Custom build pros and cons?

[Wavy]

When I ordered my custom, I knew I wanted Steinberger hardware, DiMarzio P&J pickups, 24 frets, and a body on which I could rest my picking forearm.
Took the luthier six months to come up with a body shape I liked.

Four and a half years later it was complete. He added several features I'd never have considered, which made the bass the absolute best one I've ever played (knocking out of first place an Alembic I tried in a store in 1979 ).

If you've got the cash and access to a true artist, go for it.

 

[Whale]

I decided to go another route. Instead of paying someone else to build a bass for me, I signed up and attended a guitar building class at my nearby community college. Admittedly, my first two builds were not much better than a Squire, but by my third attempt I was able to build my ideal bass and could not be happier. It is exactly what I wanted in every respect. The costs were a fraction of what I'd have paid otherwise and I have a small sense of pride in owning something I made myself.

 

[micguy]

OK, here's one of my rationale for having a custom built bass - you want something WAY out of the ordinary, which requires something different out of the wood parts. Here's Thunder (why my basses have names is logical, but let's go past that for now):

What's different? The pickups are in different places than on a normal J - they're 15% further out. That makes the thing sound different (deeper and throatier sounding) - Ken Smith (and now Sadowsky) do the opposite - moving pickups towards the bridge; I happen to think they went the wrong way.

OK, that's different, but not THAT different. I happen to like a sound that's in between a neck only and a straight up J (both pickups on). You can sorta get there with balance controls, but when you do that, its not the same mix at every frequency, and if you use single coil pickups, it hums. Is there another way? Yes, there is. You use another pickup as an attenuator for the bridge pickup, which gives you a true 2/3rds neck, 1/3 bridge sound - the same mix at every frequency, and it's still fully hum cancelling. But to do that, you put that 3rd attenuator pickup....here:

It works great - single coils with sounds that you can't get out of 2 of them, no hum in any mode. You're not gonna get that from a production instrument. Yes, it seemed like a crazy idea when I was routing out the back of a bass for the first time (I've done more than one), but in the end it was worth it.

 

[Lackey]

OK, here's one of my rationale for having a custom built bass - you want something WAY out of the ordinary, which requires something different out of the wood parts. Here's Thunder (why my basses have names is logical, but let's go past that for now):

View attachment 7489199
What's different? The pickups are in different places than on a normal J - they're 15% further out. That makes the thing sound different (deeper and throatier sounding) - Ken Smith (and now Sadowsky) do the opposite - moving pickups towards the bridge; I happen to think they went the wrong way.

OK, that's different, but not THAT different. I happen to like a sound that's in between a neck only and a straight up J (both pickups on). You can sorta get there with balance controls, but when you do that, its not the same mix at every frequency, and if you use single coil pickups, it hums. Is there another way? Yes, there is. You use another pickup as an attenuator for the bridge pickup, which gives you a true 2/3rds neck, 1/3 bridge sound - the same mix at every frequency, and it's still fully hum cancelling. But to do that, you put that 3rd attenuator pickup....here:

View attachment 7489201

It works great - single coils with sounds that you can't get out of 2 of them, no hum in any mode. You're not gonna get that from a production instrument. Yes, it seemed like a crazy idea when I was routing out the back of a bass for the first time (I've done more than one), but in the end it was worth it.

That is interesting indeed! Awesome piece of wood too.

 

[micguy]

That is interesting indeed! Awesome piece of wood too.

It's actually not THAT special - roasted ash and roasted maple - roasting takes wood that isn't all the interesting, and upgrades it considerably. Roasted ash is a little greenish when you get it, you need a bit of amber, orangei-sh or reddish stain to warm it up a bit, and then you're good.

 

[emal]

I LOVE my 2.5 Rosche custom basses. And service was AMAZING. Got lucky based on stories I read. But I'll never have resell value. O knew that going in so I am ok with it
Others mentioned buying used as well. I just bought a used custom Goatrock Bass made in Ohio. Also is really nice. So there are options but its always a risk even if you know what you want, you actually won't know until you play it
Research is key good luck!

 

[emal]

First seller sounds like Dunable....ask me how I came to that conclusion. What I received (after a 24 month ordeal) is the most well built instrument, to their credit, BUT I don't use it enough to warrant keeping and resale is absolutely in the tank...

Sorry I'm curious: which Dunable did you get?

 

[GodsLove66]

Sorry I'm curious: which Dunable did you get?

I ended up with an R2 Bass VI that I'm now trying to offload..... ORIGINALLY, I commission a doubleneck with a 12 String Guitar above a 4 string bass. After 18 months without them STARTING it, I realized it was never going to be made, so instead of losing my $3,000 deposit, I changed my commission.

 

[Clark W]

I've been thinking about getting a bass from a custom builder (hoping to spend in the 4k range) instead of buying something a bit cheaper off the rack. The idea of a unique instrument is pretty appealing, and if I'm going to spend money, I like the idea of it going to a small-shop craftsman.

Two questions: for those who have customs, what's the payoff in terms of instrument quality, vs. nice factory stuff? Do you love your bass? And second, what builders come to mind in that rough price range? Not looking for anything too far out of the ordinary, but I'd love to hear ideas. (In particular, what builders have good reputations, because this recent thread makes me twitchy.)

The Cons:

Mainly money, and as you know there are some shady characters in the custom world. And resale value down the road as well.


The Pros:

Find the right builder, and you can get an awesome bass. Mine plays unlike anything I've ever had in my hands. It gets played weekly through two different rigs, two different gigs, sometimes 3, ever since last Sept. Since getting it I've sold off 7 basses, and kept an Am Precision PJ as a backup. I absolutely love it. If it wasn't for the fact that I have a particular music non profit I want to donate it to someday, I'd have it buried with me when the time comes.


Who to go to:

If you want a very customizable, passive, active, both, P, PJ, or Jazz, Kevin Ferner of Ferner Fine Instruments (850-766-3509) can do one somewhere in the 3500 - 4500 range unless you get really crazy with the options. Instead of checking off what options I wanted, I just drew a big circle around the options page. I also went a different route than the norm on pups too. I went different on a lot of things actually as you'll see below.

Anyway, you start out with his Custom 68 or his Custom PJ Deluxe and go from there. He also offers a semi hollow and a short scale as well. And everything he does is handcrafted. No getting a body made on a CNC from somewhere else, same for the neck. All old school skills.

Kevin did painted custom jobs for Sadowsky at one time. He also worked in Gibson's shop when it was in Memphis which is where he is based out of now. And he's built quite a few instruments for some big time players over the years.

Because of some of the shenanigans with other builders I read about here on TB, I spent 6 years fretting over whether or not to pull the trigger on a custom bass. But when I did pull it, it was a Go Big or Go Home moment for me. And big I went, 6500 bucks worth of it. But for that money I got a lot of bass, or as Kevin calls it, playable art. Got a lot more for my money than you'll ever get out of Fender Custom Shop, as well as a few well known custom builders that I won't name. And from deposit, until I got my bass (I drove to Memphis and picked it up), was 10 days shy of a year.

Mine started out as a Custom 68 slab body, but I had to have a figured top on top of my contoured alder body. And that top had to be bent over the forearm contour, not the contour sanded through it. I would accept nothing less. On top of that, let's add contour following binding too! And it has a belly contour as well.

Then the neck, 3 piece, maple / mahogany / maple neck, 1 5/16th bone nut. Mother of Pearl block inlays and binding,. Vintage C contour slimmed down to .8 inches (20mm) at the 1st fret & .9 inches (23mm) at the 12th fret) and a 10" radius on a Macassar Ebony fretboard.

Then there's the paint job, neck and control cavity was what Kevin calls a 3 stage job, top is 2 stage, body sides and back, solid to translucent.

For more pics...
I have a photo album for the bass, build pics, videos, etc.. here on TB

Full Specs:
2025 Ferner Fine Instruments, Memphis, Tn
"Custom" Custom 68
Serial # 000370


The Body:

Premium Alder body (2 piece)

Quilted Flame Maple Top

Rear control cavity with cover made from the same wood as the top

String thru / top loading with Hipshot brass A style bridge

Belly contour

Front/top side pearl binding

Forearm contour with full top across it and contour following binding.


The Neck:

Scale 34"

Frets 20

10" radius

3mm side dots

neck thickness, .80 inch / 20mm @ 1st fret, .90 inch / 23mm @ 12th fret

Bone nut 1 & 5/8th

Profile Vintage C slim

3 piece maple / mahogany / maple, all quarter sawn

Macassar Ebony fingerboard

Mother of Pearl block inlays with a Ferner "F' on the 12th fret and pearl binding

Hipshot tuners with an Extender on the "E" string


Paint:

Paint Type: Nitro

Clear Coat: Isn't nitro, isn't polyurethane either. He told me what it was, but I forgot

Top - 2 stage, 1 color, no burst

Back - 2 stage, 1 color and bursted (very light burst, almost unnoticeable at my request), solid on the sides.

Neck - 3 stage, 2 color with vertical burst running on the sides parallel with the fretboard. Matching paint on the headstock face (no burst) and control cavity cover (no burst)


Pickups & Controls:

Neck - Delano JMVC4 FE/M2 in the Fender 51P position

Bridge - Delano MC4 FE/M2 in the Wal bridge position

The neck pup is a split coil / dual coil and the bridge pup is a quad coil, two single coils each split in two.

Controls are passive, VVT, but, concentric volume with the outer ring being the neck, and the top being the bridge. Then of course the tone pot is by itself. And a 3 way, on/on/on mini switch for series / single coil / parallel operation of the bridge pup. There is also a treble bleed circuit on the volume controls that prevents the tone from getting muddy as you decrease volume.

There are 7 pickup configurations to choose from with this setup

neck solo
bridge solo series
bridge solo single coil
bridge solo parallel
neck + bridge series
neck + bridge single coil
neck + bridge parallel


Build time:

Deposit was placed on Sept 29th 2024
I drove to Memphis and picked it up on Sept 19th 2025

 

[fretno]

It depends on the builder, can be unknown if you know and trust them. Do all the ducks in a row thing for your protection. I think everyone should do it. Even a parts build is good fun. Personally I wouldn’t worry about resale but 4k is a fair chunk and at looking at the incredible used selection here at TB you can get a lot for that kinda scratch. So be smart, be sure and be patient. Pro tip .. it will not end gas but it will be good fun! So dooett!

 

[Clark W]

It will not end gas but it will be good fun! So dooett!

Not necessarily true. My custom flat wiped out any gas I had when it comes to basses.

Matter of fact, the new Mesa 800D did the same for me with amps too. And my D-800+ is feeling neglected

About the only thing I'm gassing on these days is cabinets. And I don't need any of those either.

Back to the custom. I think part of the no gas for another bass comes from two things.

1) I'm over the top with the feel, playability and sound I have with my Custom

2) Since last September I haven't seen anything that even piques my interest in other basses. I even sold off 7 of my 8 Fenders. And the one Fender I kept, still hasn't been played since then either.

Plus getting block inlays, neck binding, body binding, and a figured top all on one bass is kind of hard to find when it comes to retail manufactured basses. And even harder to find if you want the top to bend with the forearm contour instead of being sanded through.

I can honestly say 8 months after getting my custom, and 7 months after getting the 800D, I've never been happier with my sound and I fall in love with it even more on a weekly basis. Definitely the best gear I've ever owned. And a long, long way from my first bass way back in 1977

 

[Clark W]

I've been thinking about getting a bass from a custom builder (hoping to spend in the 4k range) instead of buying something a bit cheaper off the rack. The idea of a unique instrument is pretty appealing, and if I'm going to spend money, I like the idea of it going to a small-shop craftsman.

Two questions: for those who have customs, what's the payoff in terms of instrument quality, vs. nice factory stuff? Do you love your bass? And second, what builders come to mind in that rough price range? Not looking for anything too far out of the ordinary, but I'd love to hear ideas. (In particular, what builders have good reputations, because this recent thread makes me twitchy.)

Here's some more of Kevin Ferner's work. This bass sold for 3750 new about 5 yrs ago. The person who sold it here on TB earlier this year, was selling off 6 or 7 instruments and let it go for 2000. A Ferner Custom PJ with dual outputs, one output is mono for both pups, or you can run stereo using both outputs with one for each pup. I almost bought it myself. But getting my Ferner last September and new Mesa head in November, I needed to back on spending anymore money. And the stained birdseye fretboard is gorgeous. It was a lot of bass for 3750, and one heck of a steal for 2 grand.

Specs.
Ferner Fine Instruments PJ
Handmade In Memphis Tennessee
Body : 1 piece Lydian’s swamp ash
Neck : 3 piece flame maple w/ mahogany stripe
Fretboard: birdseye maple
Nut Bone
Hipshot Hardware
Poplar Burl Guard
Lollar pickup
This one is very even and cuts through any mix.
Two Jacks
Plug your regular cord in the side for normal play, but plug a second cord into the top jack and it splits the pickups to run each to a separate channel with independent volume control.

 

[Iron Ostrich]

I was going to say this:

Pro: You get exactly what you think you want.
Con: You get exactly what you think you want.


Also, if you get an already-made bass, you can play it before you buy it.

If you get a custom, there's always the chance you get it and it's not as amazing as your wallet says it should be, and by then it's too late. And that isn't necessarily because the build is bad. It's just every bass is different and it could be built perfectly to your specs and then when it's in your hands and ears it just doesn't gel with you.

I've had 5 custom basses made for me. LOVED three, meh on one, and kinda hated the other. That "hated" one was a Carvin 6 string in the 1990s that i saved up a bunch of money for and then ordered how i thought i wanted it, and then compromised a bit for other things due to budget reasons, and i loved that bass because it was my 6 string, and it was my money, and it was my custom. And i hated it because, i kinda hated how it played and how it sounded. And for decades it was one of my two basses. I had no way of playing a Carvin before i ordered. It was what it was, i wanted a 6 string because Les Claypool, and in the 90s, obsessively re-reading their catalog must have had an effect on me.Turns out, when you think you know exactly what you want when you're 16, you don't.

With my Olintos i knew pretty much what i was getting even though it was custom because i played a bunch of their basses in the shop before i ordered mine, and talked a whole bunch with Eric and Jimmy before ordering about what i like and don't like and why.

My Maruszczyk Frog fretless i got sight-unseen and when it arrived it was everything i hoped for. But spent a lot of time thinking about what i want from a fretless, and learned a lot from buying the Carvin. I had a clear vision for it and every decision played into that vision.

The "Meh" custom was sight-unseen, and it was kinda my own fault because i didn't have a clear vision. It was also a Maruszczyk and it was built properly and all. I just wanted a bass and had the money, and it arrived and it was a fine, well made bass that i just didn't love. I was experimenting with the options i picked. It was a model i hadn't played before. Somebody else might have loved it but it just didn't speak to me.

I too fell into the allure of the Carvin custom builds in the late 90s / early 2000s when I was in high school. I studied the catalogs more than I did my homework and saved every penny I could for 3 years and finally ordered la creme de la creme; the Claro Walnut fretless 6-string! I think it was around 1 year lead time which felt like an eternity to me.

When it arrived, it certainly was as beautiful as I hoped, but a bit too much for me. It was also a massive leap from a fretted 4 to fretless 6 and I didn't stick with it long enough and eventually sold it and a large loss. The pickups and electronics were cheap, very dry sounding. Great build quality, but the bass had no character and was sterile.

I lived in small town nowhere ville and there was no way I would ever be able to try one in person before ordering. Les was probably one of the biggest motivating factors for wanting a FL6, as well I was getting into Steve DiGiorgio in that time.

If anybody has pdf copies of the Carvin catalogs from the era it would be fun to look back at them.

 

[DrBnz]

I've considered custom builds many times but I can't get over the price. I can afford it, but I have a hard time feeling the value to the point where I'd open up my wallet. I have some very nice stuff right now. I can have 3 of mine for the price of one custom build. I just can't see it being 3x the value in sound / feel / looks.... I just don't get it - I wanna - but I don't.
Example: I've got GAS for a P-bass.
I could go used used and order up a Vintage II P-bass / Pro Classic P-bass and an A0-50 P-bass all delivered to my house. Play / tinker with them all, sell what I don't like.
OR..... I could have a custom Fender relic'd P-bass, thats nice, beat up looking, and lost half its resale value upon delivery
See what I mean

 

[FullumMusic]

I too fell into the allure of the Carvin custom builds in the late 90s / early 2000s when I was in high school. I studied the catalogs more than I did my homework and saved every penny I could for 3 years and finally ordered la creme de la creme; the Claro Walnut fretless 6-string! I think it was around 1 year lead time which felt like an eternity to me.

When it arrived, it certainly was as beautiful as I hoped, but a bit too much for me. It was also a massive leap from a fretted 4 to fretless 6 and I didn't stick with it long enough and eventually sold it and a large loss. The pickups and electronics were cheap, very dry sounding. Great build quality, but the bass had no character and was sterile.

I lived in small town nowhere ville and there was no way I would ever be able to try one in person before ordering. Les was probably one of the biggest motivating factors for wanting a FL6, as well I was getting into Steve DiGiorgio in that time.

If anybody has pdf copies of the Carvin catalogs from the era it would be fun to look back at them.

"No character and sterile." Yes. Omg yes. Beautiful. But my choice for humbucking Js and active electronics... I could not get a tone out of that bass i loved for decades until i sold it. Eventually the stock pre died and i put in a Bart pre, and paired with La Bella Gold Flats and it got a bit of a bark and beefiness. And even then i didn't love the tone. But those strings were almost too much for the ultra-thin neck and i had to almost max out the truss rod with them on. Eventually put different strings on it. And that damn 16mm string spacing... i got used to it, but always hated it.

I used to be able to find the pdfs of all their catalogs floating around the internet somewhere. Kiesel had a Carvin Museum page on their site at one point with each catalog year-by-year. I can't find a working link to it right now, but i didn't search too hard.

 

[Pep]

I decided to go another route. Instead of paying someone else to build a bass for me, I signed up and attended a guitar building class at my nearby community college. Admittedly, my first two builds were not much better than a Squire, but by my third attempt I was able to build my ideal bass and could not be happier. It is exactly what I wanted in every respect. The costs were a fraction of what I'd have paid otherwise and I have a small sense of pride in owning something I made myself.

If there are no pics of your “ideal bass”, it didn’t happen.

 

[ardgedee]

I used to be able to find the pdfs of all their catalogs floating around the internet somewhere. Kiesel had a Carvin Museum page on their site at one point with each catalog year-by-year. I can't find a working link to it right now, but i didn't search too hard.

Carvin Catalog Database

carvinaudio.com

Despite the site saying it has all catalogs up to 2017, I can only see them up to 1995. User tip: The thumbnails don't do anything, you have to click on the date to see the catalog.

 

[Whale]

If there are no pics of your “ideal bass”, it didn’t happen.

Excellent point Pep. Here are the pics of the bass I built for myself…