Pete1967

[quote name='simon1964' post='902390' date='Jul 22 2010, 09:37 PM']Very nice! Glad you went for the Delanos - they are fantastic. Really versatile tone with anything from a 'ray, to a P, to a Jazz.[/quote]
Yeah - thanks for the advice Simon. Since ordering these I've actually bought a Delano loaded Jazz off Jon, and they're great. I know I've made the right decision here - just can't wait to plug her in!

P

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='902357' date='Jul 22 2010, 09:08 PM']I was expecting to see a massive pickup! [/quote]

As it happens these are just in from Jon...

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[quote name='eude' post='901127' date='Jul 21 2010, 06:18 PM']Very nice mate, have you gone for the tried and tested classic Shuker shape, or have you gone for a new funky Horn or Uberhorn?...

Eude[/quote]

Hey Eude, yeah it's the classic Series 2 shape - the same as my EMG loaded Walnut/cooked maple one. I wanted them mechanically as similar as possible for the obvious reasons.... although i have to say I think it's got a slightly 'slimmer' carve to both the neck and body. Should be a joy to play, and I'm hoping massive pickup = massive tone I do love the Uberhorn shape though and if I'd got the dough i'd have the Blackwood fretless off him to complete my collection!

P

Well, I've refrained from posting a thread here until now because I knew that watching the thread would drive me nuts and cause uncontrollable bouts of GAS (which happened anyway to be fair and resulted in me buying the green jazz on Jon's stock page), but now that I'm about to get my sticky, and some would say talentless, mits on my new 'un, I thought I'd share. Bassic (sorry!) spec is:


Shuker Bolt-on Custom 5 String
34" scale, 24 fret
5pc Maple, Flame maple, Wenge neck with carbon fibre, two way truss, modern C profile
Ziricote fretboard
Ultalite or Resolite tuners
White Ash body
Flamed, spalted maple drop top
High gloss finish
Delano Hybrid+J pickups
Shuker Mk3 3band EQ
Individual bridges
Black hardware

I'm pencilled in to pick it up a week on Friday, after a typical wait, but I knew it would take time. I did see it part complete when I picked the green jazz up and it's gonna be a smasher! I've resisted asking Jon for pics (until last might) for the same reason as above.

The main feature really is the hybrid pickup which I thought long and hard about ordering, but Jon and a couple of other BC'ers persuaded me. Had a mail from Jon last night and he commented that the bass looked really smart cos "it's a massive pickup". Hope I can live up to it...

Pics will be posted as soon as I've put it down long enough to photograph it.

P

[quote name='peted' post='900706' date='Jul 21 2010, 08:29 AM']Ooh, awesome-o

Jon did mention that he was thinking about front-paging it when I came to pick it up, but was convinced that he says that to everyone I actually told him that I thought my bass looked a bit bland for the front page and that some of the grain-fill finishes he is doing right now would look a lot better. I'm still chuffed none-the-less![/quote]

Bland...! I think not....

Nice one - you've made it to the front page of Jon's website! Looks stunning!

I take it your fingers are bleeding by now...

P

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' post='895197' date='Jul 14 2010, 11:01 PM']I'd guess German and late 19th/early 20th century. It looks similar to mine - there seem to be lots of these old German flatbacks around and most of them have no makers name. Unfortunately the long crack running up towards the bridge looks like it follows the line of the bass bar. Unless it has already been repaired, it will be an expensive job, as the top has to be removed. It should be a nice bass when everything's fettled though...[/quote]

I'd agree. Probably turn of the century German, and probably 'factory manufactured' rather than luthier buit. The give away with these basses is the bout reinforcing running around the outside where the back and front join. Nothing negative here, usually good solid basses and made of real wood - before ply/laminates came in - but won't set the world alight.

Bass bar crack, nasty..... but not unretrieveable.

[quote name='BigBeatNut' post='895340' date='Jul 15 2010, 08:46 AM']Lovely looking bass, but it's the C extension that's caught my eye ... serious piece of technology that.

Looks like the action is going to be pretty high when fingering the E string near the nut. I'm guessing it might be possible to cope with that by using both keys and fingers to hold down the string, around F or F# at least.

I'd be interested in knowing more about what it's like to use that (apologies for taking this off-topic).

Andy[/quote]

Usually the the mechanical stop at the E locks in position to maintain normal action further up the fingerboard, but IIRC the advice is to rest the bass with it unlocked. I did visit Bob(??) Fawcett years ago but it's all a very hazy now... They're OK to use for the occasional low note IMHO but a bit clunky and you wouldn't be playing any sprightly passages on them.

Hope The Major agrees!

P

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='895325' date='Jul 15 2010, 08:18 AM']Pete - this is great to hear. I know George builds great basses, but I know little about his repair skills. They are loaning me a brand new Martin bass while they work on my "Briggs". Should be an interesting few weeks.

Does your Dad still have the Kennedy ? They are stunning instruments. And worth a few bob too.

Thanks in advance for your research efforts.

The Major[/quote]

Major, Sir - No issue on the research. As soon as I have something I'll let you know. I may wait until I visit my Dad and scan the pages.

Yes he still has his Kennedy - his pride and joy. Sadly he doesn't play it much because it's now too heavy for him, but I give it a scrape when I visit - it's truly amazing and even sounds good with me playing it! He used to collect basses (20+ at it's height) and sold several to Tony (Houska) some years ago, hmmmmmmm...... He also loaned a Neuner and Hornsteiner to Leon Bosch for several years. He has kept the cream of his collection which includes an early Italian bass that Stefano Pio attributes to a maker that I daren't mention in public (and still pinch myself about). It was bought locally before I was born, after seeing an advert in the village post office window for a 'Double Base'!

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='894924' date='Jul 14 2010, 06:25 PM']Actually it was Tom who said "it's a Briggs" (with no hesitation) when i asked his opinion. And it's his son George who is doing the restoration. He's going to re-shape the the bottom bouts so it fits better. I've had constant problems with the bass opening up on the lower back seam.

Apparently Briggs signed his basses inside up near the neck joint. Fingers crossed .....[/quote]

George rebuilt a badly damaged bottom bout on my Dad's Kennedy and did a stunning job - you're in safe hands. My old man's also got a copy of the very rare 'Encylopedia of Violin Makers' (I think it's called - it's in several volumes anyway) and all of the Raymond Elgar books, so I'll ask him to look Briggs up. He's now 85 (my Dad that is) and a complete technophobe so it will be a dictation over the phone job, but I'll get it as soon as I can for you and post or PM it...

P

Can I suggest a chat/visit with Tom Martin?? Tom was good enough to put my father on the scent for one of his early basses which led all the way to Venice...

I suppose the difficulty is that unless there's an authoritative makers mark in the box, then it's only someone's opinion, but if you can get a good enough opinion then pinning the words 'attributed to' becomes an option. Hopefully opening her up will reveal a label. Fingers crossed for you and I'm sure a skilled surgeon will have her singing again in no time...

OK I'm biassed because I have three of his basses and I think he's a top bloke, but I'd like to bet that for around a grand Jon Shuker could build you what you're specifying - and then you have your own choice of, well, everything. Of course you'd have to wait for it, but you get *your* bass...

Just stunning.... I know it was a long wait but it looks like it was worth it.

I hope I'm smiling that much when I pick mine up in a couple of weeks...

[quote name='JMT3781' post='841214' date='May 18 2010, 06:17 PM']I got an email at 19.40 last night lol

must been getting it all over with in one go... Looks like my second shuker is ready, just settling over the weekend then being posted to me next week

not rubbing it in too much, cuz mine is nowhere as special as you guys's... although check out the neck construction [/quote]

At the risk of hijacking the thread - I saw this neck at the weekend when I was at Jon's having a couple of tweaks done and the Paduak very striking in the flesh. My third Shuker is has made incredible progress over the last month, so I sense Jon is firing on all cylinders and some deliveries are imminent!

P

[quote name='Rimskidog' post='830302' date='May 7 2010, 08:13 AM']Songs are pretty cool. Musicianship is good. Vocals are too loud, have too much verb, are distorted in places and have some masking issues in places. Am only listening on laptop so can't tell what else is going on. Hope this helps.[/quote]
Fab - thanks for the feedback... I think the vox are too high too, personally, but politics...... anyway, mix and verb I can fix... I suspect the distortion you hear is down to the vocal style... but masking issues... could you help me out on that? I suspect you mean the vocal gets lost in the mix, but if you could point me in the right direction to tidy some of that up - I'd love you forever

Cheers

P

[quote name='stonecoldbass' post='829868' date='May 6 2010, 05:58 PM']Um, mp3 player doesn't appear when I open that link..?[/quote]

Thanks for taking a look... The player is MySpace's standard one and it's a Flash object... so could be something to do with Flash settings on your PC???

P

Folks, after much to-ing and fro-ing, my originals band has finally got a MySpace page, and out first proper recorded output is now available to the big wide world. Have a listen, and let me know what you think. Genuinely canvassing feedback here so that we can improve everything... songs, performance, production.

Oh yeah.. I know about the Yammy DTX drums... working on that!

[url="http://www.myspace.com/theofficialblackswans"]OfficialBlackSwans[/url]


Thanks guys.

Anyone who can actually build a bass from scratch is clearly a genius - I have trouble just playing the damn thing. Like the shape looks like it balances well, and slightly reminiscent of a Carl Thompson and that can't be a bad thing...

I concurr (to quote a film) with all of the above. Fender pups tend to be quite pokey IME, so it does make me wonder about the set up... and don't under estimate the value of a good set of strings. DRs just are the best.... That said, Villex and EMG jazz sets get good reviews but I have no experience of them, however what I can say is that I have Delano JC4AL/M2s in my Shuker Jazz, and they are extremely good. Split coils make them noisless and they're very flexible from a good thick tone to very bright - and plenty of level. A modern slap tone needs a little more mid scoop than they have naturally, but a tweak of outboard EQ and you're there.

PM me... I may be able to help you out.

Folks, I can vouch for this... I bought it new from the Bass Centre in Birmingham. Genuine two owner beauty that is everything good about Warwicks and before they really went mass market. Looks to be in the same or better condition than when I let it go, so buy it, play it and love it... ...Dave's a top guy so deal with complete confidence.

[quote name='the someone' post='804009' date='Apr 12 2010, 07:03 PM']pm sent[/quote]

...and replied

...a tenner anyone??

Mike bought an EMG PUP off me. Paid immediately via PayPal and great communications. I'd have no hesitation in dealing again. Thanks!

OK, So I thought it was time this thread was rejuvenated - now that I have two Shukers (and a third on the way)

Here's my gratuitious contribution...

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