Ken Lawrence, by orders of magnitude. The absolute finest basses I've ever laid hands on. Not cheap but worth every penny.
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Best custom built basses?
- Thread starter Kristian
- Start date
Ken Lawrence, by orders of magnitude. The absolute finest basses I've ever laid hands on. Not cheap but worth every penny.
Jon Shuker (UK). Perfect necks. Perfect balance. All hand made to any spec. I went for a straight Jazz style bass with active EMG JVX pickups and no preamp. I’ve owned Sadowsky, Xotic, Sandberg etc and the Shuker is my favourite. And below $2K. The only other bass I’ve owned that was as well made was a US Stingray but it wasn’t the sound I was after.
Once you talk to Andrew Drake, Invalid Link Removed, you needn't go anywhere else. He's all about collaboration on design, features, woods, electronics, etc. You won't be disappointed. My build is called "
" in the Gallery.
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How "custom" do you want to go? Some people want something that looks one-of-a-kind (or made with rare exotic materials), while others simply want exceptional sound and playability with more-or-less traditional styling. And since bass tone varies over a very wide range, you need to consider which custom builders are renowned for delivering the sort of tone you are looking for.
I'm a Fender aficionado, so I'd want a custom bass to look much like the familiar P and J styles but play and sound just the way I want it -- not necessarily "better" (that's a very subjective determinant), but personalized for my particular tastes. If I could get that in something that is easily reproduceable/modifiable (in case it breaks or is stolen), so much the better. And if I could get it at a somewhat affordable price, better still. Fender Custom Shop might make what I want; or Sadowski; or any number of other builders. For you, something entirely different might be absolutely necessary.
I'm a Fender aficionado, so I'd want a custom bass to look much like the familiar P and J styles but play and sound just the way I want it -- not necessarily "better" (that's a very subjective determinant), but personalized for my particular tastes. If I could get that in something that is easily reproduceable/modifiable (in case it breaks or is stolen), so much the better. And if I could get it at a somewhat affordable price, better still. Fender Custom Shop might make what I want; or Sadowski; or any number of other builders. For you, something entirely different might be absolutely necessary.
I ordered a custom bass from Birdsong and I am extremely happy with it for under 2K. The customer service they give is very personal and outstanding
I've had a desire for perhaps decades to own a Ken Smith bass but I never had an extra $5000 laying around, or was not motivated enough to plan financially on buying one. Guess I didn't want one that that bad. But they are beautiful basses and the strings are first rate, albeit expensive.
I have been playing Marco bass guitars since 2008. They will remain my primary bass guitar for many years to come. They have amazing tone, exotic/gorgeous woods used, high grade hardware and those wonderful pickups that only Marco can make. One of the things I like most about my Marco is when another bass player tries my guitar and hearing them say, “OHHH, AHHH, Wow, amazing guitar.” Marco Bass Guitars – Official Marco Bass Guitars Website
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,909
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Wow, I think you may have the only other Marco singlecut with that body style. Mine's just a little different but it's very similar.
Yep.
I recommend you consider getting a bass which plays and sounds to your liking and then send it to Cindy Guitars to have a unique finish. http://www.cindyguitars.com/ She makes custom guitars for some name folks but I haven't seen examples of built-from-scratch basses. I am going to stop by her shop in NYC in early December and will know more then.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,909
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
I love the Ken Smith tone. And the build quality is impressive. But I just can’t get over the feel of their necks: too wide and flat for me. I’m used to big, round necks and get can’t get comfortable on a Smith.
So, I’m working on installing Ken Smith electronics (made by Kent Armstrong and HAZ Labs) into an old Gibson Ripper husk with upgraded Hipshot hardware. Should be the best of both worlds.
Cool! I've loved Rippers ever since I saw DEVO bassist Gerald Casale use one live at the Paramount in Seattle. Top that off with an Acoustic head with an Ampeg 810E. It was totally awesome!
Do you have pics of the Ripper?
Do you own a Sire? If so, is it true that they're heavy? I've kicked around buying one of their lefty's but a couple TB'ers said that they're 9-10 pounds. Your experiencs, or anyone else on this thread?
