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Did a custom built luthier instrument end your GAS?

soong

soong

May 10, 2007
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Sydney
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#1
Hey guys,

Currently I'm tossing up whether to buy a high end boutique bass or get one made. There is a local builder who makes some top notch stuff. My concern is that I don't have a great track record for keeping basses. I want to have a bass that I know i'll keep!

Right now I'm tossing up between getting a bass built to my specs or to buy a a Sadowsky or something similar. Both around the same price range.

I'd love to hear from people who have had a similar experience...thanks!
 
#2
I have had some somewhat high end basses (Sadowsky Metro being the most "presitigious", I guess). My Sadowsky and my B Quad 5 were tied for having the lowest action and best playability right out of the box. They still didn't do "it" for me. I paid a lot less for my EBMM Sterling 5. I then paid a bit more to Gary Brawer in San Francisco to have it Plek'ed and setup. Once done, my Sterling has a low action and is just as playable as any bass I've owned. That, combined with the looks, the sound, and the feel of the neck have resulted in no GAS for me for almost 2 years.

My point? If you're looking at custom to achieve some level of playability or feel, I'd say you would be spending a lot more money than necessary. You can get any good quality bass to an equal level of playability with the right skill in setup work. And you can get just about any feel you want by, if needed, having a good luthier reshape or refinish a neck to your desire - within reason, of course. You're not going to make it thicker or wider.

But, if you're trying to achieve a sound the requires a different pickup configuration than anything out on the market, then, yeah, you probably need to go custom.

So, I think for anyone to give you meaningful input on getting a bass that you know you'll keep, you need to give us all some idea of what it is you would want to be different on the basses that you've had.

Finding my "keeper" was just a matter of buying and selling almost 30 basses until I finally tried "The One". If you are reasonably patient and a good shopper, you can buy and sell on the used market and maintain a net 0 on cash outlay.
 
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#4
StuartV said:
So, I think for anyone to give you meaningful input on getting a bass that you know you'll keep, you need to give us all some idea of what it is you would want to be different on the basses that you've had.

Finding my "keeper" was just a matter of buying and selling almost 30 basses until I finally tried "The One". If you are reasonably patient and a good shopper, you can buy and sell on the used market and maintain a net 0 on cash outlay.
Click to expand...

Thanks. This is actually a really helpful comment. All i'm looking is my dream 5 string Jazz bass - nothing fancy. Even passive is fine, because I like outboard gear. It doesn't get too much better than a Sadowsky Metro quality wise, right?
 
#5
Joedog said:
No....gas is never ending.
Click to expand...

Truth #1 (for me, anyway): variety is the spice
Truth #2: no bass can produce an unlimited variety of tones

Conclusion: it's impossible for me to find a single bass that satisfies my GAS. Hell, I love all my basses, including a few high-end customs, and I still get GAS.

Maybe YOU will find the one bass to rule them all. Good luck with that... and I'm not trying to be snarky. ;)

Note: if you are as fickle as many of us, it might be more satisfying and cost-effective to own a number of inexpensive basses than one high-end custom -- unless you find a high-end custom that you really really love. But hey, some have fallen in love with low to mid-priced basses. You might well fall in love with that Sadowsky Metro: excellent bass, excellent quality, far more affordable than an NYC Sadowsky (or other high-end boutique).
 
#6
You need to know exactly what you want IME to ensure you love the bass and don't lose a fortune when selling due to not liking the bass.

Things to consider....
- body wood
- neck wood
- fretboard wood
- type of frets
- string spacing
- neck scale
- type of pickups
- if active, type of pre
- fretboard radius
- neck profile
- etc, etc.

Personally I would (and did) but/try lots of different things used before Buying a new custom.
 
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#10
I have a beautiful bass made by Andrew Drake that plays like a dream and has all the sound and feel I ever wanted. Then I found an Ibanez AFB200 for cheap. And then a cheap Squire bass VI. I play the Drake when it matters and the others for fun. So yeah, I still have GAS, but the Drake does everything I want it to and was well worth the money. Have one made, but don't expect GAS to ever be cured
 
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#11
It didn't get rid of my G.A.S. but it did make me want to get more stuff from Zane guitars and basses. I have some ideas for some other basses to be made because everything of theirs I have played, I have fallen in love with. The craftsmanship is by far the best of any instrument I have ever played.
 
#16
I have an MTD 635-24 and she eliminated any need for another bass. The only reason I would get another is to have a backup on stage. But it would mostly just sit there. When he gets your tone down on wood you will be done searching I believe. Give him a call and talk to him about your tone goals and see what he has to say. Michael Tobias is a very helpful and brilliant man! Cheers!
 
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#20
No it wasn't a custom build per se... and my gas is not cured.. just dormant.. I got a used Brubaker brute from here.. the original owner had it sent back to Kevin Brubaker to have mods installed on it .. so the J pups were replaced with quad soapbars.. I guess some routing had to be done.. but that bass while not a custom bass has become my absolute favorite bass.. between that and my 55-01 and my U.S. Cirrus Fretless if I never bought another bass again I would be quite satisfied..
 

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