How to buy an FBB

How to buy an FBB Bass

FBB offers you three choices for buying a handmade bass.

inventory  

FBB offers a variety of prototype and one-off basses at any given time. These vary from low-cost, no-frills 4 strings to full-on decked-out 6 strings and beyond. And all at deeply discounted prices. Want a handmade bass, made in the USA, with top-of-the line parts and woods for a ridiculous price? Check the inventory!

"What's the catch?", you might ask. Good question, but there is none. Unless otherwise noted, inventory basses come with the same warrantee, construction, and saturated fatness as every other FBB. The only difference is you don't get to pick the options -- and you don't have to wait!

click here to go to the inventory page
please read the terms of sale

à la carte  

Maybe nothing on the inventory is just right for your tastes. Maybe you want a 5 fretless and there isn't one in inventory. Or maybe you want something with lighter colored woods or a set-neck instead of neck-through. Well, my friend, à la carte ordering might be just the thing for you.

On my à la carte menu, you'll find a list of pre-selected body, neck, and fingerboards. Some of them will be in various stages of construction. All of them will be hand-selected timbers from the prized FBB wood stash, carefully and thoughtfully matched to provide a pleasing aesthetic while keeping in mind that you want a bass that balances and will not require a winch to strap on for those 2 hour covers of "Mountain Jam".

Once you have selected a body blank, a neck blank, and a fingerboard, you'll have a short list of pickup, hardware, and preamp options to choose from including Bartolini and FBB House Brand™ pickups with passive or active harnesses from Bartolini, Aguilar, and Audere. In most cases you'll have a choice of my standard FBB body shapes and get some flexibility on string spacings and scale length as well.

If you can find what you need on the à la carte menu, you'll be rewarded with one of the lowest-cost custom basses on the market. You choose your basses' destiny without being overwhelmed by choices or forcing me to drive to the lumberyard. We both win!

click here to view the à la carte ordering guide
please read the terms of sale

total custom  

The 2008 custom schedule is fully booked. As of 2009, FBB will be ceasing the intake of new, fully customized special orders. Customers with existing relationships, or open quotes, please email for details; some small amount of custom work per year is not out of the question.

Due to recent events, I have less and less time to devote to building basses. Currently, all of that time is going to custom work. The returns are beginning to vanish with rising production costs and limited flexibility to adapt to challenges that arise during a build. So, after 10 years of mostly custom work, I have decided it is finally time to begin a cycle of research and spec building.

Again, new and existing customers should feel free to contact me with questions about custom work. Going forward, I will accept the odd custom job that fits with my business plans or I may have a la carte suggestions that will meet your needs.

click here to go to the custom checklist
click here to view the custom schedule
please read the terms of sale