martindupras Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) I would welcome all opinions and advice. I'm thinking of either putting together a bass from parts or getting one made. Basically, what I'm really after is a 5-string Jaguar, and I'd quite like a purple sparkle finish (http://donereachwest.com/guitar/images/RS_JB2.jpg) A matching headstock would be nice. I'd settle for a Jazz body in that finish, though, I've never even seen a 5-string jag body. Other than that, I'm not looking for anything particularly outlandish: I'm happy with a Warmoth neck, say, in standard Fender dimensions. Electronics-wise, I'm thinking: nordstrang NJ5S pickups with a John East Retro preamp. I really like the pickups+piezo sound on my MusicMan Bongo, so I'd quite like a piezo-loaded bridge to mix in with the pickups. I have no idea whether that's possible with a John East pre, however. Which route would you guys recommend? Get a quote from a luthier for the whole thing? Buy a body and a neck from Warmoth in the US and assemble it myself? (I'm comfortable with that.) Any other ideas? Thanks! - martin Edited March 16, 2011 by martindupras Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martindupras Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 I'd also consider suggestions of an off-the-shelf model that is close to what I have in mind. - martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Given the piezo perspective, I'd go for a full-on luthier build. John East could do the circuit (he has a standard piezo blending circuit, and could be expanded etc) but putting it all together (with finishing) would be a complicated self build project. Personally...I'd be thinking Jon Shuker..or Tom Waghorn in Bristol. But there are many others, of course. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I don't think you'll be able to get a standard Jag body from Warmouth, let alone a five string one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martindupras Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Thanks guys. I just checked the Warmoth site: you're right, nothing like a jag body. Tom Waghorn does all my set up and repair work, and I trust him completely. I'm not sure he can do sparkle finishes but I'll ask him. Thanks! - martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstrike Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Warmoth do have a 4 string Jag model now, but it's not on their site, but it's not supposedly accurate to the Fender Jag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Sounds like a definite luthier job from me! Of course the obvious recommendation is Jon Shuker. I've never heard of Tom Waghorn, but if he's good and he's local, sounds like a plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Sounds like a definite luthier job from me! Of course the obvious recommendation is Jon Shuker. I've never heard of Tom Waghorn, but if he's good and he's local, sounds like a plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martindupras Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Tom Waghorn is excellent, there's no doubt about it. I've had all my setups and repairs done by him (well, by his workshop, anyway) and I've always been pleased. I've never heard a bad thing about him. I'll have to talk to him. That was my first thought anyway before putting this post, but I wanted to see what others had to say. In a way what I'm after is more or less a Fender-bass with custom options more than a one-off build, so I thought it would be worth seeing how different players would approach it. - martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 (edited) Why not go for the shuker build it yourself course? Although you may not be able to have all the options you want actually... Thinking about it if you do want ALL of the options definate luthier. If only some then luthier course? Now where the hell has my coat got too... Edited March 17, 2011 by charic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martindupras Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Ah! Good question. First reason: because I have built two guitars already in the past, and as much as I loved it, I do not have the time to put into it, and I made them at a time when I had access to a state-of-the-art woodworking workshop, including a full vacuum spraying room. I do not have access to any of that now. The second reason is that I want an instrument that is better than those I play already. As much as I love the guitars I built, I cannot honestly say that they are superior to some of my best guitars. With a self-built guitar, you decide exactly how it's going to be, but you do not have the benefit of the experience of building hundreds of instruments. So for me: I know that I could make a decent neck, but not as good as someone who is really good at it. I could make a perfectly usable body, but choosing the wood would be a gamble (I know this from experience: the first guitar I built was a semi-hollowbody with birds-eye maple front and back; I had no idea what that particular piece looked like before I planed it, and even then it didn't look much like what it became with twelve coats of red lacquer.) So: no self-build for me, I'm going to leave it in the hands of the professionals. I would however totally recommend the experience of a self-build to anyone. My first guitar probably took around 400 hours of work, but I enjoyed (and cherish the memory of) every minute of it. - martin [quote name='charic' post='1165248' date='Mar 17 2011, 12:51 AM']Why not go for the shuker build it yourself course? Although you may not be able to have all the options you want actually... Thinking about it if you do want ALL of the options definate luthier. If only some then luthier course? Now where the hell has my coat got too...[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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