The custom bass you've always wanted is waiting for you...

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT...

In other words...you know what feels right and what feels wrong.

It makes no difference whether or not you know what it's called or what the exact measurements are. We can work all of those details out in the consultation.

WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT.

I approach bass building from the perspective of a longtime player… Using my years of playing many different basses - focusing on what it was (and is) that makes a bass “feel right”. Not at all to build your bass like I would want mine - but instead to help with determining what particular things have the most to do with a bass performing correctly for you.

As far as “what's important”, you could go in a number of different directions. Some players are very particular about what woods are used for the body, neck and fretboard. Others might be more concerned with the electronics or the weight. I’ve met players that only play basses that are a certain color or a particular body shape etc etc. The list of what factors are most important to you is practically endless and that is perfectly fine. It’s your bass. It should be what you want.

For example, the most important thing that dictates how the bass “plays” is how it feels in your hands. The main interface between the player and the instrument is the neck. So…I focus there, first. Do you like a wide neck or a slim neck, thick or thin? What fretboard radius feels right? The chances that we would both like the same things are pretty slim but that has nothing to do with the importance of that decision. I believe it’s the number one, most critical detail to work out. In other words, if the neck doesn't feel right, you’re not going to reach for that bass very often.

After the neck details are squared away, we can go in any direction you’d like. You might say, “I want a neck with a 1.5” nut width, .865” thickness at the 1st fret, .975” thickness at the 12th fret and after that, I just want it to be red. That’s 100% fine with me. It’s a starting point… That’s all we need at the beginning. Everything has it’s place in the process.

All of this to say… I try to use my experience to determine what questions to ask - not to make decisions or judgements about what someone else likes or doesn’t like.

I just want the finished bass to be the one you reach for - your “#1”.

I’ll run through the list of questions that I ask first with a brief description of terms.

*Right or left handed?

*What scale length do you want?

Scale length is the distance between where the strings leave the nut (or cross the zero fret) to the point where the strings cross the bridge saddles. 34” is widely considered to be the standard.

(p-bass, j-bass)

*How many strings do you want?

*What string spacing do you want at the bridge?

That describes how far apart (at the centers) the strings are at the bridge.

*What nut width do you want?

That is the width of the neck at the nut / zero fret.

*How many frets do you want? (assuming the bass isn’t fretless)

Pretty self explanatory…

*What fretboard radius do you want?

The radius is the “curve” of the fretboard from one side to the other.

Once those questions are answered, they lead us down the list of follow-up questions - which can vary greatly depending on what you have in mind.

READY FOR YOUR NEW BASS?

Get in touch and we'll come up with a gameplan.

the process...

Get in touch with me by phone, email, Instagram and let me know what your looking for and what ideas you have.

Then...if you're comfortable that we're on the right track with everything, I'll get it all written up as a "build sheet" that you can review, ask questions and make changes until you're sure that all the details are right.

Once the details are worked out, I'll give you the final price.

If we agree on the price, there will be a 50% deposit that locks down your place in line and allows me to get the wood, electronics, hardware etc ordered and on the way to the shop.

I'll keep you posted on which parts/materials have arrived and what we're still waiting on .

Once all of the parts/materials have arrived in the shop and have been confirmed to be correct, sawdust will begin to fly.

I'll send pics and updates of the build process and answer any questions that might come up.

A few days before your bass is ready to be shipped, I'll get in touch with you and we can work out how you'd like it shipped.

I honestly believe that the coolest part of the process is the "consultation" where the ideas are shared, discussed and molded into your complete vision. That's the part that makes a custom really unique...

* If you're close, I'll deliver it to you myself *