JMBricklayer Ghost Ship review: A great, spooky build

JMBricklayer is one of the newest Lego alternatives to enter the brick-building world, with just a few original sets under its belt.

The latest is a spooky Flying Dutchman Ghost Ship set (40001), and it’s a very impressive showing. Keep reading for our full JMBricklayer Ghost Ship review!

If you want to try this set for yourself, you can snag 15% off by using the code JMBTINY15 on the official website.

Note: JMBricklayer provided this set to Tiny Workshops for review, but our opinions are our own.

Affiliate disclosure: Articles on Tiny Workshops may contain affiliate links.

Overview

Pirate ship building sets are coming back in a big way, both from alternative brick brands and the big L itself. But in a relatively crowded market, this Ghost Ship Flying Dutchman set really does stand out.

Everything about my experience with this set was superb. I wasn’t sure what to expect from such a young company, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The set has 1100 pieces and the finished model measures roughly 44x10x33cm, which is larger than most Lego pirate ships but smaller than options from Mould King and other alternatives.

Overall, I really like the size and design of the ship. It’s not too big but not too small, and the green highlights and lighting kit are a nice touch. Really though, it all comes down to price.

This set retails for $60, which is a fantastic value. This represents about $.05 per piece, or even less if you use one of the discount codes mentioned in the intro.

The Lego 3-in-1 Pirate Ship set (31109) might have more play value for kids, but it costs twice as much and the finished model is much smaller. If you just want a cool display piece and a fun build, this is more than worth a look.

Build

From unboxing to hanging the sails, the JMBricklayer Ghost Ship was an absolute pleasure to build. It includes 14 numbered bags, split into four building sections, plus the sails, stickers, and lighting kit.

The instruction manual is great, with clear photos and warnings when two pieces are visually similar. I actually prefer the instructions in this manual to those from the leading brand, although there are fewer little extras and information included.

When finished, the set looks fantastic, although it’s definitely made for display and not play. There are some sections, such as the lower jaw of the front mouth structure, that are held on by single studs.

Make sure you pick this one up carefully from the sides if you want to move it.

For me, the most challenging part of the build was the rope stair section that connects the lower deck and aft section. It was difficult to get the flexible tubing to sit properly without popping out.

Another small knitpick is that two of the railing elements don’t quite sit flush since they’re a little too tall. This means they come off quite easily, although it’s easily remedied by adding an extra piece beneath.

Additionally, while the ship looks great, the dark green coloring hides some of the details.

The lighting kit mostly makes up for this, although I do wish there were more lights in the bottom to light the gunports or in the front to light the mouth fixture. They are heavily concentrated on the back of the ship.

Check out our video review for this set to see a full speed build.

Quality

Brick quality is always a concern when talking about alt brick sets, but this one did not disappoint.

There were no missing or damaged pieces, and everything fit right where it was supposed to. In fact, there was only one extra piece, which in itself is somehow impressive.

Clutch was a pinch tighter than the leading brand, but much better than most sets I’ve tested. Other elements, like pins, bars, and technic pieces, fit very well if a bit snug at times.

I’m not sure which company manufactured these bricks, but they’re among the best I’ve tested.

JMBricklayer Ghost Ship review: Is it worth it?

For companies like JMBricklayer that primarily rebox sets from other manufacturers, it can be hard to know what to expect. But I’m happy to report that this Ghost Ship set is a fantastic buy that’s well worth the price of entry.

I do wish that the colors were a bit more vibrant, but the simple truth is that there aren’t too many ship builds available at this size and price. Most are significantly larger or have fewer details to enjoy.

And nearly all of them are much more expensive.

The lighting is the icing on the cake, although I would probably consider reconfiguring their positioning to better light the front of the ship. That’s an easy fix, of course, and the ship looks great without the lights if you want to skip them entirely.

You can buy this set at the links below. Remember to use the codes JMBWS40001 on Amazon and JMBTINY15 on the official website to save 15% for a limited time.

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That’s it for this JMBricklayer Ghost Ship review! Drop any questions or comments below and I’ll answer them as quickly as possible.