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Botique bass regret?

#61
I'm eyeing a Warwick Bass for a long time now.
potential buyers regret is why i don't have one yet. I'm so scared i'll just end up not liking what i get, that i'm not going to shell out money that might otherwise buy me a used car. (and a decent one at that!)

Luckily my time of being a student is drawing to a close and once i earn more money than in the mini-job now, i'll be less caring as to what i spend it on hehe :)
 
#62
I dropped 2 grand on a wonderful medium scale that I love. I'll be totally honest that when I see a used Lull or Bluesman Vintage in the classifieds for 2 grand - that is the route that I wish I had taken.

I should really just stop looking in the classifieds. It's like I'm married but still looking at all the booty out there.
 
#63
I almost bought a boutique but was afraid of spending almost 4k and not being 100% satisfied so I went a different route. Im actually glad if turned out that way, I got a chance to play something similar to what I was going to order and although it was fantastic I think there could have been some regret, I then played something else they had and thought "wow this is it" but that bass would have been almost 3k more...definitely out of my price range.
 
#64
I've had two bad experiences. One with a warwick one with an Ernie ball.

The warwick thumb nt was a heartbreaker. I realize it wasn't a custom but it was up there price wise. I loved that bass and played the heck out of it for several years. What happened was the neck through neck bent beyond the truss rod cracking the top of the body. I'm assuming due to humidity and temperature changes over the years. Id probably fork out the money for a custom shop warwick thumb 6 if they'd build me a bolt on with the woods of the neck through. Ebony board, bubinga body, the nice laminated neck, 3 band eq. But as far as i know as of now warwick doesnt make bolt ons with the same materials as the nt models even with custom shop options. The situation with that bass is why i haven't owned another neck through bass since and likely never will again unless someone starts making neck through necks with reinforcement beyond the end of the truss rod.

On to the Ernie ball. I special ordered a musicman bongo 5 a few years back. I ended up selling it after playing one gig with it. I guess i was hoping for a stingray sound with 24 frets and a different look. Didn't sound like a stingray at all to me. Waited like 6 months to get it and sold it within 6 weeks. This was the bass that for me proved that the woods the bass is made out of are a huge part of the basses sound. the good thing on that one though is i actually made a small profit when i sold it as it was semi custom they didn't have to wait the months and months i waited.
 
#65
Bought my Dingwall SJ5 sight unseen/heard and never having played fanned frets previously. I couldn't be happier. Not a custom build I realize...but arguably boutique. I have since ordered a build for SP/J5 with the FD3 bridge pickup, 3-tone vintage burst with a Wenge neck and fingerboard (with white perliod block markers).

I had never been a "P" guy in the past, always preferring the tone/sound, feel and playability of the J. The P was just too thick and clunky for me and the lack of tonal options just really sealed the deal for me preferring the J.

I have since come to appreciate the P sound and felt that it was time for me to acquire one. Since I have really fallen in love with the Dingwall SJ5, the SP5 started to seem like an appealing option, especially since the SJ5 and the SP5 essentially have the same neck profile.

I have yet to receive the bass, as I'm probably not quite half way till the estimated delivery date. While I don't in any believe I'll have remorse, I am a little antsy to check out how the Wenge neck/fingerboard works on a P bass. :hyper:

Call me a risk taker I guess...but I think this bass will have some interesting tonal options. Kind of like an old meets new thing.

-PM
 
#66
Ordered? No. Purchased? Yes most certainly. I am located in a bass deficient area. Nothing high end around here other than what I all ready own. So, I have to buy and try since there is no place to try and buy.. Several times I have bought a bass (more than $1000) and hated it. Just not for me kind of thing. So, I just turned around and sold it if I was not able to return it. And Yes, I know I am 80 miles from Chicago and 40 miles from Milwaukee, but with 2 jobs, 4 kids and a band, I don't have time to spend 5 hours out looking for a bass. Wish I did
 
#67
Munjibunga said:
When you pay the premium price, it's fair to expect perfect craftsmanship. If the bass doesn't turn out the way you like, it's pretty much your fault for providing specs that didn't achieve your playability and tone goals. It helps to have played many, many basses, investigating what woods, pickups, electronics and shapes are likely to produce an instrument you love.
Click to expand...

Truth, here. I've been in and out of a lot of basses, and have learned a s***load about an alarming range of parameters. May be close to ordering something unusual, based on what I've found, but I've also found that some of my pre-conceived notions were not well-founded.
 
#70
I have never owned a boutique and never likely will. But I have owned a bass that was built exactly to my specs but wasn't ordered by me. It was a Carvin SB4000 that came up here in the classifieds. I had literally put together the same bass just to get a quote on the Carvin site and thought "there it is....my dream bass." So it comes up for trade on this site and I think "BOOM" get that sucker. I offer up my 44-01 with US barts and the L-3 preamp which is an amazing bass..lightweight and plays and sounds insane. Anyway, the Carvin arrives and I absolutely have no connection with it. Didn't like the sound at all, hated the feel. I couldn't believe it to be honest. The bass was constructed so well, but just did nothing for me. I easily would have spent the 1,300$ it cost new and had to have sucked it up so I am glad I didn't.

And the guy I traded wanted to trade back too. So I guess you never know???!
 
#71
If we're talking boutique, it's like buying any instrument, just mor expensive. It's ok to make mistakes.

Custom work is more difficult. Sometimes you see people having strange, peculiar or extraordinary models built. I love these, for they are supposed to be the result of months, sometimes years of patient research, trials and discussion with the builder, to fit the needs of the player. This is how I always approached mine and never was disappointed.

Unfortunately, too often you see these instruments sold for peanuts a year later, because of course a highly customized instrument is hard to resell, not filling the needs of most.

When I see these I feel a bit sad. It can only mean 2 things, the builder failed or the customer didn't do his homework. The latter is much more common and it must be very frustrating for the luthier.
 
#72
bassteban said:
I regretted two custom builds- once, due to my inability to use the instrument(a fretless 7)to anywhere near its potential, the other(a fretless 6)because my gig(s)changed and it began to sit unused.
Both were Stambaughs, and gave me no trouble in sound, playability and/or construction. I also have a Stambaugh fretted 6 & LOVE it. I had a used Stambaugh fretless 4; sold it(can't recall exactly why), soon regretted it.
Click to expand...

Do you still have those fretless basses? I'm playing a great-sounding fretted 7 right now but miss fretless. Also, how much do those bad boys weigh? Mine is about 15 pounds!
 
#73
I found I love Roscoe basses and IMO they have the best playing neck. After spending more money than I should, I have found I do not like Ash bodies on a Roscoe and I have owned and played a few, well, I do like the weight. I have found for me the Roscoe basses I love the tone on the most have had Spanish Cedar, Alder or solid Maple bodies.

These are the configurations I like the best.

Spanish Cedar body, Maple top, Cocobolo Finger board, Roscoe/Bart Pickups and Roscoe/Demeter Preamp

Alder body, Maple top, Wenge Finger board, Roscoe/Bart Pickups and Roscoe/Demeter Preamp

Solid Maple Body, Rosewood Finger board, Bart Classic Pickups and Aguilar 3 band Preamp.
 
#74
Ordered my first boutique, a NYC Sadowsky 24F5 without ever playing one previously. Definitely was not disappointed. For my 2nd Sadowsky, I was in NYC and compared the WL4 to the regular 4-string jazz. Chose the WL4 and have been completely happy since.

My other two basses: Dingwall AB-II and Rob Allen MB2 caught my eye in a store, I tried them, fell in love, and brought them home. Not sure I would have been 100% comfy ordering either without a test drive (fanned frets/fretless) but I was lucky enough to be at Bass Northwest in Seattle (Dingwall) and Club Bass in Toronto (Rob Allen) where/when they had these instruments in stock.

Later
Rob
 
#75
CrashClint said:
I found I love Roscoe basses and IMO they have the best playing neck. After spending more money than I should, I have found I do not like Ash bodies on a Roscoe and I have owned and played a few, well, I do like the weight. I have found for me the Roscoe basses I love the tone on the most have had Spanish Cedar, Alder or solid Maple bodies.

These are the configurations I like the best.

Spanish Cedar body, Maple top, Cocobolo Finger board, Roscoe/Bart Pickups and Roscoe/Demeter Preamp

Alder body, Maple top, Wenge Finger board, Roscoe/Bart Pickups and Roscoe/Demeter Preamp



Solid Maple Body, Rosewood Finger board, Bart Classic Pickups and Aguilar 3 band Preamp.
Click to expand...


What did you not like about the swamp ash? I'm surprised to hear that. It seems like one of their lost popular body woods and is right in the middle of the spectrum as far as tone from what I hear
 
#77
AndyW83 said:
What did you not like about the swamp ash? I'm surprised to hear that. It seems like one of their lost popular body woods and is right in the middle of the spectrum as far as tone from what I hear
Click to expand...

Crash hit his head one time too many....

;)




:hiding:



...naw, he's a good dude, he just has what he likes, and it isn't ash. You're right, it's pretty even, and a fine starting point tonally. I love the stuff myself, and I get to check all of our combinations out. FWIW, I have 3 basses, all three? Swamp ash bodies (without tops!). I would say we sell at least 1/2 of our basses with ash bodies, so it is by far the most popular choice for body wood right now.

:cool:
 
#78
Obviously, there's no such thing as a "best" bass overall. No bass can possibly please everyone because we all have different taste and needs. The key is to find a bass that you like. That often involves some trial-and-error, but as noted here by others, there are ways of increasing your chances of satisfaction.


  1. Your experience as a player is crucial. You have to know what you want in a bass.
  2. Research is crucial. You have to know which builders can give you what you want.

The more specific, the better. For me, neck width and string spacing are the highest priority and I know exactly what works for me. I also prefer Fender ergonomics, and have some tonal preferences. Others have specific requirements for weight, neck profile, etc etc etc.

Even when all the cards are aligned, you might still be disappointed due to unpredictable factors such as tonal variety within the same species of wood. But again... the more you know about yourself and the various boutique builders, the greater your chance of being happy.
 
#79
It's all about inspiration. We all need to be inspired. Every time you pick up your instrument, you crave that feeling of being transported - to be carried away to a place where you can lose yourself completely for a while - write a song, nail a part or create an amazing new one - run scales or simply do finger exercises - or better yet, let your fingers go and see where they will take you.

What inspires you may not inspire me. Some people are inspired with basses that carry them back in time, and may look weathered and beaten with a complicated and fascinating history - other are inspired by exotic wood - satin or gloss - or simply shiny new paint - and of course, there is anything and everything in between.

Some are amazed at the inspiration they get for a cheap ride, others like to break the bank to get their inspiration - spending thousands upon thousands of dollars. It's fascinating.....Probably why I spend time here - to drink in the profound diversity....

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net
 
#80
BassHappy said:
It's all about inspiration. We all need to be inspired. Every time you pick up your instrument, you crave that feeling of being transported - to be carried away to a place where you can lose yourself completely for a while - write a song, nail a part or create an amazing new one - run scales or simply do finger exercises - or better yet, let your fingers go and see where they will take you.

What inspires you may not inspire me. Some people are inspired with basses that carry them back in time, and may look weathered and beaten with a complicated and fascinating history - other are inspired by exotic wood - satin or gloss - or simply shiny new paint - and of course, there is anything and everything in between.

Some are amazed at the inspiration they get for a cheap ride, others like to break the bank to get their inspiration - spending thousands upon thousands of dollars. It's fascinating.....Probably why I spend time here - to drink in the profound diversity....

BassHappy
www.innertainment.net
Click to expand...


Well Said my Brother.
 

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