Custom P Bass Builder — Who?

[JazzyJacuzzi]

TL;DR: You have up to $4K for a custom Precision bass. Who would you choose to build it?

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I'm at a point in my life where I know what I like and don't like when it comes to basses, have the financial means and the justification (sort of) to get myself a custom bass. What I don't know is who to approach to build it? Fender Custom Shop? Sadowsky? Lull? Sanberg?

More precisely, I'm looking for a 60s Precision and am entertain the idea of a 5 string.

So you have up to $4K for a custom Precision bass. Who would you choose to build it?

 

[bholder]

I'd probably go check out Marusczcyk and save a thousand or two (or get two for one), but that's just me.

 

[mdogs]

Nash and save about $1500.

 

[truand85]

Just to add to your list: Roscoe, Valenti

 

[Lo-E]

I hear Fender makes a pretty good Fender bass.

 

[4SG]

$4000? If you have that much money and you know exactly what you want, do it yourself. Buy a custom body with your wood, weight and finish specs from MJT or some other quality builder. Find a neck you like from Fender CS, Warmoth or another reliable source. Get fantastic pickups from any boutique shop: Lollar, Fralin, Nordstrand, etc (or have them hand-wound). High-quality knobs, tuners, bridges and other parts are readily available online. Buy a pre-wired harness with great components so you can wire it yourself, or have the whole thing assembled by your trusted luthier. It's just a P bass, not an exotic coffee table neck-through with active pickups and a control panel like a spaceship. You should be able to get exactly what you want for less than half your budget.

I built a J bass customized to my specs and the whole thing was less than $1500:

 

[75Ric]

I'd go to Mike Lull. Outstanding p basses.
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[franklindayala]

TL;DR: You have up to $4K for a custom Precision bass. Who would you choose to build it?

—

I'm at a point in my life where I know what I like and don't like when it comes to basses, have the financial means and the justification (sort of) to get myself a custom bass. What I don't know is who to approach to build it? Fender Custom Shop? Sadowsky? Lull? Sanberg?

More precisely, I'm looking for a 60s Precision and am entertain the idea of a 5 string.

So you have up to $4K for a custom Precision bass. Who would you choose to build it?

There are lots of great builders.

Wilkins P bass
Maghini P bass
Moollon P bass
Lull P bass.

 

[jeff62]

No doubt in my mind: Mike Lull

 

[fourstringdrums]

Serek. While his thing isn't "P-basses" per se, he can definitely turn one of his designs into one. Especially if you want something a little different.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I've been playing my Lull P4 for sixteen years. After the first week getting used to the headstock, I've never had anything even close to a negative thought. Fantastic.

 

[Ralph Manak]

Brady Muckelroy.

 

[DavidBassista]

This is what I recently spent on a Fender Custom Shop that I spec'd out with the buildsheet and ordered through Sweetwater. There was a year-long wait time from when I placed the order. Waiting for my spitfire guard to arrive before I post pics of the bass

 

[Florinda4]

https://www.mikelull.com/basses

 

[fourstringburn]

$4000? If you have that much money and you know exactly what you want, do it yourself. Buy a custom body with your wood, weight and finish specs from MJT or some other quality builder. Find a neck you like from Fender CS, Warmoth or another reliable source. Get fantastic pickups from any boutique shop: Lollar, Fralin, Nordstrand, etc (or have them hand-wound). High-quality knobs, tuners, bridges and other parts are readily available online. Buy a pre-wired harness with great components so you can wire it yourself, or have the whole thing assembled by your trusted luthier. It's just a P bass, not an exotic coffee table neck-through with active pickups and a control panel like a spaceship. You should be able to get exactly what you want for less than half your budget.

I built a J bass customized to my specs and the whole thing was less than $1500: View attachment 4485907

I agree here, I assembled 2 custom Jazz Basses for less than 4k. The first one I had completed in about a month while the second required extra Luthier work to be done took about 3 months.

I priced just 1 Fender Custom Shop Bass exactly the way I wanted it and it was pushing 6k plus about a year to complete.

Here are my 2 Personal Custom Jazz Basses. For details on these builds see my thread here:

My Custom Build Fender Jazz Basses

 

[fretno]

Who builds ground up pbasses based on the customers specs ? Fender ?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

JohnK?

 

[cnltb]

Serek. While his thing isn't "P-basses" per se, he can definitely turn one of his designs into one. Especially if you want something a little different. View attachment 4485959

which of his models is this bass based on?
I like the shape!

 

[mmbongo]

Roscoe. Done.

 

[Warpeg]

All of the above companies can make you a high quality FSO. There are such subtle differences at that price point that it probably doesn't matter which company you pick.