Favorite "boutique" bass

[Jazzmatazz]

I'm Canadian so I guess I have to say Dingwall, especially the Super J and Super P. However, Sadowsky build some gorgeous basses.

 

[soflbass]

I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for those pants.

Made them for a Halloween party gig...lots of fun and laughs!

 

[Hotblack]

Stambaugh. Own 'em. Love 'em.
Skjold. Got to try some out last year and I was really impressed. Spectacular feel. Great sound. Talked to Pete and he seems like a very good guy to collaborate with on a custom.
Clement. Only got to try one, but excellent bass for the money.

 

[TonyP-]

Warmoth

Nice...I would rather own a Warmoth 4 then any of the other boutiques with Lull being the only exception.

 

[markob]

I've owned a few boutiques" Most recently a Lull and a Lakland. Had a 92 Alembic Essence years back. Very nice but ultimately not my thing at the time. Way back I had a Turner 1st Edition? Model 1!? Can't remember the exact model name. Had the single rotating pickup. Cool but odd. Long gone. My U S lakie 4451m will always be with me. Lull was nice but it moved on. A NYC Sadowsky 5 would be on my short list for sure. Also a Lisa Hahn 5.

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

I've owned a few boutiques" Most recently a Lull and a Lakland. Had a 92 Alembic Essence years back. Very nice but ultimately not my thing at the time. Way back I had a Turner 1st Edition? Model 1!? Can't remember the exact model name. Had the single rotating pickup. Cool but odd. Long gone. My U S lakie 4451m will always be with me. Lull was nice but it moved on. A NYC Sadowsky 5 would be on my short list for sure. Also a Lisa Hahn 5.

Well gee thanks! I never heard of Lisa Hahn. Now thanks to you I have. The GAS that I've not had in months is now back. Dang. Some nice looking stuff over there. I am in big trouble now.
Thanks. I mean it.

 

[markob]

Well gee thanks! I never heard of Lisa Hahn. Now thanks to you I have. The GAS that I've not had in months is now back. Dang. Some nice looking stuff over there. I am in big trouble now.
Thanks. I mean it.
Lol. I know you mean and I'm sorry. Lisa took over as shop floor manager at Sadowsky when Rob Radack left the position. Rob has built me two wonderful guitars and when I recently asked about a possible 5 string build he turned me on to Hahn. Seriously thinking about one of her offsets. Ive been in communication with her and she has been every bit the type you'd want to do business with.

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

I just emailed her but it's the weekend so.............The Offset looks smokin' - what kind of pricing are we talking about?
A bass that looks that cool, with Sadowsky roots, made in NYC, by a woman - serious mojo! I almost wanna sell everything I have and git one! Of course no clue as to sound etc. but I can just imagine...........

 

[markob]

I just emailed her but it's the weekend so.............The Offset looks smokin' - what kind of pricing are we talking about?
A bass that looks that cool, with Sadowsky roots, made in NYC, by a woman - serious mojo! I almost wanna sell everything I have and git one! Of course no clue as to sound etc. but I can just imagine...........

I asked her if she is only building offsets and she said at this time to establish her brand but has literally built hundreds of basses then asked what I had in mind.
She wants to keep the price between 2.5k and 3k. Not cheap but considering most hand made small shop instruments these days not bad at all. Agree on your mojo comment. How cool are the sliders! She knows how to make a 34" scale with a tight B from what she told me and I believe it.

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

The Offset reminds me a little of my G&L Fallout.............I'd like to see an Offset with a maple FB.

 

[mtdkingstonheir]

View attachment 2960675 View attachment 2960675

What a beautiful bass - incredible color varaiation and grain. drool

 

[T-Funk]

For me, it is a toss-up between Sadowsky and Ken Smith. Both brands are top-notch, but very different in tone and outward design.

With that said, I am too cheap to own either brand and commit to other available options.

 

[TuneSalad666]

Not that I ever tried any of them myself, but to me the basses Alembic makes are most attractive to me.

Wouldn't mind a short scale like the one Stanley Clarke plays.

If only I had that kind of money.

 

[TolerancEJ]

I don't know where to start. These are the ones I currently own:

FBass BN6
Greg Curbow Petite 6
Warwick Thumb BO 6
MusicMan Bongo HS 6 (I include this as boutique quality.)
Elegee Custom Fretless 6

I have pending/on order:

FBass VF6-PJ Fretless
Fodera Emperor Standard 6

The rest is basically a wishlist in alphabetical, not preference order.

Alembic
Aquilina
BassLine
BeeBass
Benavente
Bilodeau
Carl Thompson
Clover
Conklin
David King
Framus
Jerzy Drozd
Ken Smith
Linc Luthier
Marleaux
Mayones
MF (Michel Fournelle)
Pedulla
Rick Turner
Ritter
Roscoe
Sadowsky
Skjold
Spalt Instruments
Spector
Status Graphite
Wal
Wyn
Zon

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Alembic is the original boutique bass builder, been around almost 5 decades.
They can build anything, perfectly.

 

[Barticus]

I don't know where to start. These are the ones I currently own:

FBass BN6
Greg Curbow Petite 6
Warwick Thumb BO 6
MusicMan Bongo HS 6 (I include this as boutique quality.)
Elegee Custom Fretless 6

I have pending/on order:

FBass VF6-PJ Fretless
Fodera Emperor Standard 6

The rest is basically a wishlist in alphabetical, not preference order.

Alembic
Aquilina
BassLine
BeeBass
Benavente
Bilodeau
Carl Thompson
Clover
Conklin
David King
Framus
Jerzy Drozd
Ken Smith
Linc Luthier
Marleaux
Mayones
MF (Michel Fournelle)
Pedulla
Rick Turner
Ritter
Roscoe
Sadowsky
Skjold
Spalt Instruments
Spector
Status Graphite
Wal
Wyn
Zon

Any pictures of the Curbow?
The Petites are so cool

 

[Bassist30]

Fender.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

Toss up between my Low End Jazz or the Pensa Suhr Jazz I got from Lloyd Cole last year. Both are Olympic white with black guards and each awesome in their own right.

 

[TolerancEJ]

Any pictures of the Curbow?
The Petites are so cool

 

[Jared Lash]

To me there are two categories of boutique bass: The FSOs (Fender Shaped Objects) and non-FSOs.

Of the FSO's:

• Sadowsky's are fantastically built with their own take on the evolution of the Fender sound
• Alleva Coppolo's have a more handbuilt vibe and take the crown (IMO) of most classic sound but in a fiver
• Valenti's are great. I had Nino build me a P5 and have played a couple of his jazzes. Fantastic quality to price ratio
• I've only played a Lull briefly. Great bass but I didn't have enough time to really dig into it
• I've never played a Nordy but would love to
• Fbasses aren't really FSO's but they ARE an evolution of the jazz bass. Not "jazz on steroids" as much as a "jazz on satin" if that makes sense. Wonderful instruments

Of the non-FSO's:

• Fodera with dual coils are amazing instruments AND works of art. The Wooten/EMG PJ ones too but they don't vibe as much with my playing as the Duncan duals.
• Dingwalls just have this great clarity/authority that I dig
• Roscoes (at least the typical Bart quad coil ones) have a really specific voice that just works in a mix
• I played a borrowed Wal on my college band's debut album and have wanted one of my own ever since. Nothing else sounds like a Wal IMO
• Spectors also have their own vibe and personally I like the ergonomics. If I was a hard rock player I'd own one
• ACG - I've owned two of Alan's basses and they were both fantastic. I think he's only getting better

There are also some exceptional boutique fretless basses out there:

• FBass Alain Caron
• Pedulla Buzz/Pentabuzz
• Rob Allen
• and Zon (along with Wal again) would be my favorites

There are so many amazing basses these days and I haven't played a fraction of what's available. Which makes it even more funny that these days all my basses are from the same builder. Here are my Stambaughs (and skinny string EBMMs) :

and the two I have on the way from Chris: