I wanted to share my recent experience and thank the bass community at large for this forum and the wealth of contributions I've found here. I'm a long time lookie-loo having played all manner of instruments in my 39 yrs. While I'm far from a pro I'm proud to call myself a lifelong musician, dedicated tinkerer and certified mad hatter. I live for this stuff and I appreciate all you who do as well.
So my story goes I went searching for a new bass several months ago and while I've owned many this one had to be special; the one. I didn't think I could really afford something custom whilst I had a handful of special requirements, ideas and questions. I'd considered more than a few instruments and build kits but none seemed to suit every aspect I was after so my search continued.
I combed forums and a few names/brands kept coming up of which I could not spare the expense for nor was I falling in love w/ the options I might actually be able to afford. I ran across a couple posts highly recommending Tom Clement for affordable top quality custom work so I contacted him w/ my goals and budget. He was super responsive, sent pics of choice stock and just generally was on the ball, the guy is a machine. I honestly don't know how he has time to take such great care of customers, shoot build pics and put out top quality completely hand-crafted instruments. I had tons of choice options along the way even before commissioning the build; Tom was great about outlining everything and didn't get frustrated when asked questions or for best recommendations. He's sincerely a super nice guy, don't hesitate to contact him if you have an idea for something, he can make it happen!
Yesterday I took delivery of Clement Bass #521 and it is not only a work of art but a tonal titan of endless expression. It's truly the purest representation of fine craftsmanship I've ever had the pleasure of holding in my hands. Thank you guys so much for helping me find Tom, I could not be happier w/ the outcome.
The sound:
Amazingly full, resonate lows from a 30" short-scale 4-string; does not sound dinky AT ALL! I can understand now how his 34" 5-strings easily hit a low B unmatched in other standard-scale instruments. Intonation spot on, tap for an octave about anywhere even up the low E. 4-band pre/eq is a monster—15 minutes to find 15 distinct sounds w/o touching an outboard knob; impressive even for an active setup imho. It's incredibly fast and responsive, barely touch the strings or go nuts at 120+ bpm and it delivers like a pro setup should.
The feel:
I love a short bass and this one has excellent balance w/ zero dive. Is very accessible up to the last fret line w/o stretching over the body/neck—due to the bottom cutaway being very deep. The work on the neck, body and fretboard paired w/ nylon wrapped strings make for a very comfortable instrument. The contouring on the back of the neck where it meets the single-cut is noticeably ergonomic. You can tell a lot of thought went into this part and it's really appreciated because despite its beauty this is a players instrument.
The experience:
It was incredibly rewarding working w/ Tom and I can't really describe his mojo; you just have to experience it. I've commissioned other artisan crafted instruments before but never a guitar and the process throughout was nothing short of inspiring. I got absolutely every single thing I ever wanted in this build. Other than that if you asked me what makes my Clement Bass something different, I'd say it's the mojo. You can't buy that, you have to earn it like Tom does every single day.
For the People, by the People—Support your local Luthier!
Build details:
7.05 lbs
30" short-scale
Perfectly balanced
Single-cut body (modified Ryan design)
Bartolini active pickups
Audere pro-z 4-band preamp
Walnut top
Accent line
Maple neck
Swamp Ash body
Bloodwood fretboard
Labella white nylon strings
Fretless lined w/ top dot inlays
Choice woods hand-crafted to artisan perfection
Results:
Finished build time:
Less than 3 months; note only because of unexpected delay w/ custom truss rod, otherwise eta was closer to 7 weeks
Cost delivered:
Less than 3k all-inclusive, shipped to my door in a nice case from Florida to Missouri. Worth every last penny, living my best life.
Note:
I was not asked to do this review nor am I a pro. I simply want to see more of these in the world and wouldn't have been able get what I'd dreamed of w/o you all helping me find Tom. Many thanks again!
So my story goes I went searching for a new bass several months ago and while I've owned many this one had to be special; the one. I didn't think I could really afford something custom whilst I had a handful of special requirements, ideas and questions. I'd considered more than a few instruments and build kits but none seemed to suit every aspect I was after so my search continued.
I combed forums and a few names/brands kept coming up of which I could not spare the expense for nor was I falling in love w/ the options I might actually be able to afford. I ran across a couple posts highly recommending Tom Clement for affordable top quality custom work so I contacted him w/ my goals and budget. He was super responsive, sent pics of choice stock and just generally was on the ball, the guy is a machine. I honestly don't know how he has time to take such great care of customers, shoot build pics and put out top quality completely hand-crafted instruments. I had tons of choice options along the way even before commissioning the build; Tom was great about outlining everything and didn't get frustrated when asked questions or for best recommendations. He's sincerely a super nice guy, don't hesitate to contact him if you have an idea for something, he can make it happen!
Yesterday I took delivery of Clement Bass #521 and it is not only a work of art but a tonal titan of endless expression. It's truly the purest representation of fine craftsmanship I've ever had the pleasure of holding in my hands. Thank you guys so much for helping me find Tom, I could not be happier w/ the outcome.
The sound:
Amazingly full, resonate lows from a 30" short-scale 4-string; does not sound dinky AT ALL! I can understand now how his 34" 5-strings easily hit a low B unmatched in other standard-scale instruments. Intonation spot on, tap for an octave about anywhere even up the low E. 4-band pre/eq is a monster—15 minutes to find 15 distinct sounds w/o touching an outboard knob; impressive even for an active setup imho. It's incredibly fast and responsive, barely touch the strings or go nuts at 120+ bpm and it delivers like a pro setup should.
The feel:
I love a short bass and this one has excellent balance w/ zero dive. Is very accessible up to the last fret line w/o stretching over the body/neck—due to the bottom cutaway being very deep. The work on the neck, body and fretboard paired w/ nylon wrapped strings make for a very comfortable instrument. The contouring on the back of the neck where it meets the single-cut is noticeably ergonomic. You can tell a lot of thought went into this part and it's really appreciated because despite its beauty this is a players instrument.
The experience:
It was incredibly rewarding working w/ Tom and I can't really describe his mojo; you just have to experience it. I've commissioned other artisan crafted instruments before but never a guitar and the process throughout was nothing short of inspiring. I got absolutely every single thing I ever wanted in this build. Other than that if you asked me what makes my Clement Bass something different, I'd say it's the mojo. You can't buy that, you have to earn it like Tom does every single day.
For the People, by the People—Support your local Luthier!
Build details:
7.05 lbs
30" short-scale
Perfectly balanced
Single-cut body (modified Ryan design)
Bartolini active pickups
Audere pro-z 4-band preamp
Walnut top
Accent line
Maple neck
Swamp Ash body
Bloodwood fretboard
Labella white nylon strings
Fretless lined w/ top dot inlays
Choice woods hand-crafted to artisan perfection
Results:
Finished build time:
Less than 3 months; note only because of unexpected delay w/ custom truss rod, otherwise eta was closer to 7 weeks
Cost delivered:
Less than 3k all-inclusive, shipped to my door in a nice case from Florida to Missouri. Worth every last penny, living my best life.
Note:
I was not asked to do this review nor am I a pro. I simply want to see more of these in the world and wouldn't have been able get what I'd dreamed of w/o you all helping me find Tom. Many thanks again!
