geoham Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Hi guys, Has anyone ever gone on one of Shuker's guitar/bass building courses? Considering booking it along with a friend as a bit of a staycation once restrictions allow... Plan so far is to book some nice local accomodation and bring the families along too. It'll give us something more constructive to do during the day than continually pour booze down our necks! Anyway, to the matter at hand... if you've done the course, how was it? What about the end result? I'm looking at the three person, £1000 to build a P or J course. I realise I could buy a quality P bass for £1000, but I quite like the idea of building my own, and learning some skills along the way. I've got zero woodworking skills, but I do understand the electronics side of things pretty well, and I can set up a bass too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Paging @MacDaddy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 I like the idea of this...No COVID restrictions?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 (edited) I haven't been on the bass building course, but I did do the one day maintenance course and have gone to Jon for work on basses many times. Jon is a lovely guy and the crew working with him (& dog) are great. He is situated in a very picturesque part of the country, so I would think that it would make an ideal break. I am sure that you will learn a lot and take home a unique P bass. If you are into cycling (especially mountain biking), it might be worth extending your stay by an extra day and taking a bike - lots of great trails around there...! Edited January 18, 2021 by peteb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 1 hour ago, Silvia Bluejay said: Paging @MacDaddy... Hah, I'm 2 Shuker's in and one on the way. All custom builds but I let Jon build them😆 The courses seem to be rated highly by all who do them, there have been several threads on here, always fun to follow. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 I plan to go on one at some point, but I don’t want a P or a J. Can’t you build something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanovw Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 I have been on the week long Shuker building course and I highly recommend it. Here is a link to some pics of what I made. Jon is a lovely chap and very patient. I would say a fair bit of confidence with hand tools etc would be of benefit. Although not essential it would help with time, as it quickly disappears. There is a lot of hand sanding!! Also being clear in what you want helps so you can just get on with things. Go for it I'd say. I have gigged the bass I made extensively for years and still love it. Feel free to ask me any questions. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 I'd love to do that if I was going to spend £1000 on a bass. A P would be fine by me, and would love the learning. Bass and mini-holiday in one! However, I'd prefer to go solo (rather than take anyone from home) and either go for a drink with the other builders or hang out on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 13 hours ago, 4000 said: I plan to go on one at some point, but I don’t want a P or a J. Can’t you build something else? There is a more expensive 1 on 1 course (about £1700) where you build whatever you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 13 hours ago, Nail Soup said: I'd love to do that if I was going to spend £1000 on a bass. A P would be fine by me, and would love the learning. Bass and mini-holiday in one! However, I'd prefer to go solo (rather than take anyone from home) and either go for a drink with the other builders or hang out on my own. Ordinarily I'd agree, but my guitarist friend is very keen to attend too - and we normally go a few weekends away each year with our better halves, which has obviously been impossible lately. Hopefully the situation improves by summer and we can at least get away in the UK this year, I reckon it'll be towards the end of the year before I even consider a foreign break. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 13 hours ago, deanovw said: I have been on the week long Shuker building course and I highly recommend it. Here is a link to some pics of what I made. Jon is a lovely chap and very patient. I would say a fair bit of confidence with hand tools etc would be of benefit. Although not essential it would help with time, as it quickly disappears. There is a lot of hand sanding!! Also being clear in what you want helps so you can just get on with things. Go for it I'd say. I have gigged the bass I made extensively for years and still love it. Feel free to ask me any questions. That looks a great bass indeed, an unusual pickup combination but I bet it's versatile. Appreciate the advice too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 15 hours ago, TheGreek said: I like the idea of this...No COVID restrictions?? I'm planning ahead, in the hope that the COVID restrictions will be relaxed enough to allow this - and for bars, restaurants etc to be open. Otherwise, we'll wait until this is the case. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Well, I have 2 1/2 Shukers right now (two Horns, and a Shukerbird), plus one in the pipeline (a JJB), and I've owned another three, but the course is on my Bucket List, for sure. I have a hankering* for a white BB-shaped PJ, and seeing as my neck requirements have changed over the years, and I doubt I'll find a Yamaha with the right neck now, I may as well make one... I've always said Jon's place is in the least industrial industrial park I've ever seen, it'd be a great place to spend a week, and I'd echo everyone's comments about what a good guy genius Jon is...and very patient...patient is good around me... 😕🙂 * Kind of a requirement thing for a band I'm in... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfJames Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Mine is the pride of my small herd........................... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 1 hour ago, ProfJames said: Mine is the pride of my small herd........................... Wow, that's different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfJames Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 @geoham graphite neck headless........stunning 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 33 minutes ago, ProfJames said: @geoham graphite neck headless........stunning Certainly is! Beautiful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 I did the week long 1-2-1 Course with Jon many years ago and stayed in local accomodation. As I lived around 60 minutes away I went down on Monday am, stayed overnight then went home Tuesday evening. Repeated this the next week so again only 1 more overnight and then went down on a Saturday to finish off but he was busier on the Saturday so was left a bit more to my own devices. As been said earlier, it does help if you know and have some confidence with routers and bandsaws and are very patient when hand sanding too. This is my 5 Stringer with Seymour Duncan soapbars and the Steve Bailey fretless loom and pots. It's worth mentioning ( as I'm sure I have done before) you don't get a Shuker graphic on the headstock but he's happy to take your design and print it off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Have never used a router or band saw in my life, so that’s going to be a learning curve. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 2 minutes ago, 4000 said: Have never used a router or band saw in my life, so that’s going to be a learning curve. 😂 He has a supply of all the common blood types in the fridge and a box of Cadbury's Fingers too..... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Well that takes the biscuit ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 18 minutes ago, Geek99 said: Well that takes the biscuit ... it used to be tradition to present Jon with a packet of Hobnobs upon collection of bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Have to say I’m more than a bit interested in this, pretty much as the bass I’d actually want to make doesn’t seem to be in general production, many near it (and it’s nothing special btw) but there’s always something wrong on the ones available which has stopped me from buying them. This might be a very fun way of getting the exact spec wanted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verb Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 I mentioned this to my wife as an idea for my 50th this year, and she said she had thought of trying to find something like this for a present, so let's hope covid restrictions ease enough. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 12 hours ago, yorks5stringer said: I did the week long 1-2-1 Course with Jon many years ago and stayed in local accomodation. As I lived around 60 minutes away I went down on Monday am, stayed overnight then went home Tuesday evening. Repeated this the next week so again only 1 more overnight and then went down on a Saturday to finish off but he was busier on the Saturday so was left a bit more to my own devices. As been said earlier, it does help if you know and have some confidence with routers and bandsaws and are very patient when hand sanding too. This is my 5 Stringer with Seymour Duncan soapbars and the Steve Bailey fretless loom and pots. It's worth mentioning ( as I'm sure I have done before) you don't get a Shuker graphic on the headstock but he's happy to take your design and print it off. That's an awesome looking bass, love the finish. Thanks for sharing your experience. I have no experience of routers or bandsaws.... sure it'll be fun learning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.