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Best custom built basses?
- Thread starter Kristian
- Start date
That is lovely!
I agree that when it comes to "best" it's ridiculously relative, and even gauging "what's very good" should really have an intended price point attached to it.
I just picked this up...
NBD: Lowdown Dual Darkstar Telebass!
...from Lowdown Bass on Thursday. I'm sure it's not the "best" custom bass in the world, but it's really fantastic and I have a hard time thinking of any way you'd do better in an MIA custom bass in the 1500-2000 range.
Tim Seisser does fantastic work that -while not "cheap"- is definitely an extremely good value.
While we're on the subject, Carl Pedigo does fantastic work as well. Much of what he does comes out with a Lakland logo on the headstock, but his "Carlo" instruments are really brilliant.
NBD: My Carlo. Lakland lines but with a little something extra.
Mine was a bargain used, but It's worth every penny of the 3-4k that it would have cost new.
Means2nEnd
Supporting Member
I would suggest a few months of research playing everything and anything you can get your hands on and don't be swayed by bling woods and shiny knobs. Close you eyes and play the basses through an amp. Get a feel for what you want because it sounds like you have to find that out first or a builder will build you what they want to build for you. Being an incredible musician or bass player has zero to do with what's on the head stock or price tag.
Whoever you choose if they don't spend a good amount of time asking you questions to see what you want or may need you will most certainly wind up with everything you don't. A $300 used bass might be the cure as much as a $3,000 but you need to find that out on your own first. Just a thought...
Whoever you choose if they don't spend a good amount of time asking you questions to see what you want or may need you will most certainly wind up with everything you don't. A $300 used bass might be the cure as much as a $3,000 but you need to find that out on your own first. Just a thought...
I am very pleased with my Barlow. Excellent craftsmanship and communication. I’m in love! 
FOR a custom hand build bass guitar. I would say for money cbbasses.com Cliff Bordwell makes the best bass for the money. Sometimes he has open spot when he's building bass guitars. I got mine 9 month open spot. I wanted high end short scale 30" bass hand crafted. But he can build you any bass you want. Real cool dude to talk with also. I have a couple Maruszczyk basses not completely hand made when using cnc machines.
He has this guy name Larry Davis from Gallery Hardwoods which makes amazing top for his basses. He also has his own supply of tops also. Here's some pictures of my S bass. This bass is light 7lbs. And sounds awesome. Well I hop you find your self a good bass Luthier. I can say anything bad about Cliff, this Luthier makes some mighty fine basses.
Attachments
It'd help a heap if the category was narrowed, either by price, style (Fender clone or not) or degree of customization. The better known builders virtually all have major constraints on what they offer. For eg, Lull offers only 18mm spacing on his 5ers, period, and Sadowsky builds Fender clones, etc.
I read earlier that you moved to Vienna. There's a great company called Spalt that builds basses in Vienna. Now that you are on the 'Western' side of the world, access to many more custom builders will be more accessible to you. Here's the link to Spalt and a sample of one of his wild basses. Invalid Link Removed
Yes you have. I still kick myself for selling you those last 2 Devons lol.
Are parts basses "custom"? What about heavy mods?
For example, I consider all my players to be "custom", even though they started out "stock".
I have nothing to contribute to the discussion, I'm just wondering where the term "custom" sits in the range between "modified" and "custom built from scratch".
For example, I consider all my players to be "custom", even though they started out "stock".
I have nothing to contribute to the discussion, I'm just wondering where the term "custom" sits in the range between "modified" and "custom built from scratch".
T
If you swap parts around in a parts bass, you have “customized” it.
A custom bass is built from the ground up.
If you swap parts around in a parts bass, you have “customized” it.
A custom bass is built from the ground up.
I use the word "modified" for any customization on an existing bass, and "custom" if it was made from scratch. I don't use "customized" at all just to be absolutely clear which is which.
It's a little strange that the OP hasn't played for many years but desires a custom build. A custom builder is going to ask him a whole lot of questions about his playing preferences to build the bass ... I'm not sure he would know the answers ... or good ones. I'm also concerned that the first question from the OP is about getting the best bass for the highest 'value' ... this would not be high (or at all) on my criteria for sourcing a custom-built bass.
Hello again everyone and thanks for your time/answers!
Here's some more info:
I'm playing tuned in fifths from low c to high e(five strings). Maybe there will be some tension issues with this that needs to be taken into consideration?
I want a piezo pickup and a magnetic pickup close to the bridge. I play jazz and world music and only fingerstyle(no slap or pick).
I guess a custom made will be an overkill since(as you all said) I haven't been playing electric for quite a while(I'm a professional doublebass player) but I wanted to have some kind of idea of what's "out there" and how big the difference is between a custom build bass and one from the "shelf".
I just moved to Vienna, Austria and will check out the local Luthiers and also the local music stores before I make a decision.
Here's some more info:
I'm playing tuned in fifths from low c to high e(five strings). Maybe there will be some tension issues with this that needs to be taken into consideration?
I want a piezo pickup and a magnetic pickup close to the bridge. I play jazz and world music and only fingerstyle(no slap or pick).
I guess a custom made will be an overkill since(as you all said) I haven't been playing electric for quite a while(I'm a professional doublebass player) but I wanted to have some kind of idea of what's "out there" and how big the difference is between a custom build bass and one from the "shelf".
I just moved to Vienna, Austria and will check out the local Luthiers and also the local music stores before I make a decision.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,909
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Given your location, I would check out Marleaux and Fibenare, in Germany and Hungary respectively.
Among custom basses I’ve personally played, I was most impressed by a Greg Curbow Petite owned by a buddy of mine in college (back in the ‘90s), an old Ken Smith from the mid-‘80s (which I believe was made by the guys from Fodera), and a gorgeous Leduc UBass at Manny’s Music in Manhattan.
