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Who's the finest luthier in all of...um....luthiery?


Funky Dunky
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If money really were no object, then I'd embark on learning all the spells, potions and other witchery involved to build it myself, at least then I could hold it up and do my best impression of the kid at the end of the X-Files.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V89scc7PRgI

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I'd either go back to Jon Shuker for a third, or Sheldon Dingwall for another. Both fantastic quality, but more importantly after lots and lots and lots of basses, I know what suits me, and theirs do.

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A custom dingwall would be high on my list. Though Jon Shuker is doing some work on a bass for me at the moment so I will wait to see his work.

A bass I would love is a Warwick P-Nut II but with some chambers in the body to just take the edge off of the weight. Though that might make it a bit neck heavy, hmmm.

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The thing I like about all these master luthiers is that once you strip the marketing, brand heritage and glossy website pics away it essentially boils down to a bloke in a shed...

Jens Ritter?... bloke in a shed, Paul Herman?... bloke in a shed, Fodera?... a few blokes in a slightly bigger shed.

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Some time ago, I ordered a custom Wal: good choice.

For now, I`m having a beautiful piece of an oldold cherry tree that has been drying now for 5 years - once I have enough money, I will take that wood to Gerald Marleaux. That should end up in a perfect fretless 5-string :-)

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Rick Toone, have a look around his website http://www.ricktoone.com/2013/03/orchid-vintage-jazz.html

Mostly builds electric guitars but there's some beautifully engineered components and wonderfully original carved shapes.

Having said that, got some pieces of mahogany that would be excellent for a neck through headless bass that I've been thinking about... bloke in a shed and all.

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[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1435825732' post='2812676']
The thing I like about all these master luthiers is that once you strip the marketing, brand heritage and glossy website pics away it essentially boils down to a bloke in a shed...

Jens Ritter?... bloke in a shed, Paul Herman?... bloke in a shed, Fodera?... a few blokes in a slightly bigger shed.
[/quote]

It is not so much the bloke in a shed that is the issue, for me..as long as the kit doesn't look like it was knocked up by any old bloke in the shed.
And even some of these two man operations are very capable of excellent work. You wont be a luthier with any sort of name without
having some very decent furniture making skills... IMO.

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[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1435688729' post='2811521']
If money really were no object, then I'd embark on learning all the spells, potions and other witchery involved to build it myself
[/quote]
If I wasn't already doing this, then this is what I'd do. I've got all the basses I've ever lusted after and then some.

Although sometimes I weaken when watching Jimmy Johnston play his graphite necked Alembic 5 string for Lee Ritenour. So maybe I'd commission Thomas Leiber to build a graphite necked version of JJ's bass given Alembic won't do graphite necks any more. Doesn't mean that I think Thomas Leiber is the best luthier in the world though.

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[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1435840301' post='2812905']
It is not so much the bloke in a shed that is the issue, for me..as long as the kit doesn't look like it was knocked up by any old bloke in the shed.
And even some of these two man operations are very capable of excellent work.
[/quote]

oh yes of course... I just find it interesting when you see these guys workshops they are often simple affairs. A few tools and an immense amount of skill seems to be the way it's done.

... could also be said of bass playing I guess.

Edited by CamdenRob
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I'd be going to Mike Lull, or to Moollon in Korea.. But i guess you can guess what type of basses I like...!

However if I wanted something a bit more out there I'd be going with my friend Alex Bishop in Deptford. He mainly makes gypsy jazz and folk guitars, but his work is top notch.

Search Alex Bishop guitars if you need repairs etc. he's a good guy.

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[quote name='Mattmit' timestamp='1436705888' post='2820045']
I think Joe White, since there are no presets and he'd make me up anything I could imagine.
[/quote]

IME that's someone I'd steer clear of. For me the best results have always come from finding someone who is already building something very close to what I want and getting them to make me an instrument. That way they will most likely already know any potential pitfalls to any modifications I want to their basic design and end up building something that is actually right for me.

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