General FAQs

• Can I visit your shop and do I need to make an appointment?

  Yes absolutely! You are welcome to visit our shop, to test some instruments, to hand pick the wood for your next order or to pick up your finished instrument in person. Please contact us for an appointment first. We get regularly visitors from throughout the world. We are located in Haarlem which is a great city to spend a couple days in and we are very near Amsterdam.

• I am a fan, can I get a sticker, flyer or any printed marketing material?

  No, simply because we do not have any marketing material whatsoever.

• Why do I never see an advertisement for Adamovic basses?

  We simply do not need to advertise! Since 2001 we have managed to steadily grow our company each year and keep our building schedule fully booked, relying only on our satisfied customers who are spreading the word about our basses. Most of our customers own several Adamovic basses or have their second one on order and we are very proud about this!

• Why are you not often featured in printed magazines?

  This is because how all printed magazines have to work to pay the bills. It is a hard time for any printed media to stay in business in this time. We have been approached by most well know magazines to feature a test of one of our basses but we were required to buy advertisement in the magazine in return. Because we have decided not to advertise we are not often featured. The magazines that have featured us in the past did it without any advertisement requirements in return.

• Can I buy Adamovic parts if I do not own an Adamovic?

  No, we only sell parts as a replacement for an Adamovic instrument.

• Can you build me the bass with the body shape I designed?

  We do not offer that option. We have developed and tested our models over many years and this resulted in the matured, ergonomic models that produce the sounds we like. We want our basses to be perfect in every way before we put our logo on them. We simply cannot guarantee that on custom shapes.

• Can you take pictures of my Adamovic instrument during the build process and send them to me?

  No, due to the nature of our production process we do not take pictures during the building process. However, for all Custom ordered basses, we take detailed pictures from all angles after the bass is completed.

Difference between the lines we offer

• Why did you start to make concept basses?

  After more than a decade of making unique custom tailored instruments one get’s a feel for what people are really looking for and what is not available or missing on the market. We decided to produce a few unique instruments to show what we are capable off; High quality instruments who will contribute to find your unique sound as a bassist; Instruments we feel you have been looking for, perhaps even if you don’t know it yet.

• What is the difference between a custom instrument and a concept bass?

  The difference is that a custom or master built bass is designed for and with each individual customer. All the features and details are chosen together with the customer to make a truly unique instrument perfectly tailored to the customer’s specific needs.
  A concept bass is designed around a concept (and this is where the name concept basses came from) and is designed by us with just a few options to choose from by the customer. All the features and available options for a concept bass are carefully selected to achieve a desired sound and feel. Each concept bass is developed over a period of several years, by building prototypes that are all tested in studio environments and on the road by pro bassists. We do not introduce a concept bass until until that exact desired sound and feel are achieved.
  There is no difference in how a custom and concept bass are built, the quality, size or dimensions. But because we can pre-made some parts for our concept basses (truss rod covers, electronic cavity lids. Body blanks etc) we can offer a concept bass at a slightly more economic price.
  You can read more about it on the the Concept Bass pages

Construction and materials

• Do different body shapes contribute to a difference in sound of the instrument?

  The sound of in instrument is not so much affected by its shape but a different construction can have a significant difference in sound. For example; a Jupiter body shape will not sound very different from a Halo body shape if all other aspects are equal (i.e. woods, ser-up, pickups, etc.). However, a solid body Jupiter will sound very different from a hollow body Jupiter even if all other aspects are equal.

• What is the difference between single cut and double cut basses?

  The difference between the two designs is mainly the length of the part of the neck that can freely flex and vibrate. The part of the neck that is attached to the body does not vibrate because of the thickness of the body and neck together. This area is too stiff to flex and vibrate.
  A singlecut design has a shorter neck that can move and vibrate with the string vibration. Therefore it absorbs different frequencies. This results in a quicker and more direct sound and improved articulation with piano like voicing.
  A double cut design has a longer neck that can move and vibrate and this results in more punch and a snappier tone. Traditional bolt on construction adds even more to the attack/punch.
  Bolt on double cut design is the best choice if you are looking for a punchy rock or vintage sound (Fender) and old fashioned slap tones.
  Singlecut design is better if you need great tone definition and is perfect for chordal playing, jazz, fusion, progressive rock etc.
  But with choosing the right wood combination for fingerboard and neck we can increase or decrease the described sound features of each design.

• Why don’t you offer other brands of preamps, hardware or pick-ups?

  There are other brands that can sound great and we tested most of them. But a bass is more than just a sum of its components. It is all about how all the components and the construction come together. Compare it to cooking; you can have the best sausage, the best cake and the best wine but if you put them all together into one dish you will probably not like what you taste. This is similar with the components of an instrument. We have experimented a lot over the years and this resulted in the construction and components we use today. We know thoroughly all components and materials and how they interact with each other. Armed with this knowledge we can predict the outcome and shape the sound for each bass, custom tailored to the specific needs of each client.

• I never had an oiled finished bass before, is it protected well?

  In the past oil finishes earned a bad reputation because they did not protect the wood well, felt sticky, attracted dirt and turned grey within a couple of months. But how long the oil finish lasts and how well it protects the wood depends very much on the type of oil finish. In the past (and some companies still do!) the instruments were finished with linseed based oils. These oils are not suitable for finishing an instrument.
  We have developed our own oil blend. It is a special catalyzed oil blend witch preserves the wood and gives very good protection against moisture and stains. Our in house developed oil blend has the characteristic that it slightly penetrates in the wood and hardens to a natural tough solid polymer and makes the surface of the wood a bit harder and more wear resistant. It gives the wood a very natural feel and look. Because of these properties the wood does not turn grey, repels dirt and does not feel sticky. It has a smooth, natural, sleek feel. Which makes it the perfect finish for necks!
  We believe this can be the nicest looking finish for most hard woods. The nice feature of oiled basses is that after some time the scratches kind of blend out by constant contact with your clothes and hands.
  Please note the durability of the instrument depends on the durability of the wood itself. The hardest woods can handle abuse better than most hard finishes. For the softest woods we sometimes recommend a different treatment than oil finish. Please ask for the possibilities.

• Why do you offer an oiled finish as a standard finish for necks?

  The standard finish for the necks is an oil finish, because most people prefer the smooth, natural feel of an oil-finished neck. But also because, with an oiled fingerboard, an oil-finished neck is more humidity stable (with a painted fingerboard, a painted neck is more humidity stable). This is because for the neck to be humidity stable, the back of the neck and the fingerboard should gain and lose moisture at an equal rate.

• Why do you use woods I never heard off?

  Back when Nikola Adamovic started building basses he discovered that the main reason most other builders use only traditional woods is simply because they never tried anything else and used only woods that have been used since the middle of last century. At Adamovic we spent years of experimenting to find the right woods for our necks with the perfect stiffness to weight ratio; the best woods for our bodies and the toughest woods for our fingerboards. This led us to the use of less familiar wood species, like Solomon padouk, zolernia and Guariuba. We discovered some of these woods have better mechanical or sound properties for certain purposes than the traditional woods. We still choose traditional woods like maple, ash and alder if we want to achieve a certain, usually more vintage, sound.

Electronics and strings

• Do your electronics have a passive mode?

  Yes, all the electronics we offer have a passive/active switch.

• Does the wood covering affect the function of the pickup?

  No, it does not. Pickup response is only affected by metallic materials that can influence the magnetic field. The wood on top of the pick-up is very thin and does not have more or less influence on the sound than the traditional plastic pick-up covers.

• How often should I change the batteries in my active bass?

  Most people change batteries about once a year. Keep in mind that whenever your bass is plugged in, it’s draining the battery. So if you’re not using it, make sure you un-plug it!

• Should I loosen the strings if I don’t play on a bass for a while or if the bass is shipped?

  The string pull is counteracted by the truss rod. Both are applying force on the neck and try to bend it although in different direction. If you loosen or remove the strings you should also loosen the truss rod. But best is just to leave it strung up and in tune.

• What gauge strings should I buy for my bass?

  This is a personal preference, it is best to try different brands and gauges to hear what works best for your bass and your playing technique. Our basses are stringed with SIT or LaBella black nylon strings.
  Tip: when you put a new set of strings on your bass keep the package and write your experience of that set after playing them for a while. If you do this for every set you try you can collect a library of different strings and your experiences with them. Very helpful if you did not use that type of string for a couple years and cannot really remember how they sounded.

Orders, payments and shipping

• How and where can I order a bass made to my specifications?

  Please check our ordering process page

• Where can I buy a stock bass?

  The basses we have in stock are listed on our available instrument pageYou can also purchase them from one of our dealers: Please check our Distribution page.

• How long does it take to make a custom ordered bass?

  From the moment the building process starts it takes about 4 months to finish the bass. The date when we can start building your instrument depends on the schedule at the time of ordering. Your deposit secures you the soonest available place in the production schedule. Please send us an e-mail for the current building schedule.

• What methods of payment do you accept?

  We accept cash, PayPal, Transferwise and bank wires. PLease contact us if you have any questions or for the payment info.

• How much is the deposit on a bass?

  When ordering a bass to your specifications, we require a deposit equaling 30% of the total order price. This also secures the earliest available production slot. Please check our ordering process for more info.

• When is final payment for an order due?

  Final payment for an instrument is due after completion of your custom bass. You will receive pictures from your bass and a payment request for the final payment.
  To learn more about our payment policy, go here.

• Can I make my payments over time in smaller installments?

  Yes, once you place your deposit for an order, you can make partial payments at any time until the completion of your instrument. With every payment you make, we will email you an updated invoice showing your payment history and current balance.

• Why can’t you give me an exact starting and delivery date?

  Due to the nature of production we cannot give exact dates. The month when we plan to start your bass (batch date) and the delivery month is just an estimate. Sometimes we have to estimate these delivery dates more than a year ahead and production of each bass varies a lot depending on its specifications. It does not happen often but if we think a neck, body or part is not perfect we will re-do it until it is. It’s most important to us that we deliver only the highest quality and we will spend as much time on each bass as it is needed to make it perfect. Having deadlines puts the quality in danger. Please be aware that the estimated batch date and delivery date can change between placing the order and the delivery.

• Why can’t I change the specifications for a custom ordered instrument after the batch month?

  The “batch month” refers to the first day of the month the production of you instruments starts. Once you place your deposit, you can make any changes to your instrument’s specs up to two weeks before the first day of the batch month. Prior to the batch month we check our inventory and order parts we need. In the batch month the first steps to building your instrument starts: The woods are selected and cut to rough sizes, matching wood for parts is selected, The neck wood is prepared etc. Due to the nature of production, after these initial preparations the specs cannot be changed.

• Can you take pictures of my Adamovic instrument during the build process and send them to me?

  No, due to the nature of our production process we do not take any pictures during the building process. However, for all Custom ordered basses, we take detailed pictures from all angles after the bass is completed.

• What happens if I cancel my order?

  If you decide to cancel your order at any time, you forfeit your deposit and lose your production slot. Please note that all deposits are non-refundable.

• What kind of warranty do you offer?

  Please check our policy and warranty page.

• How do you ship the basses?

  The basses come in a hard shell case. The basses are additionally fixed inside the case so they can’t move around inside the case, while being transported. Certificate and tools are included.

• Can you tell me more about the shipping to a different country and the shipping costs?

  We ship with The Dutch Postal office. We have a contract with them and have shipped hundreds of basses for almost two decades. Although slower than couriers they are in our experience the safest choice. The shipping costs depend on the weight and size of the package. You can also choose to ship through FEDEX or UPS which is faster but more expensive. Please send us an e-mail with your address so we can give you the shipping info.

Maintenance and setup

• How should I set-up my instrument?

  We are working on a set-up page. If you have questions about setting up your Adamovicb bass, please send us an e-mail.

• How should I maintain my Adamovic instrument?

  We are working on our maintenance page. If you have any questions on this topic, please send us an e-mail

Having a problem with your Adamovic bass?

• My bass needs repair can I bring or send the bass to your shop?

  Of course, please send us an e-mail ( info@adamovic.nl ) or call us for an appointment first

• I am an international customer that needs a repair done on my Adamovic.

  Contact us directly by e-mail ( info@adamovic.nl ). Please include a description of the problem preferably with pictures. You will be contacted a.s.a.p. and we can discuss what the best way is to treat the problem. Some of the options you have are: You can ship the bass to us, you can go to the dealer you purchased the bass from, we can try to help find a certified repair person in your neighborhood or we can talk you through to solve the problem. Please be advised, all shipping costs are your responsibility.

• What info should I provide if I take/send my Adamovic bass to a third party repair shop?

  Please only go to an experienced professional preferably with a couple decades of experience. Please give them our contact info and make sure they know they can contact us with any questions. Also note that any damage caused by a third party makes the warranty void!

• Do you do repairs on other instruments than an Adamovic?

  No we do not. We stopped doing repairs in 2010 to focus on the production of our own basses.

• Does my Adamovic instrument have a warranty?

  Yes, any new Adamovic bass comes with a warranty on the materials and workmanship for five (5) years .
  The warranty on Previously owned bass purchased directly from us comes with a warranty on the materials and workmanship for five (5) years and electronics for one (1) year.
  You can read the full warranty here.

• Does the Adamovic warranty apply if the instrument is purchased used?

  No, the Adamovic warranty is only valid for the original purchaser.

• One of the parts on my Adamovic is broken. Can I get it replaced?

  Yes, of course! Most parts such as tuners, bridges, knobs, electronics, etc. that are damaged can be purchased through us or through one of our dealers where you purchased your instrument. Please note any parts are only available as an replacement to Adamovic owners only.

• There is something wrong with my preamp. What should I do?

  The first step is to make sure that your batteries are fresh. If this does not solve the problem, please contact us and send us information about the problem preferably with some pictures of the inside cavity of your instrument, showing all of the wiring connections.