so has anyone heard of Carrigan custom basses? I'm curious as to thier quality. I'm mostly an ibanez player looking to branch out.
I purchased a used Carrigan Designed Short Scale bass. It was purchased by the original owner April of last year. He quickly sold it to another buyer who sold it to me. In all fairness, the person that sold it to me replaced it with a Carrigan Designs Scroll. The original purchaser shipped locking tuners and Kent Armstrong pickups, so those 2 items aren't what you generally get from the builder. I also spoke with the builder before I purchased. He said he doesn't have the name recognition of the big names, so he doesn't charge what the better known builders charge. Now... onto the bass. James hand carves his instruments. As a result, you can tell that the edges aren't smooth like they would be from a machine. It doesn't bother me, but it bothered the original purchaser, especially around the headstock. The overall fit and finish is good, but there are some glue seams that I could probably sand down, but I like the character. The neck feels really good to me, it's really light, and it's punchy. I like it enough to consider replacing my PRS Kestrel.
I have seen them in the past, But never had hands on time. They always reminded me of a "Fancy Wishbass", though. Would like the opportunity to touch on someday.