Custom bass end results

[bass_ferret]

Custom basses - whats it all about. I guess you could say that any bass that has been changed from standard like fitting a badass is a custom bass but for the purpose of this thread it means any bass you have had made to your specification, or any bass that you have bought that someone else has had made. There were lots of build threads on the old forums but once the build had finished they tended to drop off the radar, so the idea of this thread is to post some pictures of your pride and joy, what made you get it, why did you have it made that way and who made it for you.

I'll start with my GB's.

[attachment=44:both.JPG]

I had a 1980 Ibanez Musician fretless that I loved playing but it just got too heavy for my poor old back so I paid a visit to Bernie Goodfellow [url="http://www.gbguitars.co.uk/"]GB Guitars[/url] who is quite local and said I wanted a four string fretless Spitfire with a neck exactly the same as the Ibanez. Game on. I dont dig basses that want to be furniture so fancy woods were out, although Bernie could not resist using a fancy bit of maple for the neck. Thought long and hard about the colour but in the end decided it had to be black with chrome, standard Spitfire build (GB Pups, GB Active, Schaller 200 Bridge and Hipshot Ultralights). Its made from swamp ash so is nice and light. I did consider a Status Retro in black but I wanted an in-between neck and Status only did P or J.
[attachment=45:Black_flspf_1_550.jpg] [attachment=46:Black_flspf_2_120.jpg] [attachment=47:Black_flspf_3_550.jpg]
One extra was some rather fetching blue LED's as playing fretless on a blacked out stage can be a bitch.
[attachment=48:Black_flspf_4_550.jpg]
Like most builders Bernie has a formula and models that he likes to use as a starting point (the Rumour shape is inspired by the silhouette of a naked woman with a comfortable bottom sitting down). Of course you can vary considerably from the standard build but it can cost more and if it is particularly time consuming he might decide not to take it on because it means making all the other customers wait longer for their babies. But I wanted something different with frets so I had a Spitfire based P bass made. Swamp Ash again in fiesta red with a snot green plate. 69 P Pup, EBS Active, Hipshot Ultra and Hipshot Model A strung through. Looks and sounds very different.
[attachment=49:red1.jpg] [attachment=50:red2.jpg] [attachment=51:red3.jpg] [attachment=52:red4.jpg]
Thats me.

Edited May 29, 2007 by bass_ferret

[MikeP]

I like them both but I'm partial to the Fretless, I love Fretless :wub:

[Steve_K]

Oh cool, good idea

My Custom Status S2 Specs:

S2 Classic Through Neck Headless
5 String, EADGC
Board 302
Walnut/Utile back, "MooWood" front (Spalted Siberian Ash, we believe)
Black Hardware

[bass_ferret]

And here is everyone elses basses from the old thread from BassTalk. MS Word I am afraid.

[[attachment=92:Custom_Basse_1_.htm]

And html

[attachment=119:Custom_Basse.html]

Edited May 19, 2007 by bass_ferret

[andyonbass]

OK heres my ACG Recurve Single Cut

Body in Black Limba with a Flamed Bibinga top and black veneer accent line.
Neck 7 piece Bibinga/maple with Bibinga headplate back plate and heel all with accent lines.

Hardware in black.
ACG pre-amp.
2 ACG custom humbuckers.
Hipshot Type A bridge.
Hipshot Ultralites.
Schaller Straplocks and a Neutrik locking jack.
Finish 60% sheen lacquer on the body and 20% sheen on the neck for a satin feel

[jwbassman]

Here seemed like a good place to put some pictures of my Overwater...

[attachment=143:ow_01.jpg]
[attachment=144:ow_02.jpg]
[attachment=145:ow_03.jpg]
[attachment=146:ow_04.jpg]
[attachment=147:ow_05.jpg]


Built by Chris and the guy up in Carlisle - check out [url="http://www.overwater.co.uk"]www.overwater.co.uk[/url]


It's a Progress 5 Fretless Deluxe Custom

35" Scale
5 Piece Maple and Purpleheart Neck
Walnut Body
Ash Top and Headstock
Ebony Fingerboard with Walnut lines

Natural Satin finish

Pickups are OW5 Soapbars with a 3 Band eq
Bridge is an OWS

Strung with medium gauge Overwater roundwound nickle strings


Needless to say - my pride and joy

[Kiwi]

This is the only custom bass I've ever had made. It ended up being a bit of a mess at the end of the day. If the bloke making it doesn't really know much beyond making a specific product then you end up taking a lot of responsibility on yourself.

[Rich]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='2625' date='May 20 2007, 01:42 AM']This is the only custom bass I've ever had made. It ended up being a bit of a mess at the end of the day.[/quote]Well I liked it.


This is my custom Shuker J5... body is burl maple on English white ash in satin 'baccy sunburst, neck is maple/wenge/flamed maple with birdseye maple fingerboard & orange side LEDs, pickups are EMG-40TWs with 'coil taps' & Jon Shuker's superb 3-band EQ.

[neepheid]

It's already been featured in the build diaries, so if you missed it here's a link.

[url="http://www.wheeee.org/showallnews.php?n=566"]http://www.wheeee.org/showallnews.php?n=566[/url]

All the eye candy is there.

[Rich]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='836' date='May 17 2007, 10:27 PM']Thought long and hard about the colour but in the end decided it had to be black with chrome, standard Spitfire build (GB Pups, GB Active, Schaller 200 Bridge and Hipshot Ultralights). Its made from swamp ash so is nice and light. I did consider a Status Retro in black but I wanted an in-between neck and Status only did P or J.
One extra was some rather fetching blue LED's as playing fretless on a blacked out stage can be a bitch.[/quote]After seeing thumbo's stealth Jazz, I reckon you should definitely go the black hardware route with your lovely fretless GB. It already looks good, but with black bits it'd be the bomb.

[wotnwhy]

[quote]so the idea of this thread is to post some pictures of your pride and joy,[/quote]



[quote]what made you get it,[/quote]

i'm a person who has very, very specific ideas about what i like and what i want. i also love doodling designs and such. and had the rough designs for this bass drawn up years before i took the plunge to get it made.

[quote]why did you have it made that way[/quote]

as i said before, i know what i like. and i just couldn't find a bass on the market that met my needs/wants 100%. and when your hitting the thousands for what is essentially a 'tool' surely you should expect nothing short of perfection.

i wanted the bass to be light and strong, so swamp ash and a multi-laminate neck with carbon rods seemed ample for the job. i thought the bass should be nice and bright as the eq can always tone that down whilst also boosting the mids, so maple fretboard it was.

as for electronics, i wanted them to be as extensive as humanly possible, partly from laziness (no need to keep going back to the amp for sound tweaks) and becuase half of the time when gigging the backline is shared, so i could not always guarentee that i'd be using my amp anyway.
the gyst of the spec i gave to Jon in this area was; SD pickups (custom wound 1/4lb jazz and MM humbucker), piezo with own volume control and a powerful 3-band eq. active/passive switch ('cos you never know).
Jon really went to town with this and used the electronics he designed as a base/prototype for his current active electronics

and finally looks
now this is something i thought long and hard about. i see instruments primerily as tools. and tools are made to be used, i'm not one for wrapping it up in cotton wool, afraid to take it out incase it gets damaged. i'm also in what is essentially a 'party' band. playing at house parties, in barns and on the beach, with lots of very drunk, active people running/jumping about the place. so the chances of knocks and dings is pretty high.
so obviously first thought are, nothing too fancy, just keep it plain. but then i though, well it's gonna get worn/damaged regardless of how pretty it looks. and if i'm spending a lot of money, i might as well have something pretty to look at when i'm not playing. so i had the most beautiful quilt maple top and went for a birdseye fretboard and a flamed maple center laminate in the neck. and then complimented the brightness with some darker wenge in the block inlays, pickup covers and controlls.

the result still wows me today, 3 years on! (seriously, i still sometimes just pick it up off the stands to look at it for a while!)

[quote]and who made it for you.[/quote]

well.....




one of the shots Jon took soon after it's birth



the design on the headstock is a sort of abstract play on my initials TS



a nice shot of the flamed maple



an explenation of the controls



more eagle eyed amongst you will notice the 3 switches on the plate. embarrisingly i cant actually remember what 2 of them do, 1 of them is an ultra low freq. cut off switch, very effective at stopping boominess. also inside there's a mid freq. band pot.



finally just to give you a slightly better idea of how varied the quilt can be and how deep it is

[nik1093]

[quote name='Rich' post='3364' date='May 21 2007, 03:53 AM']Well I liked it.
This is my custom Shuker J5... body is burl maple on English white ash in satin 'baccy sunburst, neck is maple/wenge/flamed maple with birdseye maple fingerboard & orange side LEDs, pickups are EMG-40TWs with 'coil taps' & Jon Shuker's superb 3-band EQ.
[/quote]



how u get side leds???????

[paul, the]

[quote name='neepheid' post='3373' date='May 21 2007, 09:04 AM']It's already been featured in the build diaries, so if you missed it here's a link.

[url="http://www.wheeee.org/showallnews.php?n=566"]http://www.wheeee.org/showallnews.php?n=566[/url]

All the eye candy is there.[/quote]


"
When you can pickup a reasonable starter instrument for £200-£300, if cost is your motivation forget it. There's no way you can compete with the Far East! But if you're wanting a labour of love with absolutely zero resale value (unless you become famous ;-) ) then this is the way to go!

"

I love this comment. Your bass has soul.

[OldGit]

[quote name='nik1093' post='13748' date='Jun 7 2007, 07:05 PM']how u get side leds???????[/quote]

Side LED's are pretty normal ..
Martin Sims will retrofit them to your bass if you like ...
[url="http://www.simscustom.com/html/simsleds.htm"]http://www.simscustom.com/html/simsleds.htm[/url]

Orange ones are a tad pervy and bizare but hey, that's Rich for you

[nivek]

My Hemgé Singlecut 6 :










First contact :



This is the 3rd bass made by my friend Martin Gobet, and it's a real killer !

Some sound :
[url="http://ummacdan.free.fr/sndbox/nivek-treasure.mp3"]http://ummacdan.free.fr/sndbox/nivek-treasure.mp3[/url]
[url="http://perso.orange.fr/perrokweb/lutherie3/soundclip_niv.mp3"]http://perso.orange.fr/perrokweb/lutherie3/soundclip_niv.mp3[/url]
[url="http://ummacdan.free.fr/sndbox/nivek-KSousLait.mp3"]http://ummacdan.free.fr/sndbox/nivek-KSousLait.mp3[/url]

Specs :
- 6 strings (19mm spacing @bridge)
- 2 Delano JSBC P/U
- Noll preamp, 3 bands, param-mids
- limba body, walnut top & back + paduk
- hipshot black hardware
- macassar ebony fingerboard (34", 24 frets + fret-0)
- paduk / maple / wenge neck with 2 graphite inserts
- oil finish

I took this project that was initially started by another bass player. As his original specs were exactly what I was dreaming of in terms of comfort (string spacing, neck thickness, etc) and the construction was something completely new to me (singlecut, ebony fingerboard), I did not hesitate a second.

I defined with Martin the choice of pickups and electronics, my most wanted feature was a full 3 band eq with param mids.

Edited July 11, 2007 by nivek

[BassBalls]

That is a very nice bass. Does your friend have a website?

[JPJ]

If we are showing off our custom made prides and joys, here's my home made five string P bass / Stu Hamm cross. Came out so good that its replaced my pimped J five as my weapon of choice.

[attachment=1290:P_Hamm_V...Finished.jpg]

[attachment=1291:P_Hamm_V...Finished.jpg]

[attachment=1292:P_Hamm_V...Finished.jpg]

I made and finished the body from a two-piece body blank from Craft-Supplies. The paint is Halfords Ford Ivory White over white primer and yellow filler primer, with two coats of clear laquer to finish. The neck is a mighty mite off eBay, she features John East Bass & Treble and Mid-Sweep stacks, with a pair of Bart J's and a Bart P via a five-way Schaller superswitch.

[paul, the]

[quote name='nivek' post='30198' date='Jul 11 2007, 10:37 AM']My Hemgé Singlecut 6 :










First contact :

[/quote]


Oh my!

[nivek]

[quote name='BassBalls' post='34336' date='Jul 19 2007, 10:03 PM']That is a very nice bass. Does your friend have a website?[/quote]

Not for the moment, he told me it's under construction.

I can show you his first two beauties :
A nice fretless 6 (his real 1st wood work !!!)


A gorgeous fretted 7 (trying this one made me want one) :

[BassBalls]

The fretless six is amazing. Great choice of woods. If you dont want to make it public how much they are pm me but, what is his price range? Im interested...

Cheers

[therealting]

[quote name='nivek' post='35849' date='Jul 23 2007, 11:32 AM']A nice fretless 6 (his real 1st wood work !!!)
[/quote]

That's his first real wood work?! I can only imagine what his 20th bass will be like! Stunning!

[EdwardHimself]

^ah yes there are just some people out there who have "got it" for woodwork. unforturnately not me tho.

[OldGit]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='38813' date='Jul 30 2007, 10:19 AM']^ah yes there are just some people out there who have "got it" for woodwork. unfortunately not me tho.[/quote]


What amazes me is that these guys have also "got it" for the many, many other aspects of custom bass making - from wood to electronics to balance and playability to perfect super gloss finishes. And outstanding customer service in most cases (a certain Mr Smith excluded )

Truly gob-smacking.

[Magnolia]

[quote name='wotnwhy' post='7638' date='May 27 2007, 02:31 PM'][/quote]

Thats gotta be the best looking Shuker i have ever see. Some serious eye candy.

Nick

[slemm]

All very nice chap's. getting some serious GAS