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Disclaimer: I am a builder. I do not currently offer 6 (or more) string basses. This is NOT a solicitation for business
- first and foremost, you should study what a builder has created to determine if you like their offerings. if you're looking for a neck-thru 15-string lefty bass, it probably doesn't make sense to send a RFQ to a builders who specializes in Fender replicas. this is paramount and should be given your top consideration far and above any pricing structure
- second, perform some research to discover if the builder has a reputation for being easy to work with, if they operate like a firm of NYC lawyers, or somewhere in between. some builders are very accommodating to changes, and some aren't. some do everything by hand, some utilize significant amounts of CNC, and others are a mix of these. builders who do it al by hand are often more flexible, but that flexibility usually comes at a price of added shop hours. do keep in mind that once your custom build is under construction, certain changes can't be made once the wood has been cut without starting back at the lumberyard (and an added cost to your custom build)
- third, if you're working with an experienced builder trust their input. it's really frustrating for a builder to spend considerable time putting together a spec sheet based on your requirements ... only to have a client significantly change things because "someone on the internet" passed a myth off as fact
- fourth (and maybe this should be first) - TONE IS NOT A BUILDING MATERIAL. there is no way to say with certainty that a given combintion of woods, electronics, etc ... will have a specific tonal signature. any builder who claims they can accurately tell you what a bass will sound like based solely on wood choices is feeding you a line that would make a used car salesman blush. there is too much variance in wood densities - even within the same tree, within the same board - for it to be possible to make blanket statements about tonal characteristics. I have built Alder bodied basses that you would swear are made from Swamp Ash, and I've built Swamp Ash bodied basses you'd swear were made of Alder. Suffice it to say that wood is just a piece of the overall coloring - IME neck construction and electronics are far more significant in determining the sonic properties of an instrument
- fifth ... you're embarking on a custom build. custom instruments require time to build, and they require a highly honed set of skills to fashion all the rough materials into a finely crafted luxury item. skilled labor can't be had at McDonald's fry chef wages - yet this is the reality of what most builders make when you account for all the unseen costs that go into a bass build. good tools aren't cheap, yet cheap tools decrease the potential for fine craftsmanship. sure, the cost of the woods for your build may only be 20% of the cost of the bass - but you're also paying for the acquired knowledge of how to properly select the right pieces of wood for use on the specific part .... woods suitable for a body are not usually suitable for a neck due to grain (and other reasons)
so find a builder you can form a good exchange with, that you find has a good reputation on the web, that builds instruments in the style you prefer .... and then respect that they're pricing your build at the compromise point between the lowest wage they can bear and something that allows them to stay in business and feed their family
all the best,
R
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Moderator: Blueprinting and Bondo
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