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A Bassist building basses for Bassists
One at a time!
Before we talk basses, get to know me a little. Check my Reviews and read the feedback and testimonials below. I am a bassist - I really play these things. To show you how demanding I am on a bass and that I really do play every note on a bass throughout a performance, please view some videos on the Performance section of this website. I am an accomplished bassist who got tired of the junk my students would pay good money for. You can also read about how I started building basses. In a word, I build my basses as if I'm going to own and play them myself. This is a higher standard than most other bass builders.
First of all, all my basses are solid as a rock, light as a bird (depending on your choice of body wood) and play like butter. I use a combination of Fender parts, Fender licensed parts and generic parts. You'd be hard pressed to find a better-playing bass in any shop due to my unique build techniques and excellent set-up. Check my feedback - CertainBass owners ALL love their basses.
Any product's quality comes down to two things: materials and workmanship. My goal has always been to make a great playing bass with an authentic vintage look using great parts which I've tested and scrutinized.
An important reason to buy this bass is that I set it up myself. Set-up is a large part of the game, meaning: adjustments for string height and intonation, fret dressing and leveling so we have no fret buzzes.
I have been a professional bassist for over 36 years, and I built my first bass when I was 15. In building a bass I do some things others don't do: I use a clamp to set the neck tight against the body before I put in the screws. This gets the neck tighter to the body than what the screws can acheive by themselves, but the screws can hold that pressure once they're in. I also mount the bridge a little closer to the neck so the saddle screws don't have to be nearly all the way out, which enables correct intonation adjustment like on vintage Fenders. I set the intonation precisely. I drill all holes a little smaller than others do so the screws fit tighter, especially the bridge and neck screw holes. I don't like screws to go in without a little bit of a fight; this results in more sustain and a more solid feel for the overall bass. My tight neck mounting and bridge placement and other build techniques increase sustain and give a more solid feel. When you first get your bass, you'll tune it up, play it without plugging it in and you will feel and hear lots of natural tone resonance. You'll know what I'm talking about. You're not buying a bunch of parts slammed together; you're buying a musical instrument where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
I'm also glad to answer any questions about bass things regardless of whether or not you buy from me. I simply want to help you to get the bass you want. I'm always glad to share my knowledge and experience. My main purpose in life is to make the bass world a little better. It's an honor to play bass, teach bass, build basses and help fellow bassists. Let's not take our musical gifts for granted; we are blessed to be able to do this whether professionally or for our own pleasure and satisfaction..
Boutique custom basses without the custom boutique price.
On an unfortunate negative note, I can't believe the lousy set-ups on basses at music stores, especially the big names. They'd have fine basses if they worked on them, but they go with the manufacturer's setup, and the lower priced models play poorly. You don't have to worry about that here. Much of what I'm offering you is a bass that is a finished product and feels and plays like basses costing thousands. Having owned an Alembic for nearly twenty years, I try to emulate that high quality set-up and playability.
I have played with some of the biggest names in jazz, literally living legends: Terrence Blanchard, Dave Valentin, Eddie Henderson, Jimmy McGriff and many, many others. I also own and play numerous Jazz and Precisions basses (my fave is my '73 Jazz), an Alembic 6 string, two Steinbergers (one fretted, one fretless) ESP, and a Peavy TL-5. Trust me, I know basses. And let me assure you - if I like a bass, you will too.
Please note: Fender is a trademark of the Fender Musical Instrument Company (FMIC). This term as well as other trademarks are used in my listings for comparison only and to identify the parts I use in my products, and this is in accordance with eBay policy and trademark law. FMIC claims a plethora of trademarks including the capital letter F. Do not confuse my basses with those made by Fender; my customers actually say mine are better instruments. Fender makes some exceptional instruments today. But, my basses are made by my hands as opposed to robots, and they are set up by a working, accomplished, professional bassist (me) as opposed to an hourly employee with no personal investment in the finished instrument. My personal attachment to vintage Fenders is a combination of romance and investment. I respect the current Fender Musical Instrument Company for attempting to continue Leo Fender's legacy; they are a very good American company. I have loved and played Fender instruments for most of my life. No one is more responsible for the sound and tone of American music than Leo Fender from his guitars, amps and basses to the Fender Rhodes electric piano sound still prevalent in the modern synthesizers of today. There is at least a little Leo Fender design in every electric bass made.
david@certainbass.com or 314 762 0902
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