Clarky72 Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 Me and a mate are both after custom basses. We both fancy getting involved with the build as opposed to just sending the spec to a luthier and waiting for the product to roll up months later. Has anyone here done the build course with Jon Shuker? Any experiences and thoughts would be welcome... (If this thread should be in Build Diaries please move it. Thx) Quote
molan Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 check this thread: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/108400-doing-a-shuker-course-now-finished/page__p__1004761__fromsearch__1#entry1004761 Probably a few others too - sounds like a great thing to have a go at Quote
simon1964 Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 This is a good thread covering the five day one-to-one course as well: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/15736-5-day-shuker-course/page__hl__lwtait"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/15736-5-day-shuker-course/page__hl__lwtait[/url] and I've played the said Taitycaster, and its excellent! Quote
BassBod Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 I did it several years ago - my advice is simply, [b]do it[/b]. But go careful carving the neck...I got a bit carried away and its way too thin for me these days! There are some photos of mine somewhere on here, so have a search. Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='simon1964' timestamp='1326888037' post='1503182'] This is a good thread covering the five day one-to-one course as well: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/15736-5-day-shuker-course/page__hl__lwtait"]http://basschat.co.u...age__hl__lwtait[/url] and I've played the said Taitycaster, and its excellent! [/quote] Thanks for the link, just read the whole thread and I am so up for building this bass now.. I've got a deisgn idea in mind that I've had for a while (it was a photoshop bass I made up last year on a thread here on BC somewhere)... pretty much this with a jazz pup at the bridge position now instead of that MM bucker. Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1326911669' post='1503686'] How did you do that design? [/quote] Photoshop. Found a hi-res pic of a jazz, modified the body slightly, changed the head and fretboard then overlaid a pic of some wood over the body, recoloured it and dropped in the hardware i wanted on the bass. I have a feeling the real-life build won't be so easy... Quote
Dood Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 I reckon you'll be getting lots of requests to help design other BCers basses too! That looks really cool! Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Posted January 18, 2012 This is a helpful link if you want Fender specs to start from: [url="http://www.fender.com/support/articles/bass-guitar-service-diagrams"]http://www.fender.com/support/articles/bass-guitar-service-diagrams[/url] Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1326917850' post='1503823'] I reckon you'll be getting lots of requests to help design other BCers basses too! That looks really cool! [/quote] It's odd how the Spector style headstock actually looks okay with a Fender-ish body... didn't expect that to work at all... Quote
Dood Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 I like it a lot! I'm a fan of two/three aside headstocks! Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 I never thought the sabre was quite right, for example the scratchplate wasnt designed very well i thought. I love my stingray and my jazz so I started again combining the two adding a few features to make it different. Quote
Prime_BASS Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I'm currently saving for this, but ill have to stay up that way and food will cost me a bomb.!!! I have ideas that have never been done! Quote
Gust0o Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 I'm mid-course at the moment, going back next week to finish my bass. I think the only advice I'd offer, is be reasonable about what you can achieve - you'll be spending a lot of time sanding and learning the tricks of the trade, so a little modesty in design is probably advisable, if you're hoping to finish before you leave! Happy to be PM'ed or talk here, if you have questions. Long and short is I've been loving it. Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1326960645' post='1504181'] I have ideas that have never been done! [/quote] Sounds very interesting... I take it those plans are all under wraps?? Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 [quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1326966168' post='1504281'] I'm mid-course at the moment, going back next week to finish my bass. I think the only advice I'd offer, is be reasonable about what you can achieve - you'll be spending a lot of time sanding and learning the tricks of the trade, so a little modesty in design is probably advisable, if you're hoping to finish before you leave! Happy to be PM'ed or talk here, if you have questions. Long and short is I've been loving it. [/quote] Are you doing the group course or the one-on-one? Have you got any pics of your build? I'd love to see what you're building and how it's coming along. Quote
Prime_BASS Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Yeah of course. I just finished re-wiring my warwick so it selects the 2 inner coils (closer to the mm position) and half way through turning my sterling into a "silhouette" bass. Pretty standard interms of innovation, but what I want to do hasn't been done on this kind of bass before, that I know off. And providing headless can be done in the 5 days then it'll be possible. Quote
Clarky72 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Posted January 19, 2012 Ah sounds good with the wiring. That'll be a big old job making a Sihouette though!! Quote
Gust0o Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 [quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1326967697' post='1504324'] Are you doing the group course or the one-on-one? Have you got any pics of your build? I'd love to see what you're building and how it's coming along. [/quote] It's the five-day course. I had the first two one-on-one, then the guitar tech from Bring Me the Horizon joined in (Deano!) - it's all very laidback, and you get a lot of time with John. I'm building a passive jazz, with reversed headstock. Maple neck and bound fretboard. Just something kitsch. I don't think people realise how much work even the basic stuff takes! I think I spent an entire day sanding the body! Quote
shizznit Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Oh gosh, I have been saying to the misus for years that if I had the workspace at home I would start building basses. I have a friend that builds about 4-5 basses a year and are absolutely beautiful. He doesn't brand them and just does it for fun. Never bought one as they are quite pointy and built for metal players (most of his customers are from Norway and Sweden!)...not really my thing, but the build quality and tone is astonishing for someone that is completely self taught. Mark is really missing his vocation! He has offerred to train me if I ever get around to finding the workspace and buy the kit. I have visited the Warwick factory in Germany on a day off whilst on tour over there and a fella called Peter guided me through every manufacturing process in fine detail. It educated me quite a bit and realised how easy it is to bodge a job! Gosh, you need a lot of patience and a very good eye for detail when building a bass! Quote
shizznit Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 [quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1326973798' post='1504463'] I'm building a passive jazz, with reversed headstock. Maple neck and bound fretboard. Just something kitsch. I don't think people realise how much work even the basic stuff takes! I think I spent an entire day sanding the body! [/quote] YAY!!! I'm not the only one who likes reverse headstocks on basses!! Always wanted a Jazz with a reverse headstock. Can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished! Quote
Prime_BASS Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 Would love to see reverse headstock on a jazz. The silhouette is just using the sterling basses wood parts, I just have to make the single coil pickup casings so its HSS and make the pickguard. The custom one I want to do is based on Mark King's Status bass design, with what I want from a bass tonally/electronically. Sanding takes a month of sundays!!! I refin'ed two basses and sanding on each one took me over a week of long evenings. Quote
Gust0o Posted January 19, 2012 Posted January 19, 2012 When it's done I'll get some pics up - next week beckons! Quote
shizznit Posted January 20, 2012 Posted January 20, 2012 [quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1327011625' post='1505343'] When it's done I'll get some pics up - next week beckons! [/quote] Tidy! Looking foward to that Quote
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