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Wishbass Club

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#121
Thanks, bassdude. For a minute i thought you said 4 10 string basses, but then i corrected myself. Although i have been thinking about his octave basses, eventually i will have one, possibly a 12 stringer. My next one will be a fretless JB with a kent armstrong MM pickup. I have the sand paper and tung oil on stand by:D
 
#123
Wishbass has four new ones recently listed on Ebay. That's the most I've seen offered at one time. I almost hit the Buy It Now on the "Arrow" model for $300, but I've bought too many SX basses recently and I just couldn't spend the extra dough.

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#125
My experience was two-fold . . . on the one hand I liked his attitude towards building basses and I liked the three-octave neck he had built so I bought it on ebay a few years ago:

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Which leads to the other hand . . . I no sooner got it out of the shipping box, brought it over to a stand, went to slide it down my hand into position, when a NAIL HEAD (which was being used as a fretboard dot) on the edge of the neck RIPPED OPEN the inside of my thumb~!!!!

I mean come on folks, frugal is another word for cheap, but this is too much. This CLOWN drove 4D box nails into the side of the neck~! ***~!?

But before I threw it onto ebay to get rid of it I made sure I plugged it into my amp. Sure enuf . . . the thing hissed, moaned and popped. Some might call it the proverbial mwah factor. NOT~! It was more of a cat whining in the night.

I should have slammed the thing against a concrete wall instead of pawning the POS off on someone else, but, hey . . . I paid $300 for this experience. Who am I to disallow another pour soul of the same?

I dumped the pig on ebay~!

Total loss was shipping and a stripped thumb . . .

Did anyone happen to buy this POS from me????
 
#127
BassDudeSA said:
And this is my one and only gripe with them. The fret markers are never accurately placed. On the two that I play the most I had to use a felt tip marker to create new "dots" on the side of the neck in the right place. May sound primitive, but it worked and is not too unsightly. That's why I say these are not for everybody. You cannot expect perfection. But you do get a custom made great playing and sounding bass for a very reasonable price.
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Anyone wanting to spend $300 on a bass are better off going to a place like Rondo Musiic and buying a NEW BASS instead of a SPEW Bass. I bought a fretless 5 and a fretless 6 for under $500
 
#128
fretlesswonder said:
I contacted Wish to see if he had any basses for sale, so he emails back yes and said one is $400, the other is $500. Well I like the $500 sculpted bass. I just didn't have the green, well he posts the same $500 bass on Ebay for BIN for $300! I would have bought it for $300, since I had that, but he wouldn't budge on the price of $500. I think he makes some good basses, but he lacks a "business" sense. Just my opinion.
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He lacks a helluva lot more than a business sense.
 
#130
BassDudeSA said:
OK, now how often do you find a bass that is this unusual looking?
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Unfortunately, these are found every freakin day . . . that's the problem. The guy makes you think he's a great guy doing good work for cheap. But he is NOT. He's a jerk that rips people off every day, or at least tries to.
 
#131
lowtide said:
Unfortunately, these are found every freakin day . . . that's the problem. The guy makes you think he's a great guy doing good work for cheap. But he is NOT. He's a jerk that rips people off every day, or at least tries to.
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Huh??? Sorry to hear about your experience with the thumb getting cut on the Wishbass. That really sucks and I would have called the guy on that. However, I currently have FIVE Wishbasses and at one time had ten. I have never had any such problem with any of these basses. Granted, the "nails" are not always accurately placed, but all have been smooth to the surface and not even noticable when running my thumb along the side of the neck. Sound is great on all of them, and the playability is great. Takes a little getting used to the feel, but these are very comfortable basses. Each one I received I considered a beautiful instrument which I attained at a very reasonable (and cheap) price. I am down to five Wishes only because I needed to cut down in order to raise money for other purchases. But the five I am keeping (all 4-string fretless purchased on Ebay) are long term keepers.

Keep in mind that not only is the Wishbass feedback at 100% positive but I also received all positives for the five that I sold. Wishbasses are not for everybody, but many people love them. I guess you are just not one. Hey, that's cool.
 
#132
BassDudeSA said:
Keep in mind that not only is the Wishbass feedback at 100% positive but I also received all positives for the five that I sold.
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Just curious, does he give positive feedback as the seller before you give yours as the buyer. He has fewer positives than he claims to have sold basses.
 
#133
JDGA fan said:
Just curious, does he give positive feedback as the seller before you give yours as the buyer. He has fewer positives than he claims to have sold basses.
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He sells many basses through custom orders as well as some on Ebay, so most certainly many of his basses (if not most I imagine) have been custom ordered. Plus, not everyone leaves feedback and he doesn't always leave feedback as the seller either. Here is the Wishbass Ebay feedback: http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...iid=130038945594&ssPageName=VIP:feedback:2:us

Notice that not only are they all positive from the buyers, but they are mostly gleaming with rave reviews about these basses. There are ALOT of happy customers out there. But as I said, they are not for the perfectionist and certainly not for everybody. But then again, no bass is.
 
#134
I love both my Wishbasses. I play the fretted guitar every weekend. Great sound and extremely comfortable. With thinner necks I find that my hand cramps and my forearm is sore the day after a gig. Not with the Wishbass, I can practice 3 or 4 hours and still do a full 3 hour gig.

I just ordered a new one. I'm going to transition to fretless and thought that it would be a benefit to have neck that is the same as what I'm used to.

I ordered it with no side dots... I figured if I want them, I'll put them in myself. I also ordered with with no finish. I did that with my fretted bass. Just a little bit of time spent with some 0000 steel wool and Tung oil and I have a real beauty. Steve finds very nice wood. My fretted is Wenge front and back with Maple inbetween, and a Wenge fingerboard.

You have to work a little with a Wishbass. Finishing it, and getting used to the neck (actually that took about a half an hour). The sound is great. My fretted is warm and full. I wouldn't sell it for anything.
 
#135
Wow...I think I threw up in my mouth..just a little

:)

I don't want to beat a dead wish, but the thing that always gets me is Steve's habit of not really measuring before he drills or cuts. Everything looks like he just eyeballed it.
 
#136
fourstringdrums said:
I don't want to beat a dead wish, but the thing that always gets me is Steve's habit of not really measuring before he drills or cuts. Everything looks like he just eyeballed it.
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Yes, if you need everything perfect and cut just to spec (like most factory basses) then these are not for you. But they've all got individual personality and charm. Some players like that and some don't. For me, it is a nice change sometimes over the typical assembly line churned out basses.
 
#137
BassDudeSA said:
Yes, if you need everything perfect and cut just to spec (like most factory basses) then these are not for you. But they've all got individual personality and charm. Some players like that and some don't. For me, it is a nice change sometimes over the typical assembly line churned out basses.
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We're not talking absolute perfection. Even some lower end assembly line basses have flaws. What I'm talking about are things that if he just measured or slowed down, they could be avoided. Like how much effort does it take to make sure that string ferrules are properly aligned, position markers especially?
 
#138
fourstringdrums said:
We're not talking absolute perfection. Even some lower end assembly line basses have flaws. What I'm talking about are things that if he just measured or slowed down, they could be avoided. Like how much effort does it take to make sure that string ferrules are properly aligned, position markers especially?
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Well, I do agree on that. He could spend a little more time in the area of detailing and measuring. But then again, that's Steve Wishnevsky, ya' take 'im or leave 'im. I just look at is as when you buy a Wishbass, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Not perfect, but a good bass.
 
#139
heh..chicken carcass..funny,
I've heard the way to go is unfinished,to do it yourself.One guy sent a life sized styrophone model of the body shape he wanted, I'd specify to Wish to measure this and that correctly.

The way I see it..
These are like folk art, if u want a woody,primative vibe.lotsa mojo and stuff,it's cool..i consider these totally different than regular basses...not to be compared to Laklands and stuff,there for folks LOOKING for that rough vibe.
BOTTOM LINE?..
ONE MAN'S STRADIVARIUS IS ANOTHER MAN'S POS,or..
BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER..
is he doing us a service or ripping the us off?
...It's all how you look at it.Some folks like fixer-uppers,but cutting your thumb?
that's irresponsible,he should have given you a free insrument,or a free upgrade,to be cool. I'd be fuming.That will lose a custmer for life and ruin your rep,as a retailer, I know,you have to make folks happy.

I'd like to order a fretted version,totally OUT there..with like a built in theremin or something,in a whacked out shape..and hey,it's a gamble,but if you want consistancy,buy Sadowski or something,
I guess anything can be worked with,you can bend wood over heat if needed.The lack of truss rod scares me,but for the price?..kinda worth a risk (IF they work,that is..)

I dunno, still on the fence,I spoke to Wish 3 times, (CHICKENED OUT) but I may go for it one day.

I'm curious,he offers a fretted version too, i've NEVER Seen one,any pictures or feedback on a fretted Wish? I guess frets requireslotting, leveling,filing etc..more room for technical problems,may be troublesome..anyone have one? hows the intonation & frets?

..but actually the guy I've heard to stay away from is
DP basses,
supposed to be a REAL mess. they really push "ick"
 
#140
I just received my 2nd wishbass, serial number is 666. I didn't know that when I bought it, but I think that's pretty funny! It's the lobe version, pretty nice looking burl maple with persimmon fretboard - aside from a few minor cosmetic things (mainly the finish).

My question is - has anyone on here done custom job on a wishbass to add active pick ups? I'm toying with the idea.
 
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