Botique bass regret?

[AndyW83]

^very well said

 

[SemiDriven]

^ Yep.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

I may be going off a bit, but I'll throw my 2¢ in:

I was planning on ordering a custom Sadowsky NYC 5, but one day while researching options on his site I noticed that he had a used NYC 5 available. The price was going to be considerably less than what my custom order would have been, was everything I would have gotten except for color and pickups, and was available immediately. Bought it, love it and this was frankly a less expensive investment to find out that the "Sadowsky sound" works great for me. Now I'll have no second thoughts about commissioning my custom order from Roger and his crew when I finalize my build specs and find the $ for it.

Sometimes somebody else's "custom, be-all-end-all, #1" can be a great way to get into a boutique bass without having to pay the "custom, be-all-end-all, #1" price tag yourself.

 

[smperry]

I deleted a couple of posts from a banned user who made a duplicate account to complain that moderators don't allow any anti-Fodera posts. Posting negative opinions about the craftmanship, weight, value, sound, features etc. of instruments is perfectly fine. Posting offensive material, getting banned, and then creating a duplicate account...not fine.

 

[CrashClint]

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

There is a upper mid presence I really do not care about. The reason there are so many out there is because Gard loves Swamp Ash and he pushes it like a street junkie's supplier.

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

If this was the case I would be playing a Ken Smith instead. Wait, I used to own a Ken Smith.

I will give Gard props, his Ash Fretless sounds amazing and if I were to buy a fretless I would want it like his, the jazz pickups being set similar to the 70s jazz makes a difference.

 

[iriegnome]

You know on the other side of this, there are many that I regret not buying when I had the chance

 

[speak2planets]

I just scored a Drake custom here on TB that I took a chance on. I had never heard of the company and kinda went on instinct. To make it even more of a gamble, the scale is 33" which I've never played before. I just did a bunch of research and asked the seller a lot of questions. I absolutely couldn't be happier with my purchase. As a matter of fact, 'Jazmin' has started to become my main player. Buying something unplayed is a big gamble but sometimes it really works out. Now I'm kinda wanting Drake to make me a custom hollowbody

 

[CrashClint]

You know on the other side of this, there are many that I regret not buying when I had the chance

I have been there or just hesitated too long and someone else scooped it up.

 

[bachlover]

I can make any bass work for me, appreciate their different qualities (a bass slut I guess). I think that this would hold me back from buying a custom as I don't have any particular criteria that I would ask for - it's pretty much all good to my ear/hands (of what I've played/bought anyway). Great thread - really enjoying this, and learning that it's probably a more rewarding and enjoyable experience TO have exacting specs and criteria to pass on to the builder. Closest I've come to a boutique experience is my '88 Warwick NT Thumb. Hand built, #12 of the 6es that he built. I can see a lot of guys not liking it for it's weight (12.2 lbs), its supposed "neck dive", and it's woody organic tone. For me, I grew into it and it's definitely one of my faves now, and definitely plays like a custom.

 

[L-1329]

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.

Well, there are three LeCompte's in your hometown...

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.

Or most likely the player's financial situation has changed and something needs to go.

 

[speak2planets]

That is by far one of the best looking Warwick basses that I've ever seen...

 

[bachlover]

Thanks!