Fender Custom Shop basses

[barroso]

Dear all,
I am really amazed by the build quality of the Fender Custom shop basses I have seen. Thay all seem to be made with high quality material and highest attention to details.

I would appreciate your comments and experiences, and pics. Pics of the whole bass and pics of details are welcome. More than welcome are pics of the bass disassembled, control cavities, pickup routings...

thanks for sharing.

 

[matito]

I have a fender custom shop strat 69 closet relic

f'n brilliant guitar, the best strat I have ever played, and I love it.

build quality it top quality, its fantastic.

If you can afford a custom shop bass, go for it

 

[boogiebass]

So far, so good. I own two Fender Custom Shop basses, a 64 Jazz Relic and a 55 Precision Relic.

The Jazz is one of the best basses I've ever owned and I've owned a lot, including 3 REAL pre-CBS Fenders currently.

I just got the 55 but my initial impression is very favorable. I intend to gig it this Saturday at an outdoor gig (if I don't get rained out) and I'll know what it's all about after 4 sets.

IMO, the Fender Custom Shop does great work.

Here's the Jazz:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[ElMon]

I just picked up a 59 relic custom shop Pbass (sorry, don't have a camera) and its the most resonant bass acoustically that I've ever encountered. The notes just leap out of the bass unplugged. The difference in feel between a custom shop and a standard MIA Pbass is subtle and hard to quantify, but yet still very apparent IMHO.

For the record, I've had the privledge of playing a real 57 P, a 62 reissue, and I used to own a real 77 P, and this custom shop just obliterates every one of these basses. When I got this bass, I finally realized the truth of what Roger Sadowsky said in an interview about the quality of wood being the most important factor of tone. Its a shame that fender's 'standard' models can't reflect this level of quality, or that I can't find a similar bass in a five, but then again, there's always Sadowsky

 

[justateenpoet]

There was a TB member (I think it was M5Yates) who had at least three Fender Custom Shop basses for sale here a few months ago. They're absolutely beautiful to look at. Look around, there might be some pics left on here.

 

[Fawkes007]

I have played a few of the Fender Custom Shop basses, and they are of excellent quality. First rate. I owned a Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic strat for about a year (sold to fund my new Roscoe), and it was without a doubt the finest Fender strat I ever played. Granted, they cost $500+ more than the American series, but side by side comparisons will yield that they are worth every penny.

I am not a big fan of Fender these days, but the Custom Shop rocks! If I had to have a Fender bass, I would go Custom Shop.

 

[SethD]

I have a fender custom shop strat 69 closet relic

f'n brilliant guitar, the best strat I have ever played, and I love it.

build quality it top quality, its fantastic.

I came across one of these recently and it is an amazing guitar. . . probably much better than many real '69 Strats.

 

[SethD]

Say, does anyone know why the Custom Shop uses quartersawn maple for their necks?

 

[steve21]

Say, does anyone know why the Custom Shop uses quartersawn maple for their necks?

because 1/4 sawn is better in terms of stability

 

[Matt Call]

I played a '64 Relic Jazz at a Guitar Center once. I loved it. Simple. Sounded amazing. Played like a dream. However,

I like my Sadowsky more (and it's a 5-string).

 

[Mr_Dave]

yeah,

they are awesome. I've played 3 jazzes and 1 '59 P. I think there is a real difference between any of the american models. they feel and sound fantastic

 

[barroso]

what really amazed me more than the sound is the feel. incredible neck, feel and playability. perfectly balanced and light.

 

[muggsy]

Here's my Closet Classic 59 P. It's a great playing and sounding bass, but I'm going to sell it whenever I get the time because I have another P that's still my #1, and I don't need two Ps. The Custom Shop workmanship is excellent, though, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one if I was in the market.

 

[mlove]

will the fender custom shop build you a bass to the specs you want or do you have to but the models they happen to be producing?

 

[muggsy]

will the fender custom shop build you a bass to the specs you want or do you have to but the models they happen to be producing?

They'll build one to your specs, it just costs more.

 

[bannedwit]

I am curious what are some of the options for this custom shop stuff?
Pickups, wood, pickguard, tuning keys, neck material, fretboard material, nut, string spacing....

Let me know what they offer.

 

[trumpeter]

does fender custom have a website?

 

[SnakeAnthony]

I see it this way. It is still a Fender. Still not exotic tone woods, ash and alder. Maple necks and rosewood and maple fingerboards. Same pickups. BUT, Fender Custom Shop instruments retain a much higher attention to detail. A good friend of mine named Paul, who works at my local shop has just had two custom shop fenders made for him, a telecaster in aged cherry burst, one piece ash body, stratocaster-style tummy contour, then a strat in aged tobacco burst with lots of custom things thrown on. They still sounded like a strat and a tele, but it was the instrument itself, how it felt, how it played, how it looked, that rose above and made it worth what it cost. If you've got the money, and you want a fender, I say go for a Fender custom, but I think money could be better spent on different instruments, but thats just me.

 

[Mark Wilson]

There's someone on here that has a custom 7-string Fender. I'll if I can find the pic.


-Mark

 

[Tbirdbassist]

Yea, I also remember seeing some pics of 6 string custom shop Jazz basses as well. I think they were from NAMM...