Are bassists purchasing more 5-string instruments than standard 4-string basses?
We used to sell far more 5-string basses than 4-strings, but now they seem to be at about even parity. We really do great business on 6-string basses as well, but it depends on the brand. Since there are so many Fender players in this region, that stacks the numbers in favor of 4-string basses. Do you accept orders for custom-crafted basses? We do a lot of custom order basses. This is something that is dear to my heart. My first custom bass was an Alembic in 1976. It was a Series I before they called it that. It cost $1250 and came with an ATA flight case. That was a lot of money back then, and I had to wait eight months for it to arrive. I still remember how I felt ordering that bass so it’s always cool to help someone order their first custom instrument. Down payment is usually about 25%, unless it’s a crazy piece or the builder requires a hefty deposit on the wood. Delivery times vary from builder to builder. Most turnaround times are between four to six months with the Ken Smith ba
