Custom Shop..????

[pedullamvp5]

Any idea if EBMM will ever offer a "Custom Shop"? I think it would be a big hit with players, any input?
Also, will EBMM ever offer "Ebony" as a fretboard, along with maple or rosewood?

 

[strummer]

Sterling Ball, the owner of the company once said something like "A custom shop os for when your normal producion sucks", so we are pretty sure they don't have any immediate plans to introduce that.
They did introduce the BFR, Ball Family Reserve, real fancy builds, special tops and all round limited availability, so there you could ge a rather special ball. Most recently the redwood SR4. Do a search on that

I think that chances of an ebony fret board option are slim, they make one light and one dark, and if you go fretless you get pau ferro.

 

[RobertB]

I'm starting to see questions like this from the same perspective you guys no doubt saw it from, when I came in not long ago asking the same things. =)

Not meaning anything negative or critical about that & no offense, pedulla. It's just a fairly "well-worn" topic.

 

[oddjob]

Well think about it... each bass is specifically ordered and is not for EBMM stock. I think BP said there were some 16000 different configurations to order your instrument in - what more could you want???

You might see something like Ebony on a BFR but I wouldn't hold your breath on it being a regular option (some of us are still waiting for maple board Bongos )

 

[Big Poppa]

over 100k of choices

 

[rhythmCity944]

took forever to decide on the options for the fretless stingray i'm waiting on from what was already availible...haha

 

[GHWelles]

They are all hand finished fretwork, etc. so I don't think a custom shop would offer.

 

[the unrepentant]

Yeah it's not gonna happen, it's only a small factory and BP said he had no plans of extending i think. But like they said, there's so many different configurations these days.

Although i don't like the pau ferro.... it's too light for a fretless (or anything) i think, i do prefer ebony over that every single time, but i don't think it's going to change. I don't like light fretboard woods apart from maple.

 

[TNT]

Although I think the "quality" would absolutely not be any better, I think it would be really cool to have a "custom" shop, i.e., for the buyer/players, not necessarily the company.

Now, with that said, it may not be economically feasible for the company, or worth the extra time, effort, money and hassle to add this to their line-up!! I'm perfectly happy with the guitars as they are by the way.

What the custom shop does is it brings in other aspects in to play too. The buyer feels as though "he" built the guitar, it's "his" signature guitar; it's unique, perhaps no other guitar like it in the world; and he is normally willing to pay a fairly decent "above" market value for this privilege.

Just my OP

 

[mynan]

Just went to the Fender "Custom Shop" website. What is custom about it? I saw a lot of signatures, tributes, and reissues...nothing that I would call custom. It seems like whenever someone asks for an EBMM custom shop, they are looking for a larger options list (ebony board, wider string spacing, bridge mutes, TTB bridge, etc.) so I thought that is what the Fender Custom Shop was...a huge list of options...then they build it for you, but it's not. They should call it a "nostalgia" shop, which leads to what most people don't understand about the difference in corporate philosophy between Fender and EBMM...Fender seems to be more about nostalgia, while BP and EBMM seem to be more about taking things forward.

 

[oddjob]

over 100k of choices

I stand corrected (I was only off by a few )

 

[oli@bass]

It seems like whenever someone asks for an EBMM custom shop, they are looking for a larger options list (ebony board, wider string spacing, bridge mutes, TTB bridge, etc.)

Not me. What I would understand as Custom Shop would not be offered another list of choices, but to be able to send in a list of exactly what I want. And get it done. Naturally, it would have to be based on the standard models, but they'd take whatever piece of body, neck or fretboard wood I want, and they'd spray it with whatever colour my current fashion mind fancies. Including differently plated hardware.

Price?
I tell what I want, they give me a quote.

 

[TNT]

Yeah,

I wouldn't expect any "spec" changes, just more choices on basically everything that goes into a guitar.

I know I stand alone on this, but I'm not a really big fan of "birdseye". I prefer clean, almost white, hard rock maple.

So, that is one thing I would want as an option. I also like "black" hardware, choice of bindings, and in some cases, pick guards.

 

[mynan]

Not me. What I would understand as Custom Shop would not be offered another list of choices, but to be able to send in a list of exactly what I want. And get it done. Naturally, it would have to be based on the standard models, but they'd take whatever piece of body, neck or fretboard wood I want, and they'd spray it with whatever colour my current fashion mind fancies. Including differently plated hardware.

Price?
I tell what I want, they give me a quote.

Yeah,

I wouldn't expect any "spec" changes, just more choices on basically everything that goes into a guitar.

I know I stand alone on this, but I'm not a really big fan of "birdseye". I prefer clean, almost white, hard rock maple.

So, that is one thing I would want as an option. I also like "black" hardware, choice of bindings, and in some cases, pick guards.

That's pretty much the way I see it too, but what production bass manufacturer does that? I just don't see it as feasible for a company that produces as many basses as EBMM. It would throw a major wrench in the works.

 

[oli@bass]

What production bass manufacturer does that? I just don't see it as feasible for a company that produces as many basses as EBMM. It would throw a major wrench in the works.

None do it. But that would be my idea of a "Custom Shop". Not slightly expanded list of restrictions.

 

[mynan]

None do it. But that would be my idea of a "Custom Shop". Not slightly expanded list of restrictions.

Right, I editted my post while you were responding.

 

[oli@bass]

Well, it would throw a major wrench in the work of large company. But that's why there is the Custom Shop. A small off line production facility, a company within the company, that works like a very small niche producer.

Naturally, prices would be ajdusted accordingly.

Interesting enough is that EBMM is capable of doing something similar -- they showed it recently with the 30th SR, the 20th SR5, the different BFR models. And the artist instruments.

 

[Duarte]

My take is that all Music Man instruments are made to as high, if not higher quality than other companies custom shop instruments, therefore they do not need a custom shop.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Not me. What I would understand as Custom Shop would not be offered another list of choices, but to be able to send in a list of exactly what I want. And get it done. Naturally, it would have to be based on the standard models, but they'd take whatever piece of body, neck or fretboard wood I want, and they'd spray it with whatever colour my current fashion mind fancies. Including differently plated hardware.

Price?
I tell what I want, they give me a quote.

The problem with that is you're not guaranteed a good product in the end. The workmanship might be good and all that, but if the player specs out some bad combinations of wood, it might not be a great instrument. And then what you have is a less than ideal instrument going out with the EBMM name on it. If the original owner doesn't keep it... you get the idea.

In any case, there are several small custom bass builders out there and they seem to coexist well with the production manufacturers. I can understand the request for certain unavailable options and maybe if the demand is great enough, they will make their way into anniversary and limited edition models; enough to satisfy the demand for unique instruments without going full-on custom.

 

[pedullamvp5]

Maybe I worded it wrong when I asked about a "Custon Shop". Being a fan of EBMM, I realize their quality is very good, and that a "Custom Shop" doesn't mean that its quality would be better than the regular line of instruments. But having the option of adding an "Ebony " board or Black/Gold hardware would be nice, and actually not to much to ask for, at least I don't think so? I guess when I look at Lakland, Mike Lull, Nordstand, Valenti and other brands and they offer these features in the same price range as EBMM, it makes me wonder what the EBMM business theory behind not having a "Custom Shop" is? Again, I'm a "BIG" fan of EBMM basses! I'll leave you with this thought...... We, (Bass Players) are the ones asking for these type options, and we are the guys spending are hard earned money the buy the EBMM basses which pays their bills. So logic tells me if the customers want the product changed or the option to change, and are willing to pay the difference, then I'm going to give them what they want........ it's $$$ in the bank!!!!!!