When did you get a custom/boutique bass?

[Passinwind]

Alembic??

Nope, a fretless Travis Bean. I did look at an Alembic and a Pedulla the same day, but the Alembic was fretted and IIRC the Pedulla was just beyond my budget. Liked the Bean as much or more in any case, and I still had to literally bum subway money on the street to get home. The Alembic would have run 900 bucks back then BTW.

 

[Jimstyx]

More of a it found me story. Back in the late 80s I was roaming Levins' when a guy rolled up to the counter and opened up the case on a Spector NS-2 in flame maple cherryburst. Man...it was the most beautiful bass I'd ever seen and and at that moment decided that one day I would have one.
Fast forward about a year and I roll into my local MI shop in Richmond and I talk to my regular guy, Chuck. He says "hey, I got something to show you"... and he returns from the back and goes, "we just got this in on trade". Guess what ...Spector NS2 in flamed maple cherryburst....in dead mint condition. Bought it on the spot..no remorse. For all I knew it could have been the same one that I saw up in Washington.
Last I heard it was part of Todd Cooke's collection. #1639 if anyone sees it. Todd offered to sell it back to me a few years ago, but I declined. My SSD NS4s got me covered.

Richmond michigan?
That's where I live brother

 

[Relsom]

Richmond michigan?
That's where I live brother

Richmond Virginia, though we're all brothers here. No matter where we're from.

 

[Lownote38]

I've been playing bass for 30 years, and I didn't have a bass built for me until about 4, or so years ago. It's now my main instrument.

 

[Accurmi]

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Good stuff.

I’ve been playing for about 10 years, but roughly 4 of those it was very sporadic to nearly nonexistent. So, for the last year I’ve been really heavily getting back into it and it feels like my love of the instrument has grown tenfold. Bought a fender American pro jazz bass about a year ago. I love it, but there are a few things I wish I could tweak. Or, more likely, my technique isn’t the best lol.

But ever since I discovered Carl Thompson basses (I know, I know) I can’t take my eyes off them. I don’t know if I can justify the cost for even a basic model, however. But I did find Cliff Bordwell’s page and his are very reasonable and from what I’ve read are amazing instruments. May just have to start a rainy day fund....

 

[Zooberwerx]

In '87, I bought a brand-new Kubicki Ex Factor from Thoroughbred Music / Tampa for the grand sum of...wait for it...$1100 with a case shipped. I kinda miss it and have been searching for a 5 string headless equivalent for years. The closest I've come is my Maruszczyk Frog 5.

Riis

 

[ClassicJazz]

It was 1990 when a got my first custom bass, an Alembic Distillate 5 string. Had it made when I was on tour. Always dreamed of getting an Alembic and this was the perfect opportunity, needed a five string. It was my main bass for many years on the road and off.

 

[scuzzy]

Got over-promised on an opportunity around about 2007. Ordered a custom 5'er that fit the bill perfectly. That group split up before the build was done, lol.

Liked it so much I ordered another one years after, in a different style and as a 4 string. Both are still my best sounding basses in their own way, play and look great.

 

[Iridescentone]

Does the original Steinberger L-2 count as "boutique"? If so, I got mine in 1982

I'd say that in '82 a 'berger was not a "custom" bass, but was most definitely a "boutique" bass. Considering that at the time, there were 3 people involved in the little Brooklyn operation. One guy and his helper doing the fab work, and NS working the phone and going to trade shows. They were making them desperately at a onesy-twosey pace, throwing many of the castings in the trash while still experimenting with the recipe for the just the right compound material. I ordered one in Fall of '81, it arrived first week in January of '82. Ironically, it was serial # 082, which I took as a "good omen" for our garage band (it wasn't...lol).

 

[GIBrat51]

Even though it's their least expensive bass (at a MSRP of $6500 ) and there are no custom options on it, my '95 Epic is an Alembic - so I guess it qualifies as a boutique bass... the "custom" part might be debatable, though.
Hate to disappoint you, but there never was a defining moment at any point in my playing career when I decided to get a bass like this one. About 20 years ago, I reached a point where I could pretty much buy what I wanted. So, I made a list, and, beginning with my '78 P-Bass, started to assemble a herd. I don't like to use the word "Collection"; to me, it implies that I just have them, and they don't get played. All mine do get played a fair bit; if they're actually playable, that is. Several of them aren't, at the moment... Anyway, there was a spot for an active bass in there - even though I don't like batteries in instruments as a rule. About 10-11 years ago, I got around to filling that spot - and, purely by chance, this Alembic was the first active lefty bass that caught my eye on eBay. The price was reasonable - as in "waay less than $6500" - so I bought it. It could have been any other 4-string active lefty bass that was made at the time. That it turned out to be an Alembic was just simply the luck of the draw. I'm glad it was, though; it is a really nice bass...

 

[Bassmann79]

Question for those who own custom/boutique basses.

At what point in your playing career did you decide to get your custom/boutique bass?
Was there a defining moment?

Ever since I discovered them I can’t keep my eyes off them! Such beautiful pieces of craftsmanship...

Many many years after I started, probably 23yrs after I started.

 

[Captain Chaos]

First one in 91, second one in 96, both made by a local place called the Guitar Factory, who are two guys who used to work with Michael Tobias when he lived in Orlando. Excellent basses in that neck-thru active style. One's a 5, the other a 4 with a Kahler whammy. Both have EMG active PJ's and BQC preamps. Still have them, too. Weren't all that expensive as customs go, either. I could have made them a lot more expensive had I gone for more exotic woods than mahogany. Very easy to play and killer tone very much in that Fodera Monarch/Spector NS-2 tonal family. You asked if there was a defining moment about how we knew it was time in our development to get customs, and there was a big one for me...getting approved for student loans after I finally decided to go to local college, and finding out they could make me a bass and still leave me some money to bank!

But every time I used a Fender with the bands I was working with, no matter what band it was, it just sounded and felt right, whereas I was doing a lot of stuff that the GF's were unsuited for. Tried to fight it for years...my only good bass (and most of the time my only bass) for like 15 years was a Fender and I kind of resented not being able to afford some really cool different basses that I could use instead. After the GF's I even bought a few other vintage and vintage style basses I thought would work as well as a Fender...they were very nice, too, although much cheaper than the GF's. But none of them worked like a Fender P or J where I could use them on everything and sound right with every band. But I keep them because they might be good for certain things I might do in the future, and even though it's been probably twice in the last 15 years that someone requested it, it's not a bad idea to keep a 5-string around.

Here they are with Buffy:

View attachment 3135622

Those guys have some cool stories. I remember seeing a pic of Kirk Hammett with one of their guitars last time I was there.

 

[cosmicevan]

Music was never discouraged but I always had to save to buy my gear. I got my first bass after a long while saving as a 13 yr old. A 5 string came about a yr after and my next upgrade wasn’t for a few yrs (warwaick 5 corvette fna > modulus quantum 5). boutique was probably some where in the 5 - 8 yr range for me. I reached my personal nirvana (Carl Thompson) probably somewhere on the 12 - 15 yrs of playing and it wasn’t until about a yr ago when I got the ideal setup I was looking for in a pair (32” and 36” scale) Thompsons. Have owned dozens...in the 10 - 20 yr range as a bassist I got heavy into buying/selling/trading and checking out everything I could get my hands on (worked in a shop that specialized in euaropean and internationally handmade instruments, got to go to several NAMM and Musik Messe shows, even ran a booth!). Highly recommend taking advantage of getting your hands on as many different instruments as you can.

 

[tradernick]

I played the same MIJ Photoflame Jazz bass for many years.

I bought my first boutique bass...

when I found this place.

 

[zon6c-f]

Question for those who own custom/boutique basses.

At what point in your playing career did you decide to get your custom/boutique bass?
Was there a defining moment?

Ever since I discovered them I can’t keep my eyes off them! Such beautiful pieces of craftsmanship...

 

[FilTurd]

Year 30, but I was happy, more then happy with my Guild Pilot. Then I found a Gamma Alpha and love it. Everyone loves it.

 

[zon6c-f]

Question for those who own custom/boutique basses.

At what point in your playing career did you decide to get your custom/boutique bass?
Was there a defining moment?

Ever since I discovered them I can’t keep my eyes off them! Such beautiful pieces of craftsmanship...

I’ve been planting since 68/69

My first good bass was 72 Ric 4001

Ordered boutique Shortly after 911!

Went to an all day show and my wife said it’s time to buy that Zon

(I Thought economy was gonna crash )

Special order required step by step process

Sales guy was good! I only wanted a 5er Said $100 more gets a 6! Wife said go for it

I was already overwhelmed and sales guy asked about LEDs. I humbly declined. Hind sight being 20/20 shoulda got LEDs
See my avatar: There she is ; a scratchless wonder to this day
Playable art

I am still not worthy....

 

[Accurmi]

“Still not worthy” yes! This captures exactly how I feel. I want one so bad, but feel unworthy.

But, the question is... will I ever?

 

[Manticore]

I played my Ric 4001 for almost 20 years when I ordered my first Alembic in '92. I've since acquired quite a few other basses, including a few more Alembics. I now own at least one example of each of the "iconic" basses (4001, J, P, Stingray, Explorer, EBO), and I am now of the opinion there is no reason to play anything other than Alembic. But that's just me.

 

[JimmyM]

“Still not worthy” yes! This captures exactly how I feel. I want one so bad, but feel unworthy.

But, the question is... will I ever?

You may, you may not. But the boutique market is so not driven by worthiness, so don't let that be a stumbling block for you. You wouldn't believe the amount of folks who don't play superstar level who buy really expensive gear just because they can afford it. It's because of them that these boutique places stay in business. Fodera can't sell to only Victor Wooten and stay in business, you know?

If I had it to do it over again, I might do the 4 with the whammy bar as I found a couple really cool uses for it that don't involve dive bombing , but only because it's probably just as cheap to get a custom with it built on there from the getgo than buy a bass and pay a luthier to rout out your bass and install a whammy. Don't want another bass with a whammy but I'm darn glad to have one. But there's no way I'd ever do the 5 again. I would just get some used but decent cheapo. And while I haven't completely ruled out ever getting another boutique bass again, chances are that unless it's a Fender P or J style bass, it's just not going to get very much play.

Even so, I'm still down with the boutique stuff, and if you want it and you have enough money to where you can still pay your bills, have fun. They won't make you play better, but they can inspire you to want to play more often, and that does make you better.