Rumble Seat Music – Vintage Guitar Dealer Interview

Rumble Seat Music was founded in 1993 and since then has focused mainly on supplying demanding customers with only the finest quality vintage guitars and used instruments.

We here at Vintage&Rare.com were lucky enough to catch owner Eliot Michael from Rumble Seat Music for a quick word.

Hey Eliot. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Could you please tell us a little bit about Rumble Seat Music and where you are located? How long have you been in the business?
We are located in Ithaca, NY approximately 4 hours north of New York City. We have been in business over 20 years.

What initially led you to set up shop, and when did you get started in the guitar business?
The desire to sell the best Used and Vintage Guitars to players locally and internationally.

Do you deal more in higher end vintage guitars or more recent issue used guitars?
We deal in both high end Vintage and recent used guitars.

How about amplifiers and effects pedals?
We have a large collection but we do not sell them as our main focus.

What are some of your personal favorite guitars and amps and why?
We love 1958-60 Les Pauls for their beauty, craftsmanship, and unsurpassed tone. Pre-CBS Fender’s, early Gretsch‘s and Rickenbacker’s are also some of our favorites. We also love the sound of early 70′s Marshall amps.

What kind of instruments and gear are you carrying in your shop?
We carry only the highest quality Used and Vintage instruments.

Are you a guitarplayer yourself?
Yes…..all of us in the store play guitar.

Are there a general trend to the people who purchase from you?
We sell to all types of players……..from beginning guitarists, collectors, and professional players. We have dealt with many top touring and recording artists.

How has the Internet impacted vintage guitar collecting?
The internet has opened many doors to buy, sell, and trade vintage guitars worldwide.

What advice would you give to somebody who would like to collect vintage guitars?
Only purchase guitars from dealers who have a solid reputation and sell quality instruments that they stand behind. Most importantly buy guitars that you like!

Great. Thank you again for speaking to us.

Check out Rumble Seat Music here, on their own site, on Facebook, and on Youtube.

Guest-blog by Gavin Wilson of guitarz.blogspot.com

Guitarz.blogspot.com was the first guitar-blog on the web. Thus, we here at Vintage & Rare.com figured that it would be a good idea to have founder and writer Gavin Wilson write a couple of guest-posts on our blog. Below is the first one:

Yamaha SG-3 from 1966

As the author of the internet’s longest running guitar blog (at guitarz.blogspot.com – started in August 2002 – seriously there were NO other guitar blogs then) I am of course a keen guitar enthusiast, even if I do tend to find myself writing about guitars more than actually playing them. Over the years I have bought and sold many guitars; I have owned well over 50 guitars over the years, and currently have a modest collection of approximately 20 instruments. Of these I have three that I would call vintage guitars. Obviously this would depend on your definition of “vintage”; such instruments need to be of a certain age, but also there should be an element of desirability.
Continue reading

Interview with Nick Matsikas from Matsikas in Athens, Greece

Dionysios Matsikas is a small luthier and guitardealer in Athens, Greece, specializing in traditional hellenic instruments. Here at Vintage & Rare.com we caught up with Nick Matsikas to ask him a few questions about the shop.

Hey Nick. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. How and when was your company started?
The company was established in 1979 from Dionysios Matsikas. He started making instruments as a hobby and from his great love for music and instrument construction, he started building Hellenic instruments at a small workshop in Athens.

What initially got him into building guitars and why specifically hellenic instruments?
Initially Dionysios Matsikas was infatuated with the idea of making these instruments and when he saw other luthiers building them, the whole idea began. He choose hellenic traditional instruments because of the impact they had on customers with their sound and because of the difficulty of making them.

How do you think your work is different from other guitar builders?
The work is very different because though these instruments may look like a guitar but they are totally different. From construction up to playing them.

Do you have one piece that is your favorite or that makes you the most proud in terms of craftsmanship, sound, look, and so forth?
We do have some custom instruments that are above the rest production and their body is made and look like a fishbone. Made from 4 different woods it is very hard to tell how all these small pieces actually builded and glued together.

Do you consider musical styles or genres when building your guitars?
We do concider hellenic style of music when building them but mainly the instrument is Ethnic and solo instrument so you can play what ever you feel like with it. Each instrument makes it’s own sound. Even of you build to instruments from the same woods the result will be still different, in sound.

What accomplished musician would you most like to see play your guitars, and why?
I would like to see all types of tringed musicians play with it because of it’s playability.

Any last thoughts?
Just try playing it and you will love it. Just as every new musician does.

That recommendation is hereby passed on. Thank you again Nick for speaking to us.

Check out Matsikas here.

Interview with Baker Rorick from the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase

In Oct 2010 we had the pleasure of attending the Luthiers Invitational Showcase located in beautiful Woodstock, NY.

Here we met with alot of the greatest luthiers from US and had a splendid time. Here is an interview with show founder, Baker Rorick on the upcoming 2011 show.

Hi Baker, thank you for taking your time to speak to Vintage&Rare on the forthcoming Woodstock Invitational show in Oct 2011.

Could you give us a brief history of Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase, and how the show originated?
As a steel-string journalist, I was working on an article about Ken Parker Archtops in 2008. At the time, Ken’s shop was only an hour away from Woodstock, and he asked me to help him arrange a showing of his radical new guitars to the Woodstock musicians and builders community. Some other instrument makers asked to be included, and then we invited a few more, and assembled a small group, 8 or 9 luthiers. Cooperative effort, everybody pitched in a $100 each and we rented The Colony Café for a Saturday afternoon in October for a private party, show & tell, meet the makers, play some guitars, hear some music, fresh apple cider and pumpkin pie. The party was by invitation only, thus the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase. We expected 40 or 50 people to come, over 100 showed up. Our local paper The Woodstock Times published a 2-page color article about it afterwards, and people started asking me if would be an annual thing, maybe with concerts and clinics and workshops and open to the public? With thirty years of experience in the guitar business, some connections and good will, and no real idea of what I was getting myself into, I decided to give it a try.

At January 2009 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim I floated the idea around and met with potential sponsors. Michael Gurian introduced me to Tom Ribbecke, a founder of the original Healdsburg Guitar Festival, who said, “count me in!” Dick Boak of Martin Guitars encouraged me to join ASIA, the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, publishers of Guitarmaker Magazine. In June 2009 I attended ASIA Symposium, four days of builders workshops and colloquia in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Ken Parker introduced me to Julius Borges, founder of the Newport Guitar Festival, and Linda Manzer and many other great builders I knew only by reputation, who were all supportive. I introduced myself to John Monteleone and asked if he would consider showing at a small event in Woodstock, maybe 20 exhibitors? He said “yes”! My thought was to try for something different, small, select, a party and celebration of the luthiers art and the music inspired by the instruments.

A few weeks later I attended a concert by Laurence Juber in Woodstock, and was telling a friend (a fine jazz guitarist with a fine collection of fine guitars by notable makers) about my plans and who was getting involved, and the woman he was sitting with said, “You’re doing what, with who? This is my life! How can I help?” And so I met Sharon Klein, a singer/songwriter, classical and fingerstyle guitarist who also plays lute and oud, with her own collection of handmade acoustic instruments by notable makers, and she became my Production Partner and Music Coordinator. Sharon has toured extensively in the Middle East, and she attracted the interest of Faruk Turunz, the master oud maker, and Suleyman Aslan, a maker of baglamas and flamenco guitars, who came from Istanbul, Turkey to show their instruments in America for the first time. With their participation we were able to get Ara Dinkjian and Haig Manoukian and other great American Middle Eastern musicians to play concerts, promoting musical diversity and setting the Woodstock Invitational apart from the other handmade acoustic shows that usually only feature fingerstyle guitarists and a little jazz. Sharon Klein’s wide-ranging network also brought in classical and flamenco builders and performers – including her old friend Vicki Genfan, and she also insisted that we present instructional clinics and workshops, and she made it all work. The Bearsville Theater seemed the perfect small venue, with room for a couple dozen exhibitors in the theater, and performance space in the adjoining Lounge, and we set the date again for the third weekend in October, 2009, resplendent in the full autumn color of the Catskill Mountains. Jeff Doctorow brought close to a dozen significant instruments from his large collection for a Special Exhibit, including vintage harp guitars and the multiple-neck 42-string Pikasso that Linda Manzer had built for the late Scott Chinery.

People came! They bought guitars! Faruk Turunz sold every oud he had brought. The music was fantastic, luthier mini-concerts and special appearances, high-points being Vicki Genfan, Ara Dinkjian Trio with Tamer Pirnarbasi on Turkish kanun, hard be-bop jazz guitar by Eddie Diehl and Ilya Lushtak, and Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams closing the Showcase Sunday evening with Happy Traum and John Sebastian sitting in, magic, and only in Woodstock. All the luthiers said “How are you going to make it bigger? Please don’t move it; we love the venue.”

So for 2010 we added a second venue next door in Todd Rundgren’s old Utopia Soundstage for vendors, sponsors and some overflow luthiers, and another Special Exhibit. Tonewood dealers and tool and parts suppliers did particularly well. We presented a “String Sampler” concert featuring Vicki Genfan, Ara Dinkjian Trio with Tamer Pinarbasi, Bill Keith & Mark Patton, and Vic Juris. We were able to get Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo to play for an hour Sunday afternoon, and they brought Julian Lage along with them and tore the roof off the place! Woodstock resident Steve Earle showed up and bought a radical new nylon-string flamenco guitar from Michihiro Matsuda. And once again, Larry & Teresa closed the show, this time with Happy Traum and Doug Wamble sitting in.

VintageandRare CEO Nicolai with master luthier John Monteleone at the 2010 show

What would you consider to be the shows focus and direction?
The Show’s focus is HANDMADE, ACOUSTIC guitars and stringed instruments, by only the best contemporary builders. No factory guitars, no solidbody electric guitars. The other main focus is the builders and players community, the music made that inspires the builders and the musicians who get to play their instruments. It’s about the hang and the vibe. We also try to provide musical and instrumental diversity; not just steel-string fingerstyle folk blues Celtic and DADGAD, but Jazz, Middle Eastern, African, Latin, and anything wonderful we can find that no-one’s ever heard before.

What do you envision for the future growth of the W.I.L.S?
I’m growing it slowly, learning by doing, taking advantage of opportunities presented more than planning ahead. It’s incredibly fluid. I’m gratified by the success so far; the venues and location and time of year and proximity are all factors, especially the intimacy of the thing. I don’t want to move it to a convention center or something to make it larger and destroy the vibe.

How many builders do you anticipate exhibiting at this years show? Please tell us a bit about the range of guitars that will be on showcase at the show?
We’ve got about 35 luthiers and 15 vendors and sponsors exhibiting this year; luthiers only in the Bearsville Theater, more luthiers and vendors and sponsors in the Utopia Soundstage, including The C.F. Martin Custom Shop this year, very exciting.

Archtops, Classical and Flamenco and steel-string flattops, hybrids, cross-over guitars, 12-string baritones, high-tuned unison 12-string mando/guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, claw-hammer banjos, African koras, mbiras, ndungus, and cookie-tin diddley bows. I’m hoping that Michi Matsuda will bring his radical, experimental Cubist-deconstruction ukulele. Oh, yeah, and harp guitars, Michel Pellerin from Quebec, and Linda Manzer, whose 42-string Pikasso made for Scott Chinery will be there.

Any special attractions you have planned for this years show?
This year we’re hosting Kinobe & The African Sensation. Kinobe is a young Ugandan kora player and maker, and an international touring artist. David MacCubbin, a fine steel-string flattop guitar maker from Maryland, has been co-building some contemporary koras with Kinobe while Kinobe and two of his brothers are in the USA . We hooked up. Kinobe will be playing as part of our String Sampler kick-off concert, with Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo Guitar Duet and The American Guitar masters – Larry Pattis & Peter Janson. Plus, he and his brothers will be showing and playing some of their instruments (the brothers make and play n’dungus, mbiras and other traditional African stringed things) at the Showcase itself.

And there is always a “Special Exhibit of Significant Historic, Vintage and Contemporary Guitars and Stringed Instruments”, loaned by collector and authority Jeff Doctorow and other collectors and institutions: North American guitars from the early 1800s to the present, including harp-guitars, Sympitars, cello-guitars, oddities and innovations, plus antique and vintage lutes, ouds and stringed-exotica.

What has the public attendance been for past shows? What do you anticipate for attendance at this years show?
Miraculously, we had close to 1500 paid attendees last year. I expect the same or maybe more again in 2011.

Three Tom Ribbecky guitars on display

Thank you Baker for taking the time to talk to us. Hope all goes well with this years show.

For our vintage drums fans!

At Vintage & Rare, we are working hard to accumulate a great collection of rare, vintage and custom-built drums.
So, if you haven’t yet, it’s about time you view our fine collection of vintage drums and world-class vintage drum dealers and builders at: https://www.vintageandrare.com/category/Drums-Percussion-216.

We would also like to present some of our friends in the online world of vintage drums and percussion:

Mike James Jazz – a great website by lifelong drummer Mike James. His website offers a free, downloadable PDF copy of his book ”Drumming For Life™”, various material on music theory, arranging and composing, vintage drum articles and gallery, and a page with 22 previously-unheard live concert recordings of Buddy Rich, all annotated. There is also a podcast, featuring interviews with Cathy Rich (Buddy Rich’s daughter), Bev Getz (Stan Getz’s daughter) and Donny Osborne Jr.  (Buddy Rich protege and Mel Torme’s drummer for 25 years). See his website: http://www.mikejamesjazz.com/.

Cooper’s Vintage Drums – a website that specializes in fine vintage drums from ‘the golden age’ of drum-making (1923-1970). With their free ‘Guide to Vintage Drums’ they also offer a detailed look at the various components of vintage drums throughout the years, featuring many photographs and colorful vintage drum catalog images.

See the website: http://coopersvintagedrums.com/.
VintageandRare.com – sell instruments online

Eddie Van Halen Custom Guitar Pedal Board 2007-2008 Tour

Legendary, unique and historic. This is Eddie Van Halens guitar pedal board that he used on the 2007-2008 Van Halen Tour.

In January 2011 Vintage and Rare visited the NAMM show in Anaheim, California. As the guitarfreaks we are, we of course had to visit Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd, downtown Los Angeles. In the front window sat Eddie Van Halens guitar pedal board from the 2007-2008 Van Halen Tour.

This famous pedal board marks the sold-out tour where David Lee Roth for the first time in 23 years performed with Van Halen.

– It is an outstanding piece of hardware and a must-see for guitar-freaks all over the world. It is always interesting to see how the master guitarplayers put together their rigs. As a huge fan of Eddie Van Halen and his unique sound and groundbreaking playingstyle and technique it is great to see up close.

– We hope you will enjoy these pictures. Should you have pictures of the amprig please contact us, as we would like to show it on this blog as well.

Things are going great for Music Fund’s amazing project

This week Vintage & Rare received an e-mail with great news from Music Fund

Music Funds amazing project to support young musicians and music schools in developing countries and conflict areas is doing well, and they have some great success stories definitely worth sharing. We liked the stories so much that we asked Olivier Mari if we could share the success stories here on our blog. This was fine by Olivier Mari, so now you also have the opportunity to read more about Music Fund and their latest achievements.

Success at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt

”We were at the last Musikmesse in Frankfurt and it was a big success! At the fair we got in contact with many great trademarks and we are now receiving many gifts from them (instruments, strings, boxes etc.). The direction of the Musikmesse has further decided that next year’s Musikmesse (2012) will have a special focus on Music Fund, inviting all participants to donate instruments, tools and parts to Music Fund”.

Young Palestinians are getting training in repair-techniques of music instrument

“In the Middle East, Music Fund was recently adopted by the United Nations (UNRWA) and thanks to this we have finally been able  to start a training program in Gaza. Since January, several luthiers have been teaching young Palestinians related to the music school of our private partner there (the Qattan Foundation – www.qattanfoundation.org) repair-techniques of music instruments. Besides this new project, Music Fund last year succeeded –  after a 3 year training program – to have one Palestinian from Nablus to finish his studies and have him become the first certified piano-tuner in the West Bank. These are all very concrete interventions, which make a difference”.

Young Africans are getting educated as piano-tuners and repair-technicians

“In Africa, Music Fund continues its partnership with the big music school of Kinshasa (DR Congo). In June, the first Congolese piano-tuner will finish his studies with us, and next near a repair-technician for wind instruments. In Maputo (Mozambique) a piano-tuner finished his studies with us 2 years ago and is today doing well. Another Mozambican is now finishing his studies to become the first certified repair-technician of wind instruments in this country.”

Donations to the partner schools continue to grow
“All our partner-schools continue to receive donations of music instruments, and in 5 schools we have opened permanent repair workshops for music instruments.  (A new permanent repair workshop has been opened this month at the Gaza Music School)”

The collection campaigns are a great success
“Big collecting campaigns are now being organised all over Europe, with great success. The last ones in Madrid collected 2009, 410 instruments and in Lisbon, 2010, 510 instruments.  This Sunday, a collecting campaign is organised for Music Fund in Milan (Scala, May 2011 –www.milanomusica.it/musicfund).  Of course, we can also expect a lot from next year’s collecting campaign organised by The Musikmesse.”

Jeff Buckley Fender Telecaster 1983 For Sale

We are very happy yet a little sad that we now have the honor and privilege of selling Jeff Buckley’s Fender Telecaster 1983.
This Fender Telecaster 1983 was one of Jeff Buckley’s main guitars and he used it throughout his short performing and recording life.
Jeff Buckley was voted the 43rd best singer of all time by the Rolling Stone Magazine.

Jeff Buckley (1966-1997) grew up in California and in 1997 he moved to Tennessee. In Memphis he sadly ended his life, way too soon (at age 30), in a tragic drowning accident while he was waiting for his band members to fly in from New York.
Buckley published his first album “Grace” in 1994 where he among other cover songs made Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” legendary. He toured both in The States, Europe, Asia and Australia with “Grace” and won several awards for the album.
After finishing his tour in 1996, his second album “My Sweetheart the Drunk” started to take form. In 1997 he moved to Memphis where he went back into the studio to start recording. A three week rehearsal was planned. On May the 29th 1997, while waiting for the band to arrive, Buckley went for a swim – fully dressed – in the Wolf River. He had gone swimming there many times before but this time he did not return from his swim. He was caught in the wake of a passing boat.

Despite of his short career many of his critics have called him the most remarkable musical artist of his generation and even today he is a great source of inspiration to musicians all over the world. We are very honored to have this legendary singer-songwriter’s guitar up for sale and exited about the huge interest the Telecaster has already received.

https://www.vintageandrare.com/product/Fender-Telecaster-Jeff-Buckley-Owned-1983-Butterscotch-15891
VintageandRare.com – sell instruments onlineWe are very happy yet a little sad that we now have the honor and privilege of selling Jeff Buckley’s Fender Telecaster 1983.
This Fender Telecaster 1983 was one of Jeff Buckley’s main guitars and he used it throughout his short performing and recording life.
Jeff Buckley was voted the 43rd best singer of all time by the Rolling Stone Magazine.

Jeff Buckley (1966-1997) grew up in California and in 1997 he moved to Tennessee. In Memphis he sadly ended his life, way too soon (at age 30), in a tragic drowning accident while he was waiting for his band members to fly in from New York.
Buckley published his first album “Grace” in 1994 where he among other cover songs made Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” legendary. He toured both in The States, Europe, Asia and Australia with “Grace” and won several awards for the album.
After finishing his tour in 1996, his second album “My Sweetheart the Drunk” started to take form. In 1997 he moved to Memphis where he went back into the studio to start recording. A three week rehearsal was planned. On May the 29th 1997, while waiting for the band to arrive, Buckley went for a swim – fully dressed – in the Wolf River. He had gone swimming there many times before but this time he did not return from his swim. He was caught in the wake of a passing boat.

Despite of his short career many of his critics have called him the most remarkable musical artist of his generation and even today he is a great source of inspiration to musicians all over the world. We are very honored to have this legendary singer-songwriter’s guitar up for sale and exited about the huge interest the Telecaster has already received.

https://www.vintageandrare.com/product/Fender-Telecaster-Jeff-Buckley-Owned-1983-Butterscotch-15891
VintageandRare.com – sell instruments online

Interview with Dale Rabiner, principal and founder of DHR Music Experience

Hi V&R Friends
Thanks for tuning in on our blog here on VintageandRare and our interview with Dale Rabiner, the founder of DHR Music Experience. DHR Music is an unique company based in Cincinnati, USA, that specializes in retail and promotion of finest instruments from select American boutique custom shops, along with music related sculptures and photographs.

Dale Rabiner, principal and founder of DHR Music Experience. Photo by dhrmusic.com

1. Hello Dale, and thanks for talking to us!  Can you tell us about how you entered the business?
Like many guitar players of the ‘60s, I used to buy and sell guitars via local classified ads, music stores and pawn shops.While in college, I worked part-time for a local guitar dealer,player, and legend by the name of Glenn Hughes- what a character ! Glenn taught me the business from the inside out- he was generous to a fault and a true gentleman. Incidentally, when Glenn passed away, his heirs discovered a hidden cache of unopened boxes containing NOS Fender and Gibson guitars!

2. Can you tell us about what kind of guitars & brands you focus on having in your inventory?
We focus exclusively on what we consider to be the some of the finest makers including Collings Guitars, Benedetto Guitars, Grosh Guitars,and a few select other makers. In Amplifiers we carry Carr Amps, Genz Benz, Hendriksen Amps, 

Kendick amps, and several others. Keyboard brands we carry include Hammond/Suzuki organs, Kurzweil pianos and Moog synths.

3. Do you sell/ship a lot abroad?
Increasingly, international sales have become a large segment of our business. This is primarily due to the fact that while we are not the largest Left Hand dealer, we are considered to be the finest Left Hand dealer worldwide.In addition, many of our non-US clients tell us that we are easier to deal with than their local stores.

4. What makes the Benedetto-guitars so special to you?
Since Benedetto Guitars first began their Savannah Georgia shop, we have sold more Benedetto guitars than all other dealers combined.! No other jazz guitar maker has been able to offer their price/quality.More recently, we are finding a number of other makers that are strong competitors.

Benedetto Americana is just one of the few specialized brands, DHR Music is offering. Photo by dhrmusic.com

5. Your use of ‘music endorsers’ is a bit unusual. What were your thoughts concerning this way of advertising?
Our endorsers have been terrific spokespersons for DHR, especially our young lefthand players who serve as role models for other lefthand youngsters who are trying to cope with being forced to switch to righthand playing. In addition, we also have some terrific right hand players who are real comers in our opinion.

6. What are you looking for, when ‘recruiting’ music endorsers?
Energetic,talented, diverse players who share our passion for music ! We would love to find a talented female guitarist as well as a few select keyboardists.

7. How does this way of promoting your business help you as a dealer?
The use of endorsers is nothing new- it has  proven its marketing effectiveness for decades ! We simply have put a bit of a twist on the concept-most endorsers represent a specific brand, while DHR endorsers represent the brands we carry as a retailer.

Boutique Bass Guitars Equals The New Vintage

By Mike Ippersiel

So what’s the big deal about boutique basses? Perhaps this is something that you’ve thought to yourself as you’ve looked at high resolution images of handmade or highly customized basses that cost $3,000 and up.

Are they worth more than triple what you can spend to pick up a decent bass off the shelf at your local music store? Do all those exotic woods do anything besides look, well…exotic? Are they really just over-priced pieces of furniture fashioned into the shape of a bass guitar?
Yes and no.

You see, any particular bass guitar is going to be worth more or less money from one person to another. Some instrument collectors will pay outrageous sums of money for rare instruments because they happened to be owned or even were only played a few times by someone famous like Paul McCartney or Jaco Pastorius.

Others may pay to have a bass guitar built by hand that many may feel is either ugly, or even unplayable. It’s true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! For me, it was the price tag that really put boutique basses on a pedestal for me.

Here I was, a modest rock bassist playing covers and original music who was happy to go home after a gig with $100 bucks in his pocket – what right did I have to daydream about a high-end custom bass guitar? The ‘realistic’ side of me said that I could own a bass like that ‘one day’ when I ‘made it’.

While there is a market for boutique bass guitars that look like furniture and that span 5, 6, 7, 8 strings and beyond, a significant chunk of the high end bass guitar market is devoted to what I’ll call ‘modern vintage’ instruments.

Luthiers like Sadowsky, Mike Lull and Alleva-Coppolo (just to name a few) offer modern takes on the classic Fender Jazz bass guitar – that cost several times more than it would cost to just pickup up an actual Fender bass yourself.

So why pay more for a ‘copy’ than buying the original bass from the actual manufacturer?

The reality is that the art of creating a bass guitar has changed dramatically in the last few decades.
Basses are now mass produced and outsourced to overseas operations all in the effort to keep them as affordable as possible. While this is great for the typical musician, the professionals and perfectionists among us have often lamented that many of the instruments just don’t feel or sound as good as the basses made back in the 60s and 70s.

Part of the reason for this could be using inferior woods, rushing the manufacturing process and not allowing even the quality woods to age sufficiently.

Perhaps in an effort to trim back costs to compete in the global market place, wages were reduced to the point where it’s not as economically viable for master craftsman and women to be employed at some of the bigger name companies?

Whatever the reason, the best advice I’ve heard and often repeated when it comes time to buy a new instrument – especially one that’s mass produced by one of the more popular brands out there – is to play as many as you can and let your hands and your ears tell you which one to buy.

In a perfect world, you should be able to just walk into a store and pick the model you like the best and get it in your preferred colour and walk out.

You wouldn’t worry about another bass sounding better because they’d all sound the same right?

However, even among the most reputable manufacturers the consistency may fluctuate from bass to bass.
With Fenders I’ve heard of some people exclaiming that Made in Mexico basses were as good or better than Made in America basses – but you’ll only find that gem of a great sounding bass at a more affordable price if you’re willing to hunt for it. So again the advice, play every bass you can get your hands on, play every bass in the store and buy the one that sounds and feels the best to you.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Advantages of using a luthier?

Time is a huge factor behind why many people are more than happy to pony up the big bucks for a modern take on a vintage classic. They can chat with the luthier about what they’re looking for and get it made to order – the finish, the string spacing, the woods, the hardware – whatever.

Compared to hitting every music store in every neighbouring city within an hour’s drive; or camping out on Ebay or classified ads sites waiting for a certain vintage bass to come up for sale, the amount of time saved can be tremendous…and we all know that time is money right?
Plus, who’s to say that when you finally do find that vintage Fender that you’ve been pining over for years that you won’t pick it up and find the dreaded ‘dead spot’ after plunking a few notes?

Going the custom route alleviates a lot of those difficulties; many of the luthiers have exceptional warranties to go with the instrument. After all, it’s their name on the headstock and they want to make sure every customer is going to speak highly of their products and customer service.
Then again…

Boutique basses aren’t really about a particular style of music, or the status of the player – you don’t have to be a celebrity to own these high end basses (and I’d argue that the vast majority of owners are nowhere near famous)– the instrument just needs to offer that something that you can’t easily find elsewhere to make it worth the cost.

For some, it’s a replica of a vintage bass guitar that they always loved but could never find. For others, a boutique bass is where they get to tailor things like the weight, the neck shape and depth or the number of strings that the mass produced versions just can’t do in an economical fashion. Still others want the best of traditional styling and a 20 fret fingerboard along with modern features like a low b string and active electronics.
Whatever your reason, boutique basses are worth a closer look whether you find modern instruments lacking or covet extremely rare vintage bass guitars that are in short supply.

In the end you might find the biggest pain is not how much the custom basses cost, but the agony of waiting for your boutique bass to be built!

You can learn more about boutique bass guitars and more by visiting http://bassguitarrocks.com/how-do-i-buy-a-custom-boutique-bass-guitar
– thanks for reading!