Shuker Custom Bass

[Sean.Robinson]

Hi, after a few posts on the forums and heavily considering in my head I've decided on having a Shuker bass made for me. I've arranged for a meeting on monday and talked very briefly to Jon on the phone. While i haven't decided much yet as I'm still toying with ideas yet what has been decided is that it will be a custom shape. Im also debating what woods to use, for the neck I'm pretty much set on Wenge and Paduak like here:

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and for the fret board ebony, though I'm still debating the body wood, possibly pale moon ebony if he has or can get a piece. Other than this however I'm pretty much undecided on what i want and I'm sure a lot will be decided in the meeting with Jon.

Still i want to have a couple of ideas before i go and would like to hear peoples suggestions. Im open to ideas for pickup placement and what pickups to use, along with preamps and anything else that can be though of as i want the bass to be very versatile. Id like an optional Rickenbacker like sound though i don't know how realistic this idea is.

Also if anyone has any ideas for the shape it would be great to hear. I will keep this post up to date.

Thanks
Sean

 

[Jools4001]

Lovely bass that Shuker.

As for the Rickenbacker sound I think that it comes from an elusive combination of the maple used in it's construction, the 33-1/4" scale length, the way the pickups are wound and mounted and, in my experience, even the poorly designed Ric components like the bridge all contribute to the sound. It's a happy accident.

I think you could get close, with maybe a split humbucker where the Ric bridge pu goes, used single coil to get near the Ric's clang tone and humbucking to get something like an MM sound. Just an idea.

Most people who get a Ric get it to make the definitive Ric sound and it is so addictive that tends to be all you hear. In fact, they're very versatile basses. With all the tone rolled off the neck pu you can go all the way to dub territory and various pu and tone combinations on mine can even give a passable upright sound with a bit of judicious damping

 

[ROON]

Id like an optional Rickenbacker like sound though i don't know how realistic this idea is.

The RIC police are coming to take you away now.