Oomo Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 Just wondering who the top bass builders in the UK are considered too be these days? E.g. the UK equivalents at a similar level to Sadowsky, Alembic, MTD, Fodera etc., i.e. high quality non-mass produced instruments that are much in demand. Mostly just out of curiosity - it dawned on me that I really don't know much about UK builders at all... The only names that sprang to mind were ACG up in Scotland, and Wilcock down in London. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBH Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 Mike Walsh at Zoot bass springs to mind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oomo Posted December 5, 2022 Author Share Posted December 5, 2022 30 minutes ago, GBH said: Mike Walsh at Zoot bass springs to mind. Wow, lovely basses, hadn't seen those before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 I think that we're spoiled for choice in the UK. Status, Goodfellow, Overwater, Wal, Sei... all making amazing basses. It's like standing outside a cake shop where you can have whatever you want. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 (edited) If you do some searching, you will find a thread about British bass builders / luthiers. There are quite many excellent, and quite a few which are simply very good... Edited December 5, 2022 by itu spelling... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 Overwater Wal ACG Zoot Alpher Status (up to recently) GB Jaydee Shuker Of them Overwater are probably the most comparable in terms of being slightly bigger operation. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oomo Posted December 5, 2022 Author Share Posted December 5, 2022 Ah, how could I forget Wal...for some reason I keep thinking they're based in the US... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 And these beauties 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 ...yeah, we really are spoiled. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 Gus: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 ACG are one of the best in my humble opinion. All subjective of course, but I've owned a decent cross section of UK built 'boutique' basses and ACG are the ones I've stuck with and currently own 5 of! (4 of them below) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 1 hour ago, Reggaebass said: And these beauties Is Wilcock anything to do with Shergold/Hayman? There's a definite resemblance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan63 Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 And quite a few luthiers like mantoncustoms who you'll find in the affiliates section, google is your friend (other search engines are available) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 14 minutes ago, Maude said: Is Wilcock anything to do with Shergold/Hayman? There's a definite resemblance. Not as far as I know , I think everything is made in the workshop Which is in Hackney and it’s where the shop is too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 Marseer is another one for the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassApprentice Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 I could be wrong - but apart from Wal I think you'd struggle to spec a build from a UK luthier that would cost the same as the likes of Fodera/Alembic. Not sure why as the quality is there but I haven't seen a UK built bass go for £8k plus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 41 minutes ago, BassApprentice said: I could be wrong - but apart from Wal I think you'd struggle to spec a build from a UK luthier that would cost the same as the likes of Fodera/Alembic. Not sure why as the quality is there but I haven't seen a UK built bass go for £8k plus. If you piled on enough options to a Gus you could reach that price point. A few years back I got a price for Simon to build me a Bass VI using his G3 baritone model as a starting point which ended up being about £6500, and that was without a lot of the additional features that you could add to a more conventional bass from Gus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 1 hour ago, BigRedX said: If you piled on enough options to a Gus you could reach that price point. A few years back I got a price for Simon to build me a Bass VI using his G3 baritone model as a starting point which ended up being about £6500, and that was without a lot of the additional features that you could add to a more conventional bass from Gus. I guess dropping that sort of cash for an instrument was of no concern for the likes of Prince. Great looking instruments indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart1982 Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 ACG all the way for me. I have 3 at the moment and one in progress. I haven’t played anything that sounds or feels as good as an ACG instrument. Plus Alan has always been incredibly patient and responsive to any questions or queries I’ve had. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 Another +1 for ACG. I met Alan about 16 years ago, and it wasn't long after that I ordered my first ACG. Since then, I have moved on all other basses, and I can't see me playing any other basses every again. The build quality is as good as, if not better than any other high end bass I have played, and as mentioned above, Alan's patience and customer service is second to none. I've now got 7 basses, plus 2 guitars, and of course I want more! Here's a few of them... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 There's Everson as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 Fellas, let's not make this a " so and so are best" thread. We are privileged to have the choice of so many great basses made on our doorsteps. I've owned many of our UK built brands all of them fantastic in their own way. Enjoy them all. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 3 hours ago, BassApprentice said: I could be wrong - but apart from Wal I think you'd struggle to spec a build from a UK luthier that would cost the same as the likes of Fodera/Alembic. Not sure why as the quality is there but I haven't seen a UK built bass go for £8k plus. We're not as good at building up our brands and them creating brand equity as our US cousins? Some of the US brands also has a very distinctive core tone, if you want a Sadowsky sound you probably need a Sadowsky. If you want the Ken Smith thing, buy a Ken smith etc... With the exception of Status and Wal a lot of our builders make instruments less focused on their core tone thing. Gus I guess unmatched visually. I think that makes it a harder sell to get brand equity... Every single Overwater I've played and heard has been an amazing professional level instrument - and with a tone that could sit anywhere in any genre. I guess that's why so many pro players use them... but that tone that could sit anywhere also means it doesn't stand out as much? (I dunno, that's my theory, maybe I'm just annoyed I didn't buy that Overwater @briansbrew was selling last week? ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 44 minutes ago, TheGreek said: Fellas, let's not make this a " so and so are best" thread. We are privileged to have the choice of so many great basses made on our doorsteps. I've owned many of our UK built brands all of them fantastic in their own way. Enjoy them all. Fair point, and sorry for derailing. We are very much spoilt for choice in the UK, it's a shame that our builders aren't given the profile they deserve. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 There are lots of options for UK designed and built instruments. I have realised that for the majority of my playing years (almost 50 now) has been done with guitars, basses and synthesisers made here. In order: Self-made solid electric balalaika Self-made solid electric guitar Burns Sonic Bass (original 60s Made in London) EDP Wasp Overwater Original 5-string Bass FretKing Esprit V Custom (from the days when they were made in a workshop behind Musical Exchanges in Birmingham) Gus G1 Guitar Gus G3 5-string Bass Sei Offset Flamboyant Fretless 5-string Bass The only non-UK instruments I have spent any serious playing time with: Kimbara acoustic guitar (my first proper instrument) Korg MS20 Casio CZ5000 with a Yamaha KX5 Keytar Warwick StarBass II Burns Barracuda (designed in the UK, made in the far East) Eastwood Hooky Bass 6 PRO (essentially an exact copy of a UK designed and made Shergold Marathon 6 string bass) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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