Boy Thunder Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Ok... I've been playing for a good few years now and through bad GAS I have too many "off the shelf" basses.... I'm looking at selling a large section of my collection and using it to part fund a custom jobbie... Can anyone suggest anywhere good that can build a bass to my specs....? Thanks in advance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Look here. The list, while not endless, is quite long [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26654"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26654[/url] My personal favourite is Jon Shuker. [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/"]http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/[/url] Choice is yours Edited April 5, 2009 by Tinman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edstraker123 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 +1 on the Shuker recommendation - Jon is the the Yoda of the bass world ! Alhough you are going to have a bit of a wait for your masterpiece to be completed. Can also recommend ACG - the prices are fantastic ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean.Robinson Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 +1 on Shuker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='Boy Thunder' post='454726' date='Apr 5 2009, 03:32 PM']Ok... I've been playing for a good few years now and through bad GAS I have too many "off the shelf" basses.... I'm looking at selling a large section of my collection and using it to part fund a custom jobbie... Can anyone suggest anywhere good that can build a bass to my specs....? Thanks in advance...[/quote] I've done this, and ended up going with ACG. I liked his designs to start with, and I got an opportunity to have a chat with Alan and try some basses at the harrogate bass bash before I committed myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 ACG for me, I love the designs, the build quality is very good and they are good value. They also sound incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elom Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I had the same quest a few months back. I went with [url="http://www.crimsonguitars.com"]Crimson Guitars[/url] in the end and am very glad I did. As well as building fantastic instruments (using Wizard pickups too!), Ben is a top guy with great customer service and posts loads of pictures of the work in progress. Price wise its very reasonable too. I think I'm the first BassChater to commission a bass from him, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Sounds like you need to visit the usual suspects... Status-Graphite ACG Shuker Guitars GB Guitars JayDee Guitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='454898' date='Apr 5 2009, 08:44 PM']Sounds like you need to visit the usual suspects... Status-Graphite ACG Shuker Guitars GB Guitars <---------------------------<<< JayDee Guitars[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Don't forget to check Zoot basses out, mine's a beaut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Well I went for GB's but thats me. Things to think about are what you want from your custom bass - silly shape, fancy woods, great sound and great player. IMO a silly shape and fancy woods with bog standard pups and eq is less of a custom than a super J with custom pups and eq but thats my opinion, others will disagree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy Thunder Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Thanks guys... I appreciate the input and keep them coming... I've had a look at Shuker and although I like the what I've seen I'm still looking around... I might settle there... it depends... What I'm after is hard to describe... I don't really want silly shapes... I have a BC Rich Beast that fulfills that department... and on a personal level.. I hate the Fender shape.... For me the most important things are tonal control and weight... My covers band requires me to play long sets and numerous styles... I'm a bit of a nob when it comes to sound... I prefer to have my bass do the tone control rather than messing with the amp settings and I don't use any pedals... much to the disdain of my lead "guitarist"... As I'm sure we are all aware... carrying a heavy plank is not good if you have to do a 3 hour session... I'd like something that can do everything my Thunder 1A and Thunder 2A can do and a little more.... I'll look at all the suggestions given so far and wait with baited breath for more... Cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edstraker123 Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Here's a pic of one of my Shukers - it's pretty much the smallest, thinnest bass I've seen (not to mention a work of art) without losing anything on tone. [attachment=23385:shuker.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 If you are having a custom bass made; if you want light you get light. All of my GB's weigh less than 9 lbs and I know Bernie recently built a Rumour that made mine feel like heavyweights If you want tone then the GB's have a fantastic active circuit with ridiculous amounts of cut and boost, 21 dB. ACG also have a filter circuit that is getting rave reviews but is lots of knobs - 8 I think in 4 dual concentric pots. I have found with filters though that there are a lot of awful sounds as well as great sounds but I have not tried the ACG. There are no bad sounds in a GB circuit that I have been able to find. What sounds good though is a matter of taste, one mans meat................. Status use their own pups and actives so if you fancy some graphite action would be worth a look. The problem is finding your sound and getting to try all these options. If you go for somebody that uses stock pups and actives you have a better idea of what its gonna sound like, cos pups and actives have a much bigger influence on the sound than wood and construction IMO. The sound will be like any other bass that uses the same bits. If you like EMG/Bart/Wizard/Nordy etc then going for them could be the safer option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soopercrip Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I'm suprised noone has said 'Overwater' My Perception 4 is only a couple of weeks away Watch this space for a review... (wipes away drool) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodster Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I'll say Overwater!! Personally, I've never played anything better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Here you go: [url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/index.php"]ACG[/url] [url="http://www.crimsonguitars.com/"]Crimson Guitars[/url] [url="http://www.eccleshallguitars.co.uk/"]Eccleshall[/url] [url="http://www.enfieldguitars.com/"]Enfield[/url] [url="http://www.fret-king.com/greenlabel_series.htm"]Fretking Green Label[/url] [url="http://www.gbguitars.co.uk/"]GB[/url] [url="http://www.gusguitars.com/"]Gus[/url] [url="http://www.jaydeeguitars.com/"]Jaydee[/url] [url="http://www.jimfleetingguitars.com/"]Jim Fleeting[/url] [url="http://www.johnbirchguitars.com/"]John Birch[/url] [url="http://www.lodestoneguitars.com/"]Lodestone[/url] [url="http://www.mansonguitars.co.uk/"]Manson[/url] [url="http://www.overwaterbasses.com/"]Overwater[/url] [url="http://www.rimcustombasses.co.uk/"]RIM[/url] [url="http://www.seibass.com/"]Sei[/url] [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/"]Shuker[/url] [url="http://www.simonleeguitars.com/"]Simon Lee[/url] [url="http://www.status-graphite.com/"]Status[/url] [url="http://www.streetguitars.co.uk/"]Street Guitars[/url] [url="http://www.walbass.co.uk/"]Wal[/url] [url="http://www.zootbass.co.uk/"]Zoot[/url] That's pretty much all the major UK guitar builders and luthiers. Hopefully you can find something that appeals to you. If not of course there's a whole world of luthiers out there in Europe, US and Japan, it's just not quite so easy to check on the progress of your bass when it's being made half-way around the world from you, and of course with the current state of the pound not as financially attractive as it was 18 months ago. IMO the important thing when picking someone to build your bass is that you and your chosen luthier understand each other. You don't want to be forcing your luthier into building something their not comfortable doing. If you have basses that you like aspects of, take them along with you so the luthier can see and hear what it is you like, and if required take accurate measurements of things like a particular comfortable neck etc. Also don't feel that you have to know absolutely everything about what you want. A good luthier will take on board your ideas and what you hope to get out of it and fill in the gaps to make your perfect bass - that's what they are there for! From what you've posted so far in this thread you already have enough of an idea of how you want the bass to be like for any good luthier to be able to make that happen. Good luck and don't forget to do a build diary once you get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Bit of a piece of string question, but what kind of money are you looking at for a custom bass these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy Thunder Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Thanks for the links BigRedX That'll make browsing a lot easier..... i have no idea how much it'll cost.. I suppose it'll depend on a bunch of factors..... I'll be budgetting around the £1500 mark though.... Hopefully I'll be able to get something half decent for that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorick Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I got John from Jaydee to build me a bass years ago... Moral of the story..... Always emphasise with a heavy blunt object that you're left handed!!! He even wrote it down and still started building a right hander. Bless him though he did speed up the build time on it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Cost will very much depend on who's building it and what options you want. However £1500 should get you something nice from one of the BassChat trio of favourites ACG, RIM & Shuker provided you don't go mad with the figured woods, custom finishes or toys (extra strings, LEDs, MIDI etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 [quote name='edstraker123' post='455112' date='Apr 6 2009, 07:38 AM']Here's a pic of one of my Shukers - it's pretty much the smallest, thinnest bass I've seen (not to mention a work of art) without losing anything on tone. [attachment=23385:shuker.jpg][/quote] so thats where that Shuker ended up! gorgeous piece of work +1 for Shuker. the man really is something else when it comes to one-off bass construction (and modification!) also GB ACG RIM Jim Fleeting Sei Overwater are all worth checking out! what sort of instrument did you have in mind? how many strings? hi-fi or more classic sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I would imagine that you already have a style of bass in mind ie, a super jazz , really modern pointy thing, headless etc. Maybe you should first look at the luthiers who have in their range, the general type of bass that you're after as the possibility exists that they may do a bass you love the look of generally but would fancy a different top / electrics / fingerboard radius etc. This may give you you're perfect bass and keep the cost down a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 [quote name='Boy Thunder' post='455087' date='Apr 6 2009, 01:11 AM']Thanks guys... I appreciate the input and keep them coming... I've had a look at Shuker and although I like the what I've seen I'm still looking around... I might settle there... it depends... What I'm after is hard to describe... I don't really want silly shapes... I have a BC Rich Beast that fulfills that department... and on a personal level.. I hate the Fender shape.... For me the most important things are tonal control and weight... My covers band requires me to play long sets and numerous styles... I'm a bit of a nob when it comes to sound... I prefer to have my bass do the tone control rather than messing with the amp settings and I don't use any pedals... much to the disdain of my lead "guitarist"... As I'm sure we are all aware... carrying a heavy plank is not good if you have to do a 3 hour session... I'd like something that can do everything my Thunder 1A and Thunder 2A can do and a little more.... I'll look at all the suggestions given so far and wait with baited breath for more... Cool[/quote] 1) You're an idiot! 2) Just get a Fender and shut up 3) You're an idiot! Yours, your disdainful lead guitarist... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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