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Should having a custom made be this hard?

Kwesi

Kwesi

Sep 19, 2007
8,150
161
35
USA; Mitchellville, Maryland
#1
I've been thinking about having a custom made for nearly 6 months now but I just can't bring myself to pull the trigger on anything! The worst part is that I have the money but I keep coming up with reasons not to do it :crying:. I'll wake up in the morning thinking "Alright, today's the day." And as the day goes on that'll become "What if I don't like it?" and that stops the train in it's tracks. I've typed up three separate emails that confirmed that I was ready to send a deposit and each time I chickened out and saved it as a draft. I hate to admit it but it's really frustrating me that I'm so fickle about something I feel like I've wanted since I started playing :atoz:.

I just had to vent a little bit. Anyone else have the same problem with having a bass made?
 
#2
My problem is different because I still need to figure out exactly what I want. How thick/wide should the neck be? What fretboard radius would I like best? Ebony, Rosewood, or Maple?

As for problems with pulling the trigger? If I knew I had the money and I knew what I wanted I'd go for it.
 
#5
You should check out Stambaugh Designs. Not only does he make killer basses at a great price, but he's very knowledgable and more than willing to answer any questions you may have.
 
#6
KingRazor said:
My problem is different because I still need to figure out exactly what I want. How thick/wide should the neck be? What fretboard radius would I like best? Ebony, Rosewood, or Maple?

As for problems with pulling the trigger? If I knew I had the money and I knew what I wanted I'd go for it.
Click to expand...

That's what most people should but don't do when ordering their first custom. I certainly didn't. You think of most of it, but small things like nut width, weight limit, etc. often get forgotten about/glossed over. If you don't know all of those specifics, then it's better to wait before you order.
 
#7
My thought is that maybe you haven't found the right luthier yet? Someone that you have no doubt in your mind that whatever the builder gives you, you'll love it. Someone whose passion and thoughts about building it make you say "Oh man, I need one of their basses NOW."
 
#8
25 years ago I looked into have a custom five-string made since at the time there were hardly any in production to chose from. Also chickened out. Ordering a custom built instrument only works if you know exactly what you want, if you have any second thoughts I think it is a bad idea or you may end up spending a lot of money on a bass that neither you nor anyone else wants. I am 100% sure that if I had pulled the trigger on having that five-string made that I would no longer like the neck dimensions. It took years and playing lots of five-strings before I realized what does or doesn't work for me. If I had a bass built today it wouldn't be radically different from my current favorite so it would be hard to justify the expense. What has always sold me on an instrument is picking it up, plugging it in and playing it. Either it knocks me out quickly or it doesn't. I would find waiting on a custom instrument nerve wracking and be constantly worried that I wasn't going to like it.
 
#11
Took me ages before I put down my deposit, as much me double guessing myself, and what specs I wanted.

What's worse, is forgetting something you want done, and asking them while they're working IMO, I always feel bad about that, or asking for an update, I don't want to be one of those pushy guys. :hmm:
 
#15
If you don't know what you want, or if this choice changes every other day, then it's not yet time for a custom.

If you get one in these conditions, it will join within 6 months the long procession of custom basses that won't sell even for half of the new price. TB classifieds are full of them.

Instead, get your hands on as many 2nd hand basses as you can. Keep what you like, sell what you don't. Eventually, you will know what you're after.
 
#16
Maybe it's just the fear of the unknown that's preventing it. Fear of it not feeling right in your hands, not sounding what you hear in your head, or just not the cat's meow that you thought it'd be. Sometimes just "going, and doing" is a better surprise than you think now. Plus, if you don't like it, you have a whole community to possibly take it off your hands.
 
#17
Bryan R. Tyler said:
That's what most people should but don't do when ordering their first custom. I certainly didn't. You think of most of it, but small things like nut width, weight limit, etc. often get forgotten about/glossed over. If you don't know all of those specifics, then it's better to wait before you order.
Click to expand...

Very true. I ordered a custom bass without really thinking about it, because when I played a Surine it was exactly like I wanted, with a few minor changes...and I knew exactly what I wanted. So, no regrets.

So... if you really know what you want, you won't regret it. Your tastes might change, and then you'll have a bass that matches what you wanted 10 years ago, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Certainly if I had the money to order a bass right now, a) I would, and b) I would do a lot of things differently. But mostly that's because I would love to have a second different bass to complement the one I still have...and would never sell.

But hey, your mileage may vary. Know yourself and know peace...
 
#18
My problem isn't a matter of who because I know that each one would make a bass that I dig. I guess my worry is whether or not it will be a bass that I can just hang onto for a looooong time. I'm not looking for "The One" so much as "The One That'll Last Till I'm Employed" lol. For those interested I'm really looking at Tom Clement or Brubaker. Both great guys, both build fantastic basses but it's not really an issue of choice for me it's just a severe case of hesitation on my part :p. I don't want anything crazy just a Jazz bass.

I think the thing that's really holding me back is my Fender, lol. It's the greatest bass I've ever owned but (there always is one isn't there :p) I can imagine something even better... I've played something better and I want that. I just can't bring myself to go for it.
 
#20
I wish Mike was still making them. Thin neck on a neck thru - killer tone - nobody matches it (yet).

I picked up a Roscoe (used) thinking the bolt-on would be nice...but it's still a little thicker than I like. The tone is awesome, but the perfect marriage is excellent tone with butter-like playability. Maybe some new strings and a nice setup will do it. Glad I use it for my "gigger."

I'm expecting a fretless Overwater at any time now. It's been paid for, and I've lost track at how long it's been since it was ordered.

All that said, I've played an Overwater once, and fell in love with the feel...it sounded fantastic in the hands of the person that owned it.

I've also played a Roscoe before and couldn't put it down. Interestingly, I can put the one I have down (no offense, Gard...it's a great bass. But it's not my personal be and end all instrument.).

All that said, I have come to believe that every bass is different, and that being said, satisfaction with the perfect instrument is a fantasy. No matter how you spec it out, the combination of woods, electronics, strings, etc. all combine to make a unique instrument with it's own unique voice. Even a custom made will have it's own "quirks" - maybe a standard neck radius is just a hair off from being perfect - for you. Maybe the action is just a hair too high. Perhaps for absolute perfect intonation, you'll have to remove the bridge and drill holes to move it back 1/8" (did that once).

I researched everything that was available at the time before I ordered my Adler. When it came, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the neck got thinner (and therefore, more easy to play) the higher up the neck toward the body. Nobody told me about that.

It's an adventure, that's for sure. But if you have something else in the back of your mind that you'd want to spend your $$ on, are thinking about investing it in gold, or perhaps want to make a contribution to help others less fortunate, then perhaps it's not the right time to pull the trigger.

Z
 

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