mro Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I have a history of building Warmoth and or USACG basses and selling them for a loss. I really enjoy building them. Recently I purchased an American Fender jazz body loaded for $100. Should I spend real top dollar for a brand new fender jazz neck that has been stripped from a chop shop that sells for a profit, or do I just get another Warmoth neck? Warmoth makes nice stuff but shows a low resale value. This is why I am considering a fender neck. http://www.kilozoom.com/sFfjAY_2Fhtck_3D/image_gallery.htm This link will show the candy apple red jazz body. It also shows the Warmoth p bass that is in my local NH craigslist. No I am not trying to use this thread to sell. I once bought a Warmoth quilted maple jazz body and then bought a Status neck. This bass looked awesome, except I hated the sound of it. What are your thoughts? This will be my second bass,other is a Peavey Cirrus that I love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 That's an unusual looking neck. Is it rosewood? I've seen rosewood necks before, but never made by Fender. I don't think that would have a lot of resale value either. Is this bass for you to play, or for you to sell? Either way, I'd say wait for a different neck to appear for sale....at a low price and then build your bass. You've got a nice looking body, complete with all the pickups and hardware. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 You've got a nice looking body, complete with all the pickups and hardware. No one ever says this to me anymore..... [i am no help on this topics... sorry...] "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mro Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 That dark wood neck is from Warmoth and is made from wenge. That bass is for sale. I was thinking of a maple fretboard neck for the jazz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 We need Rocky to chime in as he has a lot of experience buying and reselling Fender instruments. My oppinion is that since an American Fender jazz sells for $1000+ new so a body costing $100 and a fender neck would probably be your best bet for resale providing you don't pay a lot for the neck. If you are going to keep it then get what you like. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 except I hated the sound of it. What are your thoughts? This will be my second bass,other is a Peavey Cirrus that I love. My thoughts are to first figure out why that Warmoth/Status bass didn't sound good to you. I had a Warmoth bass; it played like butter and just sounded great (I only traded it because it was a silly heavy bass with a silly wide neck; but they have others that aren't). And Status necks have a good reputation, though I've never played one. I'd bet that the sound issue could more easily be solved by either different electronics, or different pickup positions. (Or maybe just some flats?) Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I am always in favor of keeping Fenders original. The body you bought looks ok but not great. I would shop for a correct yr. Fender Jazz neck on Ebay. They are not cheap, you will probably have to pay $450 or more for a comparable condition neck. Whether you sell it or keep it, I think it will be more valuable with the Fender neck. But, if you disclose that it is not the original neck the bass will be devalued. I would hope to sell it for About $600 to $700 after disclosing. Hope this helps.Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I'm not sure what you're asking, but if it is how to maximize your build in such a way as to not take a loss when you sell the bass you are about to build then that is simple. You have an MIA loaded jazz body for $100 (congratulations by the way), now look on ebay for finished auctions of non-vintage MIA Fender jazz basses. After a quick perusal of ebay it looks as if most MIA Fender Jazz basses sell used for between $650 - $850, used Warmoth/part basses sell between $450-$550. So if you keep it all Fender you have a larger margin to work within an still possibly turn a profit. If you go for a non-Fender neck you might break even or make a small profit if you don't spend too much on parts. Cheers! Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Unless you're getting the parts wholesale, I doubt you're ever going to be able to make money selling a bass you put together. The fundamental economics just won't support it. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mro Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks for all replys.After re-reading all posts, I may have not been clear.I am seaching for a second bass to keep. All my warmoth builds have not been exactly the sound in my head, so I sold them. I came across the jazz body. I am really looking to keep the bass. My question about necks is, what happens if I dont like this either, how do I not take another loss. I am not building the jazz to sell for a profit. Thats not my initial intent. So far I will search for a fender neck.I am not sure of the year body it is. It is stamped in the neck pocket Sept 04. the next 4 digits is tough to read but looks like 2992??? May be I'll get a new fender neck and if I ever sell disclose it as non original. It does have 2 circular cut outs, 1 in neck pocket and 1 under the pickguard near first volume control and is a string thru body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Keep an eye on ebay and the TB classifieds, there are often Fender necks, some even with tuners, for sale from time to time so you may be able to get the neck you want for less than a new one from Warmoth/USACG. I would not buy one from the ebay "chop-shops" as they usually charge too much IMO. Patience Grasshopper. Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 My favorite bass is one I assembled from, a 1989 Fender Precision Plus 22 fret neck off of Ebay, a one piece mahogany body I cut from premium wood, Vintage tuners, Nordstrand P/J pickups, Fender Deluxe bridge, Passive V.V.T.T. controls and TI Jazz flats. Every item is premium quality. I just totaled up my cost and it came to $1,525.00 plus many hours of my labor. I love this bass but I know if I sold it, I would be lucky to get $500. So, what I am saying is, the value of building your own bass cannot be guided by what you can sell it for. I was watching Barrett-Jackson auto auction on Speed last night. Many fabulous cars sold for amounts that would not even cover the restoration cost. Same thing applies here.Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 All my warmoth builds have not been exactly the sound in my head, so I sold them. ..... I am really looking to keep the bass. ....... how do I not take another loss. Until you figure out what sound it is you're looking for and what those basses have in common that create that sound, you're just going to be churning some wood and hardware. Granted, that's lots of fun. But your goal was to not churn. Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Until you figure out what sound it is you're looking for and what those basses have in common that create that sound, you're just going to be churning some wood and hardware. Granted, that's lots of fun. But your goal was to not churn. He has a point there. Are you sure it's the basses that are the problem and not something else, like amplification? "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mro Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 jcadmus- My Cirrus through my Eden WT550 and 2 sets of SWR 2x10's sound awesome to me. I wanted a fender or fender type to be close without going through a major EQ change on the head.My P bass builts have fallen short. It may be I like 2 pickups as in a jazz.Thus my newest acquisition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Isn't the Cirrus active? If so no p-bass would sound like that unless you add an active system to it. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I bought a P bass neck from Eden parts on Ebay for $40. It's not super slim or waaay thick, but tends toward comfortably thick. The bass I made with it, a cheapo P bass body, a Kent Armstrong pickup(output resistance meters out at 11K), a $40 set of elephant ear tuners and an old Badass bridge, sounds like a really good P bass, or at least what I think a really good P bass sounds like. I'll admit that I got lucky with some cheap parts and some high quality parts that I found cheap here & there, but I think the formula that works is a medium to girthy neck, a somewhat hotter than average pickup, a solid wood body light enough to resonate, and a high-mass bridge. Oh, and I like nickel strings better than stainless steel. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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