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Did a custom built luthier instrument end your GAS?

#22
I should add that I ordered 2 additional custom "boutiques" after my first one. I am very confident regarding what I now like and I am adding to the stable to cover all tones I might need. I.e. My first two customs were 5 strings with dual coils and one was alder and the other mahogany bodied but both have Ebony boards.

I realized that the only real gap I had in my arsenal (ok, bit of an excuse) was a single coil ash and maple Jazz 5 so that was my 3rd custom.

I am now done for the forseeable future but very happy.
 
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#23
soong said:
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?
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Correct. At least, in my opinion. Quality does not get much better than a Sadowsky Metro. The only thing I really didn't care for with mine was that it was heavier than I liked.

If you're looking for a nice J5, I would definitely recommend to try a few of the high end J5s out there - like Sadowsky, Lull, etc. - before commissioning a custom. With those basses like Sadowsky, etc., you can look for used ones, buy 'em, try 'em, and sell 'em for about what you paid if you don't decide to keep it. If you commission a custom, if it turns out to not be a keeper, you will lose all kinds of money trying to sell it. Even used Sadowskys sell for a fair bit less, used, than what a new one costs.

Anyway, when it comes to 5 string Jazz basses, there are TONS of REALLY NICE ones out there. Unless you are dialed into VERY specific details about all aspects of the bass, it's hard to imagine you wouldn't be able to find one, eventually, without having to pay for a custom.

Also, you might ask people who have ordered custom basses before, how many of them still have the very first one they ordered and have not felt the need to order another one. I get there aren't that many whose very first custom order turned out to be their Forever Bass.
 
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#24
I agree that GAS is never ending, but one of the reasons people buy and sell basses is that they aren't getting exactly what they want. If you get a good luthier, they can build what you want and you have a greater chance of being satisfied. Having said that, having basses built for me didn't end my GAS, but I have no desire to sell any of the basses built specifically for me.

I would check out Ben Lindsey if you are looking for a Jazz. He does incredible work.
 
#26
I think the big thing to consider is even when you get what you want. what you want can change over time. At least it did for me. I personally would recommend having musicman build you a bass if you are concerned about money. most people don't know but musicman will build a bass for you and they don't charge outrageous custom shop prices. and a big plus about dealing with them is if you do decide to sell the bass you won't lose a ton of money. I actually ordered a Bongo a few years back through a local dealer. I wanted a stealth black with ebony board and a tort guard which wasn't a stretch from a production model, but I wanted a pickup configuration not offered in a stealth model. It took a few months to get it but it was a beautiful bass, at the time my main bass was a thumb NT5 and the bongo sat in the closet most of the time. When I sold the bass after realizing the bongo just wasn't my thing, I got every penny of my money back plus money for dinner because it was a one of a kind, even if it wasn't that different, there wasn't another bass exactly like it, it was a popular brand, and people don't want to wait a few months for a bass to be built. As of 2015 musicman now offers neck through stringrays also if you prefer neck through. The silver sparkle neckthrough stringray they had a namm this year is pretty sick with the silver sparkle going all the way down the back of the neck.
 
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#27
I have a custom made bass from a local builder. I recommend you find someone who is on the way up - making good quality instruments for a reasonable price - and book an instrument with them. One warning - it always takes longer than expected to get from booking to bass in hand. Things in life happen. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end. I will not be selling my custom bass despite the limitations I've discovered. It's a great bass, but it is not the bass I need for every situation. Choose your options wisely and get the best value you can for the money you spend. Playability and sound come first for me, then originality and uniqueness. My custom with options came in between the base and the middle models. Since then the luthier has raised his prices, and his work justifies this I think. Good luck in what ever you decide.
 
#28
Yes, and no. The bass I got (an ACG) is about as close to perfect for me as a bass could get. But, do we always want or love perfection? Not necessarily. The ACG is the bass I play on for virtually all practicing, song writing, and just whenever I want to grab an instrument. But I've got another bass that I also love (Ric 4001) that works well for gigs because of its visual impact, and also has a unique enough sonic signature that it covers other ground for me. I've got other instruments that I want as well for different reasons, like a Squier Bass VI, or a Gretsch hollowbody - so obviously I do still have GAS - but I also feel like I'll never get another bass that does a better job of being perfect for me the way that the ACG is. Kind of a weird concept, does that make sense at all?
 
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#29
soong said:
My concern is that I don't have a great track record for keeping basses.
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I think you may have answered your own question. ;)

I'm in the same boat, which is why I will never, ever order an expensive ground-up custom bass. I doubt I could be happy with just one bass, no matter how fantastic. GAS is a character flaw that I've learned to live with.
 
#30
pbagley said:
I have a custom made bass from a local builder. I recommend you find someone who is on the way up - making good quality instruments for a reasonable price - and book an instrument with them. One warning - it always takes longer than expected to get from booking to bass in hand. Things in life happen. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end. I will not be selling my custom bass despite the limitations I've discovered. It's a great bass, but it is not the bass I need for every situation. Choose your options wisely and get the best value you can for the money you spend. Playability and sound come first for me, then originality and uniqueness. My custom with options came in between the base and the middle models. Since then the luthier has raised his prices, and his work justifies this I think. Good luck in what ever you decide.
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I agree. I got an incredible bass for less than most American Standard Fenders are FAR less than a custom shop. But then I wanted a big old hollowbody. And then I found a really cheap 5-string. And then........But the Drake bass is my go to.
 
#31
StuartV said:
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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This is very true, one of the many things I love about TalkBass.


soong said:
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!
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That being said, it took this custom made beast to end my GAS

SJ4 3x passive sp toggles Transparent White wenge wenge e.jpg


To fully benefit from having a custom built instrument though you really do need to have specific sonic and aesthetic goals in mind.
 
#34
The answer probably depends on why you don't keep basses for very long. I would try to write down exactly what you liked/disliked aboout the basses you've had and see if you can come up with a list of attributes/specs that would make your dream bass. Then work with your builder to build that exact bass.
 
#35
My custom 5 did not end my GAS, but it did end my GAS for a "modern J" 5-string w/ active preamp, passive tone, humbucking/single coil switching and improved playability (a little lighter than a typical J, but not too light; smaller frets). It's a pretty flexible instrument, which is what I wanted, and it fits me pretty darn well. I got a custom 4 that was more traditional in nature, PJ, passive, alder/rosewood, and I have it strung w/ flats, and it fits the bill for when I play jazz, soul, etc.

I played tons and tons of basses from a variety of builders before I ordered the first custom, and went back to the same place for the second (about 5 years later), and it fits a different set of needs than the first (albeit w/ some overlap). Both get used; both are terrific. I expect to have both for a long time. (I don't turn basses over very quickly.)

In my head, I have pretty much figured out that there are 4 basses that I "need" -- (1) traditional passive 4-string (the aforementioned PJ), (2) modern active 5-string (the aforementioned "modern" J), (3) 4-string passive fretless (I have a 5-string fretless that I love and have loved since 1990, but I'm selling it to a good friend who's been taking care of it for about six months and loves it, too, and will be getting a custom 4-string fretless), and (4) a "bring-the-rawk" ash/maple 5-string (currently have an Ibby ATK that fits the bill, but probably in another 5 yrs I'll get either a custom ash/maple J w/ single coils and active preamp or a StingRay5 or similar). BUT, I digress...

Not sure how to respond to the OP exactly, because I do not go through basses quickly, and I have found that going custom has worked well for me, but been a fairly slow and methodical process each time. I figured out very clearly what I wanted, I stayed relatively simple and traditional in my wood choices, and had a chance to try basses by many, many builders before making decisions with the one I've gone with for the first two and my choice for the upcoming fretless. If you're not in a hurry, you can do well with a custom build and increase the odds that it'll make you really happy.

However, if you're really trying to fill a need for a 5-string jazz, there are a lot of choices that may retain resale value better, as several have pointed out, and a lot of choices period. If you can figure out what kinds of specs work best for you (there was a list posted earlier of things link fingerboard radius, scale length, fret size, woods, string spacing, instrument weight, etc.), you can probably do well working with an individual builder to get what you want.

Anyway, for your consideration...
  • Lull
  • Sadowsky
  • Nordstrand
  • F Bass
  • M Basses
  • Valenti
  • Overwater
  • Celinder (still exist????)
  • Benavente
  • ...and more
And some of them have stock/standard models that are a bit more reasonably priced, and still good (e.g., Sadowsky Metro mentioned already).

Peace.
 
#36
Gas never ends. It maybe stay in hold for a while but in the end it will come up again.

Me too I thought once I i get a custom made bass the gas would be over. But now I have gas for custom basses. And Nikola Adamovic is the guilty one for building such a beautiful instrument for me (picture in my avatar). I'm gassing for an Adamovic Eclipse fretless.....badly!
 
#37
One word answer-NO.
For me no one bass can do everything I want. I have a big $$$ Stambaugh 6-string, amazing bass. Perfect for what it does.
But I still use a Precision, Jazz, 50's Fritz Bro hollowbody. And a fretless to get what I need. If you go custom make sure you know what you want.
90% of the time you will take a loss when going to resell. That's just the way it goes.
GAS is forever.
 
#40
Nephilymbass said:
I think the big thing to consider is even when you get what you want. what you want can change over time. At least it did for me. I personally would recommend having musicman build you a bass if you are concerned about money. most people don't know but musicman will build a bass for you and they don't charge outrageous custom shop prices. and a big plus about dealing with them is if you do decide to sell the bass you won't lose a ton of money.
Click to expand...
This...and
G&L basically does this too with their USA models. You can custom order through a dealer. I have also seen a website with a configuration tool that helps you "imagine" the options, colors, etc.
 

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