are not metal enough, while 8-string Basses are just silly.
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
i spent 9 years just playing 4 before i got my first 7, and i was pretty much done with them. not saying i was any kind of jedi master or anything, just wasn't interested in the instrument anymore - it didn't say everything i wanted it to say. i own 2 8 strings, too, and i like them a lot, but 7's are my main instruments.
yep, you got me. except i have two 8 strings too.
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
Hi, my name is Chris and I guess I am a snob, cause I very much dislike production instruments. Everything in life has some sort of prestige to it, from the car you drive, to the house you live in. From what you wear, to the way you cut or don't cut your hair. I think the title snob can go both ways. I love boutique basses and the way they feel and make me feel. I think they add to the persona that is me, just like my nice dirty pickup does.
I own 6 basses. 4 are production models and 2 are "customs"
One of the customs is a Carvin so its sort of a hybrid-not exactly a production model but not a true hand-made custom in the strictest sense. My other custom is a "true" custom. A one-off literally hand built model from Tom Clement out of Florida.
Why did I go the full-blown custom route? Well, first off, I had some extra cash. (not Alembic "extra cash" but you get the idea). Second-I wanted a bass with exotic woods and a couple of touches to make it "mine".
Third-I stumbled upon a terrific luthier who is very reasonably priced and he made my ideas into reality.
My custom is my #1 player but all of my other basses get some time. It might be practicing here at home, or it might be at a rehearsal, but they all get played. (no gigs yet, but hopefully soon).
I like all my basses for different reasons, from the SX my wife bought me for Christmas all the way up to my Clement.
I consider myself fortunate to be open-minded enough to enjoy various instruments. While I might not be technically proficient or physically or musically comfortable on a shortscale, hollowbody, unlined fretless 6+ string, there is a vast array of basses out there for me to play.
And for that, I'm thankful.
One of the customs is a Carvin so its sort of a hybrid-not exactly a production model but not a true hand-made custom in the strictest sense. My other custom is a "true" custom. A one-off literally hand built model from Tom Clement out of Florida.
Why did I go the full-blown custom route? Well, first off, I had some extra cash. (not Alembic "extra cash" but you get the idea). Second-I wanted a bass with exotic woods and a couple of touches to make it "mine".
Third-I stumbled upon a terrific luthier who is very reasonably priced and he made my ideas into reality.
My custom is my #1 player but all of my other basses get some time. It might be practicing here at home, or it might be at a rehearsal, but they all get played. (no gigs yet, but hopefully soon).
I like all my basses for different reasons, from the SX my wife bought me for Christmas all the way up to my Clement.
I consider myself fortunate to be open-minded enough to enjoy various instruments. While I might not be technically proficient or physically or musically comfortable on a shortscale, hollowbody, unlined fretless 6+ string, there is a vast array of basses out there for me to play.
And for that, I'm thankful.
