TG Flatline Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 (edited) Hello, I've not put anything on here yet because frankly I thought I would drive myself insane enough as it is waiting for my new bass!!! Anyway, the background: I used to own a Dean Z Explorer, which sounded horrific, weighed a ton, had a two-octave neck so was so long it wouldn't fit in any conventional case, but which looked (to my eyes, I know not to all!!) the absolute balls. I sold it a couple of years back to fund an Aerodyne but always wanted an Explorer again, so when I came across some money at the end of last year I asked Jon to make me one, but to make a few key changes to make it more practical. Yes yes, I know 'practical' is hardly the word to use with 'Explorer' but hey ho. The Dean: I play 4-string and barely go beyond the 14th fret, so we decided to move the bridge back in the body and have a shorter neck to improve balance and allow me to get a case for it. We also removed the scratchplate and changed the control layout to be more like the Dean rather than the Gibson. The shorter neck puts the whole thing into better proportions than the original as well IMHO. Mockup next to an Epi: The rest of the spec is: 4-string Set neck 34" scale maple neck Rosewood fretboard jumbo fretwire white side dots - 2mm two way truss rod carbon fibre reinforcement Jazz profile, 38.5mm nut Brass nut Gibson Explorer-style headstock mahogany body Rear-routed Black Hardware Individual bridge units vol, vol, tone flame maple facing and headstock SD Quarter Pounder Precision pickup (neck) SD STK-J2 (bridge) Red finish (very similar to a 5-string Shuker Jazz (Mikes?) with black hardware) I then foolishly gave Finbar a lift to see Jon last time I was up there and was convinced that I should ditch the side dots and get white LED's instead, so am doing that. I barely touch the tone knobs on my Jazz's so we're changing it to vol, vol, LED brightness as that just made more sense!!! Jon's a fair way on with it now so here's a current progress pic: Not to everyone's taste, I'm sure, but my god it gives me the horn!!!! T Edited April 6, 2010 by TG Flatline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Nice one! This one is rather interesting, not the normal p/jazz sort of thing going on, i like it! i'll be keeping up with this one Explorers are some of my favourite guitars too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Looking good dude! Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Nice one, a great rock machine in the making! You're not a Jazz player are you? Just wanted to check Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 Cheers dudes! A jazz player I am not. What gave me away? Haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarhead Posted June 23, 2009 Share Posted June 23, 2009 Looks bloody lovely so far (: Can't wait for when you put it up for sale Zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted June 23, 2009 Author Share Posted June 23, 2009 [quote name='Jarhead' post='521865' date='Jun 23 2009, 05:03 PM']Looks bloody lovely so far (: Can't wait for when you put it up for sale Zach[/quote] Cheers fella You may be waiting some time though, I am seriously giddy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 nice 1 mate, i love my dean Z although it's one of those other fretted instruments that we're not allowed to talk about on here. I know what you mean about it's size though man, i mean the case it came with is the size of a bass case! I wouldn't mind 24 frets though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted June 24, 2009 Author Share Posted June 24, 2009 [quote name='EdwardHimself' post='522349' date='Jun 24 2009, 09:34 AM']nice 1 mate, i love my dean Z although it's one of those other fretted instruments that we're not allowed to talk about on here. I know what you mean about it's size though man, i mean the case it came with is the size of a bass case! I wouldn't mind 24 frets though.[/quote] Yeah it's huge! To get it in our old singers car we had to prop it up on the window ledge bits of the back doors, if you get me!? Beyond ridiculous! I hope you have more luck with it than I did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted June 24, 2009 Share Posted June 24, 2009 [quote name='TG Flatline' post='522511' date='Jun 24 2009, 12:32 PM']Yeah it's huge! To get it in our old singers car we had to prop it up on the window ledge bits of the back doors, if you get me!? Beyond ridiculous! I hope you have more luck with it than I did! [/quote] and to think i was considering a dean Z tour bass yeah it's okay, as i say it has like a 19th fret neck join and it's only 24.75" scale. I do tend to hit the bottom wing on a lot of stuff though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Nice one. Nicely different. I'm sure it will be brilliant and +1 on side LED's. They are truly fab.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='524572' date='Jun 26 2009, 08:57 AM']Nice one. Nicely different. I'm sure it will be brilliant and +1 on side LED's. They are truly fab..[/quote] Cheers dude! Yeah I'm looking forward to having the LED's - was playing a gig the other night and the kindly engineer would "smoke" me every time I went near the drum riser. Now not being able to see fret markers is generally ok (I usually just aim in the general vicinity of the right fret/string), but I couldn't see the bleeding neck either!!!! I'm thinking of these as landing lights. Haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='TG Flatline' post='528340' date='Jun 30 2009, 08:41 AM']Cheers dude! Yeah I'm looking forward to having the LED's - was playing a gig the other night and the kindly engineer would "smoke" me every time I went near the drum riser. Now not being able to see fret markers is generally ok (I usually just aim in the general vicinity of the right fret/string), but I couldn't see the bleeding neck either!!!! I'm thinking of these as landing lights. Haha! [/quote] My band call them idiot lights They are a big hit with the punters though when I go amongst them. Oddly enough they seldom comment on the superb workmanship of Mr Shuker's fabulous sunburst or the hand carved neck profile and perfect balance. They very rarely comment on the tactile inner harmony of the parts of the bass working delightfully together to give a natural resonance rarely found in a "normal" P bass but they regularly say "Ooooh look at the lovely little lights" ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='528382' date='Jun 30 2009, 09:58 AM']My band call them idiot lights They are a big hit with the punters though when I go amongst them. Oddly enough they seldom comment on the superb workmanship of Mr Shuker's fabulous sunburst or the hand carved neck profile and perfect balance. They very rarely comment on the tactile inner harmony of the parts of the bass working delightfully together to give a natural resonance rarely found in a "normal" P bass but they regularly say "Ooooh look at the lovely little lights" ...[/quote] Idiot Lights - Genius!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 Been a bit quiet with this, I've not had any pictures so nothing to properly update with, but Finbar has been to see Jon today and has informed me sanding is completed and it is ready for spraying cue the throbbing in my pants!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 [quote name='TG Flatline' post='626978' date='Oct 15 2009, 02:58 PM']Been a bit quiet with this, I've not had any pictures so nothing to properly update with, but Finbar has been to see Jon today and has informed me sanding is completed and it is ready for spraying cue the throbbing in my pants!!![/quote] Wow should be done for August Bank Holiday then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizbat Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='627018' date='Oct 15 2009, 02:51 PM']Wow should be done for August Bank Holiday then [/quote] 2011 ? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share Posted October 28, 2009 [quote name='wizbat' post='638265' date='Oct 27 2009, 06:12 PM']2011 ? :-)[/quote] I should be so lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Any update? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG Flatline Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 [quote name='peted' post='670659' date='Dec 1 2009, 12:45 AM']Any update?[/quote] Not recently dude I'm just leaving him to it tbh, the more I ask the harder it'll be and the more I'll probably get on his tits! I think he's busy working on some crazy fanned fret jobby at the minute or something haha! Any update on yours fella? I'm planning on getting down to give him some more money soon and I hope (for my sake, obviously not for yours!) that yours is still there so I can see it in the flesh!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 [quote name='TG Flatline' post='670847' date='Dec 1 2009, 10:59 AM']Not recently dude I'm just leaving him to it tbh, the more I ask the harder it'll be and the more I'll probably get on his tits! I think he's busy working on some crazy fanned fret jobby at the minute or something haha! Any update on yours fella? I'm planning on getting down to give him some more money soon and I hope (for my sake, obviously not for yours!) that yours is still there so I can see it in the flesh!!![/quote] No update since the beginning of November, but I'm also trying not to pester him too much as I'm sure the finishing part is the most intensive and exacting bit. I've re-organised my expectations and am now not expecting to get it much before Easter next year, but it will have been worth the wait - I haven't bought any new bass gear in over a year while waiting for this bass! Have you seen the new basses on his Stock page? The new ones are looking VERY fancy. Make sure you take a camera if you're visiting to take some progress shots of your bass. Gives you something to look at while you're waiting for the build to complete. I've been promised photos more times than they've been delivered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Jon turned 40 last week ... send him a card, he may even get back on your basses then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheButler Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 How does the payment work out with Jon? I'm guessing he won't need one lump sum, but you could pay him a few hunner a month? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Normally paying for custom builds is a question of putting down a deposit (between 10% and 50% depending on the luthier) which gets your build under way, and paying the rest on completion. That's certainly the way I've paid for all of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='670888' date='Dec 1 2009, 11:27 AM']Jon turned 40 last week ... send him a card, he may even get back on your basses then [/quote] How's your latest project coming along Si?... [quote name='TheButler' post='670889' date='Dec 1 2009, 11:27 AM']How does the payment work out with Jon? I'm guessing he won't need one lump sum, but you could pay him a few hunner a month?[/quote] In my experience, it was a 40% Deposit to start work with the remainder payable on completion. He's happy for you to pay up the remainder as you see fit, but I don't think he'll budge on the 40% before he starts work. Cheers, Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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