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My Skjold Custom 5 - Pics & Mini Review

Tony G

Tony G

Supporting Member
Jan 20, 2006
11,211
1,651
#1
Skjold Custom 5:
-Spalt Maple top
-Ash body
-Maple neck
-Pau Ferro fretboard
-Skjold pickups
-Skjold/East preamp

Quick overview:
- Very light
- Great Tone, very jazz bass like, but much more precise.
- Good playability, with excellent access to upper frets.
- Incredible construction and quality. Beautiful wood choices.

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th_Skjoldheadstockfronta.jpg
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th_Body1.jpg
th_back1.jpg
th_body2.jpg


Overall, this is a beautiful bass in many ways. The first thing you noticed when putting it on is how light and well balanced it feels on a strap. This is by far the best bass I've ever felt in those regards. The quality and construction seem to be very good, and on par with many other boutique high end basses. The spalted maple top is simply beautiful, with a just an hint of flame in there as well. The ash body looks amazing, with fantastic grain patterns. This peice of ash is the lightest I've ever come across. The 5 piece maple neck feels smooth as silk and has a nice easy profile. The pau ferro fretboard has the best grain I've seen from this wood yet. The matching headstock overlay, matching pickup covers, wooden control knobs, and the beautiful Skjold logo done in two different shells is a very classy touch.

The sound of this bass is very similar to the jazz bass sound, but so much more. The Skjold/East designed preamp paired with the custom Skjold pickups creates a punch and grind that I have found unmatched in a jazz bass voice instrument. I currently have the bass strung up with a set of DR Black Beauties and the growl is amazing! I'll be the first to admit that the odd design style of the bass is a little strange, but it is growing on me. Can you imagine what people must have though way back when the p-bass and j-bass were the standard, and rickenbacker came out with their designs???? I think this echos that very idea, and that the skjold design may one day be considered a classic.
 
#2
i think you posted pictures of two different skjold 5s...?

weren't you selling that one with the silver knobs?

anway, the one pictured in the actual review looks really sweet, IMO better looking than the one with the silver knobs. they both are great basses either way and both have their own aggressive look.

nice review too!
 
#3
Grats! I am glad that you like it. Have you spoken to Pete about the action? Most of the Skjolds that I have played were capable of really low action (with no fret buzz). Pete may be able to help you tweak the setup to achieve this.

Tom.
 
#5
natselection said:
i think you posted pictures of two different skjold 5s...?

weren't you selling that one with the silver knobs?

anway, the one pictured in the actual review looks really sweet, IMO better looking than the one with the silver knobs. they both are great basses either way and both have their own aggressive look.


nice review too!
Click to expand...

The pictures are all off the same bass. Just some pictures have the chrome knobs, and the rest are more up to date showing the bass with the wooden knobs. The pics in the first post were taken by me today.
 
#6
tombowlus said:
Grats! I am glad that you like it. Have you spoken to Pete about the action? Most of the Skjolds that I have played were capable of really low action (with no fret buzz). Pete may be able to help you tweak the setup to achieve this.

Tom.
Click to expand...

The action isn't that bad, but I would like it just a hair lower. I've already adjusted the truss rod to where the neck is almost perfectly flat, and if I lower the bridge saddles any further, they will completely bottom out. I've never shimmed a neck before, and assume that is what needs to be done. I pm'd Pete about it so I'll wait to hear what he has to say.
 
#10
xgabriel said:
The action isn't that bad, but I would like it just a hair lower. I've already adjusted the truss rod to where the neck is almost perfectly flat, and if I lower the bridge saddles any further, they will completely bottom out. I've never shimmed a neck before, and assume that is what needs to be done. I pm'd Pete about it so I'll wait to hear what he has to say.
Click to expand...

You might be able to cut the nut a bit lower.
 
#11
tombowlus said:
You might be able to cut the nut a bit lower.
Click to expand...
Nah, it's not a nut problem. My walnut bass is the same way... it's the older deeper neck pocket thing -- my walnut bass is sort of a transitional model 'cause the neck pocket was cut the older way (just a smidge deeper) like on xgabriel's. Pete's all over this one with a tiny shim. The pocket is just a teensy bit too deep, so with the bridge saddles bottomed out, the neck can still support even lower action. The only reason it even came up is because Pete's fret level is so excellent you can get the action super low and still get no buzz, so some want to do just that. :)
 
#14
Hey man...to get the action low, like around 1/16", that requires skill to setup, providing the neck was built to be played that low. Narrow frets help, flatwound strings help, and a neck that tends to come into relief properly for that action helps, in addtion to having a light touch. Jack rabbit action has a sound too. Further, the neck length that extends past the body is a factor. Patience and experience is the key with a low setup. The 5-string neck adjustments are tricky because of the B-string.
 
#15
Bassberry said:
Hey man...to get the action low, like around 1/16", that requires skill to setup, providing the neck was built to be played that low. Narrow frets help, flatwound strings help, and a neck that tends to come into relief properly for that action helps, in addtion to having a light touch. Jack rabbit action has a sound too. Further, the neck length that extends past the body is a factor. Patience and experience is the key with a low setup. The 5-string neck adjustments are tricky because of the B-string.
Click to expand...
All true, except this particular case is already a known matter and a very simple one of neck pocket depth. Pete'll take care of this with a very small shim and it'll be perfect forever after that.
 
#16
Vic said:
All true, except this particular case is already a known matter and a very simple one of neck pocket depth. Pete'll take care of this with a very small shim and it'll be perfect forever after that.
Click to expand...

Maybe this bass is a known matter and maybe it ain't? I agree that there's nothing wrong with a shim, that changes the neck angle slightly, Fender does it, has been doing it, still does it. I agree that Pete would like to take care of this and will. However, when someone asks for low action on a 5-string...what does that mean exactly? I mentioned 1/16, but that's a typical lowboy, nothing out of the ordinary request. The known matter may well be the exact requested action spec, I don't know...but here's the thing, taking care of this may in theory be hypothetical, yet in practice there are more places that need attention to make low action happen. For example; if the bass has a rising tongue, a shim won't fix that, and if the upper fret tangs are too tight which may contribute to the rising tongue, a shim won't fix that either. I am basically saying that working this setup is not just about having confidence, it's about recognizing why something happens in the first place, something that Fender has yet to address, and maybe something the bass building world should all think about? Good Luck with the action man.
 
#17
Bassberry said:
Maybe this bass is a known matter and maybe it ain't? I agree that there's nothing wrong with a shim, that changes the neck angle slightly, Fender does it, has been doing it, still does it. I agree that Pete would like to take care of this and will. However, when someone asks for low action on a 5-string...what does that mean exactly? I mentioned 1/16, but that's a typical lowboy, nothing out of the ordinary request. The known matter may well be the exact requested action spec, I don't know...but here's the thing, taking care of this may in theory be hypothetical, yet in practice there are more places that need attention to make low action happen. For example; if the bass has a rising tongue, a shim won't fix that, and if the upper fret tangs are too tight which may contribute to the rising tongue, a shim won't fix that either. I am basically saying that working this setup is not just about having confidence, it's about recognizing why something happens in the first place, something that Fender has yet to address, and maybe something the bass building world should all think about? Good Luck with the action man.
Click to expand...

In this case it is the fact that the saddles won't go as low as the user would like . A shim is a possibility if the neck tongue like you say , supports the adjustment . I have many times just regrooved the saddles with the appropriate gauge and I can lower a string another mm . So I am sure the bass can be setup with lower action . Ihave offered to do it free of charge , but he would still have to pay shipping . This is whats keeping it from being addressed .

I would really like to know what the height is actually at now .

Pete
 
#19
Pete skjold said:
In this case it is the fact that the saddles won't go as low as the user would like . A shim is a possibility if the neck tongue like you say , supports the adjustment . I have many times just regrooved the saddles with the appropriate gauge and I can lower a string another mm . So I am sure the bass can be setup with lower action . Ihave offered to do it free of charge , but he would still have to pay shipping . This is whats keeping it from being addressed .

I would really like to know what the height is actually at now .

Pete
Click to expand...

I know you have offered this to me, and it is greatly appreciated. In my current quest for the perfect bass for me, I am only waiting to try out one more bass, being that Fbass that is on its way to me. If I decide that your custom 5 is the bass for me, I will happily send it down to you to get everything worked out. Being that I haven't decided on that just yet is the reason I am hesitant.

Thanks,
~Tony
 
#20
Also, I would really like to address that the action isn't that bad at all! This bass is very playable and I've enjoyed both rehearsing and gigging with it in the past week. Everybody is seeming to make a bigger deal out of it than it really is.
 

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