Shuker Uberhorn 5

[shizznit]

I have used the bass quite a lot over the past three weeks or so and become very familiar with it.

As soon as I picked it up for the first time I could feel the high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail straight away. The weight balance is absolutely spot on. The thing doesn't move at any angle...even with a shiny, slippery nylon strap! The neck...oh my gosh...has to be the most comfortable, silky and fast neck I have ever played! The frets are wonderfully finished...superb work there. The neck has such a beautiful feel to it. The bass in general feels really solid. The tummy cut at the back fits perfectly into my ribs, almost as if it was tailor made!

The timbers that were selected for this bass are beautiful. The swamp ash is flawless, the maple and birdseye maple is very clean and bright...and what about that canoe tree burl top! It's a stunner! The bass looks so elegant. It's a head turner! I had a few pro photos of me playing it at St.Davids Hall in Cardiff a couple of weeks ago and it looks great on stage, which is a nice bonus! Even the FOH engineer that night commented about how nice it looked over the talkback!

The weight is fabulous. That was really important for me when Jon and I initially discussed the build. I often play up to two hours during a performance. My neck, back and shoulders feel fine the following morning. I can't begin to tell you how much of a relief that is. Jon has done my Chiro out of a few quid!

I haven't even touched on how good it sounds yet! With the EQ set flat it's very clear and articulate. A good dose of natural high mids, the lows are very tight and has a lovely shine in the highs. The EQ sweep and cuts are not overpowering and don't compress the tone in any way. For me and the way that I play, more so the style of music I play, it's no nonsense, simple, does what it says on the tin tone. This bass does the basics really well without all the electronic faff. The guy that regularly does our FOH for us usually takes the post DI from my amps, but has switched back to the pre DI signal. He really likes the natural tone of the bass and says that he hears so much more balance across the strings. That has made his job a lot easier to get me cut through the mix, but not sound fake. Because of the style of music that I play I am usually cranked quite high in the FOH, so knowing that the bass can be heard as naturally as possible for the punters is a huge benefit and gives me a lot of confidence that folks can hear every little nuances of my playing. It's bitter sweet to be honest. It means that all my mistakes are a lot easier to pick out! But, that just helps me to raise my game.

I initially intended to use the bass live, which is doing a very fine job of doing, but I have actually used it for three recent recording jobs. It performed very well. It's incredibly clean and noiseless. I split the coils to do a little jazzy instrumental on one job, rolled back the treble and boosted the mids...it sounded absolutely incredible. I was so pleased with how that job turned out. When the EQ is flat the tone is so easy to work with. It's exactly what I wanted. The coil split switch is inside the control cavity. We decided to do that so that the top could remain as clutter free as possible. In reality, I probably won't use it much even if the switch was mounted on the top. My dry tone never changes when I play live, but when I decide to record with the bass it's nice to know that I have that option in the locker is I need it.

That Delano pickup is incredible! When I hooked it up to my EBS rig for the first time I had to roll off the gain and compressor quite a bit. My compressor is almost off now because the output balance from the B to the G is so even. The low B is really tight, which most 5 string players regard as a must, so that is a very pleasing result. My amps love this bass! Anyway...I thought to myself "I could have sworn that I asked Jon for a 9v preamp board!?". I think a lot of it is down to the balls of that Delano. Seriously, it's a monster! Such a responsive pickup. It still has that awesome, grunty, burpy MM character, but with a bit more sizzle. Very impressed. It might be a bit too clear and sparkly for some folks as it doesn't really have that classic, roundness to it. It is far more modern sounding than the typical MM tone we are all familiar with. But, it's perfect for my needs. Jon's recommendation is paying off.

Not sure that I will use the slap switch much to be honest, but it's the best system I have used thus far. Simply because you can use it! The scooped tone is superb, but the output signal remains consistent which is why other basses with similar systems fall down I think. Really nifty feature. Great for those Mark King or Marcus Miller moments!

I think I have covered everything...LOL!

Bottom line, I am so happy about the instrument. It really helps to translate my playing in the way that I think I should be heard. Not only because of the tone, but the comfort of how well it plays too. The bass has certainly notched up my dexterity and accuracy. I'm a better musician for it and I can't put a price on that.

The jobs I recorded using the Überhorn won't be released until next year, so will upload a sound sample of the bass when I have a free afternoon. If there is a S.Wales bass bash in the near future I will bring it along. It really does need to be played to fully appreciate the quality of this very fine instrument.

Edited November 9, 2013 by shizznit

[ezbass]

That's the kind of review you want to hear about a custom build, congratulations.

[Owen]

I read this review on my phone while I was waiting to take my seat at the Millennium Stadium yesterday. At least I enjoyed one thing that happened there.

[shizznit]

Sound clips of the bass have been uploaded to my SoundCloud page...

https://soundcloud.com/andrzej-legierski

I should have done a traditional slap sample…I dunno what came over me this afternoon! It was way heavier than I originally set out to do. Meh…whatever!

[sprocket123]

Oh ! Great bass mate ! Sorry about the late Congrats ! Thanx for pics , vid & review , gas attack again ... lol

[Dood]

I feel I'm a little late to the party!!! I'd missed the wonderful unveiling video!

Andy, [i]thank you for the very kind words, it means a lot[/i].

Your video is excellent and as has been said already, how you managed to talk for so long without playing it - you're a stronger man than I!!! - The initial pause when you open the case! Ahhh!! I think I hung on your every word after staring at this gorgeous gorgeous bass!

There's so much I like about it. Truly stunning, congratulations! The reverse headstock!! oh yes!! - Funnily, it was a guitarist that got me in to reverse headstocks too. Both of my electrics are upside-downers! Paul Gilbert for me though. On the subject, I recently found out that a friend of mine was the very person who suggested Ibanez start doing reverse headstock guitars many years ago. I've known him for a while now, but didn't know he was to blame for my quirky love for them!

Anyway! I digress - I just wanted to post a message to say that this is a wonderful bass. Jon never ceases to surprise me even though I know that his basses are already untouchable value for money! Beee-oooo-tiiiii-fulllll!!!

I'm off to listen to your soundcloud clips now!

[shizznit]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1385137752' post='2284920']
I feel I'm a little late to the party!!! I'd missed the wonderful unveiling video!

Andy, [i]thank you for the very kind words, it means a lot[/i].

Your video is excellent and as has been said already, how you managed to talk for so long without playing it - you're a stronger man than I!!! - The initial pause when you open the case! Ahhh!! I think I hung on your every word after staring at this gorgeous gorgeous bass!

There's so much I like about it. Truly stunning, congratulations! The reverse headstock!! oh yes!! - Funnily, it was a guitarist that got me in to reverse headstocks too. Both of my electrics are upside-downers! Paul Gilbert for me though. On the subject, I recently found out that a friend of mine was the very person who suggested Ibanez start doing reverse headstock guitars many years ago. I've known him for a while now, but didn't know he was to blame for my quirky love for them!

Anyway! I digress - I just wanted to post a message to say that this is a wonderful bass. Jon never ceases to surprise me even though I know that his basses are already untouchable value for money! Beee-oooo-tiiiii-fulllll!!!

I'm off to listen to your soundcloud clips now!
[/quote]

You really helped me to make the decision to place the order with Jon. Your product knowledge and advice was superb and choosing Jon to build the bass made complete sense. You were right...he's an incredibly talented luthier and a top bloke. It's been a fun experience.

Yeah...the video! I feel so embarrassed watching it back. I really was like a kid on Christmas morning! I had no chance to play the bass that day as all my gear was packed up and in my car outside. As soon as I stopped filming I grabbed my coat and went to my job for a few days. I didn't want to take if with me as I wouldn't have had any time to adjust to it. This bass is very different to my other basses, so I spent plenty of time with it when I got back, made a tweak to the setup and played it at my next gig.

My Überhorn has played every performance since then and I have really connected with it. I had a wireless pack on me last night and stood FOH during the sound check last night and heard it in the mix for the first time. It really jumps out. Sounded almost exactly how it did on stage. I can't remember many occasions that I have been able to say that. But, because it's so clear you can hear every bum note I play! I have to be a bit more conscience about my performance with that in mind, but it only helps me to raise my game. When I am on it it sounds incredible!

The sound samples were done in a bit of a rush and I literally played the first thing that came into my head, so not he best. Some proper sound clips of jobs I have used it for will be uploaded in the near future so you will be able to hear it in the mix with other instruments. I hope that you get a decent idea on how the bass sounds. The slap tone was set flat using the slap contour switch, the funky latin groove was set flat and I used a bit of treble boost, bass cut for the chords on the jazz piece and I split the coils for the lead part and rolled off the treble and boosted the mids quite a bit. It can produce a lovely soft jazz tone, which was a very pleasant surprise. The bass is a lot more versatile than I was expecting...especially with only one pickup!

I contacted Jon last week to give him some feedback and he is just as chuffed as I am with the result. We had a brief conversation about another potential build next year, so watch this space!