Fender Custom Shop Club

[tsl]

Has anyone else been experiencing delays with their CS order?? I placed an order for a Masterbuilt Dennis Galuszka bass and a deposit in July of 2021 and was given a lead time of a little over a year. The initial ETA I was given was September 29th, 2022. Well, that date came and went and I was given a new date of 12/30/2022. When I inquired last week if the 12/30/2022 date was still holding, I was now given a new ETA date of 02/07/2023!

I ordered a Team Built in July 2021 and was told 14 months. In April, I checked in with the dealer, and the CS told him it was now 18 months (supply chain, COVID, etc.). As the build was supposed to start in October, I checked in earlier this month and was told that the build had not started and that the ETA is now April (21 months from order).

So, you're not the only one. I'm actually surprised that a Masterbuilt was only a year.

 

[BlueRock]

I was lucky enough to get my CS '55 P off the wall in a store but I've waited over 2 years for other custom builds. Rushing those kind of luthiers never seemed the way to get their best work....

 

[Panther]

 

[Panther]

58 Reissue, Limited Edition.
Beautiful to play, only mod was to swap out the pick up for a Bare Knuckle, not a fan of the raised pole piece, but love the maple necks.
Vintage White over 3 tone Sunburst.

View attachment 4845042 View attachment 4845041

I just bought the same one minus the burst !

 

[BearCave]

I ordered a Team Built in July 2021 and was told 14 months. In April, I checked in with the dealer, and the CS told him it was now 18 months (supply chain, COVID, etc.). As the build was supposed to start in October, I checked in earlier this month and was told that the build had not started and that the ETA is now April (21 months from order).

So, you're not the only one. I'm actually surprised that a Masterbuilt was only a year.

I was a bit surprised too! I initially wanted Vince Van Trigt but was told on the quote that his backlog was at 4-5 years at that time! Now I heard he's not even taking new orders because his backlog is so huge! When I requoted with Dennis, they came back with a lead time of a year. Not nearly as bad as 4-5 years.

 

[BearCave]

So, while I'm waiting for my Masterbuilt Dennis Galuzska P bass to be completed, I couldn't help myself and became the owner of a brand new Vincent Van Trigt Masterbuilt Precision! I've been following Vince's work since he first started at the CS and have long wanted one of his builds. The opportunity came up and I was NOT going to let it pass me by.

2022 CS Masterbuilt VVT '62 Precision Heavy Relic Heavy Aged Nicotine Lake Placid Blue

 

[BlueRock]

I'm indifferent towards relic'ing. Would never ask for it but would never turn my nose up at a great relic'd bass either.

The fake fingerboard gunk on CS instruments bugs the crap out of me though. Sure a bass can get beat up after 60-70 years but not that many people really let sweat, finger grease and dead skin pile up like snow against a fence then mummify. It's completely disgusting and about as convincing as novelty shop fake barf.

Only mod I've made to the '55 P is to clean that crap off the fingerboard with lighter fluid and Q-tips.

 

[murphy]

So, while I'm waiting for my Masterbuilt Dennis Galuzska P bass to be completed, I couldn't help myself and became the owner of a brand new Vincent Van Trigt Masterbuilt Precision! I've been following Vince's work since he first started at the CS and have long wanted one of his builds. The opportunity came up and I was NOT going to let it pass me by.

2022 CS Masterbuilt VVT '62 Precision Heavy Relic Heavy Aged Nicotine Lake Placid Blue

View attachment 4877752 View attachment 4877753 View attachment 4877754 View attachment 4877755 View attachment 4877756

I have completely fallen in love with this bass....

I can see why you waited for this opportunity..
Now....How much can I send to buy from you?

 

[BearCave]

I have completely fallen in love with this bass....

I can see why you waited for this opportunity..
Now....How much can I send to buy from you?

Sorry...this one's staying with me indefinitely. I've waited for years to get a Vincent Van Trigt Masterbuilt and the CS is not even taking new orders for him because his order backlog is so huge (I heard it's up to 7 years now). This one popped up at Chicago Music Exchange and I jumped on it...I wasn't going to let the opportunity to get one pass me by because his instruments rarely show up for sale. CME told me they ordered the bass from the CS 3 years ago and had just got it in! They had another VVT built P bass that came in at the same time (a heavy reliced '51 P, I think) and it's already gone too.

 

[bucephylus]

Couple Q's for the CS crowd here.

Background is that I have a Fender parts 5 string, which is pretty great. It has a 2007 5'er US Jazz Deluxe neck on a 2014 US Jazz Deluxe body; which required routing the neck pocket an additional 3/8" to accommodate the 22 fret neck. I generally like neither the stock 2007 design, due to the shortened body, nor the stock 2014, due to the more limited scale. OK, I admit the single fret difference isn't all that big; but I do use the extra fret from time to time.

Anyhow, I'd be willing to fork out the coin to get a 5 string Jazz that met my needs; IF they could do one or two things I haven't seen discussed.

First, can you get them to pick a lighter swamp ash body? I like my basses around 9 pounds; and that takes a pretty light body to get there on a 5. Will they do that?

Second, I would really like the 22 fret neck on the standard body. They did it for the Victor Bailey Signature; but, I want a painted bass and not a signature.

These seem like reasonable custom specs. But, my experience with the CS in the past is that they just seem to be mainly focused on cosmetics vs more functional custom work. Any comments? Thanks.

Thought I would follow up on this post as an FYI.

I have had at least two very difficult prior experiences trying to place an order with the CS. Nevertheless, I do play Fender basses most of the time, and wanted to give one last shot.

So, I called up the good folks at Huber and Breese in the Detroit area, and put in an RFQ for basically a replication of the 2007 era American Jazz Deluxe 5 string with a matching headstock. Seemed somewhat straightforward. It took H&B about 8 weeks to get back to me with a quote; which they prefaced by saying they were actually embarrassed by what they had to offer. Just shy of $15k.

Obviously a hard no. I can find an older instrument and send it to Pat Wilkins for the cosmetics. Strike three and you're out.

Clearly that shop has two price scales; one for people they want to work with and one for everyone else. I like Fender basses; but, I've got a pretty healthy disinclination to ever do business with that company. Good on whoever here is on their good side. The rest of us can pound sand.

 

[BlueRock]

27026972[/URL], member: 25742"]Thought I would follow up on this post as an FYI.

I have had at least two very difficult prior experiences trying to place an order with the CS. Nevertheless, I do play Fender basses most of the time, and wanted to give one last shot.

So, I called up the good folks at Huber and Breese in the Detroit area, and put in an RFQ for basically a replication of the 2007 era American Jazz Deluxe 5 string with a matching headstock. Seemed somewhat straightforward. It took H&B about 8 weeks to get back to me with a quote; which they prefaced by saying they were actually embarrassed by what they had to offer. Just shy of $15k.

Obviously a hard no. I can find an older instrument and send it to Pat Wilkins for the cosmetics. Strike three and you're out.

Clearly that shop has two price scales; one for people they want to work with and one for everyone else. I like Fender basses; but, I've got a pretty healthy disinclination to ever do business with that company. Good on whoever here is on their good side. The rest of us can pound sand.

It's disappointing to hear this. Even when a company has the luxury of being busy enough to pick and choose its customers they should treat everyone well. As the old saying goes the people you blow off on the way up will be happy to pretend you don't exist on the way down.

 

[Mr_O'B]

Thought I would follow up on this post as an FYI.

I have had at least two very difficult prior experiences trying to place an order with the CS. Nevertheless, I do play Fender basses most of the time, and wanted to give one last shot.

So, I called up the good folks at Huber and Breese in the Detroit area, and put in an RFQ for basically a replication of the 2007 era American Jazz Deluxe 5 string with a matching headstock. Seemed somewhat straightforward. It took H&B about 8 weeks to get back to me with a quote; which they prefaced by saying they were actually embarrassed by what they had to offer. Just shy of $15k.

Obviously a hard no. I can find an older instrument and send it to Pat Wilkins for the cosmetics. Strike three and you're out.

Clearly that shop has two price scales; one for people they want to work with and one for everyone else. I like Fender basses; but, I've got a pretty healthy disinclination to ever do business with that company. Good on whoever here is on their good side. The rest of us can pound sand.

Right some companies suck! I had a bad experience with a well known company, but I won't ever speak the company's name on TB!
I'm glad that you decided to move on and not waste time your positive energy on such a negative situation.

 

[Cdnbassnut]

The CS doesn't really do 5's. It's not personal.

 

[pepj]

I have one. Pleased to hear they are pretty rare.

 

[Cdnbassnut]

Custom Classics were a run.

 

[BlueRock]

Anyone else had issues with heavily relic'd tuners? I've done everything to try and get the ones on my '55 P to work well but the slight corrosion of the aging process seems to have made them so they'll never be smooth. I could hit them with emery cloth but that'd show and I want to keep it original for the next owner. Going to put on some Hipshot HB3's. Kinda disappointing.

 

[davidak]

Anyone else had issues with heavily relic'd tuners? I've done everything to try and get the ones on my '55 P to work well but the slight corrosion of the aging process seems to have made them so they'll never be smooth. I could hit them with emery cloth but that'd show and I want to keep it original for the next owner. Going to put on some Hipshot HB3's. Kinda disappointing.

Yes sometimes relic is way too much on tuners. But anyway I would recommend Gotoh GBR 640 Resolite, you save a lot of weight.

 

[pepj]

Do they drop straight in?

All the swaps I've made are reversible should someone want the bass to be 'original'

 

[BlueRock]

The Hipshots drop right in. The Res-o-lites I put on a bass 7-8 years ago and I think they dropped right in but I honestly can't remember for sure. Both are excellent but the Hipshots were easier to order locally. If neck dive was any kind of issue I'd have gone for the Res-o-lites though. They're noticeably lighter.

 

[davidak]

Do they drop straight in?

All the swaps I've made are reversible should someone want the bass to be 'original'

Perfect reversible fit. I have them on all my CS basses.