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Show me your Medium and Short Scale 5 Stringers!!!

#21
Hello Friends!

Ampshop Bass Exchange out of LA makes a few special 5ers. They've been producing a 30" scale 5er called the Woodcraft Ampmaster. Inspired by a Fender Musicmaster bass but better in every way, bonus points for a tele headstock. Dan Kelly of Neighbor has been playing one (cream) for a while now and that's how it caught my attention. At the beginning of this fall, Ampshop Bass Exchange built him a 32" scale Ampmaster (orange) with two Nordstrand Big Splits and that's what really got me interested. Dan has tons of clips on his Instagram if you're curious about how they sound.

IMG_6095.jpeg


Time to talk about my favorite part, the price, Ampshop is selling these on their reverb and website from $1699 to $2199 depending on options. Other than used Spector Bantams, I haven't been able to find premium quality short/medium 5 string basses sold for under 2k. The Ampmaster hits that mark and it's made in the USA. I've been saving to put in a custom order for a medium scale Serek 5er for a while, but once these popped up on my radar, my Serek dreams went to the backburner. I'm sure I'll put in an order for a Serek one day, but the Ampmaster's price makes the most financial sense (the Serek I'd order would be around $3500). I got into contact with Dan Kelly who put me in touch with Gary from Ampshop Bass Exchange. I'll be honest, I'm super particular about the details of this custom order (if I'm spending a chunk of money I want to make sure I'm getting what I want) and Gary was very accommodating. I can't believe I'm getting a USA made custom medium scale 5 string bass for under 2k. I'm sure there will be caveats and it has probably been done before but the idea of this has me jumping over the moon. I thought I wouldn't be able to get what I was looking for until I could afford a Serek. If you're in the same boat as me, I'd buy an Ampmaster asap before the hype/demand for them grows. I remember gawking over Sereks in 2021, back then they were in the low $2000 price range and the turnaround time was pretty quick relative to now. I have a feeling these Ampmaster basses will eventually have a year long waitlist and 3k price tags as they become more popular. Maybe I'll be totally wrong, who knows! Anyways, here's the specs on my custom Ampmaster, can't wait to make a NBD post!

5 String
Maple Neck (32” scale)
Lollipop Tuners
16.5mm String spacing at bridge
Dark Green Satin Nitro Finish
Cream/Off White Pickguard
All cavities shielded with copper foil
2 Nordstrand Zen Blades (EMG40 Shaped) and
Nordstrand 2Band Preamp
3 Knob holes
-Volume (pull for passive)
-Blend
-Stacked Treble/Bass (concentric knobs) ~ Top controls Treble
Bottom controls bass
 
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#25
Dylan Goode said:
Hello Friends!

Ampshop Bass Exchange out of LA makes a few special 5ers. They've been producing a 30" scale 5er called the Woodcraft Ampmaster. Inspired by a Fender Musicmaster bass but better in every way, bonus points for a tele headstock. Dan Kelly of Neighbor has been playing one (cream) for a while now and that's how it caught my attention. At the beginning of this fall, Ampshop Bass Exchange built him a 32" scale Ampmaster (orange) with two Nordstrand Big Splits and that's what really got me interested. Dan has tons of clips on his Instagram if you're curious about how they sound.

View attachment 7086432

Time to talk about my favorite part, the price, Ampshop is selling these on their reverb and website from $1699 to $2199 depending on options. Other than used Spector Bantams, I haven't been able to find premium quality short/medium 5 string basses sold for under 2k. The Ampmaster hits that mark and it's made in the USA. I've been saving to put in a custom order for a medium scale Serek 5er for a while, but once these popped up on my radar, my Serek dreams went to the backburner. I'm sure I'll put in an order for a Serek one day, but the Ampmaster's price makes the most financial sense (the Serek I'd order would be around $3500). I got into contact with Dan Kelly who put me in touch with Gary from Ampshop Bass Exchange. I'll be honest, I'm super particular about the details of this custom order (if I'm spending a chunk of money I want to make sure I'm getting what I want) and Gary was very accommodating. I can't believe I'm getting a USA made custom medium scale 5 string bass for under 2k. I'm sure there will be caveats and it has probably been done before but the idea of this has me jumping over the moon. I thought I wouldn't be able to get what I was looking for until I could afford a Serek. If you're in the same boat as me, I'd buy an Ampmaster asap before the hype/demand for them grows. I remember gawking over Sereks in 2021, back then they were in the low $2000 price range and the turnaround time was pretty quick relative to now. I have a feeling these Ampmaster basses will eventually have a year long waitlist and 3k price tags as they become more popular. Maybe I'll be totally wrong, who knows! Anyways, here's the specs on my custom Ampmaster, can't wait to make a NBD post!

5 String
Maple Neck (32” scale)
Lollipop Tuners
16.5mm String spacing at bridge
Dark Green Satin Nitro Finish
Cream/Off White Pickguard
All cavities shielded with copper foil
2 Nordstrand Zen Blades (EMG40 Shaped) and
Nordstrand 2Band Preamp
3 Knob holes
-Volume (pull for passive)
-Blend
-Stacked Treble/Bass (concentric knobs) ~ Top controls Treble
Bottom controls bass
Click to expand...
I have a story on this bass. Like you, I wanted a Serek, but they are costly. Plus, I’m a lefty, so my options are only about 5% of right handers. (There should be a discrimination law). I Saw these on Reverb and wanted a left handed 5 string. I ask specifically where they were made, because I don’t buy Foreign Crap that doesn’t hold value. I was told in writing “North Hollywood California”. So in August of this year I make the deal, $1810 total. Zelle’d them a $850 and Was told my American Made 5 String 30” scale Left Handed bass would be ready to ship in 4-8 weeks. Fast forward to Dec 7, 2024.(Just short of 4 Months later) Still No Bass, so I inquired again. I got the Reply, “Your Bass Is Complete” My heart Jumped! Then I read further. “Your bass is finished and currently on the way to us from Europe, Estimated time for arrival 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.”
EUROPE!!! I immediately replied, “I was told the bass would be made in NoHo California, where was my bass made?”
No response as of yet. They Lied to me in writing! Don’t know what to do at this point. They have $850 of my money on a special order foreign made bass that was direct with The Bass Exchange.
IMG_3813.png
 
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#26
At this point, let’s just hope your bass shows up. It’s hard to judge the outcome at a distance. If it isn’t a good value, does Reverb assure your return privileges?

I looked over that site and it seemed a little too good too be true (let’s hope I’m wrong). But I couldn’t deal with 16.5 mm string spacing anyway.
 
#27
Heart_Reaper said:
I have a story on this bass. Like you, I wanted a Serek, but they are costly. Plus, I’m a lefty, so my options are only about 5% of right handers. (There should be a discrimination law). I Saw these on Reverb and wanted a left handed 5 string. I ask specifically where they were made, because I don’t buy Foreign Crap that doesn’t hold value. I was told in writing “North Hollywood California”. So in August of this year I make the deal, $1810 total. Zelle’d them a $850 and Was told my American Made 5 String 30” scale Left Handed bass would be ready to ship in 4-8 weeks. Fast forward to Dec 7, 2024.(Just short of 4 Months later) Still No Bass, so I inquired again. I got the Reply, “Your Bass Is Complete” My heart Jumped! Then I read further. “Your bass is finished and currently on the way to us from Europe, Estimated time for arrival 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.”
EUROPE!!! I immediately replied, “I was told the bass would be made in NoHo California, where was my bass made?”
No response as of yet. They Lied to me in writing! Don’t know what to do at this point. They have $850 of my money on a special order foreign made bass that was direct with The Bass Exchange. View attachment 7094993
Click to expand...

Yeah....this smacks of "Designed & Assembled in the USA of Responsibly Sourced Components". The "built in USA" paints with a wide brush and can include anything from assembly to final QC / inspection / set-up. From personal experience, I can tell you virtually NO quality US basses can be had for the bargain price of $1300. That, in and of itself, is a red flag and the seller should have been forthcoming with the details.

Riis
 
#28
Because it was a special order, The Ampshop Bass exchange had me go directly with them. It didn’t go through Reverb. A “good value “ is if it were made in the US. Unless it’s made in Germany or England, it’s NOT a good value. I’d be lucky to get $1k if I don’t like it. Whereas, I would only lose a couple hundred if it were made in the US.
 
#29
Zooberwerx said:
Yeah....this smacks of "Designed & Assembled in the USA of Responsibly Sourced Components". The "built in USA" paints with a wide brush and can include anything from assembly to final QC / inspection / set-up. From personal experience, I can tell you virtually NO quality US basses can be had for the bargain price of $1300. That, in and of itself, is a red flag and the seller should have been forthcoming with the details.

Riis
Click to expand...
The Reverb conversation was because it’s a lefty. The special order was $1,810. Well within entry level US made bass prices. Serek has a new one for $2,200. Which was my first choice, but I liked the look and better price of the Woodcraft bass. This is a flipped pic of a right hand version of what I ordered.
 

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#30
Heart_Reaper said:
The Reverb conversation was because it’s a lefty. The special order was $1,810. Well within entry level US made bass prices. Serek has a new one for $2,200. Which was my first choice, but I liked the look and better price of the Woodcraft bass. This is a flipped pic of a right hand version of what I ordered.
Click to expand...

Special order made it an "outlier" with the $500 upgrade. First thing that came to mind was the Indonesian EHB 5 series in terms of price comparison...and they have lefties. The desired bass was not an "off the rack" Reverb offering so I can't really object to the re-direct outside of normal Reverb buyer protections. Is there any way this can be contested via CC? Appears to me you have more-than-adequate documentation of misrepresentation.

Riis
 
#32
Heart_Reaper said:
I used Zelle for the deposit, so no cc recourse, but I can check with my bank. I’ll see what their response is next week. Maybe they’ll give me my money back, but I won’t hold my breath.
Click to expand...

I did a quick search and found virtually nothing of substance....well, not enough to coax me into dropping $1500 on a virtual unknown. Even the website narrative reminds me of the descriptions of non-native origin. I see a smattering of end-user reviews but nothing solid nor compelling. I think we're dealing with a US depot / distributor for an overseas manufacturer, that and nothing else.

I feel for ya and hope somebody proves me wrong...I'll gladly take my lumps!

Riis
 
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#33
At least they aren’t waiting for it to come from China! I have bought many USA made basses that also didn’t hold their resale value. I think resale is more dependent on the product than the provenance. Good on ya for buying “American” though.

I agree it is a shady practice what they are doing. They could be a lot more forthcoming. The thing says California on it in 3 places… And where in Europe is it being crafted? If it comes from a reputable manufacturer it could be awesome! They should be proud of where they come from because they make a super sexy medium scale 5’er.
 
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#37
Heart_Reaper said:
I have a story on this bass. Like you, I wanted a Serek, but they are costly. Plus, I’m a lefty, so my options are only about 5% of right handers. (There should be a discrimination law). I Saw these on Reverb and wanted a left handed 5 string. I ask specifically where they were made, because I don’t buy Foreign Crap that doesn’t hold value. I was told in writing “North Hollywood California”. So in August of this year I make the deal, $1810 total. Zelle’d them a $850 and Was told my American Made 5 String 30” scale Left Handed bass would be ready to ship in 4-8 weeks. Fast forward to Dec 7, 2024.(Just short of 4 Months later) Still No Bass, so I inquired again. I got the Reply, “Your Bass Is Complete” My heart Jumped! Then I read further. “Your bass is finished and currently on the way to us from Europe, Estimated time for arrival 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.”
EUROPE!!! I immediately replied, “I was told the bass would be made in NoHo California, where was my bass made?”
No response as of yet. They Lied to me in writing! Don’t know what to do at this point. They have $850 of my money on a special order foreign made bass that was direct with The Bass Exchange. View attachment 7094993
Click to expand...
Ahh man this is a bummer. I'm going to contact Gary and see what the deal is. Their Woodcraft basses on reverb also indicate that they're made in the USA. Gosh this bites!
 
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#38
Here's an update on the Woodcraft Ampmasters from Amp Shop Bass Exchange. The bodies are made and painted in Europe. My apologies for posting the wrong information earlier. I talked on the phone with Gary for a while, and everything he said made sense to me. The cost of setting up a nitro paint booth that meets California codes would significantly raise the price of their instruments plus it is cheaper to source the wood in Europe. Their goal is to make quality instruments that any musician can afford and this was one of the better ways to lower prices.

Yes, I could be upset that I'm not getting a 100% US made bass, BUT, if these Ampmasters were 100% US made, they'd cost as much as Sereks. If that were the case, I'd be in the same boat as before, unable to afford any quality medium scale 5 string, and not have any bass coming my way, so I'm not upset. After getting to know Dan I've learned he owns tons of different basses, a few made in Europe, some USA, and some from other parts of the world but his ampmasters are still his #1 basses and if they're good enough for him, I'm sure that'll be the same case for me.

Sid the Kid said:
At least they aren’t waiting for it to come from China! I have bought many USA made basses that also didn’t hold their resale value. I think resale is more dependent on the product than the provenance. Good on ya for buying “American” though.

I agree it is a shady practice what they are doing. They could be a lot more forthcoming. The thing says California on it in 3 places… And where in Europe is it being crafted? If it comes from a reputable manufacturer it could be awesome! They should be proud of where they come from because they make a super sexy medium scale 5’er.
Click to expand...
I'm with @Sid the Kid on this one. Gary's a good guy and he makes sure whatever is leaving his shop is a quality instrument, just gotta be better about the details. I've played plenty of Euro made basses that were incredible. I'm sure this USA/Euro made Ampmaster is gonna blow me away too. Still so excited to be getting a custom bass exactly to my specs for a good price. Yeah, bummer it isn't 100% USA made, but that's the same story for my Nordstrand Acinonyx, which is my favorite bass I own, plus it gets stellar reviews all over this site. I'll make sure to give another update when I receive the bass!
 
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