zenbassuk Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I've been wanting to start one of these ever since I laid down my deposit.. Now with last night's email from Jon containing the first images I decided it was about time to start the thread. So getting down to the specs.. I had a Shuker Series II Elite 5 string made quite a few number of years ago and stupidly sold this as I didn't really get on with / need 5 strings. (one of those moments when you wish you hadn't sold it). So I decided to go for the same body shape but in 4 string guise. This project has been about getting a totally different bass to my other basses a GB IV and a Yamaha PJ but, also about cost cutting. After consulting with Jon a lot things to leave out in a bid to get the best bass I could afford with the budget I had. So after a bit of banter we settled on the following spec Shuker S2 shape with a slight revised lower horn and a thinner body profile 34" scale 24 fret 40mm 19mm string spacing 20.5mm neck depth at first fret 22.5mm at 12th Black Walnut body With a Camphor wood top [size=4]Cocobolo heartwood Fingerboard[/size] 5 piece laminated neck (maple/wenge) Matching Headstock two way truss rod carbon fibre reinforcement medium fretwire 2mm side dots no face dots Gotoh GB707 tuners (3+1) brass nut satin neck lacquer polyester base coat wet look gloss topcoat individual bridge units black hardware neutrik locking jack Shuker 3 band cct with external mid freq, 18v, following body curve Dual HB's, EMG 35TW-X's, Shuker branded Hiscox case So the exciting news is last night I received pictures of the body as it's had its first coat of lacquer. Looks immense with some very intriguing patterns on the drop top. The neck blank is currently being shaped and Jons wood guy should be getting some lovely cocobolo heartwood in soon so we can choose the fingerboard. A shaping up to be another of Jons finest. Watch this space for more images.... Hoping to get to Jon to choose the fingerboard wood in person. Cheers for reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scojack Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 That top is mesmorising ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Yes, very fine top. The walnut body should give a nice warm tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenbassuk Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 The warm tone is something I've been after. The GB is about as in your face as you can get. So the walnut body will definitely add some much needed warmth to the mix. Took me ages to decide upon the pickups and hope Jons recommended EMG X series are the perfect match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Ooh! That top! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Stunning. That's an amazing piece of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Lovely bass, I love Jon's work. As a matter of fact, in the third picture, that's my new bass in the background...I'm picking it up next Monday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Another lovely example of Jon's work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenbassuk Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1396945459' post='2418896'] Lovely bass, I love Jon's work. As a matter of fact, in the third picture, that's my new bass in the background...I'm picking it up next Monday [/quote] Should be a cool adventure for you... Bit miffed you might get to spy my bass before I do.. Lol... Only j/k... Let us all know the low down when you receive yours and give Jon and Ruby a hello from Ben.. Hehe All the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenbassuk Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 A bump in the road Having been excited to see the body in progress Jon sent me an email update last night that read "having no luck with the sap on both sides cocobolo, i do have some but its cracked all over because to get the sap on both sides it has to come from a very small tree and has to be the first cut off the log, hence a bit unstable and generally cracked from drying. My wood chap has had a good rummage and theres nothing at present that is suitable or any way near dried, so wondering if you had any other thoughts or if you want me to look for something else?" So it's back the drawing board I've emailed him with a few options and he is going to have a rummage All part and parcel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenbassuk Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Update Jon has found some interestingly figured snakewood as well as some burbinga and paduke. Pictures will follow shortly Bass is at the smoothing and polishing stage. It's getting closer.. Predicted time was October though he said if all goes well it should be ready july/August time as he isn't waiting on hardware. We've also decided on a 3+1 headstock Just to be different for a change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenBasses Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 So we have quite a few new pictures from Jon last night showing a couple of possibilities for the fingerboard He has found some cocobolo sapwood that will do the job but as the grain changes quite a lot within the 6mm thickness he cannot 100% guarantee that there will be no shrinkage around the fret ends over time but it hasn't moved thus far since he has worked on the piece. The others are 2 nice examples of bocote and a stunning example of siricote What do you guys reckon.. Although I love the look of the coco is it worth running the risk of possible shrinkage.? Luckily though he says once the board is choose we are 4-6 weeks away.. Happy Days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 First up, that body looks amazing! Can't wait to see the finished bass. It's a tough call to make. The cocobolo will look stunning, but it's difficult to say if it will shrink over time. Ebony can sometimes shrink too, but my father has two Gibson guitars both with ebony boards circa early 70's. One has shrunk a little and the other is perfect. Luck of the draw. If you decide not to go for it I think the siricote will look belting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 My Overwater perception has an ebony board as it began life as a fretless. The ebony on that one has shrunk quite a bit and I had to have the bass doc dress the fret ends as it felt like running your palm along a zip. In truth, it could probably do with being done again. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk on a fretted bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenBasses Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) The ebony on my GB has ever so slightly shrunk around the dusty end.. But Jon sorted that out for me when I had some work done. At that time he said that was the problem with high density woods such as ebony. It's just hard to envisage what the cocco will look like as a fretboard. Not many example I can find online as most of this type of figuring never makes it to the bass builders and is burnt or most likely sold to wood turners as it can be unstable. Tone woods are chosen for their lack of figuring and straight grains.. The bocote (as it should be as it's relates) looks like a rosewood. Which I wanted to stay away from. I'm going to ask Jon if he has anymore siricote to compare unfortunately a lot of searching on his behalf has only yielded one is usable piece of the cocobolo. As it's always air dryed it's prone to be a more unstable wood. Though my basses are kept at a constant temperature 90% of the time in a dehumidified (is that a word?) room so I guess those conditions should limit any movements. My question is.. If a board does shrink how does this affect the intonation of the notes. Or because it's flat sawn it doesn't tend to along its length rather is radius... Excited and love the knowledge you gain by going through the custom process. If he can get it completed in the time frame it will land just nicely near my milestone birthday or 30..Yay Edited April 25, 2014 by ZenBasses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 The siricote is the board pictured at the right? Whatever that wood is it has some lovely figuring anyway! I think the bass will look better with a fingerboard that's a little darker than the facing body wood and I reckon that siricote would look lovely with frets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenBasses Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Correct the Siricote is the one of the right. I am thinking you are probably right the fret will give it a lovely look.. Just want to see if Jon has any siricote that's a little lighter in colour. Thinking about Siricote if it could be done it would lovely as a drop top with the grain enhanced by a silvery colour.. But anyway I digress. Shall email Jon tonight and see what he can come up with Another update is I've decided to have the rear control cavities and the truss rod cover made from camphor. If I had decided this earlier I would have been able to have matching walnut. But it'll look cool none the less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 I wonder if walnut would be an option ?,never heard of it being used on a fretboard but there are some stunning gunstocks made from this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenBasses Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 (edited) Spoke to Jon last night and we have agreed to go with the cocobolo. The plank looks light but as the wood oxidises with the air it's turning a lovely orangey / redy hue with lovely markings. Jon says any shrinkage will be minimal and if in the future it's needs the fret ends doing he will do it free of charge. It'll be a one off as it's rare as hens teeth is cocobolo sapwood. We've also decided on some low profile flat top Schaller control knobs as well the uberhorn below has some of the same on but mine will be all black hardware. Edited April 26, 2014 by ZenBasses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miker400 Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Your bass sounds awesome, and as a previous owner you know the quality your going to get. Just thought I'd share a pic of 2 shuker bass's I own. It's the stability of the neck that excites me. I've owned graphite status necks before today & the dual carbon truss rods on my shukers give a neck of equal stability - regardless of ambient air temp of relative humidity of the venue I'm playing in,, and I'm using super lightweight 30 gauge stainless hotwires. Low action & next to no fret buzz or rattle. Great guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miker400 Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Don't ask me why the previous pic is upside down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenBasses Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 (edited) My original build was a 5 string elite and didn't have the carbon fiber truss rods but was still stable. The 4 string Horn bass I owner did and that was unbelievably stable. Never moved an inch. Proof maybe the strength of the neck starts in the middle. Your basses look amazing.. The singlecut is what I wanted but at nearly 700 quid more than my build I just couldn't justify it. What's the facing on that one? Looks like splated maple or some strange sycamore. It's lovely.. Your 5 string is also lovely. Looks very similar to my original build with the facing which was madrone burl (see pics). This was the first bass (sticking my neck out here) that Jon made where the control knobs follow the curve of the body in a line. Something I really liked from Elrick at the time I was choosing the spec. Jon has used this again a numerous occasions. If anyone knows where this ended up I want it back..... But it's probably lost forever more. Popping down to see Jon tommorw at his workshop to see the bass before basically the final push. Headstock veneers have been glued in place and it's nearly ready for fretting. Should be an exciting trip out even if it is a 4 hour round trip. Edited April 29, 2014 by ZenBasses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Soo many knobs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenBasses Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Myke' timestamp='1398791283' post='2437650'] Soo many knobs! [/quote] Is that including the one who sold it?.. Lol... New one should have 1 less knobs.. Unbelievably that bass also had 5 dip switches inside and a overall eq gain pot as well. Edited April 29, 2014 by ZenBasses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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