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Warmoth jazz bass vs. mid-range jazz bass

#22
Lesfunk said:
Well, assuming that you are starting with nothing. It's kind of difficult to build a custom warmoth bass for $800.
For example...
I just pulled these prices off warmoths site.
Let's say we were to build a Nice Custom Jazz Bass. Something very different that you could buy from Fender.
J bass Body Black Korina on Black Korina $446

J bass neck Specs: Pau Ferro/Ebony $318


That's just the body and neck for $764.00 plus shipping.
That's not counting the Bridge, Tuners, Pickups, Pots, Jack, Neck plate and screws, Nut and paying somebody to put it together and set it up if you don't have the skill set.
A bass like that will set you back around 1300.00 to build.

You probably will not be able to get more than $700 should you try to sell it. Plus it'll be hard to sell an instrument like that because one mans perfection is another mans turd.

See what I'm getting at?
Click to expand...
I see what you are saying, but I do think you can build it for cheaper. I've often seen warmoth bodies for less than $300.

Also depending on your situation, you may well have parts available you can use already. I know I do, and thats one reason that warmoth is a real option. If I had to buy everything separately
and oftentimes brand new, the warmoth would indeed be pricey.
 
#25
I have had my luither build me several basses over the years and I will always go with a parts bass first.

I don't care about the resale so much...but I do care about what is the actual instrument and what is in it, and is the sound playability meet my expectations. I have a much better change with a parts bass any day of the week.
 
#27
KingRazor said:
I'm pretty sure you could build a standard P or J for about $800.
Click to expand...

Ahh, excuse me?! You have the body which is about $300, if you're lucky. You have the neck, which is about $395 (if you're lucky)... And, how do you think the thing is going to 'play'? Will it just play itself, the wood and glue?

No, you then have electronics, machine heads, the bridge, nut and strings. That equates to significantly > than $800.00. And, throw in labour, which i will obviously have to pay for (but not that expensive, i might add). You'd also need to consider the fact that the bass wouldn't come with a bag or case, so throw that value in too.

Look, i'm in no hurry for this. Just thought it'd be a good idea to throw around. Gives me something to fantasize about ;). I also think about how a custom bass would sound. I am definately going to do it, it's just a matter of time.
 
#28
KingRazor said:
I'm pretty sure you could build a standard P or J for about $800.
Click to expand...

On Ebay, I recently bought an unfinished 2-piece alder P-Bass body for $60. I'm finishing it myself. (Can of Minwax stain: $4.50; bottle of Tru-Oil, around $12.00.) (In 2006, I bought a Fender Jazz Bass '62 Reissue body (made in Japan in 1991) for $125.)
Also on Ebay, you can get Mighty Mite necks for under $100. Fender Original 1962 P-Bass pickups are $70, new. Last night, I bought a cheap pickguard at Guitar Center for $21, new. Allparts tuning machines are about $50, more or less. Then you've got the bridge, string tree, neck plate, all the screws, the pots and knobs, input jack and strings-- all totalling well under $100.
I will probably bring everything to someone who will put it all together and set it up for $85-100.

WAY less than $800.
 
#29
BadBassNo9 said:
I'd like to hear from people who have owned a Warmoth bass, what they thought of it, and how it compared to a previous brand-named bass they may have owned.
Click to expand...

I have several custom builds. Most of them I'm pretty attached to and won't be selling anytime soon. But the few times I have attempted to sell off a custom build, I took a bath on my investment. Why? Because my build was a little too far off the beaten path in terms of aesthetics and features for most buyers. And some buyers are just wary of a no-name bass.

If you can find a name-brand bass that offers most or all of the aesthetic and functional features you seek, that would be the wiser financial investment in terms of re-sale.

Custom builds for me are if I'm tired of the typical offerings from the name brands and want something a little more specific to my liking, usually finish ideas. But even while you're building one for the looks, it's a perfect opportunity to go all-out with the hardware and other features. Then you have "your bass" that only a custom shop or boutique could deliver.

Just make sure you really like it and won't be thinking about selling it anytime soon, because it's funny how "your perfect bass" is almost never "someone else's" perfect bass.
 
#30
BadBassNo9 said:
Ahh, excuse me?! You have the body which is about $300, if you're lucky. You have the neck, which is about $395 (if you're lucky)... And, how do you think the thing is going to 'play'? Will it just play itself, the wood and glue?

No, you then have electronics, machine heads, the bridge, nut and strings. That equates to significantly > than $800.00. And, throw in labour, which i will obviously have to pay for (but not that expensive, i might add). You'd also need to consider the fact that the bass wouldn't come with a bag or case, so throw that value in too.

Look, i'm in no hurry for this. Just thought it'd be a good idea to throw around. Gives me something to fantasize about ;). I also think about how a custom bass would sound. I am definately going to do it, it's just a matter of time.
Click to expand...

Finished P Body (Warmoth): $370

Finished P Neck (Warmoth): $280 (with nut pre-installed)

Tuners (Ebay): $10 (free shipping)

String Tree (Ebay): $3 (free shipping)

Neck Plate w/ Screws: $9 (free shipping)

P-bass Pickguard: $9 ($8 shipping)

Gotoh 201 4-string Bridge (Warmoth): $32 ($7.50 shipping)

Pots, Jack, Cap, Wire (Allparts): $24 ($7 shipping)

Strings: About $18 at most stores, depending on brand

Fender P bass Pickup: $53 (free shipping)

Total: $830.50

I'm sorry, you're right, I should have just said $850. :rollno:
 
#31
KingRazor said:
Finished P Body (Warmoth): $370

Finished P Neck (Warmoth): $280 (with nut pre-installed)

Tuners (Ebay): $10 (free shipping)

String Tree (Ebay): $3 (free shipping)

Neck Plate w/ Screws: $9 (free shipping)

P-bass Pickguard: $9 ($8 shipping)

Gotoh 201 4-string Bridge (Warmoth): $32 ($7.50 shipping)

Pots, Jack, Cap, Wire (Allparts): $24 ($7 shipping)

Strings: About $18 at most stores, depending on brand

Fender P bass Pickup: $53 (free shipping)

Total: $830.50

I'm sorry, you're right, I should have just said $850. :rollno:
Click to expand...

2011 Fender Standard Precision BASS BODY P Bass | eBay

Mighty Mite for Fender Precision P Bass Neck Maple 2907 | eBay
 
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#33
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#34
KingRazor said:
Oh I know, but I was originally talking about Warmoth basses. So I stuck to that. Someone said that couldn't be done under $800. Well, it CAN be done for less than $900, at least. I proved that with my previous post.

If all you want is a simple P or J though, ebay is the way to go, as you can see.
Click to expand...

yes it can be done if you choose very carefully and don't go too wild in the options. Or else it adds up, duh.
 
#35
joeyl said:
yes it can be done if you choose very carefully and don't go too wild in the options. Or else it adds up, duh.
Click to expand...

^ This ^

Every time I went into a Warmoth or parts build with the idea of just getting the bare minimum and cutting corners, it suddenly hit me: If I wanted a bare-bones budget bass, why am I building it myself from hand-picked parts?

It's REALLY hard to go low-budget when you're putting together a custom build. The whole reason you're building your bass is you want it to be somehow superior to "budget basses"--so why use budget parts?

Well, that's my dilemma anyway. Which is why I can never keep my custom builds below the $1,200.00 mark. :)
 
#36
Buying new parts from Warmoth and doing the build yourself will cost you at least 40% of the cost of you go to sell it. If you make a good buy on a used MIM, MIJ/CIJ or MIA Fender, etc. you can break even and regain 100% of your investment. If your not 100% sure what you want and finances are a concern then this should be an important consideration.
Warmoth does offer many custom/exotic options, but I wouldn't necessarily say that they sound better. Alder/ash body with a maple neck sounds pretty good, Fender doesn't just choose these combinations because they're inexpensive and plain looking. Bird's eyes, quilt and flames are important ans sought ofter by a lot of players, but it's also a pretty "personalized taste" for many.
 
#39
irishpride28 said:
Perhaps, but at that point it defeats the purpose of going Warmoth and you should look for a used MIA on the classifieds.
Click to expand...

Yeah but you can get a few things that an MIA doesn't offer, like your choice of fret size. And for only a little bit more you can get things like pearl blocks, different woods, a slim taper neck, etc.

And it'd still be cheaper than a new MIA.
 
#40
KingRazor said:
Finished P Body (Warmoth): $370

Finished P Neck (Warmoth): $280 (with nut pre-installed)

Tuners (Ebay): $10 (free shipping)

String Tree (Ebay): $3 (free shipping)

Neck Plate w/ Screws: $9 (free shipping)

P-bass Pickguard: $9 ($8 shipping)

Gotoh 201 4-string Bridge (Warmoth): $32 ($7.50 shipping)

Pots, Jack, Cap, Wire (Allparts): $24 ($7 shipping)

Strings: About $18 at most stores, depending on brand

Fender P bass Pickup: $53 (free shipping)

Total: $830.50

I'm sorry, you're right, I should have just said $850. :rollno:
Click to expand...

Well, i did say a "Warmoth" and i did say "J bass"! The quotes i got were significantly more than the figures you have rattled off :rolleyes:. But, anyway... Peace. It's no biggie ;)
 

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