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Boutique Bass Benefits

#41
msmartt said:
Hello all,
I would like the opinions of what makes the custom made basses command the price we see in the market, especially those modeled after the P and J bass. The body style and necks are very similar. So if one pick up a used American P or J in the $ 1k range, what drives the market. Is this weight, pickups??

Your input is appreciated.

Regards,
Michael
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A custom P that looks like a Fender is a waste of money for me. You shouldn't spend more than $1000 at most for a Fender style P. Dunable charges around $2k for basses with a split single coil, but are more interesting in terms of shapes, necks, finishes, and they are 35" for down tuning.
So that is part of your answer. Nash and Sadowsky are baffling to me. They are just rebranding a design that is more than half a century old. Seems like a waste. However, if you are expanding on those older designs to make them fresh, or adding features, that can make it worth while.
You are often buying the exact bass you want. To go back to the Fender comparison, they use a very vanilla woods, dated colors/finishes, limited pickup selection, no 35" or multi scale. With a boutique or custom instrument you can get something that isn't so cookie cutter. However, because it isn't cranked out on an assembly line, it is going to cost you.
And for better or worse, that is where a lot of the cost is. Mass production reduces the cost of instruments significantly. Same with globalization. A small operation in the US doing a lot of the work by hand is going to cost you.
What something is "worth" is totally subjective, but finally being able to have the exact bass I want is worth a pretty penny.
 
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#42
socialleper said:
A custom P that looks like a Fender is a waste of money for me. You shouldn't spend more than $1000 at most for a Fender style P. Dunable charges around $2k for basses with a split single coil, but are more interesting in terms of shapes, necks, finishes, and they are 35" for down tuning.
So that is part of your answer. Nash and Sadowsky are baffling to me.
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Along w Aleva Copollo. That is the most confusing fender style brand to me. Outrageous pricing...unattractive headstock.

At least Sadowski is known for their preamp and pickups. And Nash does The Relic thing pretty good it seems.

Dunable like you said has 35 in scale and they make incredible in-house pickups to have an aggressive character like nothing else I've heard along with some really cool designs so I would have no problem buying a Dunable either. At least you're getting something different. AC is a whole nother thing.
 
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#43
Little things like neck shape and fingerboard radius and weight are details you can discuss with a builder and really “get it right”. To me, a custom order is all about the details.

I spent a lot on a custom made bass years ago and really had no idea what my preferences were. Great bass, but I sold it.

If you don’t know what you prefer in terms of feel and appearance, and you don’t have loads of disposable income, then (IMHO!!!) going boutique/custom is probably a bad choice.
 
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#44
They say Sadowskys are built better than similarly priced Fenders (American Ultra anyone?). The American Professional I tried yesterday was pretty satisfying, so I'd expect a sadowsky to totally blow me away based on popular opinions. That said, I was already pretty much blown away by the Thunderbird next to it. :roflmao:
 
#45
...I like a boutique bass as much as the next guy, but I'm not gonna spend that kind of dough... I can make the same noise with a $300 Yamaha. It's a Toyota/Rolls Royce thing... both will get you to your destination...
 
#46
My experience for what it's worth. I've owned a lot different basses over the years: primarily Fenders, some custom shop models, Squire, Fullerton re-issues, MIJ, etc...Music Man and I had a Sadowsky at one point. A lot factors come into play but the value to you is a personal thing. Are you a working musician, hobbyist or somewhere in between? I'm a hobbyist but I like well built quality instruments and if I can afford them it's my personal choice on what I purchase. Buy and play what you like and can afford. BTW I sold the Sadowsky back to the original owner. I liked it, it was a great bass but my financial picture changed and my logic told me I didn't need a 3K bass that was sitting there not being played. It was like buying a sports car when all I need was a daily driver.
 
#52
I'm going to talk about my own experience: I have owned Fender US Deluxe, Sire bass, Lakland 55/02 and 55/94 Deluxe, Musicman Stongray 5 and two Sadowskys. I still own the two Sadowskys and the MM Stingray5.
To me, nothing plays and sits in the mix better than a Sadowsky. Even Stingray 5 that is famous for this is far behind.
The finish on the boutique basses is also the best you can find on the market. I'm talking about those real luthiers like Tobia, Sadowsky, Lakland.... not those so called luthiers without any experience claiming they can build instruments.
Those boutique instruments are no compromises. It's just another world, another step for long time players.
 
#57
Many people think you are going to get a “magic” tone that is just perfect when you pick up a boutique bass. I have found that this isn’t true.

You get a neutral template that will let you dial in anything you need.

With my Deluxe Fodera PJ, it behaves as a
  1. Passive P bass
  2. Passive J bass (bridge pickup)
It is configurable. I can adjust how I want the tone knob to respond via jumper

As an active bass, I can define how I want my switches to responding is configurable on the bass
  1. Kill switch
  2. Active passive
  3. Adjust the mid frequency
  4. Adjust the bass frequency
  5. Adjust the mid and bass frequency
  6. The list goes on
Mine is set to adjust the lows to 40hz and a certain mid frequency that is more Precision like in the up position

In the down position, I get 80hz and a certain mid frequency that is more Jazz bass friendly

I can pull the truss rod out and reverse it if need be.

aged woods, despite weather and temp changes, I haven’t has to set it up or adjust it in 3 years?

The list goes on.

I can say the same thing about my MTD 535. I can dial in EVERTHING.

2 basses to cover what I needed 5 or 6 basses before. worth it!
 
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#58
Kerem Koseoglu said:
I don't judge, it's merely an observation ;)
Click to expand...

In all my years here I’ve seen people who opt to play cheap basses holding that fact up as a badge of honor far, far more than those who choose to use boutiques.
 
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#60
msmartt said:
Hello all,
I would like the opinions of what makes the custom made basses command the price we see in the market, especially those modeled after the P and J bass. The body style and necks are very similar. So if one pick up a used American P or J in the $ 1k range, what drives the market. Is this weight, pickups??
Click to expand...

What drives the price: choice of wood, time, labour, premium parts... other advantage is you can have your bass tailormade to your choice (neck profile, type of pickups, woods used,...).
The real difference is felt when you play it; everything seems to be in sync with each other.

One remark; handmade basses don't necessarily have to be expensive. I own a handmade Pbass (as in; it is made from scratch using blank wood) which is tailored to my requests; the finished bass cost me around the price of a (then new) Pro Series MIA Fender.
 
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