Tell them what you want and expect for what you have to spend. Don't waste their time with the I want, I want, I want, and change your mind a hundred times.
AMEN to that!
Thanks for the supportive words, Billy! (and hello)
No , I'm not taking orders yet (watch for Hoytbasses.com at a computer near you probably in early 2007)
my vote would be for any of the makers previously listed but I'd say FBB, Lecompte, or Stambaugh in no particular order. All are reasonable and nice folks who will work with you.
The MAIN thing is to seriously ask yourself what you want/need in a bass that you don't already have in your current axes. Secondly, how experienced are you? If you are a living room player or relatively new player, why on earth do you want to pay that much doe for a bass? Figure out what you're all about musically before throwing a tone of bucks towards something you may not like 5 years from now.
If you are a weekend warrior or a pro, do you really want drunks banging into your totally custom instrument when you're on break? it's going to sound wierd coming from a bass builder, but I hate the thought of building a boutique bass that's just going to sit in a case. I've always been a player first and a bassoholic second. Who cares if you have a carpathian burl top on a samoan lynxwood body with a through neck of wenge,maple and snakewood IF you can't take it out and play it!
If you are one of these folks who buy and trade basses like baseball cards, please don't call us to build you a bass. We put a bit of our soul into every instrument and a little bit of our soul gets ripped out every time someone capriciously buys, then sells one of the instruments we have put our souls into building. We want to see them used and loved.
I agree with the person who says: 'Stay Local'. I personally would NEVER buy a bass from a custom builder across the country if I can't play it first. REmember, I'm a gigging musician first (probably 50 dates a year... so mostly weekend warrior) and it isn't worth anything if it doesn't work for you.
finally, TRUST THE BUILDER'S JUDGEMENT. Too many customers think they have the next great design in their heads that, in point of fact, won't work from a player's/ergonomic perspective...... I made that mistake in listening to a couple customers and their basses, frankly, weren't very good when the above requisites were taken into account ( you can be sure they played and sounded damned good because I wouldn't let them go out the door otherwise but aesthetically they were not that good)
P.S...... no custom bass will ever supplant practice, technique, and fundamentals. too often someone thinks that the next great bass will make the player better. nope, It don't work like that! it all comes down to the P word: practice. I'm a pretty damned good bassist and I learned on a Harmony with bow and arrow style action. ( it also started me as an instrument builder) . Getting my first precision only helped my technique get more fluid because I wasn't fighting the bass.
good luck on your quest
Karl Hoyt
But that's kind of a chicken-and-egg thing... a truly custom bass isn't built when you buy it... I'd agree that one should be familiar with the builder's work (and have played one of their instruments)...although that's not how Karl and I started off. I couldn't be happier though.
