Choosing a high end bass

[yourheadesplode]

I have been looking around at many websites who claim they make custom bass guitars and whatnot. Also looked extensively at many warwick models and modulus and such. I am wondering how does one choose which high end bass to buy. The first thought that comes to mind would be try it out and see how you like it. Of course that works, but it would be an amazing feat to find a dealer with enough brands to think I actually made a truly informed decision. Theres a modulus dealer near my hometown, so I will check that out... and warwick is going to be easy to find. But what about brands like fodera or alembic etc...

Anyway, guess what Im trying to get at is how do you really know you are buying what you want especially when you are sinking 2500+ dollars into an instrument? What methods have other people gone about in choosing their high end basses? And what would you suggest as far as instruments, brands, methods for choosing?

Currently on the mind is the warwick corvette double buck, or a modulus genesis 4 string (pricey ), or possibly even just a fender jazz bass which i would upgrade with some nice equipment (possibly a modulus neck?, j retro EQ, some fat pickups)... then again an easier option would just be getting the VJ bass from modulus themselves... But then again fodera seems to make some pretty sexy looking instruments as well. I CANT DECIDE!! AHHH

forgot to mention the flea but thats a given... bah this is getting ridiculous, any help or information or stories on choosing your own basses would be much appreciated. thanks.

[bassman462]

double bucks suck IMO there's no need for two humbuckers.. if you are going to get a warwick, try and find one used because all the new ones have terrible fat necks and not as well set up.

[GSR]

Hmmm...

How long have you been playing?

I went like this for my electrics:

Ibanez GSR200 -> Modulus Quantum 4f -> Ibanez BTB1000 -> Modulus Vintage Jazz 4.

I currently have sold both Ibanezes, so I just own the Q and the VJ at present. I'm having a custom 4-string built by Carl Thompson (see http://www.ctbasses.com and my thread in Other Instruments) which will more than likely replace whatever 4-string I have at the time of its completion.

I only really have a Daddy's Junky Music and a Guitar Center at my immediate disposal, and the selection between those two in boutique basses isn't that great. Guitar Center always has plenty of warwicks, but DJM is 80% Ibanez and Fender. When I went to guitar center, I found a used Quantum fretless. I knew how good moduluses were, and I knew that it was a rare find, and it was only a grand. I played it there, had them hold it, and bought it the next day. In this case, I loved the bass, and new it was a rare opportunity. That was probably in 2003 or early 2004.

So then, I had a high-end fretless and a shitty 4 fretted for a long time. I went to DJM and found the BTB1000 for half price at $800. At the time, I believed that with my skill level only allowed me to get a mid-range/quality bass, 'cause that's all I'd ever need. Don't fall into this line of thinking (though you're clearly not). Buy a bass that's going to make you want to play it 24/7. You'll get better faster.

So I ended up getting tired of the BTB, and bought the VJ on ebay for buyitnow $1200 through a guitar center auction. Then i sold both Ibanezes a little while ago.


Anyway... I guess what you need to do is try out as many things as you can. Read online reviews (bgra.net(com?)), vist http://www.talkbass.com and post a thread there, do your research. If you're lucky, you can get the bass of your dreams on the first try, and you can focus on using your money to upgrade your rig. If you settle for something that's not quite what you want or what you love, then you'll regret it later and lose money when you have to replace it. Keep us updated as you narrow down your choices. Most of us can offer an opinion or two on lots of major bass brands.

Also... Carl Thompson is one of the more expensive... but there are luthiers out there who can build you a custom instrument for probably under your $2.5k budget. Darrin Huff isn't taking orders anymore... but watch his site (http://www.dhuffguitars.com) for when he posts a new bass for sale. Mike Browne (http://www.brownebasses.com) has worked with Carl and has a few basses available. Look on TalkBass.com for other custom builders, there are way more than you think. Email some builders, build some rapport with them, maybe make some connections. And have fun. Buying an expensive bass is exciting.

[mangold]

i gotta say for that price you haveto go custom... theres really no comparison

also check out dingwall, sukop, and ken smith basses, those are the best brands ive experienced imo

http://www.dingwallguitars.com
http://www.sukop.com
http://www.kensmithbasses.com

[Yakko]

Get a Barker Bass. He makes the most awesome basses i've ever seen.

[GSR]

Dunno where you're located, but check out Sage Guitars (http://sageguitars.com ?).


Also,

Q: What bass, amp, or strings should I buy?
A: Equipment is like clothing. Choose what makes you comfortable.

Basses: Try out all the instruments at and below your price range. You may find the perfect instrument well below what you expected to spend. The music comes from you, not from the bass. Find an instrument that's going to allow you to get your sound. Check the newspapers for used instruments.

Amps and Speakers: Take your bass to the store and try as many as possible to find a rig that best gets your sound.

Strings: I use Fodera or D'Addario nickel-wound strings. Stainless Steel feels a bit too rough for me and seems to respond slightly slower to my fingers. My standard four string basses use the following guages: .40, .55, .75, .95. I add a .120 'B' string to my fretless 5-string and a .30"C" string to my YinYang fretted 5. The tenor bass is strung A, D, G, C, .75, .55, .40, .30.

Remember: Don't buy something because someone uses it. Try it out because they use it, but only buy it if you like it.

[i like tictacs]

. .

[i like tictacs]

I bought my first flea bass w/o ever playing a flea (I'd only played a Q6 Modulus before) and I am going to masturbate my decision a little more in this thread. I found my dream bass right there. Silky smooth neck, low action, tone that I love, etc. It was a risk, but I took it and I loved it, now I've got a flea four and five.

And 2500 is hardly scratching the surface as far as custom basses go. Andrew, you paid 4k for your CT right?

any bass over 2500, no matter who it's from, IMO is going to be as incredible as you want it to be, because if you're buying a 2500 dollar bass I assume you know how to set one up. I've played some multi thousand dollar basses that play like absolute shit.

And yeah, I bought a flea cause stefan uses it. And I do'nt blame him, it's IMO a downright amazing bass. But once again, anything in the 3000+ dollar range should be amazing if it's properly set up.

[GSR]

I've only put $1500 toward the Carl Thompson so far. Carl hasn't even begun building it yet, as far as I know, so I have plenty of time to accumulate the rest of the money. According to the website, a 4-string is currently running at $4200, with an additional $750 for each additional string. Depending on the complexity of the project, my bass might be more or less. It all depends on how it goes, what Carl wants to do, etc. The neck attachment will be more if I decide to go set neck, which I probably wil, because I've always wanted a set neck bass since I think it yields more sustain, and I don't want to leave anything out of this bass. I'm going all out on it, with everything I want, pretty much regardless of the cash, because then I'll never need to replace it.

You can find some builders that will build for less than $3000. Or you can build your own using Warmoth or a company like that. There are also builders who make custom basses through Warmoth materials, like Valenti. Your Carl Thompsons and Mike Browne's and Darrin Huffs will likely exceed 3k, but there are plenty of other luthiers that can support your budget. Or, you can always go through the custom shop of a company, like Warwick.

[bassman462]

ya really for warwick, find an old bass, or get custom shop. all new warwicks are done in a factory and come out pretty shitty.

[bassman462]

oh also, dpcustom, he's alot cheaper but from what i know he still makes very good basses.

http://www.dpcustom.com/

[yourheadesplode]

thanks for all the tips so far everybody, i was really heavily considering the flea 5 but now with all these seemingly fair priced custom models I will have to really look around for a while. The only problem with customs is the wait is so long and im a very impatient person.

dpcustom does seem like a really good deal, and a neck-thru model does seem sexy. so many options too

[i like tictacs]

thanks for all the tips so far everybody, i was really heavily considering the flea 5 but now with all these seemingly fair priced custom models I will have to really look around for a while. The only problem with customs is the wait is so long and im a very impatient person.

dpcustom does seem like a really good deal, and a neck-thru model does seem sexy. so many options too

When you order from Modulus, they do it custom, for the most part. The only thing you don't choose is the body design. They let you choose bridge, electronics, pickups, preamps, # of strings, color schemes, and so on. it's custom, but to an extent.


and as for warwicks all sucking now, no, they don't, the only thing they have changed is the neck wood, from wenge to ovangkol, and the nut, from brass to a graphite composite.

[bassman462]

thanks for all the tips so far everybody, i was really heavily considering the flea 5 but now with all these seemingly fair priced custom models I will have to really look around for a while. The only problem with customs is the wait is so long and im a very impatient person.

dpcustom does seem like a really good deal, and a neck-thru model does seem sexy. so many options too

When you order from Modulus, they do it custom, for the most part. The only thing you don't choose is the body design. They let you choose bridge, electronics, pickups, preamps, # of strings, color schemes, and so on. it's custom, but to an extent.


and as for warwicks all sucking now, no, they don't, the only thing they have changed is the neck wood, from wenge to ovangkol, and the nut, from brass to a graphite composite.

they've also changed from close to hand built. to factory produced. im not saying there no good anymore, im just saying its better to get an older one.

[i like tictacs]

thanks for all the tips so far everybody, i was really heavily considering the flea 5 but now with all these seemingly fair priced custom models I will have to really look around for a while. The only problem with customs is the wait is so long and im a very impatient person.

dpcustom does seem like a really good deal, and a neck-thru model does seem sexy. so many options too

When you order from Modulus, they do it custom, for the most part. The only thing you don't choose is the body design. They let you choose bridge, electronics, pickups, preamps, # of strings, color schemes, and so on. it's custom, but to an extent.


and as for warwicks all sucking now, no, they don't, the only thing they have changed is the neck wood, from wenge to ovangkol, and the nut, from brass to a graphite composite.

they've also changed from close to hand built. to factory produced. im not saying there no good anymore, im just saying its better to get an older one.

there really isn't any tonal difference at all.