I'd consider Carvin to be custom, not boutique. On the other hand, some boutique builders offer less custom options than Carvin. Boutique and custom are often used interchangeably so it gets confusing.
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Who prefers mass produced over boutique?
- Thread starter Cygnus X-1
- Start date
I'd consider Carvin to be custom, not boutique. On the other hand, some boutique builders offer less custom options than Carvin. Boutique and custom are often used interchangeably so it gets confusing.
Very true. Where does one draw the line??? Meh, I don't care as long as I get the things I want.
That's a fairly foolish stance IME
I bought, off the top of my head, my Lakland 55-94 Limited, Fodera Anthony Jackson Contrabass, Bone Avatar 6, Elrick New Jazz Standard 5, Brubaker NBS-1 and KXB-5 Custom... all without trying them first. All are excellent basses and arrived that way. IMO it would've been foolish to pass up the deals I got on them.
The best part is, for someone to whom budget is a factor, it's amazing what you can pick up used in the boutique segment for the same price as a lower end instruments. People just don't seem to know that.
Oh I was just trying to say, people buy Carvins without trying them first, so if they're willing to buy a Carvin, then I think they'd be willing to buy a Fodera, Pedulla, F Bass, etc without playing one first too.
That's a fairly foolish stance IME
The best part is, for someone to whom budget is a factor, it's amazing what you can pick up used in the boutique segment for the same price as a lower end instruments. People just don't seem to know that.
+1 My friend Rob bought a used Pedualla for around $1100 or there abouts on Ebay a couple of years back. There are deals all over, ya just have to know where to find them.
I have three Fenders, and I get almost as much pleasure out of playing them as any of my boutique basses. Almost.
Don't be silly...nobody needs that'cept when you need it to be a fretless 6.
Just kidding...calm down, everyone.
An advantage of boutique is it gives you access to the builder. I know that player feedback is important to Roger Sadowsky and I really sense that in the design of my Sadowsky 5 string. It has features that address the needs of the gigging musician right down to the gig bag that comes with it.
But production gear is pretty darned good these days. You can sound good at just about any price point. And with high quality basses like Music Man, Peavey Cirrus, and Lakland (to name a few), the gap in workmanship between production and boutique is pretty small.
But production gear is pretty darned good these days. You can sound good at just about any price point. And with high quality basses like Music Man, Peavey Cirrus, and Lakland (to name a few), the gap in workmanship between production and boutique is pretty small.
The main reason I can see going to a boutique bass over a production bass is if you feel you need something that a production bass does not offer.
I once had a teacher who could have bought any one (or many) of the most expensive boutique basses available, but played a few production basses (Fender, MusicMan, Yamaha). Why? Because they suited his needs just fine.
I once had a teacher who could have bought any one (or many) of the most expensive boutique basses available, but played a few production basses (Fender, MusicMan, Yamaha). Why? Because they suited his needs just fine.
Exactly. And with so many brands out there, there's a good chance of finding what suits you.
I can also see some struggling pros not being able to afford boutiques.
Who prefers mass produced over boutique?
A couple of things -
1. A '62 Fender jazz is mass produced.
2. There are plenty of junky boutiques.
That being said and assuming you kind of ignore the strictness above......
I haven't heard anyone who prefers something being built exactly to their specs vs. buying off the shelf. I've heard reasons why it might not make sense for one reason or another but this has proved to be a very good question or a really stupid one I can't decide.
A couple of things -
1. A '62 Fender jazz is mass produced.
2. There are plenty of junky boutiques.
That being said and assuming you kind of ignore the strictness above......
I haven't heard anyone who prefers something being built exactly to their specs vs. buying off the shelf. I've heard reasons why it might not make sense for one reason or another but this has proved to be a very good question or a really stupid one I can't decide.
There are basses made by Fender, and there are basses made by everyone else. Nuf sed.
Really? The only ones I've heard complaints about, from a build quality point of view, are Dave Pushic and some Gibson Tobiases.
+1
the only complaints I hear about boutique basses are about tone, mostly. Perhaps an unforseen issue of weight or feel, but these are generally pretty well specified. Pretty much everyone says the construction is flawless on boutique priced basses.
That said, I would not consider DP a boutique brand.
The thing about boutique luthiers is that each dud is that the scale of business is much different and one bad bass by a small luthier might be the equivalent of 100 Fenders when adjusted for scale. It's still possible that luthiers make mistakes, after all, we're all still human.
Certain places like Fodera, Alembic, Conklin, and Ken Smith have a very huuuge name and can charge a lot based on demand. The other guys gotta work hard to earn customers and often rely on word of mouth for business. Needless to say, if these luthiers are charging much more than a Fender and not making an instrument that's worth the extra price, I don't see 'em being in business very long. Although DP more or less has/had a niche for people who couldn't quite afford the top shelf type of boutique bass.
Good point. Who knows, it might just well be.
When I was looking for a 5, I had the option for a $1000 Fender vs $2000 Sadowsky. Nothing inherently wrong with the Fender, but really, it didn't do it for me. Sure I could've had 2 Fenders for the price of 1 Sadowsky, but the Sadowsky is what really inspired me. Trust me, I would've loved to have saved $1000. But I was way more inspired and really felt connected to the higher end bass. It just had a little nicer recorded sound, too.
I guess I kind of echo "mass produced boutiques"
But it doesn't have to be high end to sound great, like so many of us keep saying.
I LOVE my Yamaha BB414! It's fatter to me than anything!
Maybe, maybe not. You can send a Carvin back for a refund but I don't think that applies to a custom spec'd Fodera.
