EntropicLqd

When I was getting my Shuker built Jon had one of JJ's basses in for a re-fret. He'd only used it for one "tour" and the frets were extremely worn. He must play really hard. I think Jon's put stainless steel frets on his basses now because they last longer.

I use super-glue when I can see that I'm going to be in trouble if I don't. A thin coat (remember to let it dry for a minimum of 5 minutes!) is an excellent preventative. I've tried tape as well but in my experience it doesn't work anywhere near as well. I can normally do a 2 hour set on a single coast of super-glue. It's gone by the end of the set, but my digit is nice and safe. I've found in the past that blisters can be dealt with effectively if you use a very fine needle to just bleed out some (but not all) of the fluid. The blister will then re-seal itself and be that much more comfortable as well. On no account should you ever peel the skin off a popped blister - that's just asking for trouble.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='201012' date='May 17 2008, 01:22 PM']...Kismet intervenes and by tomorrow your current band is massive, you're a multi squillionaire and about to do a world stadium tour. The set is the same one you played in the Dog and Vomit ,Huddersfield last weekend. What's in the stand at the side of the stage being polished and tuned by your tech??[/quote] My Shuker 5 string. And another one just like it. I [b]really[/b] love my Shuker.

Played Saturday night and a Sunday afternoon in the New Roscoe in Leeds. Saturday night we had about Ooooh all of 20 people in. Goodness knows where everyone was. They were a right miserable bunch as well. We played OK but the on-stage sound just felt a little off. I did make a couple of inquiries during our break and the punters (such as they were) said the sound was fine and we were playing really well. Sunday afternoon, which is always deader that dead, rocked. The whole band played really well and the sound both on stage and off stage was mint. The 6 people that were there were really getting into it as well; which made the whole thing much more fun. I had to super glue my thumb together on the Sunday though (more as a preventative measure than anything else). The difference in sound between the Saturday and the Sunday was weird though as we left the gear there overnight and simply turned up and played. I suspect that we were actually slightly quieter on the Sunday; but I couldn't swear to it.

I'll open negotiations with the Mrs and see if I can come along. Normally it wouldn't be a problem but she's already booked an evening out ....

That's going to look absoloutely mint.

I've gone from a 4 to 5, and tried moving back to a 4 again but I can't do it. The fact that I seem to have an irrational fear of playing an open string, coupled with the fact that I seem to play a lot of stuff in Eb and D means that having the low B makes some (not all) things easier. The fact that I've been playing a 5 string at least 4 times longer than I played a 4 string for might also be a contributing factor. But hey, if it works for you, go do it

[quote name='Musky' post='155755' date='Mar 12 2008, 09:10 AM']Not a bad idea, but then we haven't really got it together to write a complete wiki, let a lone a book! [/quote] Heh - agreed. Especially as there's not even a section for theory on there yet

We played at a friends wedding last night. It was a bit of a departure for us but we'd been asked, they were paying (not a lot but enough) so we figured we might as well. The gig went really well. We had people on the dance floor from about the middle of the first half. Because of this, and the fact that we'd come on late and had a definitive stop time we played both halves of the set straight through without our usual break in the middle. It was tiring (need to beef up my stamina a bit I think) but it was a blast and we got loads of compliments afterwards. Some of the dancers were very distracting :brow:

+3 for me = [b]1166[/b]

Very nice.

So where are the pictures?

It doesn't matter which you pick. They'll both look stunning. But I would probably pick the birdseye simply because it's "lines" flow down the neck rather than across it.

Yummy. Just Yummy.

I'm not normally a fan of buckeye, but that looks pretty amazing. Nice to see some more Shukers being finished

Nice. I like it. I like it a lot.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='70578' date='Oct 7 2007, 11:49 AM']...Keep eyeing up a soprano sax... But I've never done any wind seriously. Could be a challenge [/quote] Eat lots of beans. I play bass first and foremost, but have been dabbling with the drums over the last 6 months. I've got a 12 string semi kicking around that I've had for years but that barely gets used. I'm going to start some singing lessons soon; in the hope that it'll take me from a lousy singer to an acceptable one.

Looking lovely. Can't wait to see the finished pictures. It'll rock.

[quote name='Dusty' post='56594' date='Sep 6 2007, 04:53 PM']....I tend to suffer now with a blister on the side of the thumb after each gig, caused i expect from the way i hold the pick and it rubbing against the E string. I've tried plasters, but they look a bit silly! Any ideas on this problem ?[/quote] Coat the affected area in superglue just before your play (leave enough time for it to dry). The superglue will most likely have worn off by the end of the gig leaving your skin intact.

Trying to remember songs that you don't play regularly is really tough. I find stuff just leaks out of my head. Even though I couldn't tell you what the chords were for any of the songs one of the bands I'm in (Back Issue) play I do actually know the songs. I know this because I gigged yesterday with nothing bu the song titles and the first chord of the song and played everything fine. What does bother me these days is that some songs I remember really easily, and others I find really hard. And sometimes the simpler the song the harder I find it to remember. Dunno what that's all about. Maybe I'll eat more fish

[quote name='Mike' post='56581' date='Sep 6 2007, 04:22 PM']....I worry that when I get mine, I'll start to plan number two. ...[/quote] Ah yes ... I know all about that problem. I'm thinking (well fantasising) about a matching fretless. Mmmmm.

[quote name='OldGit' post='55918' date='Sep 5 2007, 01:22 PM']"bimble box bookmatched top and coolibah bookmatched rear face" Waaaaaaaah! Damn damn damn damn! Damn you Mr Shuker and your gorgeous way with wood .. Well I thought I had my next one all specced out but having seen that I'm changing my mind again ...[/quote] Well, as far as I know Jon only had the single piece of Bimblebox .. and he's not sure where he'd be able to get any more. However, I know that when he picked up the Coolibah for the back and headstock he picked up a couple of additional pieces. @[b]OldGit[/b] - I'll have to show that "book" to the wife. We'll see if she tries to order me a copy @[b]alexclaber[/b] - The pick-up locations were selected by Jon. I was more interested in making sure I had a left-handed bass strung right-handed.

[quote name='EntropicLqd' post='53653' date='Aug 31 2007, 11:39 PM']... I'll provide my first impressions tomorrow after I've had some much needed sleep....[/quote] Well, a few days late I guess but circumstances left me somewhat bereft of time. I should say before I get into the main report that I've been playing the same right-handed bass upside down for around 15 years. I've probably only played regularly for half that, but I guess intermitten noodles still count. The first thing I noticed was that the controls are in the wrong place. Or rather, the controls are in the right place. It didn't take long get get used to the fact that the volume control was at the bottom of the bass instead of the top but it was a bit weird for a while. The second thing I noticed was the balance. The bass balances completely differently to my trusty old Hohner. It angles itself facing slightly up rather than trying to fall forwards all the time. It still feels a bit odd even now but I'm getting used to it. I've also shortened my strap considerably to compensate for the new balance. OK, into the first song, half-way through I realised I couldn't hear anything. I'd managed to catch the mute button (my volume control has a push-push mute on it). A quick push and we're back in business. Except did it again in the second and third songs. I was beginning to think that I'd have to go back to Jon and get the mute removed when I stopped doing it. I've not done it since in a few "bouncy" playing sessions so I suspect I've changed my playing style to suit. One of the songs we played uses an e-bow within the introduction. On the Hohner this is always a bit of a nightmare as even after killing all of the treble the e-bow amplifies any movement across the strings sometimes which can give it a very harsh sound. Anyway, I killed the volume from the back pick-up and went for it. Apart from odd reductions in volume where I kept losing the hot-spot on the pick-up (just practice that's all) it sounded great. A world apart from the Hohner. So a big thumbs up there. Hmm, what else. The action is beautifully even, and fretting a note is much less effort now. I've been noodling up above the 15th fret for the first time ever (the strap prevented me from getting beyond the 15th before. Last night I discovered that tapping is more than possible, so I might be stealing a hair-scrunchy from one of my daughters and experimenting a bit with that. So there you go. Some first impressions. I don't really need to go on about how lovely it is to look at. But it is lovely. I did a couple of recordings, straight from the bass into my PC. I can't vouch for the playing much but it'll give you an idea of the sound of the bass as recorded directly without ay effects or filters or anything. [url="http://www.snout-clan.co.uk/stuff/bass/shuker_sample_1.mp3"]chordy stuff[/url] [url="http://www.snout-clan.co.uk/stuff/bass/shuker_sample_2.mp3"]a short noodle[/url] Anyways, I love my new Shuker bass to bits. To the point where my wife accused me of being more in love with my bass than her. (I wisely didn't comment).

For those of you confused about the above two replies ... the pictures were posted in the wrong thread. It could have been my fault but I blame the pixies that live in the cable between my PC and the Internet. I think they decided to have a bit of fun and re-route the pictures. Anyway, I've now posted them in the correct thread.... Here are some pictures. They don't even come close to doing the bass justice. The front of the bass: And now the back of the bass: It was taken out gigging tonight ... I'll provide my first impressions tomorrow after I've had some much needed sleep.

[quote name='Tinman' post='53514' date='Aug 31 2007, 05:37 PM']It was, Darren just chose to tease me with it [/quote] Actually, I've no idea how that happened. I'm sure I posted it in the right thread I was just looking at mine and thinking ... that's weird ... I can't see any of my pictures I wonder where they went. It has been a bit of a manic day though so I'll just plead insanity and re-post the pictures in the proper thread More haste less speed etc etc.