peted

Definitely browsing BassChat! I can do that at work, my manager might get a bit suspect if I had my bass next to my desk I'd love to be able to get home from work and then spend 6+ hours playing bass, but as I've just written in another topic - I've got a 3 month old son who becomes my responsibility when I get home to give my Missus a break.

I use a lemon oil product. Used sparingly and only a couple of times a year. I've heard luthiers argue that the oil is actually bad for the fretboard and dries it out, but the wenge fretboard of my Warwick doesn't seem to have suffered.

I find that practicing bass is very calming. Though I'm trying to get into a band at the moment and I find myself noodling when I should be working out songs on my Bass Trainer! My first son was born 3 months ago and I'm having real trouble finding time to play. At the moment the only time I can find is after my Missus and the littl'un has gone to bed, by which time I'm knackered myself and have difficulty getting in the mindset for working out songs or improvising. It's the hope that things will get easier as my son gets older that keeps me optimistic, but reading the comments on here, it doesn't sound that way!

Yay! Thanks again for organising it. I had great fun and look forward to the next one.

[quote name='eude' post='324108' date='Nov 7 2008, 12:02 PM']Is the single cut shape being tweaked at all to accommodate the skewed bridge arrangement?[/quote] In the bass i've got in my head it's not a different shape, but Jon has hinted about a redesign in a previous email. [quote name='Jon Shuker']If I have time I'll draw up the body too which will need to change a bit also.[/quote] I've asked for a drawing of any headstock changes, but looking at his existing design, it really shouldn't need to change much at all.

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='323930' date='Nov 7 2008, 08:14 AM']I'm not sure about angling pickups.[/quote] I asked for Jon's advice on this as I thought it would be better from as aesthetic point of view. My only experience is from the angled pickup in my Thumb BO 4. I just wanted to make sure that pickups didn't have to be wound specially for mounting at an angle. Jon's feeling was that it shouldn't matter too much as long as all the strings are covered by the magnetic field around the pickups. In fact, he said that putting them at an angle would probably be beneficial as the pickup would then be positioned about the same distance along the string from the bridge for each string (given that the bridge will be angled to allow for the different scales).

[quote name='eude' post='324037' date='Nov 7 2008, 10:23 AM']Is the neck going to be more wenge than maple?[/quote] I have left the wood choices to Jon as he's definitely the expert on this subject! I gave the example of the sound I'm after as a Warwick Thumb and hinted that I've heard good sounds come from Wenge necks. He has agreed, and we're using a Maple/Wenge neck which he already had glued up ready for a 6 string. I have no idea whether it's majority Maple or Wenge. Guess I'll find out when I get the first photos

So I've decided to splash out on a custom bass rather than buy another Warwick. Here's the spec: 6 string singlecut 35 / 32" scale fanned frets (parallel fret around 7th fret) jumbo fretwire wenge / maple 7 piece laminated set neck birds-eye maple board no position dots black side dots (to contrast with maple board) dual two way truss rods 4x carbon fibre reinforcement white ash body polyester basecoat black gloss topcoat 2x Emg dc pickups (angled to match bridge) Ramp shuker eq (vol, pan, bass, mid, treble) black hardware (tuning keys angled similar to Warwick, straplocks) Battery compartment accessible without needing screwdriver 17mm string spacing 55mm nut width Volute neck carve behind nut Neck carve: Warwick profile Neck thickness: 21mm at 1st fret, 25.5mm at 12th fret 47" fretboard radius As far as I can tell this will be Jon's first fanned fret bass. I've decided to go with 35" for the B and 32" for the C. After research I've found that Dingwall go 37"-32" for their necks and I think they look a little too 'extreme'. I found Dougals 35.5" scale bass just slightly too difficult to play in the first few frets so daren't go for anything longer than 35" (I like to play one finger per fret). There are a lot of nods towards Warwick design because I'm a Warwick nut if you hadn't noticed. An email from Jon last night stated that he had started on the neck and that I should remind him next week if he hasn't sent me any photos of it. Now the long wait...

[quote name='Finbar' post='322848' date='Nov 5 2008, 06:02 PM']You will have to let me play it when it is done if you are getting the fanned frets. I expressed an interest in that with Jon too, he said although he hadn't done it before, it shouldn't be too hard. I'm very intrigued [/quote] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247"]Of course you can have a whirl when it's finished. The scales I'm planning for aren't anywhere near as 'extreme' as a Dingwall. I'm going for 35"-32", from research it seems that Dingwall do 37"-32" which makes them look a little too weird for my liking. Anyway, all this discussion about my bass can go on its own thread[/url]. Back on topic - Where are the pictures of Doodles little sister (Brown Eyed Sally, is it? ).

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='322764' date='Nov 5 2008, 04:22 PM'][url="http://www.novaxguitars.com/licensing.html"]Enlightening reading[/url]. S.P.[/quote] I've sent the exact same quote and link to Jon, but he'd like to hear from Novax themselves just to make sure that he doesn't get sued Plus, I think we're paying the $75 license fee so that Jon can get support if he comes across any difficulties.

[quote name='presoulnation' post='322712' date='Nov 5 2008, 03:13 PM']I am going to email Black and Decker and ask if I can have a fanned fret drill.[/quote] DIY joke? I'm lost

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='322703' date='Nov 5 2008, 03:01 PM']Oooh a GUESSING game. Goody goody goody, now let me see... A Status bendwell? A Kubicki drop D extension? A kaher whammy? An onboard valve preamp? [b]A fanned fret fingerboard?[/b] An onboard directional air conditioning system for one-foot-on-the-monitor bass solos? A Dalek voice impersonator? A novelty, flavoured, crushed ice dispenser? A 12v powered mini fridge? A combination marital aid/grasping tool/sink plunger with advanced Quantum X (tm) technology for the closest shave ever?[/quote] We have our winner! Sorry, no prize I think i'll add everything else you've put after to the spec as well. I wonder if I did that whether Jon will ever speak to me again?

I was put off these clip-on tuners by a bass playing buddy of mine who had one and complained that it just wouldn't track an open 'E'. I suspect that experience is really reliant on the bass you play too, and how well the vibrations travel through the neck.

I believe that The Bass Centre are Warwick 'Gold' Dealers, so they'll have quite a lot of sway with their account manager at Warwick UK. I've had my Thumb BO from new since 2003 and never experienced any issues with the tuners. Like you say, it must have just been a 'Friday' part. I had issues with my Just-a-Nut II which Warwick were very quick to reply to my emails including a telephone number for the top guy at Warwick UK at the time, still had to buy parts but they weren't expensive.

[quote name='dood' post='322593' date='Nov 5 2008, 12:32 PM']A point very well made!! Pete, so tell me! What's the new feature? I'm very intrigued![/quote] .. all will be revealed in good time I'm just waiting for Jon to confirm that he's received my deposit, and that he has the green light from the U.S. patent holder for this 'feature'. You've all heard of it/seen it, just not on a Shuker

That does look ace. I know it has been discussed ad-nauseum about how 7+ strings are designed to be comfortable to play, but that fretboard makes my left hand cramp up just looking at it

I got an email reply last night which included the news of Rob's broken ankle while trying to lift an amp. Hope recovery is swift. Regarding the waiting time: At least a long build means I can pay for it in a majority of instalments. This method actually makes it far easier to pay for a custom bass than the same priced retail bass

[quote name='eude' post='320848' date='Nov 3 2008, 12:32 PM']Come on, spill the beans dude, what have you ordered?!...... Eude[/quote] Once the 't's are crossed and the 'i's dotted I'll post up the full spec. It's 99% there on paper, and the deposit is down. Plus it includes a feature which it seems that Jon has never done before

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='320685' date='Nov 3 2008, 09:12 AM']It will be 12 months next week since I placed my order on an original build time of 3-5 months.[/quote] Oh Gawd! I've just paid my deposit on a custom Shuker. I think i'll go mad if I have to wait a whole year. I haven't been brave enough to ask for an estimate build time, I know what they are worth!

[quote name='crez5150' post='320816' date='Nov 3 2008, 11:55 AM']Aha... I buy them in bulk from Status.... Hotwires.... pretty good strings too, nice round sound, smooth feel.... and extremely good value... 5 string sets for less than £20.00[/quote] Still not convinced When the ratio of headless to headed matches that of 5 strings to 4, then I might be convinced to switch. At the moment they just seem a little too [i]niche[/i] for me. That's just my perception of them.

Do you always practice in the same room? It can be quite refreshing to move your practice to another location. Try turning on the TV or radio and play along to whatever happens to come along. This can be quite a challenge and will mean that you're not in control of what you are playing. Just a couple of ideas.

I had a quick play on someone's headless Status a few years ago and my left hand kept getting lost. I didn't like it then. This year I had the opportunity to play a headless Sei at The Gallery and it felt great. My left hand had no issue with fretboard placement. Can't explain why this has changed. I can only assume that it's because i've been trying not to stare at the fretboard while I'm playing and my left hand has developed some kind of muscle memory which puts it in the right place for most 34" necks (headed or headless). I'm still put off by the thought of having to purchase 'special' strings for headless.

In my local originals bands days there were unwritten common etiquette rules about headline bands providing the backline (not without the courtesy of being asked though!). I have lent my gear to people I know as a favour. Fortunately my amp rig isn't particularly high value so it's not irreplacable. I won't lend my current rig to strangers because I'm running an overpowered head into the cab. I've lent a bass to a support band in the past as they broke a string mid-set and I had a my cheap backup bass. I wouldn't lend my Warwick out as I couldn't afford to replace it straight away. If I made a habit of lending my gear out again I would definitely get it insured!

That's an amazing piece of work. Though I wouldn't know whether it should be played or hung on the wall as decoration. It's a crying shame that the control cavity cover is plastic when he's done all that work on the wooden bridge, rear facing, and pickup cover.

That neck looks wiiiiiiiiiiide! You should get fighter jet inlays to match the aircraft carrier flightdeck fretboard