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Kiwi's Shuker Headless MIDI 6


Kiwi
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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='wotnwhy' post='163221' date='Mar 25 2008, 04:00 PM']laser cutting??

what and why?[/quote]
For the kiwi inlay :)

Its funny, I'm now wondering whether I should have asked for a radiussed top like on Warwick and Spector basses, I do particularly like how the pickups and strings project out from the body because playing is a little easier with my 'straight' thumbs. Its probably a little late for that now, but might ask about it for the workhorse bass.

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  • 4 weeks later...

New pics at last! Taken by myself on Friday while Jon was teaching me how to refret my guitar neck.

[attachment=8068:Picture_472.jpg][attachment=8069:Picture_473.jpg]

Its roughly shaped and already feels great for ergonomics, although it seems a little heavier than Johngh's. Perhaps because of the heavy mahogany body wings? You can see the chambering in the top wing already. The bass has matching control cavity covers cut from the rear facing for the back and the electric blue LED's are fully functional too!

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I've asked Jon for the mono rail units - same as used by Status. Are they made by ABM? I've also asked him where the onboard tuner is going! (Can't see any allowance for it in the top horn yet - hope it hasn't been forgotten!)

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[quote name='Johngh' post='186876' date='Apr 27 2008, 11:22 PM']Its starting to look like a bass now CK, looks very much like mine as well. How much longer now till its finished ?[/quote]
It was inspired by yours John! :) No idea on the completion date unfortunately. Jon's working on 32 other orders in various stages of completion as well apparently. Rob's in there giving him a hand but they don't seem to be panicking much. Its taken 6 weeks already just for the laser cutting people to come back and say they needed a .gif of the kiwi to cut the right shaped hole! Also the original kiwi that I made was too curved and thin to be sanded flush to the body. So I've left some paua shell with Jon to be water cut to the right shape.

At the moment, the waiting time has been 6 months but there's a bit more to do with mine than most other basses.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='239290' date='Jul 14 2008, 04:49 PM']Update:
Apparently the kiwi inlay is in and looks good, so the top will be going on shortly. Jon says the bass is likely to be finished in the next 4 weeks! :)[/quote]

:huh: 4 weeks :huh:

He told me that his build time was 12 - 20 weeks when I put down my deposit... on the 6th November... that makes it 37 weeks by my count! To say I can't wait to get my hands on it is an understatement! Jon's a great guy to deal with, but his timing estimates leave a bit to be desired!

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[quote name='Bigwan' post='246232' date='Jul 23 2008, 04:39 PM']:) 4 weeks :huh:

He told me that his build time was 12 - 20 weeks when I put down my deposit... on the 6th November... that makes it 37 weeks by my count! To say I can't wait to get my hands on it is an understatement! Jon's a great guy to deal with, but his timing estimates leave a bit to be desired![/quote]
I think I commissioned my bass around the same time as you did. Jon told me 5 months, but this was before he got flooded, and before he had to move workshop. It also took about 3 months to get the inlay sorted. Draw your own conclusions, but its not untypical for luthiers to work to their own timelines and completely undermine any assurances they've given beforehand.

For my other little headless project in partnership with Jon, I'm minimising Jon's input as much as possible (while also making sure he's still sweet). If any of you have bolt on bodies made in the future, chances are they will been rough shaped on Jon's CNC machine, based on the programme of instructions I will be preparing.

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[quote name='Bigwan' post='246232' date='Jul 23 2008, 04:39 PM']:) 4 weeks :huh:

He told me that his build time was 12 - 20 weeks when I put down my deposit... on the 6th November... that makes it 37 weeks by my count! To say I can't wait to get my hands on it is an understatement! Jon's a great guy to deal with, but his timing estimates leave a bit to be desired![/quote]

I must apologise, as apparently I sent him a fair amount of work this year ;o) In March he had 20 basses on the go!!!! Which is shooting myself in the foot, as it means my own bass has encountered a few delays too!


Dan

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='dood' post='246852' date='Jul 24 2008, 01:44 PM']I must apologise, as apparently I sent him a fair amount of work this year ;o) In March he had 20 basses on the go!!!! Which is shooting myself in the foot, as it means my own bass has encountered a few delays too![/quote]
He's also recieved a lot of business from a bass teacher in Leeds who keeps putting his students onto Jon for instruments!

I'm off up to see him on Saturday anyway, apparently the top is going onto the bass today (complete with inlay) and the neck should be carved by the time I get to the workshop.

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OK update:

Jon didn't managed to carve the neck before I got there today. However he was working through the weekend to get on top of the orders before he went on holiday to Canterbury next week. He hopes to have a number of instruments ready for finishing when he gets back.

So here's the bass, without the carved neck but with the top and kiwi inlaid and the edges of the body have been pin routered.





He said the redwood was pretty difficult to work into the drop top because it was so brittle and it kept tearing when it was being routed. Loads of it left from the slab I had too. Speaking of which Jon will be selling off some of his quilted, flamed and burl maple on his site very soon and there's a new shuker body shape currently in production. It reminds me a little of an Alembic Rogue.

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That's looking amazing dude!
You've got me GASing hard for a headless bass now!
I've always fancied one, and even more so now that I can't fit my current bass in my boot, so I can't go for a pre or post rehearsal pint without taking it with me!

New headless bass or a new car?...

Reckon I'd have more fun with the bass.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='259053' date='Aug 9 2008, 10:05 PM']... there's a new shuker body shape currently in production. It reminds me a little of an Alembic Rogue.[/quote]

I don't suppose the new shape looks anything like this?

[attachment=11840:Shuker_B...On_Tweak.jpg]

Cheers,
Eude

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[quote name='eude' post='259138' date='Aug 10 2008, 09:26 AM']That's looking amazing dude!
You've got me GASing hard for a headless bass now!
I've always fancied one, and even more so now that I can't fit my current bass in my boot, so I can't go for a pre or post rehearsal pint without taking it with me!

New headless bass or a new car?...

Reckon I'd have more fun with the bass.[/quote]
Heheh, I got gas from Johngh's bass, catching innit? :)

[quote name='eude' post='259138' date='Aug 10 2008, 09:26 AM']I don't suppose the new shape looks anything like this?

[attachment=11840:Shuker_B...On_Tweak.jpg][/quote]
Its the same shape as the bass now on the home page of his website...

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  • 1 month later...

Last time I spoke with him a couple of weeks ago it was supposed to be getting sprayed last week. I can't wait to see what the top looks like wet - it should very dark and chocolatey. That reminds me, I called him at lunchtime for an update and he wasn't in. I'll give him another call now...

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