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The Fender Custom Shop is a Joke
- Thread starter Just Thumpin'
- Start date
I can't imagine too many people would jump on a $4K Fodera because they can't afford $8K and a 5 year wait. Hell, I'd need the five years to get the dough saved up
Consider what happened to Spector, Tobias, Steinberger and other high-end builders who tried to deal with high demand by getting into lower-cost models.
They also sold out to companies that were able to make more basses, but ultimately kept them on the back burnder. Subsequently, when Spector sold to Kramer, they went under in 1990 or something. Steinberger and Tobias were sold to Gibson....and we know how much Gibson cares about basses, let alone a bass that doesn't bear the Gibson logo.
"Custom Shop" is such a misconception....you know that Fender isn't the only one...Gibson, Martin, even Peavey....all of the Majors will just use pre-made parts and fit them their menu of specs...and then call them "custom". Rubbish.
Now, even my small potatoes operation isn't truly a "custom shop"...but you have your choice of neck size, shape, etc, at no extra cost to you.....and I will do just about any "custom" finish for an upcharge. The instrument would probably have to follow my design philosophy of super light weight, and passive hybrid electronics. I have been known to put frets in them though.....
Now, even my small potatoes operation isn't truly a "custom shop"...but you have your choice of neck size, shape, etc, at no extra cost to you.....and I will do just about any "custom" finish for an upcharge. The instrument would probably have to follow my design philosophy of super light weight, and passive hybrid electronics. I have been known to put frets in them though.....
Here is a good alternative to the Fender custom shop:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474790
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474790
Blatant photoshop!
Only way to prove its real, is to send it to me......
One of the funniest TB responses recently to make me laugh out loud. Thanks. Needed that!
I may be completely wrong, but when I think of Fender Custom Shop, I think of their standard production basses, but only hand crafted with hand picked woods and with a great attention to detail.
While $12,000 is astonomical, what you describe is sort of a "customized crafted bass" made by the "custom shop". So really you have a double whammy. First, you want a fully unique and customized bass. Second, you want it made in the Fender custom shop.
Just saying. Not taking sides either way. Not exactly what I think of when I think of a Cutsom Shop Fender bass.
While $12,000 is astonomical, what you describe is sort of a "customized crafted bass" made by the "custom shop". So really you have a double whammy. First, you want a fully unique and customized bass. Second, you want it made in the Fender custom shop.
Just saying. Not taking sides either way. Not exactly what I think of when I think of a Cutsom Shop Fender bass.
Correct, but not sure it's rubbish. The implication is that these basses will have a better build quality....Is that true? I'm sure that's another thread.
I own a 64 Jazz CS Relic and while I love it (I wasn't a big fan relic'd basses either) I wonder if the build quality is better or they just took a stock Jazz and relic'd it? Granted the color on it is custom, but how much more care do they take in building it as opposed to their stock American basses? Good question and I hope someone that knows more about it than I do has an answer.I totally agree...but that doesn't make it "custom"....that makes it "special" or "super premium".
At least in my definition of things...custom means special sizing, special paint, a (perhaps) unique body shape, one off neck shape, scale length, pickups custom wound for that custormer, etc.
I would return a "custom" Fender if it didn't have the best, most stable woods, and attention to detail These IMHO are a given. So they better have selected that neck from the most stable of their lot, likewise the body.
AND, while you might order a custom paint color, it's hard to beat the modern finishing crews on the standard instruments.
At least in my definition of things...custom means special sizing, special paint, a (perhaps) unique body shape, one off neck shape, scale length, pickups custom wound for that custormer, etc.
I would return a "custom" Fender if it didn't have the best, most stable woods, and attention to detail These IMHO are a given. So they better have selected that neck from the most stable of their lot, likewise the body.
AND, while you might order a custom paint color, it's hard to beat the modern finishing crews on the standard instruments.
Good one!I have two CS P Basses (and another on the way), but they're all "Team Built", standard models - if (like me) you really dig vintage Fenders but can't afford the real deal, I think that these are a good alternative.
As for the truly custom creations, I think that you have to keep in mind that the people who build those are possibly the highest paid luthiers in the industry (correct me if I'm wrong, it's just my assumption
) and are mainly making guitars/basses for "the stars" - hence the astronomical prices !Invalid Link Removed
Looks pretty custom to me...not a whole lot of "custom" options, but there's enough for most people and the highest price you can get is like $3400 or thereabouts unless you contact the custom shop in person and get something crazy.
edit: Better yet, look at the one for guitars:
Invalid Link Removed
Just re-read your original post, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Victor Bailey a 22-fret neck? That basically means they would have to redesign the '64 body to accommodate a 22-fret instead of a 20-fret neck. That's probably what accounts for the exorbitant price more than anything else.
Correct, but not sure it's rubbish. The implication is that these basses will have a better build quality....Is that true? I'm sure that's another thread.
They use different woods, and you can see and feel the care taken building them; definitely not stock instruments in any way.
I'm confused by the quote, too, as the CS has prices for each upgrade or change to their spec TM basses, and I can't imagine the total going that high. i would check with another dealer, unless your design is so different it means them making a totally custom bass, which I guess they won't touch these days unless they can make a fortune doing it.
My take from looking at their history is that they started as a full proper custom shop, albeit with a few commonly made instruments as well, then had great success getting Cunetto to relic special runs, and then in the late '90s standardized production with their Time Machine series. it seems they added Masterbuilt instruments a bit later, not sure when, to cover instruments with variations on the TM models, and for special editions.
I think the demand is so high making the TM, Teambuilt (essentially TM instruments with options built by the shop rather than mostly one Masterbuilder) and MB basses that they really aren't interested in pulling builders off of them for truly custom work, though this is conjecture on my part.
My '64 NOS built in 2005 can hold its own in looks, tone and playability with any jazz i've played, simply a marvellous bass. I only paid $1500 used for it, and as someone else said, used CS instruments can be one of the great bargains in high end bassdom, IMO.
Prince plays that imi Tele guit and has the tone...think its a Hondo. I think its just a case of headstock logo snobery.
To the OP, sounds like you already made a good decision. Some of the "clonies" Lull, Sadowsky, Valenti, make great looking instrument that have better options than the run of the mill fender and I garauntee they won't charge 12k for something like that. I really need to stop looking at these threads. Anyone have Pepto, I got the GAS.
What an odd thread. I'd think you'd go to the Fender custom shop to get a customized Fender, not to have the Fender custom people make a bass you could get just as easily from a hundred "you design it, I'll build it" luthiers - most of whom are just as good as the guys at Fender.
And what's a "customized Fender"? I'd say, a standard Fender model with carefully selected woods and extraordinary attention to detail. And, of course, the Fender logo. Anything beyond this but still basically Fenderish, you'd go to Sadowsky or LEJ or Lull or Pensa or Valenti to get an absolute top-quality "near-Fender" with (let's say) your own choice of pickups, tuners, bridge etc. not part of Fender's ordinary stock.
Something even *more* different, you've cast loose from Fender altogether, and the FCS would be a much worse choice than (say) Stambaugh or Warrior - not as good a bass, WAY overpriced, and why bother? Just so you could try to convince people Fender (and not you) put a Fender decal on some very different design?
And what's a "customized Fender"? I'd say, a standard Fender model with carefully selected woods and extraordinary attention to detail. And, of course, the Fender logo. Anything beyond this but still basically Fenderish, you'd go to Sadowsky or LEJ or Lull or Pensa or Valenti to get an absolute top-quality "near-Fender" with (let's say) your own choice of pickups, tuners, bridge etc. not part of Fender's ordinary stock.
Something even *more* different, you've cast loose from Fender altogether, and the FCS would be a much worse choice than (say) Stambaugh or Warrior - not as good a bass, WAY overpriced, and why bother? Just so you could try to convince people Fender (and not you) put a Fender decal on some very different design?
Hey Mutant....
Take a look at this neck...this was shipped on a bass a few weeks ago.
I was the QA Engineer at Pv's Leakesville, MS guitar factory from 96 through 99....The Cirrus was just coming on board my last year there. The neck you see above was a "cut off" from back side of the neck throughs on the Cirrus...I had about forty or fifty of them, but gave them to my father in law....I just retrieved a few from him a couple of months ago. I have a few walnuts left, and maybe a couple of maples/purpleheart.....
